The Phinney Neighborhood Association is hosting its annual Wine Taste from 7:30-10 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25. Cost is $25 for PNA members, $30 for non-members. Designated driver tickets are $10.

That gets you a bunch of hors d’oeuvres, 10 tastes of wine, and jazz music by Live Wire.

You can even purchase some of the wines that night from a special wine store.

You can purchase tickets online, or at the PNA, 6532 Phinney Ave. N.

Metro Transit is proposing to change bus Route 5 service north of North 105th Street, but will keep the current routing south of 105th when it implements changes this fall.

According to Metro, all Route 5 trips would begin and end at Shoreline Community College. Riders wishing to get to Northgate would need to transfer to a revised Route 18. The Route 5 Express service will not change.

Last fall, Metro had proposed revising the route to use Fremont Avenue North and Dexter Avenue North instead of Aurora Avenue North, but decided against it after receiving community input. However, Metro will consider those changes again after the RapidRide E Line launches in 2013.

Metro estimates the time between Route 5 buses as 15 minutes during both peak and off-peak hours during weekdays, between 15-30 minutes at night, 15 minutes on Saturdays, and 30 minutes on Sundays.

You can weigh in on the proposed changes at another public forum from 6-8 p.m. Monday at Ballard High School.

The Seattle Public Library is offering free classes on how to download e-books and audiobooks from the library’s online catalog. Classes are held at multiple locations, including the Greenwood Library, 8016 Greenwood Ave. N., from 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 22.

Registration is required; call the branch at 206-684-4086.

You can use the library’s “Your Next Five Books” online service to get a personalized list of books from a librarian, including e-books. For more information, call The Seattle Public Library at 206-386-4636 or Ask a Librarian.

By Breanna Lai, UW News Lab

Sorry guys, this month’s art walk is all about the ladies.

Bherd Studios and Tasty Gallery, two local art galleries, have teamed up once again to promote two all-female artist exhibits that will open during Phinney-Greenwood’s monthly Art Up Artwalk this Friday, from 6-9 p.m.

“This is our fourth annual all-female art show,” said Michele Osgood, co-owner of Bherd (pronounced “be heard”) Studios. “It is the second year we have co-promoted an all-female show with Tasty Gallery. Each year we theme the art around feminine issues and things that deal with women artists in this field.”

Bherd Studios’ show, “Pretty, Sexy, Dirty Girly,” is the brainchild of Seattle artist Siolo Thompson. It is a multimedia exhibit featuring a dozen female artists exploring the topic of feminine sexuality.

Up the street at Tasty Gallery, owner and curator Sheri Hauser said they will introduce “Girls Gone Wild,” a figure-driven show featuring 11 female artists’ work.

“When we cross-promoted our events we realized that we generated more interest and attention, so we did it again this year,” Hauser said. “We are even looking to extend to other gallery owners in the neighborhood and make it even bigger in the future.”

Hauser played with show titles and settled on “Girls Gone Wild,” named after the infamous videos that show girls exposing themselves on camera, because she wanted to give the phrase a new, more positive, meaning.

A lot of the artists have different interpretations of what is “wild,” but Hauser said the group of women who are exhibiting are all strong, independent, talented, tenacious artists from various cities in the Northwest. She is particularly excited to include three artists from Vancouver, British Columbia, the city where she first started working in art promotion.

“I am excited about this shift being Canadian; Vancouver is only two and a half hours from Seattle so it would be crazy not to expose more artists to the market here,” Hauser explained.

Thompson, the curator of “Pretty, Sexy, Dirty Girly,” chose these four words when thinking about the different ways women are sexual or are sexualized by others. Thompson’s artists are local residents and represent a broad range of ages and backgrounds. (Check out her blog on the project.)

“We have a woman who is in her 50s, and our youngest exhibitor is 16. We’re bringing all these people together who have completely different backgrounds and ages and different politics,” Thompson explained. “There are lesbians, straight people, a transgendered woman, a woman who comes from a Midwestern background, and a photographer that works within the drag community.”

Along with the medley of women is their variation in mediums. There are photographers, painters, resin artists, burlesque dancers and a poet.

Because of the sexually charged nature of the content, some pieces may be considered controversial and adult content. Bherd Studios will be posting signage on their door as a warning.

“This might not be a show that a lot of venues would want to put on because maybe they’re not able to because of their audience,” Osgood said. “It’s a good chance to have an area for people to voice something that might be controversial. Some venues can’t just shut off families from coming in, but we have the ability to put a sign up and give a warning.”

Thompson hopes these shows will change the way people participate in art walks. She wants to spark dialogue.

“Generally what happens is you go to art walks and everyone is walking around with a little plastic cup of wine and they are nodding their heads and saying, ‘Oh I like that,’ but there is never really any discussion of things in the community,” she said.

