060399-Herald

Reported in Tri-Valley Herald
June 3, 1999

Lost: One time capsule, somewhere in Livermore

By Sean Holstege
STAFF WRITER

LIVERMORE --- Been here more than 25 years? Your guess Is as good as any expert's as to where the Centennial Time Capside went.

It's missing, you know.

No amount of probing, digging or metal-detecting Tuesday came close to finding it. So the city will try again next week.

The U.S. Navy, metal detecting clubs and somebody who claims a relative buried the canister, all offered to help find the missing relic.

Their help will be appreciated. Everyone on hand at Centennial Park this week had an opinion: It's behind the totem pole. It's in front of the totem pole. No, it's behind the park sign. And so on.

Part of the problem was that the city's metal detectors were good at finding rocks.

Another problem was that the city buried the capsule in secret so that treasure hunters wouldn't find it.

But the main problem was nobody has the faintest clue where it is, and any city records that may offer even a hint were destroyed years ago, assurning any records were made.

A city press release said only that files that may have contained a map siting the location were purged many years ago. Maybe.

"Documents that do not exist are kept forever," City Clerk Alice Calvert said. All the others are kept two years, five years, 25 years, or permanently.

If the capsule is not found, according to the press release, it will stay buried until technology or somebody's memory improves.

Until then, where is it?

Uninformed sources wildly speculate that Mayor Cathie Brown, famous in Livermore for her practical jokes, has the rusty thing on her mantlepiece.

"It's not on my mantlepiece, and if it were, I'd be very proud," she responded. "This is the best practical joke ever. it's so good, I didn't think of it.

Capsule: Experts
remain baffied

So, Madam Mayor, where is it?

"I have no idea. Who knows?"

Former Mayor John Shirley; "I've no idea."

Other former Mayor Dale Turner: "I have no idea." Turner told the Rotary Club that he thought it was in Carnegie Park somewhere. It's as bad a theory as anyone's.

"It's in Dan Lee's RV, disguised as a propane tank," said local historian Gary Drummond. referring to the former Public Works director who buried the thing but forgot where. "What he really buried was his propane tank."Crews couldn't find that, either.

Anna Siig, another local historian, thinks former police chief Johnny Michaels hid It in the city's safe at the corporation yard. Michaels died with the secret of the combination, she said. The corporation yard is now a bus stop.

The best theory came from Bill Junk. a member of the Livermore Heritage Guild, who watched the unearthing of worms Tuesday.

"I'm wandering if it might be under the concrete base of the totem pole," he said.

In 1974, city crews had to pull the centennial totem pole out of the ground and place it on a concrete block after officials learned that they had buried 30 years' worth of symbolism. A series of 10 notches was intended to signify each decade of city history, but the city mistakenly buried the bottom three. Local American Indians were furious, especially when the bottom of the pole became rotted.

In all of the speculation, Centennial Committee founder Barry Schrader has disappeared, too. It was his idea to unearth the capsule, but he didn't show up to Rotary on Wednesday and has been out of town on - ostensibly - vacation. Coincidence? Mayor Brown doesn't think so.

When national news crews began calling her, she thought the whole thing was Schrader's joke. Now, she invites anybody with a clue to show up at Centennial Park at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.

April 2, 2000


Reported in Tri-Valley Herald June 3, 1999
Lost: One time capsule, somewhere in Livermore
By Sean Holstege STAFF WRITER LIVERMORE --- Been here more than 25 years? Your guess Is as good as any expert's as to where the Centennial Time Capside went. It's missing, you know. No amount of probing, digging or metal-detecting Tuesday came close to finding it. So the city will try again next week. The U.S. Navy, metal detecting clubs and somebody who claims a relative buried the canister, all offered to help find the missing relic. Their help will be appreciated. Everyone on hand at Centennial Park this week had an opinion: It's behind the totem pole. It's in front of the totem pole. No, it's behind the park sign. And so on. Part of the problem was that the city's metal detectors were good at finding rocks. Another problem was that the city buried the capsule in secret so that treasure hunters wouldn't find it. But the main problem was nobody has the faintest clue where it is, and any city records that may offer even a hint were destroyed years ago, assurning any records were made.	A city press release said only that files that may have contained a map siting the location were purged many years ago. Maybe. "Documents that do not exist are kept forever," City Clerk Alice Calvert said. All the others are kept two years, five years, 25 years, or permanently. If the capsule is not found, according to the press release, it will stay buried until technology or somebody's memory improves. Until then, where is it? Uninformed sources wildly speculate that Mayor Cathie Brown, famous in Livermore for her practical jokes, has the rusty thing on her mantlepiece. "It's not on my mantlepiece, and if it were, I'd be very proud," she responded. "This is the best practical joke ever. it's so good, I didn't think of it. Capsule: Experts remain baffied So, Madam Mayor, where is it? "I have no idea. Who knows?" Former Mayor John Shirley; "I've no idea." Other former Mayor Dale Turner: "I have no idea." Turner told the Rotary Club that he thought it was in Carnegie Park somewhere. It's as bad a theory as anyone's.	"It's in Dan Lee's RV, disguised as a propane tank," said local historian Gary Drummond. referring to the former Public Works director who buried the thing but forgot where. "What he really buried was his propane tank."Crews couldn't find that, either. Anna Siig, another local historian, thinks former police chief Johnny Michaels hid It in the city's safe at the corporation yard. Michaels died with the secret of the combination, she said. The corporation yard is now a bus stop. The best theory came from Bill Junk. a member of the Livermore Heritage Guild, who watched the unearthing of worms Tuesday. "I'm wandering if it might be under the concrete base of the totem pole," he said. In 1974, city crews had to pull the centennial totem pole out of the ground and place it on a concrete block after officials learned that they had buried 30 years' worth of symbolism. A series of 10 notches was intended to signify each decade of city history, but the city mistakenly buried the bottom three. Local American Indians were furious, especially when the bottom of the pole became rotted. In all of the speculation, Centennial Committee founder Barry Schrader has disappeared, too. It was his idea to unearth the capsule, but he didn't show up to Rotary on Wednesday and has been out of town on - ostensibly - vacation. Coincidence? Mayor Brown doesn't think so. When national news crews began calling her, she thought the whole thing was Schrader's joke. Now, she invites anybody with a clue to show up at Centennial Park at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.


April 2, 2000