SHS Time Capsule Photo Contest seeks your photos

What places, people or things in our community make you smile when you see them – the Common aglow in holiday lights, your kids entranced with the animals at Stone Zoo or maybe you and your friends hiking through the fells? Or maybe its trivia night at a local restaurant with your friends, skating on the ice rink on the town common or sipping coffee on the patio overlooking Main Street. Which of those pictures would you like future Stoneham residents to see when they open the Stoneham High School time capsule when it is opened fifty or sixty years from now?

The Stoneham School Building Committee (SSBC) recently announced a photo contest for all Stoneham residents. The contest will run through December 31, 2023. All residents are invited to submit pictures of the people, places and things that say Stoneham to them. The SSBC will review all the submissions and select those to be placed in the capsule. Remaining photos can be returned or will be given to the Stoneham Historical Society for their library.

So how easy is this? Just snap a selfie or a pic when you are out on your daily errands, walks or strolls. Bring your phone to Walgreens or CVS and load your favorite picture or two into their printer and 10 minutes later (or less) you’ll have your photos to submit all for less than $1. Printed photos (4”X6” only please) for submission should include (written on the back) the name of the photographer and age at the time the photo was taken, the date and place it was taken and other identifying information. The photos should be placed in a sealed envelope addressed to the Time Capsule Committee Photo Contest and dropped in the mail slot at the Stoneham Historical Society at 36 William Street. Photos may not be submitted in digital format. Questions regarding the contest should be directed to shstimecapsule@gmail.com .

Also, the SSBC is offering Stoneham residents a chance to send a written message to their successors fifty or more years from now. Many folks have already opted to leave their words in one of several journals in which the Committee is collecting those messages. Future residents – tots to 80+ - will one day open the capsule and discover messages – along with other items - from the past that document the people, times and the culture of Stoneham from the early 2020’s.
Your message in one of the journals can simply say hello, share a name and address, what you love about the town, why you are here - anything that will give future generations a glimpse of the way things are today and your hopes for Stoneham of the future. You can find out where the journals are located on The Friends of Stoneham, Massachusetts 02180 on Facebook or by emailing shstimecapsule@gmail.com .

The Stoneham School Building Committee continues to meet monthly at the Stoneham Central Middle School Media Center. Meetings are in person and virtual and can be viewed on Stoneham Community Access Television. Meeting schedules are posted to #stonehamschoolbuildingcommittee or https://www.stoneham-ma.gov/627/School-Building-Committee.