By Michael P. Walsh
Special to the Voice
As part of the city’s yearlong festivities celebrating America’s 250th anniversary, Mayor Dorinda Borer was joined by fellow Westies on Sept. 9 to bury a time capsule on the historic Green for a future generation to discover.
The burial of West Haven’s “America 250th Time Capsule” commemorated the official signing of the Declaration of Independence, which was inked 250 years ago last month.
Borer said she chose Sept. 9 for the event because of its historical significance in America’s founding. On Sept. 9, 1776, the Second Continental Congress officially changed the nation’s name from the “United Colonies” to the “United States of America.”
At the aptly titled West Haven Time Capsule Celebration, Borer was accompanied by 20 West Haven High School history students, who were chosen as “Student Ambassadors of History” for the capsule’s unearthing 50 years from now, on America’s tricentennial on July 4, 2076.
Borer recited a “commitment oath” to the group of ambassadors, who pledged to watch over the capsule as “keepers” for the next half-century.
“They will be the ones to lead the next generation of Westies to unearth, discover and enjoy this piece of our shared history,” said the mayor, who was also joined by state Reps. Bill Heffernan and Treneé McGee, D-West Haven, and City Council members Nancy Tagliatela, D-2, and Gary Donovan, D-4.
To ensure the capsule is safely found in 2076, Borer has commissioned an official declaration for display in the city clerk’s office at City Hall.
The half-hour ceremony featured remarks by Borer and chief of staff Rick Spreyer, the master of ceremonies, and included the singing of the national anthem by Allie Johnstone and music played by DJ Bob DePascale.
“We are gathered here tonight to bridge our past, our present and our future,” said Borer, who thanked mayor’s office volunteer Beth Sabo for leading the event and organizing the capsule’s contents.
As dozens of students, residents and history buffs looked on, Borer, ambassadors and members of the West Haven Time Capsule Committee used gold-painted shovels to bury the capsule, taking turns throwing dirt into a 3-foot hole dug near a memorial stone commemorating the American Revolution. The monument sits on the northwest corner of the Green at Main Street and Savin Avenue.
The breadbox-sized capsule contains everything from historical writings from the American Revolution and a flip phone to a COVID-19 face mask and modern toys.
On July 5, 1987, the memorial stone was dedicated by the West Haven Historical Society at the spot where British Adjutant William Campbell saved the Rev. Noah Williston of West Haven’s First Congregational Church from certain death at the hands of British soldiers and Hessian Jager mercenaries during the British invasion of New Haven on July 5, 1779.
Two months ago, Borer and the committee — Sabo, former 5th District Councilwoman Robbin Watt Hamilton, Donna Rzasa and Historical Society President Susan Walker — requested suggestions for the time capsule, which greatly contributed to the buried items.
“This capsule represents the heart, soul and history of our community,” the mayor said. “Thanks to the fantastic suggestions sent in by all of you this past July, we’ve packed this capsule with a unique snapshot of time.”
In his remarks, Spreyer encouraged attendees to write a “West Haven wish.”
“Jot down your hope for the future on a piece of special biodegradable paper, and it’ll be buried right along with the time capsule,” he said. “Over time, that paper will break down and nourish the soil and the plants growing above it, so your wish literally helps West Haven grow.”
Those leaving a wish received a West Haven-branded pen and a commemorative time capsule key chain.
All wishes were placed by Borer and Sabo atop the capsule before it was fully buried.
During the ceremony, Borer also displayed the contents of a time capsule that was recently unearthed at the former Edgar C. Stiles Elementary School on Main Street. Buried on May 19, 1991, the capsule contained a note from then-Principal Helen Dorsi featuring the names of students and teachers, letters from students, and newspaper articles and toys of the era, including a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.
The event also included a trio of food trucks that served up eats and sweets on the Main Street side of the Green: Louise’s Homemade Food & Baked Goods, Crave and Waffles on Wheels.