Signs of the season

Permits for cutting your own Christmas tree from the Gifford Pinchot National Forest are on sale starting today at the forest-district headquarters in Vancouver, Wash., and at all ranger-district offices and several vendor locations. Permits are $5 per tree, with a 50-cent service fee added at vendor locations.

A list of vendors is available at U.S. Forest Service offices, or call 360-891-5000.

Permits for cutting a Christmas tree for personal-use only from the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest go on sale Monday for $10 each. Maps will be provided when permits are purchased. Permits are available at a number of ranger stations and at REI's Alderwood store. Call 425-640-6200 for information.

Make your house

a cat's home

The Seattle Animal Shelter will hold a cat adoptathon tomorrow at Magnuson Park to help match pets with prospective owners. The event will run from noon to 3 p.m. in the park's Building 30 workroom, 7400 Sand Point Way N.E.

Adoption prices will range from $72 to $77 and include initial vaccinations, a certificate for a free veterinarian exam and spaying or neutering, plus an implanted microchip for pet ID and a pet license.

Anyone 60 or older is eligible for a half-price discount on fees for any Seattle shelter cat 2 years or older. For information, call 206-386-PETS (7387). Cats available for adoption can be viewed online at www.seattleanimalshelter.org.

Care to share?

• Nonperishable food donations for Northwest Harvest may be dropped off this weekend at a dozen Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar restaurants in Western Washington. The Applebee's food drive runs through Monday.

Northwest Harvest, which operates a food bank in downtown Seattle, also distributes donated food items to 300 other food banks and meal programs across the state.

• Starbucks stores are collecting new, unwrapped books and toys for hospitalized children served by the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation (formerly Starlight Children's Foundation). This is the fifth year for Starbucks' Holiday Angels Joy Drive, which ends Dec. 25.

Recommended gifts include books, board games, puzzles, handheld games including batteries, craft kits, building toys, DVDs and CDs, dolls and infant items. Monetary contributions can be donated online at www.starbucks.com or slsb.org.

For your information

Tacoma's newly constructed meeting complex, the Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center, opens this weekend with a ceremony at 11 a.m. tomorrow and an open house until 4 p.m. Another open house will be from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. The facility is at 1500 Broadway in downtown Tacoma.

Here & Now is compiled by Seattle Times staff reporter Charles E. Brown and news assistant Suesan Whitney Henderson. To submit an item, e-mail herenow@seattletimes.com or call 206-464-2226.