ALLENTOWN, Pa. — With each reveal from a time capsule placed more than a half-century ago, 12-year-old Alex Otero’s thoughts sped into the future.
Item after item, memory after sweet memory, were picked from a gray metal box unearthed from a cornerstone at Mosser Elementary School on a cold, snowy Thursday morning.
An old photograph. A school T-shirt. A school lunch menu. A school hat. A PTA yearbook. And more.
A few people who were Mosser sixth-graders in 1969 watched along with current fifth-graders as the contents of the 54-year-old time capsule were revealed.
For Sharon Burke Havrilak, Ron Clever and Rick Illigasch, memories of those special childhood days came flooding back like a torrent, leaving them swimming in nostalgia.
Meanwhile, there was Alex, sitting on the floor of the school auditorium with his classmates — nodding and smiling as each item from the past was revealed.
Wise beyond his years, Alex clearly understood the most important part of the day was not the ordinary contents of the old box, but the enduring camaraderie of old classmates.
“I think it’s so much fun to see that those people who were my age when they put the time capsule in are here and still friends,” Alex said. “I watched them talking and they’re still friends.”
“I hope that 50 years from now, my friends and I will come back to school to open our time capsule,” said Alex, who was chosen to place the new capsule into the building's cornerstone. I’m hoping we’ll all still be friends like these people. That’s the best part.”Mosser Elementary School pupil Alex Otero, 12
The current students also have created a time capsule, consisting of information about COVID-19, a list of current events and pop culture items, a fidget spinner, earbuds, a Mosser T-shirt, hand sanitizer, a list of the school’s staff and a group photo of the fifth-graders taken Thursday.
“I hope that 50 years from now, my friends and I will come back to school to open our time capsule,” said Alex, who was chosen to place the new capsule into the building's cornerstone.
“I’m hoping we’ll all still be friends like these people. That’s the best part.”'
'Some didn't even remember'
The year was 1969. Woodstock. Manson. The Beatles. Nixon. “Brady Bunch” on television.
John and Yoko. Chappaquiddick. Neil and Buzz. Andretti did it!
Vietnam, no end in sight. A nation torn by racial strife.
Mets and Jets could not be beat. A new kids show called “Sesame Street.”
The year was 1969, and the Mosser sixth-grade classes thought about doing something special for a long and winding road 50 years away.
On that April 8, they put together a time capsule. The box was set in the cornerstone of the new addition to the school that was completed that year.
"This has been a long time coming."Sharon Burke Havrilak, Mosser Elementary School, Class of 1969
Havrilak recalled the plan was to return to Mosser in 2019 — 50 years later — to open the capsule.
In 2019, Havrilak began to contact classmates and the school district about it. She received little to no response from them or from her social media posts.
“This August, I contacted Tom Smith, the executive director of facilities for the school district,” Havrilak said. “I even contacted [Mosser principal] Deanna Maguire. Some people didn’t even remember if we put the capsule in.
“Then I went to newspapers.com and found an article about us putting the capsule in the cornerstone. And Tom found the blueprints that showed there was a space for the capsule when they built the addition.”
The date plate was removed as the late-morning flurries swirled about. Havrilak squatted and slid the capsule from the cornerstone.
The box was dusty and crusty, with black electrical tape wrapped around the seams of the lid to ensure the contents remained dry.
Havrilak held the box aloft and smiled at the treasure.
"This," she said, "has been a long time coming."
'Haven't changed a bit'
In addition to the photographs, T-shirt, menu and hat, the capsule contained a school progress report from the school principal; a note of recognition of the retirement of school employees; a PTA yearbook; a small book describing the history of East Allentown; and a flier titled "Education of the ‘70s."
Principal Maguire has a special connection to the old-time capsule.
“My mother, Linda Hamman, was a fifth-grader here when the capsule was placed in the cornerstone,” she said. “She’s got bronchitis, so she couldn’t be here today. But she’s excited about today.
“So 50 years from now, when you all come back to take out your time capsule, you’ll reconnect with these friends knowing you’ll always be a Husky Pup. It's the friendships that are special."Allentown Schools Superintendent Carol Birks
“It’s really special that these alumni have come back to see the time capsule opened after 54 years. It's an example of the specialness of Mosser.”
Illigasch spent only one year at Mosser — the year of the time capsule.
He watched as Havrilak, Maguire and Allentown School District Superintendent Carol D. Birks stood at a table in the front of the auditorium and plucked the items from the capsule.
“I had forgotten all about the capsule,” Illigasch said. “But then I remembered being out there when they put it in the wall.
“But the best part today is seeing people like Sharon. These friends haven’t changed a bit after all these years.”
As the program wound to a close, Birks told the students how special the day was for a number of reasons.
“That’s what’s special about Mosser,” Birks said. “The friendships that have been maintained. The connections that remain. Sharon and Ron have been friends for 60 years.
“So 50 years from now, when you all come back to take out your time capsule, you’ll reconnect with these friends knowing you’ll always be a Husky Pup. It's the friendships that are special."
A 12-year-old with his eye on the future would agree.
