By Mary Drier
Staff Writer
CARO — Was it simply the passage of time or because of security changes at the Tuscola County Courthouse to just using the front door the reason that a time capsule was forgotten?
Tuscola County Clerk Jodi Fetting discovered information about the time capsule being buried near the back entrance to the courthouse when going through old documents. She informed county commissioners at their Dec. 17, about the time capsule and that is was to be opened 25 years later.
“There is a plaque at ground level about it being buried in 1988 and to open in 2014,” said Fetting. “We just discovered this. If we are going to meet that request to open it in 2014, it is going to have to be opened soon.”
Because of the time crunch, commissioners decided they would open the time capsule during their 7:30 a.m., meeting Monday at the Purdy Building, 125 W. Lincoln.
None of the commissioners were on the board back when the time capsule was buried.
“There has to be a story behind it of why it was done…,” said commission Chair Thom Bardwell.
A connection to courthouse is not evident because the current Art Deco style courthouse was dedicated on Jan. 24, 1933.
“It will be interesting to see what is inside of it,” said Bardwell noting the commissioners may put some new items in it and rebury it.
Back in 1988 when the capsule was buried: a gallon of gas sold for 91 cents, and U.S. Postage Stamp cost 24 cents.
That was the first year that compact disks (CDs) out sold vinyl for the first time, and was when Bobby McFerrin song encourage for everyone “Don’t worry, be happy.”
It was also the year Sonny Bono, formerly of the singing duo Sonny and Cher, become Mayor of Palm Springs, ad when the drug Prozac is introduced as an antidepressant.
Mary Drier is a staff writer for the Tuscola County Advertiser. She can be reached at drier@tcadvertiser.com.