Cottage Grove picks items for time capsule

Talk about it

There will be a lot of paper in the time capsule that will be installed when the new Cottage Grove City Hall and Public Safety building is dedicated next month.

The time capsule idea came from a city employee, according to John Burbank, city senior planner, who shepherded the capsule proposal through the city’s advisory commissions for their ideas on what should be included and collected suggestions from the public. The City Council approved the final list earlier this month. The capsule’s installation will be part of an Oct. 20 celebration marking the building’s completion.

Because the opening of the new city hall coincides with the 50th anniversary of the police department, there will be a police department patch, and one from the city’s fire department, in the capsule and a proclamation that the capsule be opened in 2062 on the 100th anniversary of the department and 50th anniversary of the public safety and city hall building.

Even though current electronic technology might not be available to look at them, a number of video tapes and digital copies will be in the capsule, including a copy of the final report on the Red Rock Corridor for computer rail, a splash pad promotional video, hard copies and digital copies of the 2012 Park and East Ridge high school photos. The time capsule also will include time-lapse video of the city hall construction, an economic development promotional video and a picture or video of the Cottage View Drive-In.

The city is using a cremation vault as the time capsule. The $400 vault was donated from Brown-Wilbert Inc. of St. Paul.

Capsule contents

Other items in the capsule include:

-- Time capsule coverage by the South Washington County Bulletin and daily newspapers

-- Picture of the current mayor and city council

-- Current map of city addresses

-- Current aerial city map

-- City website content

-- Dedication booklet and a construction chronology

-- Holiday Train memento

-- Strawberry Fest promotion material

-- City “wooden coins” promoting parks

-- Miscellaneous city lapel pins

-- 2012 water bill and dog tag

-- Dog leash or “bone” to commemorate WAG Farms Dog Park

-- 2012 modified city logo

-- 2011 entries and winners in city photo contest

-- City 2030 comprehensive plan and 2012 annual city report, and newest copy of “Cottage Grove Report”

-- Annual parks and recreation report and map of parks and trails

-- City’s seal

-- Emerald Ash Bore Program information

-- Copies of the Aug. 29, 2012, South Washington County Bulletin and St. Paul Pioneer Press newspapers

-- City hall architect’s line drawing

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