On this BONUS EPISODE, Feliks Banel's guest is Lewis County Commissioner Scott Brummer with the latest on the sale of Claquato Church, southwest of Chehalis, Washington.
The 1858 Claquato Church in Lewis County, Washington declared surplus in July by Lewis County and put up for sealed bid auction. This took the community by surprise, until it was revealed that Lewis County had been in discussions about the future of the church with the nearby Claquato Cemetery. One bid was received last week by the July 31, 2025 deadline. The bidder is Claquato Cemetery, as was expected by many.
Lewis County Commissioner Scott Brummer spoke with CASCADE OF HISTORY late Monday, August 4, 2025 to share the specifics of the bid – including the amount the Claquato Cemetery offered for the sale, and the promises made in the proposal to restore and maintain the Claquato Church. Preserving the historic structure is required by the buyer in a covenant attached to the property by Lewis County. Commissioner Brummer also addresses questions about the transparency of the process, and about perceptions of an unfair tilt toward the Claquato Cemetery’s proposal – since they had months of additional time to prepare a proposal that other potential bidders did not have.
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 www.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.
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