On this BONUS "THUNDERBOAT" EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY, Feliks Banel presents vintage audio from KIRO Radio from 2018 with the history of "street hydros" - those miniature plywood hydroplanes that Seattle area kids towed behind their bikes from the 1950s to circa 1980.

Included in the story are observations and memories of street hydros from John Keister, Dave Dederer, Bill Wixey, Chip Hanauer and the late, great Pat O'Day (who also performs the play-by-play for an imaginary street hydro race).

For images of many homemade street hydros, visit the Cascade of History Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16xYAfA23v/

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.

On this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY, Feliks Banel speaks with Randall Adams with an update on the saga of the City of Sumner, Washington - the same city that last week tore down the Ryan House - where city officials had announced a give-away of park benches, many with memorial plaques still attached.

Tuesday, July 29, 2025 was bench and plaque give-away day, and Randall Adams was there, bright and early, at Sumner City Hall, wearing his SUMNER SPARTANS t-shirt and vintage SUMNER SPARTANS football helmet - all to make sure that the bench dedicated to his late friend Danny Crook would end up in a good home. Randall Adams shares the story of what happened in this bonus episode.

CASCADE OF HISTORY reached out to City of Sumner spokesperson Carmen Palmer late on the afternoon of Thursday, July 24, 2025. She declined a phone interview and offered to try to answer questions via email instead. We also share some of her answers in this episode, too.

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.

Feliks Banel's guests on this LIVE REMOTE BROADCAST of CASCADE OF HISTORY from the ruins of the Ryan House in Sumner, Washington include Nick Biermann of Save Ryan House, Nancy Ryan Dressel (descendant of the builder of the Ryan House), Tina Patton Burnett and other grassroots historic preservationists and lovers of local history who have been working for nearly two years to try to save one of the oldest structures in the Evergreen State. It was part vigil, part wake, part celebration of life, and an attempt to process a serious amount of collective grief.

The broadcast originated from 1228 Main Street in Sumner, Washington where the historic Ryan House stood for 150 years - until late this past Thursday night when it was demolished by the City of Sumner, against the wishes of one of the most engaged groups of citizens Sumner has seen in decades.

This LIVE broadcast of CASCADE OF HISTORY was originally presented at 8:00pm Pacific Time on Sunday, July 27, 2025 via SPACE 101.1 FM and gallantly streaming live via space101fm.org. CASCADE OF HISTORY usually broadcasts from studios at historic Magnuson Park - formerly Sand Point Naval Air Station - on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle. Special thanks to Mark Patterson for in-studio engineering for the live remote; and special thanks to Save Ryan House volunteers for graciously hosting this broadcast.

Subscribe to the CASCADE OF HISTORY podcast via most podcast platforms and never miss regular weekly episodes of Sunday night broadcasts as well as frequent bonus episodes.

On this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY, Feliks Banel speaks with Superintendent Tracy Fortmann of the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site in Vancouver, Washington.

A new visitor center film called "Where We Converge" premieres at Fort Vancouver next Wednesday, July 30, 2025 and the public is invited. Superintendent Fortmann also gives a preview of the Fort Vancouver Bicentennial Commemoration coming up on Saturday, August 16, 2025.

Information about the film premiere on July 30, 2025

https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/event-details.htm?id=8F56DBFF-9F38-743D-729C062BF3CE4A09

Information about the Fort Vancouver Bicentennial Commemoration on August 16, 2025

https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/event-details.htm?id=1930BAD9-9934-8E3F-B366845A594C8B3C

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.

On this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY, Feliks Banel speaks with Randall Adams about the City of Sumner, Washington's surprising plan to give away park benches from the town's Heritage Park, many with memorial plaques still attached. The give-away is scheduled for Tuesday, July 29, 2025.

A plaque on one of those free-for-the-taking benches says:

In Loving Memory

Daniel Stewart Crook

Sept. 30, 1955 May 5, 1974

We Lost Someone Very Special

Randall Adams knew Danny Crook, and Mr. Adams is upset that the City of Sumner appears to have not made any effort to find Mr. Crook's relatives, who still live in the area.

CASCADE OF HISTORY reached out to City of Sumner spokesperson Carmen Palmer late on the afternoon of Thursday, July 24, 2025. She declined a phone interview and offered to try to answer questions via email instead. We sent questions right away, but have not yet heard back.

This is a developing story and will likely generate additional BONUS EPISODES of CASCADE OF HISTORY.

More information about the City of Sumner, Washington's memorial bench give-away:

https://sumnerwa.gov/notice-bench-giveaway-tuesday-july-29th/

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.

On this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY, Feliks Banel speaks with Jerry Cornfield of The Washington State Standard for an update about the threatened closure of Lewis Army Museum at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) near Tacoma.

There have been a number of developments in the story in the past few days, including a letter sent by U.S. Senator Patty Murray, Democrat of Washington, to Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll. Senator Murray is seeking answers to questions about the threatened closure and has given Secretary Driscoll until August 11, 2025 to respond. U.S. Representative Marilyn Strickland, Democrat of Washington's 10th District, which includes JBLM, sent a similar letter on June 30, 2025 giving Secretary Driscoll until August 1, 2025 to respond.

