The national Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is partnering with local law enforcement agencies and other government and community partners for its first-ever National Take-back Initiative to safely dispose of unwanted prescription drugs.

The DEA hopes the initiative will prevent prescription drug abuse and theft. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, take your expired or unwanted prescription drugs to a local drop-off site.

The two closest sites to Phinney-Greenwood are: Seattle Police Department’s North Precinct, 10049 College Way N.; and Shilshole Bay Marina, 7001 Seaview Ave. NW, Suite 100.

The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Many Americans are not aware that medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are increasing at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, many Americans do not know how to properly dispose of their unused medicine, often flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away – both potential safety and health hazards.

MyBallard reports that the Blue Glass applied for a liquor license in the former Tigertail location at 704 NW 65th, on the Lower Phinney/Ballard line. Their liquor license application is “to sell spirits, beer, and wine by the individual serving for on-premises consumption. In this case, 50 percent or more of the establishment is dedicated to dining.”

Tigertail closed last year. At the time, a letter from the Department of Revenue posted in the window said the bar owed back taxes.

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has finalized the changes that will happen on Greenwood Avenue North between North 85t Street and North 105th Street. SDOT says the changes will improve safety for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists, while maintaining current capacity.

SDOT held a public meeting on the proposal on Aug. 3.

Greenwood Avenue North will be restriped between North 85th Street and North 105rd Street this fall. After work is complete, the 0.9 mile stretch will have one travel lane in each direction, a center turn lane and dedicated bicycle lanes. Improvements at the intersection of Greenwood and North 85th Street will include dedicated right and left turn lanes for southbound vehicles.

SDOT engineers carefully considered the needs of motorists, freight, transit, bicycles, pedestrians and emergency response when designing the final roadway layout.

Work is to begin in October 2010. In late September residents and businesses along Greenwood Ave N between N 85th St and N 105th St will receive door hangers regarding temporary parking restrictions.

You can find a lot more information, including a list of Frequently Asked Questions, and diagrams of the current and proposed lane configurations, here.

The Seattle Parks Department says Maroni Construction will begin work on Sandel Park’s playground renovations later this week. Sandel Park is at 9053 1st Ave. NW.

The $350,000 project is funded by the 2008 Parks and Green Space Levy, and is expected to be finished in January.

The final design fills in about two feet of the area of the existing upper playground and creates a larger playground more centrally located in the park. The design shared at the March 2010 Open House did not include the removal and grade elevation at the existing play area. This detail was the primary safety element in the Neighborhood Matching Fund design.

This final design addresses the visibility concerns that motivated the community to start the project. The new play area will have space to incorporate a wider variety of play equipment and will build upon the natural landscape of the existing park.

You can see a larger PDF of the design here.

All branches of the Seattle Public Library, including the Greenwood Library at 8016 Greenwood Ave. N., will open at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 30, due to an all-staff meeting. The Greenwood Library usually opens at 10 a.m. on Thursdays.

Saturday is the Mayor’s Day of Concern for the Hungry, and you can donate to the food drive at several area grocery stores, with all food collected going to the Greenwood Food Bank.

Volunteers are still needed for three-hour shifts from 8:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. to help collect food at the participating stores. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Erin Pankow at epankow@voaww.org or 425-259-3191.

From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sept. 25, make a donation at:

• Greenwood Market – 8500 3rd Ave. NW
• Greenwood Safeway – 8704 Greenwood Ave. N.
• Green Lake PCC – 7504 Aurora Ave. N.
• Shoreline Central Market – 15505 Westminster Way N.

The Greenwood Food Bank is run by the Volunteers of America.

Each month, the Greenwood Food Bank serves over 3,000 individuals. Families, children, seniors, and individuals with disabilities receive a 3 day/9 meal emergency supply of food. The Greenwood Food Bank also provides homebound seniors with monthly deliveries of food.

Donations are accepted at the Greenwood Food Bank Tuesday – Friday, 9am-4pm 9041 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103. Or, make an online donation at www.voaww.org. For each dollar donated, the Greenwood Food Bank can purchase six meals.

