Rye Plans to Celebrate its 350th Anniversary—With a Twist

Finding an inventive way to celebrate a 350^th anniversary can be a challenge.

A bouquet of flowers, ornate five-tiered cake or blowout party—the customary gifts for a golden or diamond anniversary—probably fall short as ways to commemorate such a historic milestone.

Rye currently has plans underway to celebrate its birthday in a more creative fashion, with a time capsule project filled with historic contributions from local schools and organizations that will be buried at the end of 2010.

Rye Middle School teacher Craig Dreves and Sheri Jordan, director of the Rye Historical Society, proposed the project. Both appeared at the Rye City Council's January 20 meeting to outline their plan.

The time capsule would be placed on the Rye Historical Society's property and would involve the entire community. However, unlike most time capsules, the project has a slight twist.

"We talked about a living capsule," Dreves said. "Opening it in 50 years rather than 100 years to give kids the opportunity to come back and see it open, because after 100 years you don't give the people who participated in creating it the chance to look back."

An important element that everyone agrees on is the heavy involvement of Rye grammar, middle and high school students.

"We wanted this to be a chance for kids to put in what they think exemplifies life in 2010," Jordan said. "I doubt anyone will willingly sacrifice their iPod, but they may put in a list of songs or movies. It will force them to think about what life will be like in the future."

When Rye Record Editor and Publisher Robin Jovanovich heard about the project, she immediately expressed interest in getting the newspaper involved in either fundraising, organizing or creating a special time capsule print edition.

"When they put these things together they take odds and ends of everything that will fit," Jovanovich said. "But I think the greater the variety of things should go into this one."

The project is still far from being realized.

Once the project's organizers receive approval from the Rye City Council, the team has to plan the contents and find contributors. Jordan said the goal is to ask every organization in Rye to contribute information, such as writings and photos. Jordan and Dreves are planning to present their proposal to the Rye City School District Board of Education and involve school principals and parent teacher organizations in the project.

One small hurdle could be raising money for the time capsule, which can cost as much as $5,000. Despite the time and effort it will take to plan the project, Dreves said a time capsule is just what the Rye community needs.

"I found projects like this can really bring together a community and Rye is going through some tough times," Dreves said. "A little bit of solidarity in bringing people together might be what we need; a little bit of lightness and working towards a common goal."