History Exhumed In Lake Havasu City Thursday

By Becky Maxedon

History is a living breathing part of life. And when that history is brought into the light, it’s an exciting event.

Well, that’s just what happened in Lake Havasu City Thursday when a bit of history was excavated and the mysteries within will be celebrated Oct. 31, at 8:30 a.m., in the City Council chambers at a special edition of Coffee with the Mayor and City Manager.

“The story we know was told by Today’s News Herald. A guy came out 25 years ago with Keep Havasu Beautiful,” Mayor Cal Sheehy said Thursday.

Sheehy said the man sought to beautify the entrances to Lake Havasu City on both the north and south ends of town. “The community decided that we would have a 25-year time capsule on the north end where we are today, and a 50-year time capsule at the south end.”

Lake Havasu City London Bridge Welcome Sign RiverScene Magazine Jillian Danielson Photography

Guy Reynolds hands Joe Vitela his plaque that he had installed with the time capsule 25 years ago. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

Sheehy said local Joe Vitela of Joe Vitela Masonry undertook a mission to find out which was which.

“We wanted to make sure we could honor whatever is in these time capsules. We put together this unearthing quickly. Joe wanted to do it during London Bridge Days,” Sheehy said.

“This was a project of Keep Havasu Beautiful committee of which I was a part of. We came up with the design and then I coordinated all the construction of it,” Vitela said.

Vitela said he recruited local trade businesses to complete the project. “Everything from the initial landscaping to the DL Campbel Ready Mix suppliing all the concrete – gratis. Sun Deck who does all deck coatings did all the concrete work on the base and the I came in with my crew and we did the block work,” he said.

“It’s my understanding that inside this time capsule, different organizations put items into Sterilite containers. Our hope is that the containers have labels on them and our hope is that we can contact those organizations and have them unveil their particular organization’s box. We don’t know what we’re going to find in here,” Sheehy said.

Lake Havasu City London Bridge Welcome Sign RiverScene Magazine Jillian Danielson Photography time capsule

Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

“I think the most important thing we’re going to find are the letters the school children wrote to themselves to look forward to 25 years later,” Vitela said.

Nancy Campbell’s daughter Nicki Miller remembers writing the letter as 9 year old. She doesn’t remember what she put in it, though. I’m going to ask here to come in and represent the students at the Coffee with the Mayor and City Manager,” he said.

Sheehy said it was the city’s purpose to honor all those who participated 25 years ago and lay a road map for those who are here 25 years from now.

“It’s pretty exciting to see all the memories and mementos that people put in this box 25 years ago. But the real fun will be when we have all the organizations together next Friday so they can open their boxes for all to see,” Sheehy said.

“Today’s work was to merely break open the concrete to secure the contents. The contents remain sealed and preserved as we reach out to the organizations and families that participated 25 years ago. The opening of the time capsule will occur at the Oct. 31 event,” Sheehy said in a formal statement.

Some of the Lake Havasu City organization’s boxes that were found in the time capsule included: Lake Havasu Chamber of Commerce, Havasu Chili Association, and Cub Scouts.

The Lake Havasu City sign on the north end of town off of Highway 95 where the time capsule is located. Jillian Danielson

Aaron Pruitt of the Lake Havasu City Parks Department begins to break through the concrete that was installed in 2000 to uncover the time capsule. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

Ruben Tanner of the Lake Havasu City Parks Department assists in breaking through the concrete to get to the time capsule Thursday. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

Havasu residents and family members of Havasu Pioneers Joe Coombs and Sheila McCulloch uncover watch as work is done to uncover the time capsule. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

City officials watch as the time capsule is being uncovered. The whold process took one hour and nine minutes. Jillian Danielson

Ruben Tanner, Aaron Pruitt and Craig Geary break through concrete to get to the time capsule along Highway 95 in Lake Havasu. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene