Seattle Pacific University’s annual “CityQuest” program introduces new students to community service organizations throughout the area by having them volunteer for a day before fall classes start.

More than 700 SPU students, faculty and staff will spend part of this Saturday volunteering at more than 25 locations throughout Seattle, including Taproot Theatre, 204 NW 85th St., and Emmanuel Bible Church, 503 N. 50th St.

At Taproot, the volunteers will clean up interior and exterior spaces, as well as landscaping. At Emmanuel Bible Church, they’ll be doing deep cleaning for the Union Gospel Mission men’s shelter space as well as light yard work and landscaping.

The Phinney Neighborhood Association’s annual Pig Out to Root Out Hunger is next Wednesday, Sept. 27, with more than two dozen local restaurants, bars and coffee shops pledging to donate 15 percent of that day’s proceeds to the PNA’s Hot Meal Program.

Have coffee and a muffin, take your work colleagues to lunch, and meet friends for dinner and drinks – it all counts.

The Hot Meal Program serves more than 16,000 meals a year to mostly low-income, disabled and elderly neighborhood residents at the Greenwood Senior Center and St. John United Lutheran Church.

Last year’s Pig Out raised more than $6,000 for the Hot Meal Program.

Participating businesses:

• 74th Street Ale House — 7401 Greenwood Ave. N.
• A La Mode Pies — 5821 Phinney Ave. N.
• Bluebird Ice Cream — 7400 Greenwood Ave. N.
• Caffe Vita — 7402 Greenwood Ave. N.
• The Cookie Counter — 7415 Greenwood Ave. N.
• El Chupacabra — 6711 Greenwood Ave. N.
• FlintCreek Cattle Co. — 8421 Greenwood Ave. N.
• Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery — 8570 Greenwood Ave. N.
• Fresh Flours — 6015 Phinney Ave. N.
• Gainsbourg — 8550 Greenwood Ave. N.
• Georgia’s Greek Restaurant — 323 NW 85th St.
• The Goat on Greenwood — 6722 Greenwood Ave. N.
• Herkimer Coffee — 7320 Greenwood Ave. N.
• Naked City Brewery & Taphouse — 8564 Greenwood Ave. N.
• The Olive and Grape — 8516 Greenwood Ave. N.
• Opus Co. — 7410 Greenwood Ave. N.
• Pete’s Eggnest — 7717 Greenwood Ave. N.
• Prost! — 7311 Greenwood Ave. N.
• Razzis Pizzeria — 8523 Greenwood Ave. N.
• Red Mill Burgers — 312 N. 67th St.
• Ridge Pizza — 7217 Greenwood Ave. N.
• Teachers Lounge — 8505 Greenwood Ave. N.
• Teasome — 6412 Phinney Ave. N.
• Thaiku — 6705 Greenwood Ave. N.
• Wing Dome — 7818 Greenwood Ave. N.
• Yanni’s Greek Restaurant — 7419 Greenwood Ave. N.
• The Yard Cafe — 8313 Greenwood Ave. N.

French/Italian restaurant Joli has finally opened at 618 NW 65th St., with a grand opening party from 6-10 p.m. this Saturday with bubbles, passed hors d’oeuvres and special food and drink menus.

Joli offers appetizers such as roasted mussels and fennel, glazed pork belly and frites with aioli. Entrees include salmon, steak frites, house burger and ricotta cavatelli. You can check out their menu and cocktail list online.

The restaurant offers seating for all ages, plus a lounge for 21 and over. Hours are from 4-10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Green Seattle Day is Nov. 4, where volunteers can help restore our urban forests and plant trees in their favorite park.

Last year, more than 900 volunteers worked throughout the city. This year, Forterra, the nonprofit organizing the event, is hoping for more than 1,000 volunteers at 22 parks, including Woodland Park, North Beach Park and Green Lake Park.

Volunteer shifts are from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4. All ages are welcome, with no experience necessary and all materials provided. You can sign up here.

The Village Movement, which allows people to “age in place” through community help, is celebrating 15 years with a special conversation by Dr. Atul Gawande, author of the 2014 book “Being Mortal.”

The live event from Boston will be simulcast from 1:30-4 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 25, at the Phinney Neighborhood Association’s Brick Building, in Community Hall.

The PNA runs the PNA Village, where members can receive help with errands, house and yard work, social engagement, and more.

The Sept. 25 public forum will be moderated by Robin Young, host of NPR’s “Here & Now.” Dr. Gawande’s keynote speech is titled “Being Mortal’s Villages: The Value of Community and Choice as we Grow Older.” The live event begins at 2 p.m. (Pacific Standard Time) and will be simulcast from Boston to more than 150 of the 350-plus villages open and in development across the country.

Phinney Books will be at the event selling copies of “Being Mortal,” which is now in paperback.

Anyone is welcome to join the viewing party and following conversation around aging in our community. Bring a snack or dessert to share if you can. You can RSVP at 206-789-1217 or village@phinneycenter.org.

Here are some highlights of what’s happening in and around Phinney Ridge and Greenwood this weekend. Check our Events calendar any time for more.

Phinney Farmers Market is from 3:30-7:30 p.m. Friday in the upper parking lot of the Phinney Neighborhood Association, 6532 Phinney Ave. N. Fresh veggies, fruit, honey, bread, meat, eggs, cider, wine, beer, flowers and several dining options. Tonight’s special event is Happy Hour from 5-7 p.m.; pay for your own drinks.

The Phinney Center Gallery is hosting a reception for the opening of its Member, Volunteer and Staff Show from 7-9 p.m. Friday. The show runs through Oct. 13.

Classical guitar concert by Mark Hilliard Wilson at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Couth Buzzard Books, 8310 Greenwood Ave. N. At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Alex Sturbaum performs at the book store.

Music Center of the Northwest is hosting an open house from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, at 901 N. 96th St.

Phinney Neighborhood Preschool Co-op is hosting its twice-annual Gently Used Kids’ Gear Sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the PNA’s Brick Building in Community Hall. Entry is free; bring your own bags as you shop for gently-used clothing, shoes, toys, books, games, strollers, bedding, furniture, safety equipment, outdoor gear, car seats, costumes, maternity wear and more. Fifty-percent discount on many items starts at 12 p.m.

Carkeek Park’s 11th Annual Festival of Fruit is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Carkeek Park Education Center, 950 NW Carkeek Park Rd. Activities include: apple pie contest (bring your homemade apple pie between 10-10:30 a.m. to enter), cider pressing and tasting, Master Gardener clinic, orchard tour, wildlife habitat tour, Mason Bee demos, apple identification, and live music from Blue Star Creeper.

Seattle Folklore Society presents Grammy Award-winner Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Phinney Center, 6532 Phinney Ave. N., in the Brick Building. Tickets in advance are $20 general; $18 SFS/PNA members, seniors and students; kids half price (all tickets are $2 more day of the show).

La Casita Latin Jazz Trio plays at Luso Food & Wine, 8218 Greenwood Ave. N., from 5-8 p.m. Sunday, as Luso celebrates its 6th anniversary (it moved from West Seattle a year and a half ago). Cover charge is $8.

Traffic-wise this weekend:

• Boats Afloat is at Chandler’s Cover in South Lake Union now through Sunday.
• Susan G. Komen 3-Day walk begins Friday and ends Sunday at Seattle Center
• Chris Rock performs at 8 p.m. Friday at McCaw Hall.
• The Great Wallingford Wurst Festival is Friday and Saturday on North 49th Street between Densmore Avenue and Wallingford Avenue. Festival hours are 4-10 p.m. Friday, and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday.
• Rally for Disability Justice march from the Washington State Convention Center to the Federal Building on Saturday.
• University of Washington Huskies vs. Fresno State at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Husky Stadium.
• Jim Gaffigan performs his comedy tour at 8 p.m. Saturday at KeyArena.
• Seattle Fiestas Patrias festival at the South Park Community Center from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, then 12-6 p.m. Sunday at Seattle Center.
• Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers at 1:25 p.m. Sunday at CenturyLink Field.

Looking ahead to next week: Actors Katherine Strohmaier and Aaron Lamb bring their own adaptation of the off-Broadway musical “The Last 5 Years” to Taproot Theatre’s Isaac Studio Sept. 21 – Oct. 2. In a departure from the original, the two actors also perform all the music.

