Lots of people were out in the neighborhood Friday night for the big annual Phinney-Greenwood ArtWalk, which continues from 12-5 p.m. Saturday.

Outside Metropolis and Avanti Art & Design.

Furnishments reopened in its new space at 7218 Greenwood Ave. N. just as the ArtWalk started.

As usual, the Greenwood Library left out a big bucket of chalk for Artwalkers to create their own art.

Luxe Lighting showed off art under some beautiful lights.

They were singing the blues at Valentine’s Men’s Grooming Salon.

From Sundust Oracle Institute.

We didn’t get to see nearly as much of the ArtWalk as we wanted, because we were busy covering the scattered crime scene of a suspect who led police on a high-speed chase through the neighborhood, hitting one pedestrian and nearly hitting a second, so if you have photos of the ArtWalk you’d like to share, please email us.

Update 10 p.m.: Det. Mark Jamieson has just posted the full account on the SPD Blotter.

Update 9:15 p.m.: The scene at 73^rd and Greenwood was just one of several crime scenes that Seattle Police say is related to one suspect.

“We have quite a convoluted scene, a very spread out scene, Det. Mark Jamieson tells me.

Det. Jamieson says this is all began about 6:30 tonight when an officer recovered a stolen car near Green Lake. The registered owner was contacted and said he was on his way to pick it up. The officer completed his paperwork and drove away, but just minutes later he saw that same car drive by. The officer knew that the registered owner couldn’t have reached the scene that fast, so he tried to pull the car over. The suspect took off at a high rate of speed.

“So we now have a stolen car that has been re-stolen,” Det. Jamieson says.

The officer chased the stolen car up to Greenwood Avenue, where several other police cars were congregating to stop the suspect. The suspect intentionally rammed a patrol car, then drove up onto the sidewalk, nearly striking a pedestrian, who had to jump out of the way. Det. Jamieson said that pedestrian suffered a minor injury from scrambling out of the way, and was taken to the hospital to be checked out. hitting a pedestrian, who suffered a minor leg injury (this information has been updated by SPD.)

The chase continued northbound on Greenwood Avenue and side streets, until the suspect collided with another car at 87^th and Greenwood, and then also hit another patrol car. The suspect drove around Walgreens, down the alley, and tried to run over officers who were trying to stop him. Another pedestrian in that area was slightly hurt jumping out of the way.

This car was hit by the suspect at North 87th Street and Greenwood Avenue North. Photo by James McFarlane.

At that point, SPD terminated the pursuit, but was able to keep visual contact with the suspect vehicle because so many patrol cars were in the area.

This police car was hit near the Walgreens at 87th and Greenwood. Photo by James McFarlane.

The suspect was finally caught at 8^th Avenue NE and NE 67^th Street. The suspect is a man in his 20s. Det. Jamieson said he was taken to Harborview Medical Center because he appeared to be under the influence of something. After being evaluated at the hospital, he will be booked into King County Jail for a variety of charges.

Earlier: A two-car accident Friday evening at Greenwood Avenue North and North 73rd Street turned into a police chase “right out of Hollywood,” according to one witness.

When an officer saw the accident and turned on his lights, one of the vehicles, a white sedan, pulled a quick u-turn, hit a pedestrian in the crosswalk and sped north on Greenwood Avenue, bystander Matt Gaultier said.

Another witness, Evan Rush, said “the officer gunned it going backwards and spun around. It was just like out of Hollywood.”

An officer at 73rd said the suspect was captured in Greenwood and may have collided with a police vehicle.

We saw one person being taken to the hospital.

After all that, a police car leaving the scene accidentally backed into a car that was waiting at the light, going northbound on Greenwood Avenue North.

As of 8 p.m., part of the scene was taped off and officers were directing traffic through the intersection.

The Phinney Center Gallery is once again organizing the Northwest Fine Arts Competition.

This year’s deadline for artist submissions is June 8. Selected art will be displayed in the Phinney Center Gallery from Oct. 3 through Nov. 28.

A recent art show at the Phinney Center Gallery. Photo courtesy of the PNA.

This year’s jurors are Michele Osgood, co-owner of Bherd Studios in Greenwood, and Sue Peterson, the founder/curator of Fountainhead Gallery of Seattle.

The artist selected as the juror’s pick will receive $200 and a six-week solo show in the gallery in 2013

All artists working in 2-D or 3-D media are eligible. Submitted works must have been completed in the last two years and have not been shown previously in the Phinney Center Gallery. Artists must live or work in the Pacific Northwest.

For complete contest information and submission form, see the Northwest Fine Arts Competition website.

The Greenwood Senior Center has several upcoming events that might be of interest.

