UPDATE 2:30:  The fire department tells us that a man in his forties became stuck in the trench and was buried up to his upper thighs.  This happened while he was doing some work in the front yard of a home at 2413 35th Av W.  The rescue was difficult because the dirt was sandy and it was challenging to dig him out safely.   He is now on his way to Harborview with non life threatening injuries. 

UPDATE 2:15pm:  Our reporter at the scene says they have rescued the man from the trench.  No word on his condition yet.  Here is a photo from over the scene from the KIRO chopper. 

Fire and medics are responding to a trench rescue at 2413 35th Av W.  Early reports are that a man is buried up to mid-thigh in a trench that is 15 feet deep by 20 feet in length and four feet wide. There was a partial wall collapse. The man is breathing and alert.

A man who is building a custom home in Magnolia is sharing his experience on his blog A House By The Park .  Mike Davidson is chronicling the step by step process of the design, planning, and construction of his new home. 

Davidson has no home building experience and even though building a house is a private matter, he thinks the information he can provide outweighs the uncomfortableness of the task.  When he started, he found no source of information describing the start-to-finish process.  He is including every detail, including costs, on his site.

Davidson bought this Magnolia view home a little over a year ago and he knocked it down.  

Here is what the house looks like today as construction continues.

You can also watch the progress of the house via a live webcam.

We wanted to remind you that today is the last day the Magnolia Library will be open until September 8.  The library is open until 6pm today (Saturday) and then closes for a week due to citywide budget cuts.  If you need to get some work done or borrow a book from the Magnolia Library, make sure to get it done today. 

All Seattle libraries will be shut down during this time period in order to save $655,000.  During the closure no book drops will be open and library customers should keep books at home until reopening. No fines will be charged during the closure week.     

Seattle Animal Shelter is holding a special kitten adoption event on August 30 (Sunday) and you will be able to take home two new friends for the price of one.  

This is the time of year when there are lots of kittens and they need to find homes for those who are currently in foster care. The event will be held at the shelter, located at 2061 15th Ave. W., and will run from 10 a.m. to noon. For the adoptathon, enter the shelter’s upper level on the 15th Avenue side. Many different breeds of kittens will be showcased.

From Sunday through September. 30, if you adopt two cats or kittens, all fees will be waived for the second cat, except for licensing.   That means you can adopt two cats or kittens for a maximum of $129.  Normally, the maximum cost of adopting two cats would be $214.

“Because we have so many kittens in foster care, we are holding this special adoptathon, to reach out to people who are looking for special kitties to add to their families. We also want to promote companionship for cats.  By adopting two, you ensure that your new kittens have playmates and companionship for the rest of their lives,” says Don Jordan, Seattle Animal Shelter director.

Adoption includes initial vaccinations, deworming, feline Leukemia testing, certificate for free health exam at local veterinarians, spay or neuter, microchip and two-year Seattle Pet License.    You can check out some cats on the kitty cam here.

It has been just under a month since the ten week Magnolia In Motion program started and organizers say that so far they are happy with the response.  There are currently 345 signed up for the program that encourages people to explore alternative means of transportation including taking the bus, walking, carpooling, and biking. 

Here are some of the statistics from organizers: 
Total Miles Saved- 13,660
Gallons of Gas Saved- 683.00
Pounds of CO2 Saved- 13,250.20

Most of the car trips have been replaced by walking.  The group is are also handing out lots of information including Seattle bike maps, bus schedules and the Magnolia Street map.  Most of the participants have signed up as a result of the flyer that was sent to Magnolia residents and there have also been people who signed up at Summerfest and the Farmer’s Market and after hearing about it through the media or from friends. 

There is still plenty of time to sign up if you are interested in participating.   Information here.

Heard from someone at Mounger Pool that a neighbor had seen a cougar on the northeast part of  Magnolia, near the Midnight Mart.  Have you heard anything of this?

Red is a seven and a half year old Pit Bull who is currently in a foster home and really needs a forever home.

He is a smart dog who is eager to please.  He is obedient and learns quickly. He walks on the leash and he knows to sit at curbs before crossing. He also knows many commands such as “Sit”, “Stay”, “Come”, “Ok”, “No”, “Up”, “Drop”, “Leave it” “High Five” and more.  He is completely housebroken, likes car trips and is crate trained.

Red is a loyal and loving animal who loves being with people. He plays well with his foster dad’s young godchildren and he likes to play fetch and swim. He can also be mellow, especially if he has has been out to run and play and he loves to sleep on his back with his paws in the air.  Red has a playful streak that will make you laugh and he just needs a home that will appreciate his numerous qualities.

Red is not fond of cats and would do best in a home without them. He does like other friendly dogs but he would prefer to be an only child. If you don’t have Pit Bull breed experience, its best to do some research. Some great resources here.   If you are interested in adopting, contact the Seattle Animal Shelter.

Thanks to Emily Rieman for the photos.   

It’s free car wash day at Brown Bear Car Wash and many people are taking advantage of it.

