What to Put in the Bernards Township Time Capsule for Next 100 Years

 The list of what future Bernards Township residents will find in 2110, when they presumably unearth a time capsule to be buried by the municipal building, so far includes commemorative programs from this year's 250th anniversary celebration; brochures from houses of worship and other local institututions; menus from local eateries; an empty carton of Ben and Jerry's Whirled Peace Ice Cream; a Taylor Swift doll; a packet of Aleve; and much more.

There is still some room for more in a cubed time capsule scheduled to be buried in a ceremony outside the the municipal building at 11 a.m. on Sat., Nov. 13, said Toby Spitzer, a member of the township's 250th Anniversary Task Force. A ceremony, to include speeches by officials and a performance by the Ridge High School Marching Band, is set to be held when the time capsule is buried in front of the municipal building at 1 Collyer Lane.

The task force reviewed the list of items to be included at its meeting on Monday, Sept. 20. Spitzer said the items may be displayed starting at about 9 a.m. that morning before it is sealed up by maker of the time capsule, Tom Mark of Time Capsules, Inc. in Prospect, Pa.

The capsule, a square measuring two feet on all sides, will be buried near a commemorative stone to be donated by Galloway & Crane Funeral Home of Basking Ridge, Spitzer said.

The plan is for the contents of the capsule to be revealed a century from now. That timing presented a challenge when the task force was deciding how to include some items listed as favorites of students _ for example, ice cream, Spitzer said.

She said the task force decided to stash an empty ice cream carton in the time capsule. The capsule also will include silk daffodils, representing a project this spring to plant a commemorative breed of daffodils on as many township properties as possible.

Spitzer told the committee that some space remains for additional items  in the capsule. The task force also is tracking down a few remaining items on its list, such as a 2010 yearbook from Ridge High School, she said.

Task force member June Kennedy, a longtime township historian, noted that some of the restaurant menus included were from out-of-town eateries. She suggested including a menu from "The Store," which she said is the oldest restaurant in the township.

Spitzer said the restaurant menus from other towns were added because those places were listed as favorite "hangouts" for high school students. She later said that township students at all grade levels have been surveyed to select their favorites among categories chosen for their age group, such as toys or music.

Task force members also discussed what music might be played by the marching band at the Nov. 13 ceremony. Spitzer said the selection might include a favorite named by this year's junior class. But, she added, "I wouldn't expect them to be rapping."