The Phinney Neighborhood Association is looking for a skilled craftsperson to assist with occasional projects and renovations.

We do many small renovation and repair projects in-house. We build walls, drywall (mud, tape and paint), install cabinetry and trim, hang doors and mount hardware, do minor plumbing and electrical, tiling, build signs and glazing. We do exterior and interior painting and wood restoration.

We have several part-time and on-call staff who share this workload. This would be a flexible, on-call, position, ideal for someone who enjoys this type of work, has high standards, and likes to see a project from inception to completion. We emphasize quality over production.

To receive the job announcement with more information, email bill@phinneycenter.org To apply for the position, send a cover letter and resume to hr@phinneycenter.org by June 21 at 5 pm.

Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, a member of the Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau, will lead a conversation about human trafficking from 7-9 p.m. Wednesday at the Phinney Neighborhood Association, 6532 Phinney Ave. N. The free discussion is called “Human Trafficking in Washington: From the Historic Mercer Maids to Sexual Exploitation in Internet Ads.”

The conversation will be led by State Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles and offers historical, cultural, socioeconomic and public-policy perspectives on human trafficking. The event will explore complex questions related to the ethics and policy around this issue, past and present. It will address misconceptions about human trafficking, confronting the fact that human trafficking is a billion-dollar, global industry. Its focus will be primarily on sex trafficking and how and why it happens in this area. Historical accounts, films and current events will be used to provide context. Finally, the event will examine what is being done to intervene and prevent human trafficking, including new laws, innovative law enforcement approaches and actions being taken by human-rights groups.

Play-Well TEKnologies is holding LEGO engineering camps in June at the Phinney Neighborhood Association for boys and girls.

Children ages 5-6 can take part in a Jedi Engineering camp.

Young Jedi will explore worlds far, far away and engineering principles right in front of them. Defeat the Empire by designing and refining X-Wings, R2-units, and settlements on far-flung edges of the galaxy. Imagination and engineering combine to create motorized and architectural projects such as energy catapults, shield generators and defense turrets.

Girls ages 7-10 can have their own camp called Engineering FUNdamentals for Girls.

Taught by women engineers and scientists, this course will provide a supportive environment for girls to apply real-world concepts in physics, engineering, and architecture through engineer-designed projects such as arch bridges, motorized cars, skyscrapers and amusement parks! Design and build as never before, and explore your craziest ideas in an interactive environment. Curriculum created for LEGO lovers and newbies alike!

Both camps are June 24-28. Jedi camp runs from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; the girls-only camp is from 1:30-4:30 p.m. Tuition for the week is $170.

Last Saturday night was “Derby Day” at the Phinney Neighborhood Association, as its annual auction raised more than $105,000 for its programs, including $22,000 for the PNA Hot Meal Program and Greenwood Senior Center during the Raise the Paddle portion of the live auction.

Bow ties and big hats were everywhere.

Amelia Serafin (dressed as a jockey) and her mother, Laurie (wearing a gorgeous hat with a long peacock feather that required a decent amount of clearance from passersby), sold raffle tickets for the Case ‘O Cash ($1,000).

The Case ‘O Cash was won by Jack Herndon (dressed as a horse), who immediately donated it back to the PNA. (Below is Jack and Bill Fenimore, the PNA’s Director of Facilities.)

Once again, the Defenders of Greenwood donated dinner for four at Station 21, which sparked a frenzy of bidding.

The Phinney Center Gallery is calling for artists to submit their work for the Northwest Fine Arts Competition. Selected artists will have their work shown in the gallery, at 6532 Phinney Ave. N., on the second floor, from October through November 2013, and the winning artist will receive a $200 award and a solo show in the gallery in 2014.

Jurors include Jason Huff with the Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs and Jonathan Wood with Abmeyer & Wood Fine Art.

For more information or to download the application, see the Phinney Center Gallery website.

Photo courtesy of the Phinney Neighborhood Association.

The newest sculpture in the Heart of Phinney Park on the corner of North 67th Street and Phinney Avenue North (in front of Francine Seders Gallery) is called “Marking Place.” It is the third in a series of collaborative works by Susan Gans and David Traylor “to explore ideas that refer to landscape and place.” Guest artists Clint Ceder and Yun Hong Chang were part of the project team.

“Marking Place” will be up through May.

Nurturing Pathways, a creative dance program for babies and toddlers, is ready for its spring classes at the Phinney Neighborhood Association.

Nurturing Pathways classes help infants and young children develop motor, language, social and emotional pathways. Spring classes run April 9 through June 15.

You can check out class times and register online.

The Phinney Neighborhood Association Business Group, which replaced the Greenwood-Phinney Chamber of Commerce, is considering changing the neighborhood’s annual – and very popular – Safe Trick or Treat event, set for 12-3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26.