Meanwhile, Army Museum Enterprise and Center of Military History public affairs officer Lee Reynolds told CASCADE OF HISTORY on July 18, 2025 that a presentation about the closure initiative will be given to Congress on August 4, 2025. Reynolds declined to answer several questions posed earlier by CASCADE OF HISTORY – seeking specific details about the closure process and the Lewis Army Museum in particular – until after the August 4, 2025 presentation.

Reynolds also said that he expects Secretary of the Army Driscoll to sign the closure plan before the end of July. “The approval of the plan and the [AUGUST 4] presentation are not connected," Reynolds wrote in an email. "The approval is working its way through a [HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY] staff review, and we are hoping to have it approved before the end of the month.”

For additional information and context, please see these earlier episodes:

Interview with Lee Reynolds, Army Museum Enterprise Public Affairs

https://soundcloud.com/cascadeofhistory/bonus-episodes-secretary-army

Interview wity Erik Flint, retired former director of Lewis Army Museum

https://soundcloud.com/cascadeofhistory/bonus-episode-lewis-army-museum

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.

On this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY, Feliks Banel speaks with City of Tacoma Historic Preservation Officer Reuben McKnight about two upcoming workshops and a public hearing focused on changes to Tacoma's Historic Preservation Code. Some of the changes are required by legislation adopted in the Evergreen State earlier this year, and others are specific to Tacoma's preservation program.

For more information about the City of Tacoma Historic Preservation Code workshops on Thursday, July 24 and Saturday, July 26, 2025:

https://tacoma.gov/news/historic-preservation-code-update-community-information-sessions-on-july-24-and-26/

For more information about the City of Tacoma Public Hearing on the Historic Preservation Code on Wednesday, August 6, 2025:

https://tacoma.gov/news/public-hearing-on-2025-historic-preservation-code-updates-august-6/

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.

On this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY, Feliks Banel spoke with Matt McCauley from the airport in Colorado Springs, Colorado Sunday night as McCauley was headed back home to Seattle. McCauley was at the National Museum of World War II Aviation on Saturday witnessing the first public flight of the now-restored HELLDIVER he pulled off the bottom of Lake Washington in Seattle more than 40 years ago.

For the complete story of the HELLDIVER, be sure and listen to this earlier BONUS EPISODE:

https://soundcloud.com/cascadeofhistory/bonus-episode-lake-to-sky

We've posted photos and video of Saturday's flight at the CASCADE OF HISTORY Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/cascadeofhistory

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.

Feliks Banel's guests on this LIVE REMOTE BROADCAST of CASCADE OF HISTORY include Coupeville Mayor Molly Hughes; Port of Coupeville Executive Director Chris Michalopoulos; Washington Trust for Historic Preservation's Moira Nadal; Meg Olson from Kingfisher Books in Coupeville; the Shifty Sailors, led by Jim Lightner; Lynn Hyde of Historic Whidbey; Kyle Walker of the recently merged Island County Historical Society/South Whidbey Historical Society; Josh Pitts of Ebey’s Reserve; and Ed Brown, historian for the Virginia V. Special thanks to Jules James, Alicia Barnes and Lucy Walker from the Virginia V, too.

The broadcast originated from the 1905 Coupeville Wharf in historic Coupeville, WA on Whidbey Island's Penn Cover. Partner for this broadcast is the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, who in 2024 added Coupeville Wharf to their list of MOST ENDANGERED PLACES in the Evergreen State - partly because of the long-term threats from climate change.

Coupeville Wharf website:

https://portoc.org/coupeville-wharf/

Washington Trust MOST ENDANGERED PLACES:

https://preservewa.org/most_endangered/coupeville-wharf/

This LIVE broadcast of CASCADE OF HISTORY was originally presented at 12:30pm Pacific Time on Saturday, July 19, 2025 via SPACE 101.1 FM and gallantly streaming live via space101fm.org. CASCADE OF HISTORY usually broadcasts from studios at historic Magnuson Park - formerly Sand Point Naval Air Station - on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle. Special thanks to Mitch Etter for in-studio engineering for the live remote; and special thanks to Port of Coupeville staff and volunteers for graciously hosting this broadcast.

Subscribe to the CASCADE OF HISTORY podcast via most podcast platforms and never miss regular weekly episodes of Sunday night broadcasts as well as frequent bonus episodes.

It's time for one more BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY devoted to the Claquato Church in Lewis County, Washington.

On this episode, Feliks Banel speaks once again with Lewis County Commissioner Lindsey Pollock about the process to find a buyer, via sealed bid auction, for Claquato Church - a process which Lewis County now all but admits is tilted toward the private, non-profit Claquato Cemetery. The cemetery has had months (or perhaps even years) to ready a proposal, while other potential buyers only learned of the opportunity on Tuesday, July 15, 2025 and have until July 31, 2025 to prepare and submit something.

At one point in this interview, Feliks Banel says to Commissioner Pollock, "It seems like that opportunity [of bidding on Claquato Church] should have been offered to everybody in the same time frame, with the same amount of time to prepare a decent proposal."

To this statement, Commissioner Pollock responds: "I would agree with that."

Lewis County newspaper The Chronicle, whose Brian Mittge broke the news of Claquato Cemetery's involvement in the behind-the-scenes process in a social media post on Wednesday, published a detailed piece on the paper's website Friday, July 18, 2025:

LINK: https://www.chronline.com/stories/a-plan-to-restore-historic-claquato-church,384204

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.