Bherd’s curator said she purposefully included controversial pieces because she wants people to walk away thinking about the content artwork, not just if it would match nicely with their couch.

“What I wanted to do was use the gallery space to do more than entertain,” Thompson said. “I want it to be an engaging experience rather than just a display of craft.”

Because many of the artists are sexually empowered women, their work is a reflection and exploration of how they reached empowerment.

“This is not just girl power. It’s all about trying to get as many voices as possible to talk about the idea of what is feminine sexuality,” said Thompson. “It’s very difficult for us to look at art where the woman is in charge, or is the sexual subject and has agency over her sexuality. So the work of the women is all about that.”

(Breanna Lai is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory.)

“Girls Gone Wild,” at Tasty Gallery, 7513 Greenwood Ave. N., opens on Friday and runs through March 6.

“Pretty, Sexy, Dirty Girly,” at Bherd Studios, 8537 Greenwood Ave. N., opens Friday with an artists’ reception from 6-10 p.m.; the show runs through March 2. On Friday night, Bherd is holding a raffle to raise money for the Urban Rest Stop in downtown Seattle, a free service that provides needy individuals and families with clean laundry and bathing facilities. Bherd is encouraging people to bring laundry soap, toothbrushes and other hygiene items to donate.

Thieves broke into the North Seattle Boys & Girls Club in Greenwood three weeks ago during the snow storm and stole all of the club’s electronic toys, including an Xbox, Kinect, Wii, Play Station 2 and recording studio equipment. They also broke eight doors. The club estimates a loss of at least $15,000 in stolen items and damage.

“It’s just been frustrating,” Operations Director Joan Caldon said this afternoon. “Kind of shocking more than anything else.”

Caldon said the thieves appeared to be professionals, using a crowbar to pry out the steel-enforced windows from eight steel doors.

“The majority of the cost will be fixing and replacing the doors and door frames and the door jambs,” she said.

The thieves took about $5,000 worth of electronics, including a mixing board and keyboard for a recording studio that the club was in the process of setting up. They also took a lot of video games and accessories, including the microphone and guitar for “Guitar Hero,” and steering wheel for racing games, as well as power tools, DVD players, flat-screen TV, and a shop vacuum. They did not steal any computers.

The club isn’t sure exactly when it happened, because the club was closed for several days during the snow storm.

Parents of club members got together and decided to hold a fundraiser Friday night, providing a meal for $15 per person from 5-7 p.m. at the club at 8635 Fremont Ave. N.

“That’s really exciting to see the parents step up to the plate,” Caldon said.

If you can’t attend the fundraiser, you can donate through the club’s website. Caldon said donations of electronics and video games are also welcome, but please call her first to make sure it’s something they can use. You can reach Caldon at 206-436-1850.

After closing its doors for good last Saturday night, the Greenwood Market made its final donation to the Greenwood Food Bank. Food Bank Program Manager Patty Leach said Greenwood Market’s final donation was 1,186 pounds.

Greenwood Market had been a staunch supporter of the food bank for years, donating more than 183,000 pounds last year alone, averaging nearly 4,000 pounds per week.

Greenwood Market closed because neighboring Fred Meyer is expanding. Fred Meyer previously told PhinneyWood that its new grocery section would also donate to the Greenwood Food Bank. Fred Meyer will close on Feb. 25 and plans to reopen sometime in the late fall.

Don’t forget that the intersection of NW 85th Street and 8th Avenue NW will be closed again this weekend, so Seattle Department of Transportation crews can rebuild it. Large signs sit by the side of the road, warning drivers from every direction as they approach the intersection.

The rebuilt intersection is part of SDOT’s nearly year-long repaving of N/NW 85th Street from Ballard to I-5. The intersection will be closed from 6 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday. Work will continue around the clock, but noisy work (such as jack-hammering) will be limited between 10 p.m. and 9 a.m.

Detour routes will be posted, and nearby businesses will be open, just a little harder to get to. Eastbound detours will remain in place on NW 85th St between 15th Ave NW and 8th Ave NW as part of the work on that stretch of road.

Metro bus routes 28 and 48 will be detoured. Check Metro’s Alerts Center for more information and to sign up for Transit Alerts.

The Seattle Public Library is providing free homework help in math, science, English and social studies at several branches, including Broadview, just north of Greenwood.

Tutors are available for one-on-one help from 6-7:45 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at the Broadview Library, 12755 Greenwood Ave. N., 206-684-7519.

Library-trained homework helpers can assist students struggling to understand a homework assignment or needing ideas to start a research paper. Homework helpers also are familiar with the range of Library’s other homework help resources and can devote one-on-one time with students that librarians sometimes cannot.

The Seattle Public Library also offers a variety of homework help resources from its website at www.spl.org, including an Online Homework Help tutoring service, an around-the-clock Ask a Librarian reference service, and access to more than 60 specialized databases and online tools.