Brown Bag Pharmacy Event from 11: 30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Wed., May 16. If you have questions about your medications, you can reserve a 30-minute medicine-review appointment with Seattle Pacific University senior nursing students. A pharmacist will be available for consultation. Please bring all the medications, vitamins and supplements you take, even those you don’t take every day (please leave in the original containers). Reservations are required by calling the Greenwood Senior Center at 206-297-0875 by Monday.

Self Management of Chronic Conditions, with Carin Mack, MSW, and Katherine Segura, from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Thursdays, May 17-June 21. Free, six-week course for those with a chronic illness to learn how to better manage their health. Registration is required by calling 206-297-0875 by Monday.

And coming up at 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 9, a special benefit movie screening of “Old Goats.”

From local writer-director Taylor Guterson, Old Goats is the often hilarious and always heartfelt story of three older men who refuse to go quietly into the night of retirement and old age.

Cost is $15, which includes a reception with the director and some of the actors. All proceeds benefit the GSC. To reserve your tickets, call 206-297-0875.

The Greenwood Senior Center is at 525 N. 85th St.

Furnishments, which was a furniture consignment and home staging/design store at 73rd and Linden until March, is reopening tonight at 7218 Greenwood Ave. N., next to Turabi Rug Gallery, taking over half of Turabi’s space.

Owner Katrina Puetz tells us Furnishments will no longer offer consignment, but will sell new furniture and home décor, and also still offer home staging and design services.

Furnishments’ grand opening is at 6 p.m. Friday to coincide with the big ArtWalk. Five artists will be displaying their art, and snacks (such as truffled popcorn) and beverages will be served.

Furnishments’ hours will be 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

Seattle Department of Transportation crews will not close the intersection of North 85th Street and Greenwood Avenue North at 7 p.m. Friday as originally planned. Instead, traffic will begin detouring at 8 p.m., and the intersection will close at the official end of the ArtWalk at 9 p.m. It will reopen at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Crews will work continuously through the night and next day.

SDOT is delaying the intersection closure because of community concerns that it would make it harder for people to get to ArtWalk venues.

In order to complete the road work while accommodating the Art Walk, we will ensure that pedestrian pathways are clearly marked and access is maintained to all adjacent businesses. We will have flaggers, uniformed police officers, and other project personnel available to monitor construction and ensure pedestrian mobility is maintained. If you drive to the Phinneywood Art Walk, you will be able to leave the site after the intersection closure is implemented.

Because of the delay in the start of work Friday night, noisy work will occur into the early hours on Saturday and we will be finished later on Saturday than originally planned. However, the work on Saturday afternoon will not be as noisy as the work on Friday night and Saturday morning.

If you have any questions or concerns about the repaving project, you can visit the project website, sign up for weekly email updates by emailing pave_85th@seattle.gov, or call the 24-hour project line at 206-496-9993.

This afternoon, the city’s Department of Planning and Development affirmed its original Determination of Non-Significance of environmental concerns at the Greenwood Fred Meyer site. Fred Meyer is now free to begin work on its major renovation of the site, which includes a down-to-the-studs remodel of the existing store, the demolition of the former Greenwood Market building, and a large addition.

Fred Meyer closed the Greenwood store on Feb. 25, before the deadline for appealing the city’s original decision. Neighborhood activist Kate Martin then appealed, and a hearing was held on April 25. Hearing examiner Sue Tanner issued her decision this afternoon.

The city added one condition: Fred Meyer will have to add some kind of landscaping or pedestrian buffer around NW 85th Street and 3rd Avenue NW.

Greenwood-Phinney has a great monthly Art Up Artwalk, but the major art event of the year is the May PhinneyWood ArtWalk, which features more artists and participating businesses and big crowds.

“Hazy Moon” by Yachun Peng, at the Phinney Center Gallery.

From 6-9 p.m. Friday and again 12-5 p.m. Saturday, about 75 art galleries and other businesses from North 59 to 87th streets will feature art from more than 150 artists. Some will also have live music and other entertainment. You can check out an online map, or pick up a paper map at all participating ArtWalk businesses.

Keep in mind that construction continues on North 85th Street and Greenwood Avenue North, and many businesses near that intersection have their sidewalks torn up. But boardwalks are in place to allow access to businesses.

Down at the south end of the ArtWalk, A la Mode Pies will feature photography by Greg Plumis; The Urban Lola will showcase photography by Kelly Bauer and Art of LolaLisa, plus recycled leather bags by Fleurie Designs; and Hip Zephyr will have mixed-media acrylic paintings by Gay Seydlitz.

On the north end, Pema Kharpo at 8554 Greenwood Ave. N. will provide classic Tibetan folk music and calligraphy; Naked City Brewery & Taphouse will have photography by Rawi Nanakul; and you’ll see leather masks by Timothy Stephens at Terra Bella Flowers.

