City Fruit just sent us an update on their harvesting of extra fruit from neighborhood trees to donate to local food banks and senior centers. This season, volunteers with their Phinney harvest program harvested more than 4,000 pounds of fruit.

Thank you to all the fruit tree owners who donated fruit, and to all the wonderful volunteers who harvested the 4,000 pounds of fruit and took it to food banks, senior centers and low income childcare centers in Phinney and Greenwood.

City Fruit is also holding a canning class at the Greenwood Senior Center from 2:30-5 p.m. on Oct. 11. The cost is $25.

Participants will learn how to make jam using Italian prune plums. Each participant will go home with at least a jar of plum jam prepared during the class. Plums, jars and all other supplies are provided. All proceeds from the entrance fee will go toward funding the future of the Phinney harvest. Please contact Jen Mullen at phinney@cityfruit.org to reserve your spot. We can accommodate a maximum of ten people.

Mike Veitenhans sent us these photos he took earlier today of the inside of the new section of Ken’s Market.

Below are the backs of Ken’s Market’s original owner Ken Giles (left) and current co-owner Bill Stamey (right) watching workers install signage inside the new store today.

This shot is looking west into the store, as the crew looks over the plans.

And here’s what the outside currently looks like, with the new metal awning over the sidewalk.

Mike said Ken told him the new section of the store should be ready by Oct. 8, then the old section will be remodeled.

Thanks for the pix, Mike!

The city’s Design Review Board will get its second look at the proposed Greenwood Fred Meyer development on 85th St. at its second Early Design Guidance meeting at 6:30 p.m., next Monday at Ballard High School’s library. The Board got its first look at the proposal’s three options in July, but told the Fred Meyer team to come back with different options.

Tom Gibbons, Fred Meyer’s Director of Real Estate Development, sent an email to community members inviting them to the meeting:

After the last EDG meeting, which was on July 13th, we went back to the drawing board and have been busy working on a design that addresses the concerns of the community and meets our needs as well. At the September 28th meeting we are presenting our revised design.

I hope you’ll be able to join us. If you are unable to attend the EDG meeting, please note that your questions and concerns are always welcomed in writing. You may direct those to either me (tom.gibbons@fredmeyer.com), or to Scott Kemp (scott.kemp@seattle.gov), who is the City of Seattle’s Design Review contact for the project.

 We’ll be at the meeting and will post a follow-up later that night.

Seattle Pacific University students on Queen Anne are starting the school year off with community service projects all over the city, including here in Phinney and Greenwood. On Saturday, 800 SPU students will clean up parks, remove graffiti and fix up houses as part of their annual community service orientation called “CityQuest.”

In our neck of the woods, students and staff will clean up the garden spaces at Columbia Lutheran Home at 4700 Phinney Ave. N. And they’ll clean Taproot Theatre and its touring van.

Seattle Department of Transportation crews will close the two center lanes of the Aurora Bridge on Tuesday to repair the expansion joints. The work will last from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Two lanes will remain open in each direction.

Last week we told you about the upcoming season of Ridge Romp, the children’s entertainment series at the Phinney Center. At that time, they had half the season’s performers set, but now they’ve got the full list.

The cost is $3 per person (child or adult). PNA members also can buy family passes at the first show for $35 for the whole season (six shows). All shows start at 10:30 a.m. in the PNA Community Hall (in the brick building); doors open at 10 a.m. Here are the show’s descriptions, courtesy of the Ridge Romp volunteer organizers:

Sat. Oct. 3: The Not-Its! – “Meet The Not-Its! – Seattle’s newest, most rockin’ band making music for children. With the success of their debut album, We Are The Not-Its! released June 2009, it’s clear they are on a mission to make kids dance, with up-tempo, power-pop hits families will love. Featuring the vocals of Sarah Shannon (of lauded ‘90s indie-pop band Velocity Girl), The Not-Its! combine crunchy guitars with smooth, four-part harmonies, all nestled within ‘fantastic danceable pop gems about gettin’ fancy, birthday parties, bath time and intergalactic play dates.’”

Sat., Nov. 28: Alleyoop – “Alleyoop’s concert is a big hit with children of all ages, but most especially for children ages 3 to 9 years old. His original musical games, get the children involved. This is audience participation to the max. The children become the show! He plays guitars, ukuleles, and mountain dulcimer. He brings his pal, Billy Bear the Silly Bear, for a humorous interlude.”

Sat., Jan. 2, 2010: Caspar Babypants – “Chris Ballew, lead singer of The Presidents of the United States of America, lends his wacky chops to Caspar Babypants. ‘It’s not much of a stretch from The Presidents,’ says Ballew. ‘I’m still singing songs about bugs and animals. I’m still drawing upon the same influences — old folk music and blues.’”

Sat., Feb. 6, 2010: Valentine’s Performing Pigs - “The Pigs are returning to Ridge Romp. This is a not to be missed show of amazing (real!) performing pot belly pigs! Fun for the entire family!”

Sat., March 6, 2010: Johnny Bregar – “Rootsy, jazzy, bluesy tunes that are simple and real; arrangements of childhood standards and sweetly humorous original songs. Music for kids that parents will love!”