This is a shot of the Ballard car wash at lunchtime and the line – well, lines – flowed into the street. Although this line looks daunting, we’re told it moves pretty quickly. They seem pretty organized, funneling people from four lines into one. An employee said they’d get through all these cars in about 15 minutes. But there’s no break for these guys. Another employee told us that it’s been like this since they opened at 8 a.m. We expect it to stay busy until they close at 8 p.m.

Since we first told you about the chopper that landed in the middle of Magnolia, we have been trying to find out who it belonged to and why it was allowed to land at the construction site at the former Briarcliff school in the area of 39th and Dravus.

Now we have obtained photographs of the chopper landing.  The pictures show it dropping down into the site where 39 homes are being constructed.

We have contacted the Seattle Police Department and though an officer was on the scene, they dont have any information about the landing.  We have also been checking with the FAA and we are still waiting for information from them.

We are told that the chopper landed twice on August 16.  Readers say a young girl got out of the chopper and was met by a car in the afternoon and the same thing happened when two young boys got out of the helicopter a few hours later.  Neighbors say the helicopter was flying low around the area during the afternoon as well.

We will let you know when we get additional information about why the helicopter was allowed to land at this location and whether it is expected to happen again.

We’re excited to announce an editorial partnership with the Seattle Times that encompasses Magnolia Voice and our sister sites, MyBallard, PhinneyWood, Queen Anne View, and Fremont Universe. The partnership originated with a grant by American University’s J-Lab, which aims to explore how established media companies can work together with promising neighborhood news sites.

You may have noticed over the last several weeks that SeattleTimes.com and Magnolia Voice.com have been linking each other on stories, and that’s a component of the partnership. We’ll be exploring other ways to work together in coming weeks and months. Our friends at West Seattle Blog, Capitol Hill Seattle and Rainier Valley Post are also part of the partnership.

This is a testament to all of you — our readers, contributors and advertisers — who have helped make Magnolia Voice a part of the neighborhood. This site is powered by the neighorhood, not us. The vast majority of stories originate from our readers, and now some of the best stories will be linked from Seattle’s largest news site. We’re very pleased that the Times has chosen to work together with organic, neighborhood-grown news sites instead of creating competing efforts designed to draw advertising dollars away from the neighborhood.

The press release from the Seattle Times here. 

Just after 10 o’clock last night, police say a suspect assaulted a man in the 2200 block of Thorndyke Ave W. The victim and witnesses told officers that a man came up to their car asking for a cigarette. When they told the suspect they didn’t have one, the suspect pulled out a pipe and struck the man in the head. The victim and witnesses drove off and called 911. Medics treated him at the scene and his friends took him to the hospital for additional medical care. Officers searched the area but no suspect was found.

Seattle is bursting with fruit trees – cherries, apples, plums, pears, and more. This season, help bring fruit to those who can use it.  Lettuce Link’s Community Fruit Tree Harvest works with volunteers and fruit tree owners to harvest excess fruit and bring it to those who need it.  

They are seeking fruit tree owners who have more fruit than they need and would like to share their bounty, as well as volunteers to pick fruit and deliver it to Seattle food banks, meal programs, and community organizations. Fruit harvest volunteers harvest fruit within their neighborhood and deliver fruit to organizations serving the community.

If you have more healthy fruit than you need and would like to donate some of your harvest, contact Seattle Tilth’s Garden Hotline at 206-633-0224. If you would like to help pick and deliver fruit, please contact Sadie at 206-694-6751 or sadieb@solid-ground.org.   

This project is a partnership between Lettuce Link of Solid Ground, Seattle Tilth, and City Fruit. 

Whole Foods at Interbay is now hiring for the store that is set to open on October 14. They say they are looking for enthusiastic, customer service oriented people with a passion for food.  They have openings in bakery, produce, meat & seafood, cheese & specialty foods and guest services.

Applications are being accepted online for full and part time positions. If you are interested you can apply online by Friday (8/28) at www.wholefoodsmarket.com.

Brown Bear Car Washes is celebrating 52 years in business with free car washes this Thursday (8/27) at all Brown Bear locations. Over the last four years, the Seattle-based company has washed a total of 53,623 cars for free on their annual free wash day held each August.  

The company says this is their way to say thanks to customers.  You can get a free ’Bear Essential’ wash starting at 8am and the event runs until 8pm.  For a list of locations click here but the closest to Magnolia is the Brown Bear at 1800 15th Ave. West.  There is also a Brown Bear just on the other side of the Ballard Bridge at 5111 15th Ave West.  We would recommend you get there early, we expect there will be a line up of cars waiting for a free wash.

“We are extremely grateful to the people of Puget Sound for their decades of patronage.  Our annual free car wash day is one way we can show our appreciation,” said Brown Bear founder and owner Vic Odermat. 

Odermat started Brown Bear in Seattle in 1957 with the Ballard location where they washed cars by hand.  They now have 40 car washes in Washington.