BONUS EPISODE: Controversy as Lewis County, WA puts Historic 1858 Claquato Church UP FOR SALE

On this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY, Feliks Banel digs deeper into the controversy brewing in Lewis County, WA where a decision by the Board of County Commissioners - with little or no public input to sell a historic building with a two-week bidding process - has caught many residents off guard, and upset some who care about history and historic preservation. The Claquato Church in Lewis County, Washington was built in 1858 and is one of the oldest structures in the Evergreen State. Lewis County Commissioners approved a plan on July 15, 2025 to auction it off as surplus property; the deadline for bids is July 31, 2025. Criteria for the winning bid is described as "highest and best" - as far as who can guarantee preservation of the building - but the process and the way it's described in official documents strikes some as a little unclear. In this episode, we hear public comment from the Board of Commissioners meeting of July 15, 2025 when the plan was adopted; we speak with Lewis County Commissioner Lindsey Pollock in an interview from July 16, 2025; and another interview from later the same day with descendant of the original church builder, Marla LeFevre. CASCADE OF HISTORY is broadcast LIVE most Sunday nights at 8pm Pacific Time via SPACE 101.1 FM in Seattle and gallantly streams everywhere via space101fm.org. The radio station is located at historic Magnuson Park - formerly Sand Point Naval Air Station - on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle. Subscribe to the CASCADE OF HISTORY podcast via most podcast platforms.