Pam Penfield
NLJ
Last Tuesday, Maureen Caldwell, CEO at Weston County Health Services, invited the community and facility staff to join her in the boardroom as she revealed the contents of a time capsule placed by the Masons when the hospital was built in 1986.
I was on-hand to witness the un-veiling.
There were expected items, such as Masonic Grand Lodge books, papers, and a medal, an invitation to the dedication held May 17, a newspaper clipping of the groundbreaking, and copies of the Weston County Gazette, and my favorite newspaper, the News Letter Journal.
Of special interest to the staff who gathered was a list of hospital and manor employees who worked there. Several people wanted to see the list, and see who still worked there now.
There were also a couple of curious items, such as a tube of superglue with the price still on it— $1.50. Superglue was expensive 32 years ago!
There was also a pack of Trident gum. Hmmm I wondered, as I watched Maureen hold it up, if we opened it would we even be able to chew it, or would it be teeth-cracking hard?
We will never know as all of the items from that time capsule will be put right back where they came from, and more goodies were added to it on Wednesday, April 11, at 2:00 p.m. when they held their re-dedication ceremony.
The time capsule will once again be placed by the Masons, and you can bet there will be a current issue of the News Letter Journal added to the time capsule this time around as well.
I hope the staff and community enjoy the celebration of the now completed remodel and expansion of our hospital, and am glad our little community made the commitment to continue to enjoy having such a valuable resource right here at home!