In between, Tasty art gallery opens a group show called “Flora and Fauna,” featuring the work of 15 artists (below); the Phinney Center Gallery features the whimsical work of Enfu and Yachun Peng; and the new location of Furnishments (which recently closed down the hill at North 73rd Street and Linden Avenue North) at 7218 Greenwood Ave. N. will showcase acrylics by Anna Morgenthaler, collage by Jessica Schultz, acrylics, oils and mixed media by Cher Myers, and digital painting by Aaron Rutten.

The front window of Santoro’s Books will feature the artwork of fifth-graders from Daniel Bagley Elementary. “I Am Words” consists of self-portraits constructed from sentences that each student wrote about his or her life. Inside the bookstore, you’ll find nature shadowbox artwork by Marie Ciliberto, and two neighborhood authors signing books on Friday night: Donna Miscolta (“When the De La Cruz Family Danced”) and Elena Louise Richmond (“99 Girdles on the Wall.”)

Couth Buzzard Books Espresso Buono Café is hosting a Pacific Northwest Folklore Society Coffee House Concert with Heidi Muller, and many restaurants are offering discounts and specials during ArtWalk hours.

At the 2010 annual ArtWalk, Trio Con Brio sat on toilets while performing in the front window of Johnson & Johnson Antiques.

While you’re out and about, please consider bringing a can or two of food or hygiene items for the Greenwood Food Bank. Volunteers will be collecting donations at Green Bean Coffee House at 8533 Greenwood Ave. N. and Urban Light Studios at 8537 Greenwood Ave. N., Suite 1 (inside the Greenwood Collective.)

PhinneyWood ArtWalk is organized by the all-volunteer Greenwood Arts Council, in collaboration with the Phinney Neighborhood Association and the ArtUp Phinney-Greenwood monthly artwalk, with funding support from the city’s Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs.

(The ArtWalk is a PhinneyWood sponsor.)

The Department of Planning & Development’s hearing examiner has not yet released her decision regarding the environmental appeal on Fred Meyer’s Greenwood store renovation. The appeal hearing was on April 25, and City Planner Scott Kemp said Hearing Examiner Sue Tanner would release her decision within two weeks.

When we contacted the Hearing Examiner’s office yesterday, we were told that Tanner has not been in the office for several days. We will keep checking and post her decision as soon as it is issued.

Terrie Johnston, Seattle Police Department North Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator, recently sent a crime update to Neighborhood Watch Captains and local media:

1. The North Precinct Burglary/Theft Unit continues to follow up on recent burglary arrests done by North Precinct patrol officers, and due in some part to your watchfulness and good 9-1-1 calls. The 19 year old serial occupied burglar and auto thief who was hitting the north end neighborhoods hard approx. 8 weeks ago has been charged with nearly 10 years. He is in jail and won’t be released for a long time.

2. A 39-year old, white female was arrested last week for multiple burglaries in the north end, some in which the residents were home at the time of the crime. She confessed to detectives that she is an addict, and she preferred burglaries to prostitution. She spent the day with detectives showing them houses she had hit. She told the detectives that she was surprised how many people leave their house keys out in mailboxes; or on the front porch (she found keys in a pair of shoes on front porch). Please re-think the hide-away key. You may think it is unusual to put in under a paving stone, or huge flower pot, etc. but burglars who do this for a living, know our hiding spots. She also told the detectives that she often looked in the windows and could see the desirable loot in plain sight (purses, cash, electronics).

3. I talked with a gentleman today who lives in the Maple Leaf neighborhood. Evidently, yesterday during the glorious weather we had, he was gardening in the front yard. A thief, unseen by neither the homeowner nor nearby neighbors, entered this home through the unlocked back door and took cash and prescription meds. from a back bedroom. I know it may be inconvenient to keep your doors locked when you are home and gardening, but these crimes are quick and contribute to our burglary rate increases during summer months.

And in light of all the reports lately of possible solicitor scams, Johnston also included information on door-to-door sellers:

This is the peak time of year for door-to-door sales, including those using traveling sales crews. There are many legitimate companies in this industry with professionally trained salespeople, selling between the hours of 8:00am and 9:00pm, and a long history of law-abiding customer service. There are, however, less reputable companies in this business willing to take advantage of unsuspecting individuals who trust people knocking at their door. Sometimes residents forget to practice good personal safety.

Seattle Police officers respond to calls from citizens concerned about door-to-door salespeople. The results have ranged from the officers checking identification and sending the seller to the City of Seattle Revenue & Consumer Affairs office for their business license, to arrests of individuals posing as residential sellers, but wanted on warrants. There have also been arrests for aggressive behavior, threats made against the resident, burglaries, and assaults.

Homeowners may consider posting a sign indicating “No agents,” “No peddlers,” or “No Solicitors.” In Seattle, it is unlawful for any residential seller to attempt to gain admittance for the purpose of selling at any residence displaying one of these signs.