We last posted a roundup of restaurant inspections in the neighborhood back on July 23. A number of people commented for and against us posting the inspections, some saying health inspectors always look for little things to dock restaurants on, while others felt it was a health and safety issue.

We’ve decided to list all restaurant inspections that receive any violation points. Many pass the inspection without any violations at all, so we won’t list those.

Restaurant inspections seem to happen in bunches, with sometimes several weeks in between any restaurants in our neighborhood being inspected. So, here are the inspections from the end of July through mid-September.

Mr. Gyros, 8411 Greenwood Ave. N., had a July 30 re-inspection after its inspection on July 7 netted it 70 points. The re-inspection docked Mr. Gyros only 5 points.

-Food worker card not available or current, new food workers not trained.

The 85th Street Café & Deli at 8420 Greenwood Ave. N. received 23 points on July 30:

- Inadequate hand washing facilities

- Food worker card not available or current, new food workers not trained

- Inadequate equipment for temperature control

- Single use and single service articles improperly stored, used

The Café has been closed for several weeks. Owner Timur Leno told us by email on Sept. 3 that it was being remodeled, but a PhinneyWood reader wrote in comments that he found a Craigslist ad listing it for sale. (That listing is no longer on Craigslist.) Leno has not returned another message to clarify. Last month Leno sold nearby Olive You, at 8516 Greenwood Ave. N. It is now called The Olive and Grape.

Aventura Mexican Restaurant at 10515 Greenwood Ave. N. received 20 points on Aug. 9:

- Warewashing facilities not properly installed, maintained, used; no test strips available and used

- Inadequate equipment for temperature control

- Toxic substances improperly identified, stored and used

King Falafel Grill, which opened last month at 8317 Greenwood Ave. N., received 15 points on Sept. 1:

- Food worker card not available or current, new food workers not trained

- Food not protected from potential contamination during preparation, storage, display

- Improper hot holding temperatures130° F to 139° F

El Chupacabra, at 6711 Greenwood Ave. N., received 10 points on Sept. 8:

- Food not protected from potential contamination during preparation, storage, display

- Food worker card not available or current, new food workers not trained

The Ould Triangle at 9736 Greenwood Ave. N. received 30 points on Sept. 13:

- Food worker card not available or current, new food workers not trained

- Insects, rodents, animals present; entrance uncontrolled

- Inadequate hand washing facilities

- Improper washing of fruits and vegetables

Snoose Junction Part Dieu at 10406 Holman Rd NW received 10 points on Sept. 14:

- Inadequate hand washing facilities

Richshaw Restaurant at 322 N. 105th St., received 20 points on Sept. 14:

- Warewashing facilities not properly installed, maintained, used; no test strips available and used

- Improper cold holding temperatures (>45° F)

- Plumbing not properly sized, installed, and maintained, improper backflow devices, indirect drains, cross connections present

Manna Smoked BBQ at 10410 Holman Rd. NW, received 5 points on Sept. 14:

- Wiping cloths improperly used, stored

The Northwest District Council meets from 7-9 p.m. Wednesday at the Greenwood Neighborhood Service Center, 8515 Greenwood Ave. N.

On the agenda is a presentation by Sharon Rodgers of Schools First about the November Seattle School levy; Bill Malatinsky of Piper’s Creek Watershed Action Project will explain how the 1,835-acre watershed drains directly into Puget Sound, and how neighbors can keep it healthy; and reports from various neighborhood groups and Irene Wall of the City Neighborhood Council.

For more information or to share your ideas about neighborhood issues, email NDC Chair Steve Deters or call him at 206-437-4940; or Greenwood Neighborhood Service Center Coordinator Beth Pflug, 206-684-4096.

If you’re interested in how the city plans to increase Seattle’s tree canopy, there’s an open house downtown on Tuesday. The Urban Forestry Open House is from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Bertha Knight Landes Room at City Hall, 600 4th Ave.

Seattle’s goal is to increase its urban forest from 23 percent coverage to 30 percent by 2030.

The City has proposed regulations intended to increase tree canopy, provide flexibility for homeowners, and help preserve Seattle’s trees. A tree credit requirement in single-family zones will help preserve existing trees and encourage planting new trees. Expanding Seattle Green Factor landscape standards and simplifying the process for departures to some rules will provide incentives to protect trees during development.