Sat., April 3, 2010: Charles the Clown – “Watch as Charles transforms into a clown before your very eyes! The show is filled with silly “mistakes” as Charles attempts to transform his persona.”

Woodland Park Zoo announced today that it has been granted a renewed five-year accreditation by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ (AZA) Accreditation Commission. It’s the sixth consecutive time WPZ has received AZA accreditation.

According to a press release from the zoo:

To be accredited, Woodland Park Zoo underwent a thorough investigation to ensure the institution has and will continue to meet ever-rising standards, which include animal care, veterinary programs, conservation, education and safety. AZA requires zoos and aquariums to successfully complete this rigorous accreditation process in order to be members of the Association, and to resubmit to this process every five years.

The accreditation process includes a detailed application and a meticulous on-site inspection by a team of trained zoo and aquarium professionals. The inspection team observes all aspects of the institution’s operation in areas such as animal care; keeper training; safety for visitors, staff, and animals; educational programs; conservation efforts; veterinary programs; financial stability; risk management; visitor services; and other areas. The inspection team prepares an extensive written report for the Accreditation Commission. Finally, top officials are interviewed at a formal Commission hearing.

Michael Gregory, director of the Phinney Soup Kitchen at St. John Lutheran Church, will be honored next Sunday for his 25 years of service.

Gregory began volunteering at the soup kitchen in 1984, when it was run by the Fremont Public Association (FPA), and quickly became the director of the meal program. The Phinney Neighborhood Association (PNA) took over the program in 1999.

On Tuesday and Wednesdays, you’ll still find Michael in the St. John kitchen – unpacking donated food, directing volunteers, and cooking.

In a press release, Gregory reminisced about the many changes in the past 25 years:

“In those days, we were serving 25-30 people at our one meal on Wednesday. Today, it is not uncommon for us to serve 150 to 200 meals in a day. I love to take whatever food comes in and turn it into something. The feedback is immediate; I have heard people say a thousand times that this is the only meal they had today and that it was really good.”

Gregory will be honored at the Sunday, Sept. 27, 10:30 a.m. service at St. John United Lutheran, 5515 Phinney Ave. N., followed by a celebratory coffee hour. He’ll also be honored during soup kitchen meals the following week: Monday, Sept. 28, at 12 p.m. at Calvary Lutheran, 7002 23rd Ave. NW (the program’s second site), and Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 5 p.m. and Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 12 p.m. at St. John United.

The PNA soup kitchens receive some city funding, as well as donations from Food Lifeline and Northwest Harvest. They also depend on community support. On Thursday, Oct. 1, 20 Phinney-Greenwood restaurants will donate a portion of their sales to the soup kitchens as part of the 7th annual “Phabulous Phinney Pig Out.” Check out the list of participating restaurants.

Photo by Raul Campoverde.

Update: Sheila tells us the cat has been returned to its home.

Sheila sent us this note last night about a cat she found on Greenwood Avenue between N. 72nd and N. 73rd streets:

I just found a cat running around in front of Labels. If you are missing a very sweet white cat with a purple/flowered collar on call me – 206-910-3184 or 206-783-0129.

Neptune Coffee is hosting “Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” Trivia Night on Friday, Sept. 25 to benefit its neighbor across the street, the non-profit writing center 826 Seattle.

Questions about improbability, the significance of the number 42, and the final words of God to His creation are sure to challenge fans of Douglas Adams’ absurdist sci-fi masterpiece. Questions will be drawn from the entire cannon, including the radio show, the trilogy (in five parts), and the 2005 movie. Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co. store manager and towel enthusiast Justin will MC.

Suggested donation is $5 per player, limit 6 players per team. Prizes range from free coffee and drinks from Neptune Coffee, to space travel supplies from the Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co., and the one item no traveler can be without – a towel.

826 Seattle provides free creative writing tutoring for children ages 6-18. Its alter ego, Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co., sells intergalactic travel accessories to support the program.

A large crowd of bargain shoppers were lined up this morning waiting to get into the Half Price Books warehouse sale at 9241 Greenwood Ave. N.

This is what the line looked like at 10:30 a.m., 90 minutes after the door opened at 9 a.m. The sale goes until 6 p.m. today and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Everything is $1 or less and merchandise, including books, movies and music will be restocked on Sunday.

Next Thursday, Sept. 24, is Dish Up Literacy day in Seattle, an event put on by Page Ahead, a non-profit organization that works to increase and develop literacy programs for children. One of their programs is providing free books to children – 160,000 of them every year.

And you can help out by doing something you probably already do – eat out.

On Thursday restaurants participating in Dish Up Literacy have agreed to donate a portion of their proceeds to Page Ahead, meaning the more people who eat out on the 24th, the more money will go toward literacy services, books and supplies for kids.

“We provide new books for kids, story times for younger children and family workshops with the proceeds,” said Tara, a Page Ahead volunteer. “Hope to see you dining out on September 24th.”

In our neighborhood, Mae’s Phinney Ridge Cafe and Carmelita are participating. You can check out all the restaurants participating here.