They’re considering whether to ask trick-or-treaters to purchase event bags for $2 in order to participate, with all proceeds from sales of the bags going to the Greenwood Food Bank. The idea behind the change is to tie the business give-away event to giving back to the community.

But they’d like to hear the community’s thoughts first (business owners and residents). Complete this short survey by Tuesday, Feb. 19. We’ll post the results the following week.

The Phinney Neighborhood Association’s next presentation in its Cultural Engagement series is a discussion of “Accessible Communities for All.”

Explore the many benefits of accessibility at this free PNA Cultural Engagement event. As we appreciate the spacious flow of a building’s interior or the sensory rush of a welcoming, community garden – and as we enjoy these experiences with a diverse array of neighbors from all generations – we can all come to appreciate the true beauty of universal design. Concentrating on accessibility can also help us all to explore ideas that could grant us the ability to age in place, create more welcoming homes for our guests, and even save us the costs and burden of future home renovations.

The event is from 4-6 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 16, at the PNA, 6532 Phinney Ave. N., Room 6. It includes a series of short presentations, followed by a community discussion and Q&A. Panelists and topics include: Karen Braitmayer, The Beauty of Inclusion, US Access Board; Karen Ko, Seattle Sensory Garden; Ed Medeiros, PNA Village; Laura Gramer, Seattle Commission for People with Disabilities.

Solarize Seattle – Northwest is hosting a free solar energy workshop at the Phinney Neighborhood Association on Jan. 26. Solarize Seattle is a bulk-buying program that provides discounts, low-interest loans, and vetted contractors to program participants. (Note: A second bulk-buying solar energy program, Go Solar Seattle Northwest, also is operating in the neighborhood.)

Those who install solar power in their homes receive a federal tax credit, annual state renewable energy incentives, utility credits and a state sales tax waiver.

The workshop is from 10-11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 26, at the PNA, 6532 Phinney Ave. N. Register for the workshop online.

If you can’t attend, you have three later workshops to choose from: 6:30-8 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 20, Sunset Hill Community Center; 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Saturday, March 16, Bitter Lake Community Center; 10-11:30 a.m., Saturday, April 6, Solid Ground in Wallingford.

Greenwood resident Anne Engstrom with her solar home and solar-powered electric bicycle. Photo courtesy of Solarize Seattle – Northwest.

The Phinney Neighborhood Association’s annual Home Design & Remodel Fair is coming up on Sunday, Jan. 27. About 75 exhibitors will be on hand, including experts from the city to help you with your permitting questions, and tradesman from plumbers to electricians to contractors, landscape designers and architects to help you design your dream remodel.

Photo courtesy of the PNA.

You can also attend short panel discussions on sustainability and green building topics, how to work with an architect, and how to hire a contractor.

The Home Design & Remodel Fair is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 27, at 6532 Phinney Ave. N. Admission is $6 for PNA members and $10 for the general public. Children 12 and under are free. Tickets are available at the door only.

Registration is now open for weekly groups of PEPS (Program for Early Parent Support) starting in January at the Phinney Neighborhood Center, 6532 Phinney Ave. N.

For expectant parents who are interested in a PEPS Newborn Group, the next Phinney PEPS Orientation will take place on Wednesday, December 12 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Phinney Neighborhood Center. Orientations are a great way for new and expecting parents to sample the PEPS experience, find out everything they need to know about PEPS and meet other new and expecting parents from the neighborhood. There’s no need to register and people are welcome to come with babies in arms. There is more information and dates and times for other orientations taking place throughout the month in other locations here: http://www.peps.org/programs/expecting/orientation

Baby Peppers is open to all families with babies 5-12 months old when the group starts. Some families have participated in a PEPS Newborn group but many are new to PEPS. Groups meet once a week for 11 weeks every Thursday from 12 to 1:30 p.m. Starting January 17. More information is available at http://www.peps.org/programs/infants/baby-peppers

Second Time Around groups are for families who have two or more children, an older child and a newborn baby (aged 0 – 4 months when the group begins). One parent attends the group with only the baby. Groups meet once a week for 11 weeks every Wednesday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. starting January 16. More information is available at http://www.peps.org/programs/siblings/second-time-around.

In 2012, PEPS launched “PEPS for Dads” – a PEPS group specifically for primary caregiver dads. The group is open to dads who are primary caregivers with babies 0-12 months old and meets weekly at Twirl Café on Queen Anne. The next session starts January 14 and meets on Mondays from 12 to 1:30 p.m. for 11 weeks. For more information and to register, visit http://www.peps.org/programs/infants/dads-group