With these facts in mind, what should you do when a person knocks at your door?

BEFORE OPENING YOUR DOOR: LOOK FOR PROPER IDENTIFICATION. Acknowledge the knock since ignoring it may lead to an attempted burglary. It is preferable to speak to strangers through your door. In Seattle, all door-to-door sellers must display the residential sales identification which includes the seller’s photograph on their outer clothing. The residential sales agent’s license has the name of the licensee as well as the agent. It shall be endorsed with the type of product or service being sold. The license is only valid for the product or service specified. If you have any questions about whether a company is properly licensed, call the City of Seattle’s Office of Revenue & Consumer Affairs at 206-684-8136.

DISCLOSURE REQUIRED: Each residential seller shall, immediately upon contacting the prospective buyer, disclose their name, company and the product or service represented. If requested to do so, they shall leave the premises immediately. If the individual does not leave, or if an attempt to gain access is made by asking to use the bathroom, the phone or get a drink of water, refuse the request and ask the individual to leave. If you feel intimidated, pressured, or threatened at any time, call 911.

USE GOOD JUDGEMENT: It is safer not to allow the salesperson into your home. You are encouraged to avoid paying immediately. Do not give the salesperson cash or a check, as it may be pocketed and you will never receive the product ordered. Instead, find out from the seller how you can order directly from the company or receive the bill upon receipt of the product/service. If the salesperson is concerned about losing their commission for the sale, offer to provide their name when placing your order.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: In Seattle, if you make a purchase, the salesperson must tell you of your right to cancel the order and the contract must include a statement regarding the right to cancel. For each sale of ten dollars or more, the seller must provide a receipt or contract to the purchaser. Do not leave any blanks on your contract. Be sure the contract or receipt is dated and that it states the terms of the transaction, the amount of payment made and the name and address of the residential seller. It must also include a notice informing the buyer of their right to cancel the order any time prior to midnight of the third business day after the date of the transaction. A completed Notice of Cancellation (in duplicate) must be provided to the purchaser at the time they purchase from the seller. You do not need to provide a reason for canceling your order.

DO NOT GIVE IN TO HIGH PRESSURE TACTICS: Never be afraid to say “NO!” If a salesperson in your home tries to pressure you into buying their product, terminate your conversation with them. Take the time to contact the company directly if you still have interest in the product or service. Avoid making an immediate purchase in order to receive a “free gift.” If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Twelve prominent Seattle authors will have brunch with the public on Saturday morning to raise money for literacy programs. Hosted by Seattle7Writers and Elliott Bay Book Company, the Book Club Brunch begins at 10 a.m. Saturday upstairs at Greenwood Square, 8420 Greenwood Ave. N.

Proceeds benefit 826 Seattle and Powerful Schools.

Book Club Brunch features nationally acclaimed and bestselling Northwest authors:

• Jim Lynch, discussing his new novel “Truth Like the Sun”
• Garth Stein, author of “The Art of Racing in the Rain”
• Heather Barbieri, author of “The Cottage at Glass Beach”
• Randy Sue Coburn, author of “A Better View of Paradise”
• Laurie Frankel, author of “The Atlas of Love”
• Jennie Shortridge, author of “When She Flew”
• Kit Bakke, author of “Dot to Dot”
• Erica Bauermeister, author of “Joy for Beginners”
• Dave Boling, author of “Guernica”
• Stephanie Kallos, author of “Sing Them Home”
• Indu Sundaresan, author of “Shadow Princess”
• Tara Austen Weaver, author of “The Butcher and The Vegetarian: One Woman’s Romp Through a World of Men, Meat, and Moral Crisis”

Seattle7Writers is a nonprofit organization that promotes local literature and literacy organizations. All of the writers’ books will be available for purchase at the event, and a percentage of book sales will benefit the literacy programs. Authors will sign their books.

Tickets are $50 online, and includes brunch, mimosas, and a $30 tax-deductible donation.

The entrance to Greenwood Square is on North 85th Street, by the Metro bus stop.

The Phinney Farmers Market is back for its sixth year, starting on June 1. It will be in the upper parking lot of the Phinney Neighborhood Center, 6532 Phinney Ave. N., from 3-7 p.m. every Friday through Oct. 5.

About 30 vendors will fill the market with fresh fruit, veggies, prepared foods, nuts, honey, cheeses, bread, ice cream and more. New vendors this year include Van Vuren’s Farm, which will sell fresh eggs; Jacobs Creamery, with artisan cheeses; and frozen, organic baby food from Ladybug Organic Kitchen. Plus, the Juice Peddler will have their bike-powered blenders ready to create fruit smoothies.

The market is looking for volunteers to staff the market information booth, or to help clean up after the market ends. They also need people to “adopt” one of the A-frame signs to place at key intersections on market day. If you can help, email Ali at alis@phinneycenter.org.