Hudson River Quadricentennial Time Capsule to Be Buried in Yonkers, October 24

Oct. 19, 2009 - PRLog -- A time capsule of materials from 2009 will be buried for a century at Habirshaw Park in Yonkers to commemorate the quadricentennial of the Hudson River.  Pictures, letters, and other items are being collected ahead of the burial ceremony.

The scheduled burial of the time capsule will be at 11:30 AM, Saturday, October 24.  The Yonkers Downtown BID and Yonkers Mayor Philip Amicone will be joined by County Executive Andy Spano and other elected officials, along with  business and civic leaders along the banks of the Hudson River at Beczak Environmental Education Center, 35 Alexander Street, Yonkers to participate in the Hudson River Quadricentennial time Capsule Ceremony

The time capsule is a collaborative undertaking between the Yonkers Downtown Business Improvement District,  Friends of Westchester County Parks & The Beczak Environmental Education Center.  The cross-section of materials is meant to educate future generations in the year 2109  on what the Hudson River meant to people today and what life was life in the year 2009.

The time capsule will include an extensive collection of artifacts, drawings, photos, essays and other messages from individuals, organizations and companies.  It will be buried in Westchester County’s Harbirshaw Park, located on the edge of the Hudson River in front of the Beczak Environmental Education Center in Yonkers. The time capsule will remain unopened for 100 years until the Quinticentennial year celebration in 2109, marking the 500th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s historic voyage of the famous river named after him.  

Steve Sansone, Executive Director of the Yonkers Downtown BID noted: “The time capsule will provide a perfect opportunity to leave an accurate record of what people thought about the Hudson River during this historic Quadricentennial year.”  He said that the BID is reaching out to schools, businesses, non-profit organizations and individuals both locally and throughout the region to reflect on the Hudson River’s rich heritage and to express their views in writing or though photography and other art.

Citing an example of the type of content that the Downtown BID is seeking for the time capsule, Sansone said: “The Yonkers Public and Parochial School Children are being asked to stretch their imaginations about the meaning of the Hudson River, perhaps using a combination of words and art.”

Over 100 different Westchester-based companies and organizations were invited to submit their own data CD or DVD with news clippings, brochures, product catalogs, pictures, menus, and predictions of the future.

“How fabulous would it be for someone to have sent you a treasure chest of information about your company from 100 years ago?” said Peter Klein, vice-chairman of the Downtown BID board and a vice-president with Fidelco Realty Group.  “I’m sure whoever is doing my job in a century will be interested in the aerial pictures, blueprints and other information I’m including in the disk that documents what life is like today.”

A website was set up to collect messages and files are being solicited for inclusion in the time capsule.  The digital capacity of the disks that will be in the capsule means a tremendous amount of data can be preserved for the future to explore.  Such space availability would not have been available 100 years ago and translates into the equivalent of hundreds of boxes of paper.

“The technology means that we can get an extensive cross section of views from many residents throughout Westchester and the Hudson Valley region to leave an impressive record for future generations to appreciate,” said Sansone.  

The time capsule is one of the highlights of the Yonkers Downtown BID’s Half Moon Festival comprising two October weekends of free festive events while the replica of Half Moon, Henry Hudson’s 85-foot-long ship, is docked at the Yonkers Pier.  

Instructions for submitting content to the Hudson River Qaudricentennial Time Capsule can be found by visiting www.yonkersdowntown/halfmoon/timecapsule.htm/. Additionally, information can be emailed to HudsonQuadTimeCap@yahoo.com.  The deadline is October 23.

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The Yonkers Downtown/Waterfront Business Improvement District (YDWBID) was created to promote and implement the economic revitalization of the District and the City of Yonkers. The BID is also designed to maintain the downtown streets, contribute to public safety, landscape the district, market special events and create promotional opportunities to highlight the area. Additionally, the BID will preserve and encourage the cultural, historic, tourist and civic interest of the District and the City of Yonkers