The Weehawken Township Council convened Tuesday night to decide the final resting place of the 150th Anniversary Time Capsule, which, once sealed, will not be opened until 2060.
In past council meetings, members discussed possible options like the basement of City Hall. But the township decided on the historic Weehawken Water Tower on Park Avenue, a facility that is under renovation and will soon house township artifacts.
“The tower is an easy place to house the capsule, and to guard it,” said Mayor Richard Turner last week. The first floor of the tower is being converted into a museum. According to the mayor, the first floor will open in late spring.
“The tower is an easy place to house the capsule, and to guard it.” – Mayor Turner
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What’s in the box?
Most of Weehawken’s community organizations will add special items to the capsule. The Recreation Department will include balls from winning sports teams, like the girl’s softball team and a signed and deflated ball from the boy’s basketball team.
There will also be an aerial shot of the Waterfront Recreational Facility in Lincoln Harbor, and pictures from the dedication of the new $850,000, Louis A. Ferullo Memorial baseball field.
Although the Girl Scouts wanted to leave a signature treat inside for future residents, cookies and other perishable items would certainly melt or decay after 50 years. So, the scouts decided to put just the box of their most popular cookie – Thin Mints – inside including how much the box cost at the time.
The school system will leave yearbooks, copies of the winning anniversary essays, an iPod, t-shirts, hats, and other memorabilia.
Any other groups with suggestions on what should be stored in the capsule should contact the Recreation Department.
At the meeting, the council debated whether a larger box was necessary to hold all of the items. A two-by-two foot box was finally chosen, after it was suggested that all pictures be stored on flash drives in digital form. But some residents argued whether or not flash drives would still be in existence when the capsule opens or if the technology will still work after 50 years. The township asks all residents with thoughts on how best to digitally preserve the items to contact the Recreation Department.
Up and coming writers
In conjunction with the 150th anniversary, the Anniversary Essay Contest winners were honored at the meeting, giving the students a chance to read their essay in a public venue. A runner-up and a winner were selected in two age groups: 7th through 9th grade, and 10th through 12th. First place winners received a $200 check from the township, while second place earned $150.
Although the young writers didn’t know they would be reading their work aloud, the students were up to the challenge.
Runner-up, 9th-grader Jonathon Anasa, said that he was relieved after reciting his essay to the public. “It felt good,” he said. “I did a lot of research for the essay.” Anasa said he was saving his $150 winnings for an upcoming marching band trip to Disney World.
Emily Verdon, the winner of the 7th through 9th grade contest, said she was excited about being chosen and that she would “probably go shopping,” with her winnings.
Eleventh-grader Rutul Amin read from her essay entitled “Small Town, Big Changes.”
Runner-up, 11-grader Nashwa Elangbawy documented the changes in the township since it was incorporated in 1859.
“If the people from the past could travel to the future,” Elangbawy said, “they would be flabbergasted.”
Sean Allocca can be reached at editorial@hudsonreporter.com