LEONARD GRAY

PHOTO: JOHN POLK inserts a parish paperweight into a time capsule to be installed soon at the St. Charles Parish courthouse in Hahnville. (Staff Photo by Leonard Gray) LULING – Memories of today have been carefully tucked away into an air-tight capsule resembling a four-foot cigar tube. In a few weeks, those relics and memories will be installed at the St. Charles Parish courthouse in Hahnville. In 2101, it is expected to be opened and greetings from a century ago will be made across the years. Organized by the St. Charles Historical Foundation, a committee headed by John Polk of Luling spent nearly nine months gathering and selecting the items for historic preservation. Last week, in a meeting room of the West Regional Library, those items were placed in the time capsule. “I’d like to hear their comments when they open it,” Polk said. Other committee members include Joe Catarina, Harriet Williamson, Maureen Downy, Lena Polk and Michael Matherne. The time capsule is four feet in length with a 4-inch diameter opening. It was fabricated at Cytec Industries in Waggaman by Steve Green, Joe Marasay and Carlon Dufrene. The receptical for the capsule, which will be in the courthouse lobby, has been prepared by parish employees, Rowdy Bourgeois, Dwayne Tregre and Raymond Zeringue. So what is in the now-sealed capsule? Here’s a sampling: A copy of the St. Charles Parish Home Rule Charter; Information on Ormond and Destrehan plantations; A St. Charles Parish Schools annual report; Letters from a host of public officials, including Gov. Foster, U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu and John Breaux, U.S. Rep. Billy Tauzin, Parish President Albert Laque, Sheriff Greg Champagne, the St. Charles Parish Council and the St. Charles Parish School Board, among other state and local officials, Nancy Tregre Wilson’s “History of St. Charles Parish;” Pages from L’Observateur’s “Town History” series of St. Charles Parish towns; Coins dated 2000, including statehood quarters; Assorted pens, pencils, paperweights, tie-tacks, money-clips and keyholders with the parish logo; Newspaper articles on the time capsule project; Various parish brochures, bumper stickers and information bulletins; A membership list of the St. Charles Historical Foundation. Most documents were curled into a tube and thrust into the four-inch opening at one end. Meanwhile, Polk carefully pumped in nitrogen to displace the air and its moisture, so as to avoid moisture-damage to the documents. The time capsule itself has been registered with the International Time Capsule Association, which preserves records on every time capsule, including specific locations and contents. When it was all done, the group congratulated each other. None of the people present will be around to see the capsule’s opening in 2101 – but a little bit of themselves will continue to endure.