The open house presentations will include an overview of the City’s Urban Forest Management Program, proposed changes to tree protection regulations, and changes to the City’s street tree program.

You can find out more about the Department of Planning and Development’s tree regulations update process here.

Join your neighbors and take a tour of some of the city’s 73 P-Patches. Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods and its P-Patch Community Gardening staff will lead six tours of five gardens each.

The two-hour Northwest tour meets at the Greenwood Neighborhood Service Center, 8515 Greenwood Ave. N., at 1 p.m. on Oct. 23. Pile into a city van and check out the following P-Patches: Good Shepherd, Fremont, Hazel Heights, Greg’s Garden, and Ballard.

Tours are free, but reservations are required because space is limited. You can register online or call (206)386-4123.

These gardens are gathering places where neighbors can strengthen networks and steward—plan, plant and maintain—a piece of open space together. Much of the produce harvested is donated to local food banks and feeding programs. In 2009 alone, gardeners contributed over 18,500 hours and donated about 12.4 tons of food.

Here are highlights of what’s happening in the neighborhood this weekend. As always, you can check our events calendar for more.

The Phinney Farmers Market runs from 3-7 p.m. Friday in the lower parking lot of the Phinney Neighborhood Center. The Farmers Market ends for the season on Oct. 1.

Phinney Market at 5918 Phinney Ave. N. has a Taste of Italy wine tasting Friday at 5:30 p.m.; $5 for wine and plenty of hors d’ouevres.

Seattle Storytellers Guild presents Story Swap at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Couth Buzzard Books Espresso Buono Cafe, 8310 Greenwood Ave. N.

Acoustic Snacks plays the blues at 8 p.m. Friday at Wayward Coffeehouse, 8570 Greenwood Ave. N. Matt Price and Jennifer Spector perform indie pop at 8 p.m. Saturday. All ages, no cover.

The Wallingford Wurst Festival is Friday evening and all day Saturday at the corner of Wallingford Avenue and North 48th Street. The 28th annual benefit for St. Benedict’s School features bratwurst and other food, plus games, music, a beer garden and a bouncy house.

The 65th Street Coop brings its popular Gently Used Kid’s Gear Sale back to the Phinney Neighborhood Center’s brick building at 9 a.m. Saturday.

Half Price Books holds its hugely popular Warehouse Sale from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 9241 Greenwood Ave. N.

Seattle Parks and Recreation will hold the final life jacket sale of the season at Green Lake’s Evans Pool on Saturday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Cost is $20 for sizes infant to youth large, and $30 for teens to adult size XXL. “Purchasers under age 18 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. Fitters will be on site to help purchaser choose the correct size. The person for whom the jacket is being purchased must be present for proper fitting.”

The Woodland Park Zoo is offering half-price admission to Storm fans who show a ticket stub from a finals or conference finals game, or are wearing their Storm apparel.

Couth Buzzard Books Espresso Buono Café at 8310 Greenwood Ave. N. presents its monthly Community Cabaret at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. This month’s theme is Women, and is hosted by performer Kate Smith. Performers include: Sarah Bowen & Natalia Uvalle-Odell from 826 Young Writers Progam; Linda Khandro on Celtic Harp; Marla Nonken, guitar, percussion, words; Jillian Graham, vocals; Leslie Fried, poems from “Death of the Fish”; and Isla Ross, world caravan in fiddle and songs.

In honor of the Seattle Storm winning the WNBA Finals last night, the Woodland Park Zoo is offering half-price admission to fans on Saturday and Sunday.

Show a ticket stub at the admission gate for any game to the conference finals or finals held in Sept., including games on the road, or wear any Storm apparel such as a jersey, t-shirt, hat, and get half price off the admission fee. The discount applies to each person of all ages presenting a ticket stub or wearing Storm apparel. The discount offer is one-time only and may not be combined with any other discount or offer.

The zoo is open from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. this weekend. Admission is $16.50 for adults (ages 13-64), $11 for children 3-11, and free for kids 2 and under.