As the concept demands, both actors are also accomplished pianists and vocalists. Both studied Piano Performance in college, Strohmaier at the University of Idaho and Lamb at Washington State University. Strohmaier is a musical director and vocal instructor for Cornish College of the Arts, has sung with The Seattle Symphony, and periodically appears in concert with acclaimed Gershwin pianist Peter Nero. She has also sung the National Anthem for the Seattle Seahawks. Lamb has worked regionally as a music director and pianist, and has served as Resident Music Director and Ragtime Pianist for almost all of the remaining Melodrama/Vaudeville theaters in the U.S.

King County Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles, who represents our area in District 4 (most of Seattle north of Madison Avenue downtown and west of I-5), will meet with constituents from 12-1:30 p.m. next Friday, Sept. 22, at Ballard Coffee Works, 2060 NW Market St.

Councilmember Kohl-Welles will have an informal discussion on issues the Council is working on, including:

– Potential federal funding reductions to County health, housing, and human services
– The County’s efforts to battle the heroin and opioid epidemic
– The Regional Affordable Housing Task Force
– Best Start For Kids’ efforts to reduce structural inequality in our society
– Next steps on reforming and investing in West Point Treatment Plant
– Improving our Paratransit Access program
…or anything else related to county government that is important to you. You don’t need to make an appointment, but please RSVP to jeanne.kohl-welles@kingcounty.gov to help us better prepare for this event.

Metro Transit’s fall service changes begin on Sept. 23, and riders will see increased service on many routes, including several in Greenwood and Phinney Ridge.

On weekdays, new Route 5 Night Owl trips will be added leaving Shoreline CC at about 1:17 and 3:18 AM, and from downtown Seattle at about 2:18 and 4:11 AM. The 3:18 AM trip leaving Shoreline CC will connect with Link light rail at Stadium Station.

On Saturday, trips will be added leaving Shoreline CC at about 1:21 and 3:21 AM, and from downtown Seattle at about 2:26 and 4:11 AM.

On Sunday, trips will be added leaving Shoreline CC at about 1:21 and 3:21 AM, and from downtown Seattle at about 2:25 and 4:11 AM. The 3:21 AM trip leaving Shoreline CC will connect with Link light rail at Stadium Station.

During the morning peak period, a new southbound (Route 28) trip to downtown Seattle leaving 8th Ave NW & NE 97th St at 7:57 AM will be added.

On weekdays, Saturday and Sunday, new RapidRide E Line Night Owl trips will be added and current trip times will be revised to provide hourly late night service between downtown Seattle and Aurora Village.

On weekdays, a Night Owl trip to downtown Seattle leaving Bay 10 at the Aurora Village TC at 3:45 AM will be added. This trip will connect with Link light rail at Stadium Station. Also, a new trip to the Aurora Village TC leaving Prefontaine Place S & Yesler Way at 4 AM will be added.

On Saturday and Sunday, Night Owl trips will be added leaving the Aurora Village TC at 3:45 AM, and from downtown Seattle at 4 and 5 AM. The 3:45 AM trip will connect with Link light rail at Stadium Station.

See Metro’s website for all the changes.

Seattle’s Department of Construction and Inspections is proposing the city adopt new “flexible-use parking” regulations, which would allow buildings with parking facilities to provide excess capacity for public use.

As recommended by the Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA), this legislation also clarifies existing regulations that provide flexibility for residential projects to tailor their supply of off-street parking in accordance with demand in Urban Villages, Urban Centers and other areas served by frequent transit. By reducing the provision of excess parking, this policy decreases construction costs and encourages more housing in communities best served by transit, lowering the cost of building housing overall.

In Urban Centers and Urban Villages with frequent transit service, we’ve found that 87% of housing units are in developments where parking is provided. However, a recent King County study that surveyed hundreds of residential buildings countywide (including 95 in Seattle) found that 35% of residential parking garage spaces were not in use. This proposal aims to remove code barriers to allow more daily and overnight use of these unused off-street parking spaces, creating more parking opportunities for residents, visitors, and shoppers to store their vehicles off-street and walk, bike, or ride transit to get around town.

You can see the draft documents here, along with environmental determinations, transit maps and other supporting materials.

And you can comment on the draft legislation’s environmental aspects until Oct. 5 by emailing comments to gordon.clowers@seattle.gov.