Online Homework Help, powered by Brainfuse, is made possible through a generous grant provided by The Seattle Public Library Foundation.

Individuals interested in becoming a Homework Help volunteer should contact Anne Vedella, Library volunteer services coordinator, at 206-386-4614.

Metro Transit had recently proposed drastically changing Route 28 bus service through Greenwood and Broadview, but those plans changed after Metro received feedback from the community.

The latest from Metro:

Now, Metro is seeking a second round of input to shape the final September plan that will be submitted to the King County Council later this spring.

During public outreach in November, Metro suggested replacing Route 28 and revising Route 28 Express as part of a package of related changes in Fremont and North Seattle. Metro has decided not to move forward with these changes now, but will consider making changes in this area with the launch of RapidRide E Line in 2013.

“Last fall, we received comments from more than 5,000 people, and that feedback was invaluable in helping us review and revise these proposals,” said Victor Obeso, Metro’s manager of Service Development. “Now, we want the community’s help again to continue moving forward with our vision for a transit system that is efficient, cost-effective, and best serves the entire county.”

The latest changes now being considered for this area include:

• New Routes: RapidRide D Line*
• Routes proposed for routing or frequency changes: 5*, 28*, 75, 16*, and 18*
• Routes proposed for replacement or deletion: None
• Routes with no change: 28X, 48, 48X, 355, and 358

* Route change proposal revised from November 2011

Most of the proposals support the launch of the RapidRide C and D lines that will connect downtown Seattle to Ballard and West Seattle starting on Sept. 29. For that reason, the changes primarily affect service in Seattle and adjacent communities. Some of the revisions, such as the proposed changes to the 2 (south), 10, 11, 12, 14, 123, and 125 will also improve the flow of buses through downtown Seattle, which will produce significant efficiencies for Metro’s overall system.

The introduction of the RapidRide lines and associated service adjustments will allow Metro to improve bus connections to jobs, shopping and other destinations – places in and around Seattle that have grown and changed over the years. Many bus routes serving these areas have not been adjusted for more than a decade.
People will have an opportunity to comment on the newly revised September service proposals during the second round of public review that is now underway. You can submit comments by attending one of several meetings and information tables Metro is hosting, or filling out an online survey.

To learn more about the proposals and ways to speak up about the changes, visit: www.kingcounty.gov/haveasay.

Metro is hosting another six open houses to get more feedback on final proposals. The closest public meeting to our neighborhood is in Ballard, from 6-8 p.m. next Monday, Feb. 13, at Ballard High School.

During this round of open-house meetings, customers will have an opportunity to review the revised proposals and share their comments. That feedback will help shape final September service recommendations that will be forwarded to the King County Council for action this spring (probably in May). Those unable to attend one of these forums can give us their comments via an online survey on Metro’s website.

And Metro is also testing a new version of its home page, and they’re asking for feedback through an online survey. The redesign is supposed to make it easier to find the most requested information, and should display better on mobile devices.

The Phinney Ridge Community Council‘s monthly meeting is at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Phinney Neighborhood Association, in Room 6 of the Blue Building.

On the agenda:

7:30 – 7:45 p.m. – Discussion of Zoo elephant exhibit visit

7:45 – 7:55 p.m. – Presentation by Bill Farmer about Solarize Seattle – a non-profit-led effort to reduce upfront cost by packaging existing state and federal incentives with a Solarize discount offered by the contractor.

7:55 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. – Annual meeting topic selection and Elections

8:15 – 8:20 p.m. Greenwood/Phinney METRO update

8:20 – 8:30 p.m. 6010 condo proposal environmental plan

8:30 p.m. Neighborhood Recycling Contest

8:35 p .m. Murals update

8:40 p.m. Request to help/support traffic circle

Umpqua Bank‘s Phinney Ridge Store Manager Jo Figurelli presented Phinney Neighborhood Association Executive Director Lee Harper with a check for $1,500 last Friday, after the PNA won the bank’s “We Heart” neighborhood campaign, garnering the most votes in Phinney Ridge.

The PNA plans to use the money for its Hot Meal Program, which provides 23,000 meals each year to homeless and elderly neighbors.

A Greenwood parent contacted us about a possible child-luring incident this afternoon.

My 6 year old daughter was playing in the backyard near 95th and Dayton at 4:15 p.m. today and a man walking down the alley tried to call her out of the yard. He said, “Hey kid, come here,” and put a foot on our chain link fence. She ran in the house and is fine.

My daughter described him as white, around 60 years old, with a black coat, a grey/black/white plaid backpack, and a faded black sunhat. He has a long white beard and she said he looked like his clothes and bag were very worn and he looked homeless or transient.

I called 911 and officers are patrolling.

Police told the girl’s parents to contact their local blog to get the word out.