Seattle City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen will talk with residents at local libraries on several upcoming Saturdays. He’ll be at the Greenwood Library, 8016 Greenwood Ave. N., from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6.

Before that, he’ll be at the Ballard Library, 5614 22nd Ave. N.W., from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. this Saturday. He’ll also be at the Green Lake Library, 7364 E. Green Lake Dr. N., from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 16. And at the Northeast Library, 6801 35th Ave. N.E., from 12-2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 30.

“I sincerely hope people will take advantage of this opportunity to have informal yet meaningful conversations about our City,” Rasmussen said in a press release. “I’d like to hear people’s thoughts regarding next year’s budget, transportation issues, as well as other topics relevant to Seattleites.”

Mike Veitenhans sent us these photos of his neighbor’s house at 6710 Palatine Ave. N., which caught fire about 4:30 this morning. Mike says the house is having a second story put on, and the fire appears to have started around the porch light.

Here’s a closeup of the damaged area. Mike says the damage appears minimal.

A plan to cut funding to emergency food systems in Seattle was met with opposition Wednesday night at the first public hearing on the city’s budget. A representative from the Volunteers of America Greenwood Food Bank made a plea to the City Council.

A crowd lines up to speak at Wednesday night’s budget hearing in Northgate

“I don’t know what I’d do without Food Resources.  We’re going to be there when it’s time for a disaster,” said the official from Greenwood.

Under the mayor’s proposal, Food Resources and Meal Partnerships would be cut by $40,000 with only one of the programs selected to support both coalitions.

“We’re different coalitions. We’re all trying to end hunger. But putting us under one coalition will undo years and years of hard work to be efficient in the fight against hunger. We can not afford this.. especially when we know the need is so great,” a representative of the Ballard Food Bank told the Council.

In other budget issues facing Greenwood, the Greenwood Neighborhood Service Center at 8515 Greenwood Ave. N. would close and the wading pool at Sandel Park would stay shut down next summer.

To see more on the mayor’s proposed budget, click here.

The next public hearing on the budget takes place Wednesday, October 13 at South Seattle Community College at 5:30pm. The City Council has also set up a web page where you can submit ideas to balance the budget and vote on other suggestions.

Theo’s Fresh Produce will open its doors at 8221 Greenwood Ave. N. at 8 a.m. Friday, with free samples and lots of chances to win raffle prizes.

Prizes include gift baskets from Theo Chocolates, United Natural Foods Inc., JC Wright Specialty Co., Java! Java! Coffee Co., Natural Foods Northwest, a case of steaks from Stockyard Meats, and one loaf of artisan bread per month from Grand Central Baking Co. Customers will get a raffle ticket for every purchase, and you must be present at 3 p.m. Sunday for the raffle drawings.

“My goal is to have the store jam packed on Sunday,” Owner Theo LaConte said.

He says his suppliers were happy to donate to the grand opening. “I’ve been in the business a long time, so they all know me,” said LaConte, who started in the produce business picking fruits and vegetables in the Kent Valley at the age of 12.

The grand prize is a green Pacific “dualie” tandem bike.

LaConte and his suppliers were busy stocking when I dropped by on Tuesday afternoon. Here’s LaConte bringing out the potatoes.

Here’s the front of the store.

And here’s looking toward the back, with the dry goods and eventual bulk foods section in the back.

Theo’s carries a decent selection of other goods, too, such as pasta, sauce, cereal, peanut butter, crackers, canned tomatoes, olive oil, baby food, diapers, paper towels and cleaning supplies. He plans to have a large selection of gluten-free foods, and the bulk food section in the back is coming soon.

The store also has an espresso machine, more as a convenience, because LaConte says he doesn’t really want to compete with all the coffee shops in the area.

Theo’s will hand out lots of free samples all weekend, and LaConte will occasionally yell out produce-related trivia questions. Answer correctly and get a prize.

Theo’s Fresh Produce will be open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week.

Just a reminder that 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.

Update: Nancy has been adopted.

This week’s PAWS Cat City Pet of the Week is Nancy.

Nancy is a super sweet year-and-a-half-old girl with the softest fur. She loves to be brushed on her chin and face or snuggle up under her blanket. Like any teenager, Nancy loves playing with toys, but is equally happy taking a nap on your lap. This little lady would like to be the only cat in your home, so she can have all the attention!

Nancy is waiting for your chin scritch at PAWS Cat City (8503 Greenwood in Seattle). She is spayed, microchipped, litter box trained, and up-to-date on her vaccines. There are still two more days to take advantage of our September cat adoption special. Her adoption fee is $75, then $90 after Thursday. Cat City is open Tue, Wed & Fri noon – 6 pm, Thu noon – 7 pm and Sat – Sun 11 am – 5 pm.

Greenwood resident Eric Musehl is raising money to fly his son to Los Angeles for an invitation-only modeling/acting conference. But he’s raising money in a unique way.

I am a professional food tour guide in the Pike Place Market, and I am also a fan of pirates. I will be giving an historical tour of the Market area but I will do it in my pirate character and telling stories of the Markets history from a seafaring point of view.

The hour-and-a-half tour starts at 3 p.m. Sunday in Post Alley, across from Seattle’s Best Coffee. Cost is $20. Sign up by Saturday.

Musehl is raising money for 4-1/2-year-old Ryan to attend an acting and modeling conference called iPOP (International Presentation of Performers) which attracts tons of modeling and casting agents. Musehl says his son is a natural in front of the camera, and had to audition before being invited. Here’s Ryan at the Fremont Solstice Parade.

Page Ahead Children’s Literacy Program is hosting its annual restaurant benefit, Dish Up Literacy, on Thursday. Eat at Carmelita or 12 other Seattle restaurants, and 20 percent of the proceeds will support literacy programs for children in need.

According to Page Ahead, 61 percent of low-income families have no books at all in their homes for children.

Page Ahead operates on one simple and astounding fact: growing up in a house with books is the foremost predictor of academic success in childhood—and a child who succeeds in school will remain there. Page Ahead is dedicated to helping children in need succeed in school by developing strong reading skills.

Participating restaurants include:

• Smokin’ Pete’s BBQ (Ballard) *dinner only
• Hopvine Pub (Capitol Hill)
• Tutta Bella (Columbia City, South Lake Union, Stone Way, Issaquah)
• Carmelita (Greenwood) *dinner only
• Barrio Restaurant (Madison Park)
• Rusty Pelican Café (Wallingford)
• Casa d’Italia (Wedgwood)
• Fiddler’s Inn (Wedgwood)
• Ten Mercer (Queen Anne)
• Barrio (Bellevue)

The Seattle City Council is holding a public hearing on the mayor’s proposed budget at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Northgate Community Center Gym, 10510 5th Ave. NE. Sign-in to speak begins at 5 p.m.

Mayor Mike McGinn presented his proposed 2011-2012 budget Monday afternoon. It includes a number of cuts to make up a $67 million general fund deficit. Cuts that will be felt in our neighborhood include the proposed closure of the Greenwood Neighborhood Service Center, and the continued closure of the Sandel Park wading pool.

PhinneyWood will have a full report after the meeting.

The city will hold two more public hearings on the budget:

• At 5:30 p.m., Wed., Oct. 13, The Brockey Center at South Seattle Community College, 6000 16th Ave. SW
• At 5:30 p.m, Tues., Oct. 26, Seattle City Hall, Council Chambers, 2nd floor, 600 4th Ave.

If you can’t make it to a budget hearing, you can share your ideas online and browse through other people’s ideas, or use the online comment form.