Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors Open 58-Year-Old Time Capsule

At the October 4, 2022, Board of Supervisors meeting, the County Board of Supervisors and departments also included items for the new time capsule to be opened in 50 years. 

Board Chair, District 4 Supervisor Karen Mitchoff included a letter highlighting the significant impacts of the pandemic and commenting: “My hope and wish are that 50 years from now, we will have returned to a time when people are respectful, more courteous, and more understanding of different points of view.” Her letter also identified major issues affecting Contra Costa County including the Delta, transportation, housing, and public service. Supervisor Mitchoff included letters from each city in her district and photos of their council members. All cities provided pins, Clayton provided a pen, and Pleasant Hill provided a stamp from this year’s library opening.

Please click on the image to view Board Chair, Supervisor Karen Mitchoff's letter to be opened in 2072.

Vice Chair, District 5 Supervisor Federal Glover said, “This is an opportunity to reflect where the County has been in the last several decades. So, I included some history in terms of myself, in that I am the first African American to be a part of the Board of Supervisors.” Some items that Supervisor Glover included were pins from the cities, brochures, and information on the widening of Highway 4, BART coming into the County system, E-BART, community colleges, refineries, the Zero Tolerance initiative against Domestic Violence, electrifying of housing through the Sustainability Committee, the Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice, and the Youth Summits.

District 1 Supervisor John Gioia’s letter to the future indicated, “We faced enormous challenges. We persevered. We had faith in our young people and future leaders to protect and fight for our future. We know you will have the wisdom and the will to continue the fight for our planet and our communities.” Supervisor Gioia included a CD about the Contra Costa Historical Society, a COVID home test kit, an N-95 mask, a San Francisco Bay Trail Map with a note hoping the trail would be fully built, a T-Shirt from the 5th annual Richmond Indigenous Peoples Walk to show respect for our native inhabitants, a T-Shirt from a recent Coastal Clean-Up Day, a “Racism is a Public Health Crisis” lapel pin, and a lapel pin of the original El Cerrito High School which Supervisor Gioia attended. 

Please click on the image to view Supervisor John Gioia's letter to be opened in 2072.

District 2 Supervisor Candace Andersen’s items included letters from Danville, Lafayette, Moraga, Orinda, and San Ramon. She also wrote a letter describing her role as County Supervisor, as well as the priorities and issues confronting District 2. Supervisor Andersen included a Blackhawk Bulletin, photos of the Alamo Municipal Advisory Council, and a PowerPoint presentation about District 2. “I also included our holiday card, which is a picture of my staff because they are an integral part of what we do in serving the community,” said Supervisor Anderson.

Please click on the image to view District 2 Board of Supervisor Candace Andersen's letter to be opened in 2072.

District 3 Supervisor Diane Burgis said, “This is a moment when you get to talk to people in the future, and I was also thinking about the capsule that we were opening up today and how it was set up a year before I was born.” Supervisor Burgis included a letter addressing the current situation in District 3, the County, the world, and background on District 3 and far east County. Supervisor Burgis included a bio, a photo with her staff, and information from Antioch, Bethel Island, Brentwood, Byron, Discovery Bay, Knighten, and Oakley. Recent editions of local papers, brochures of the Future of the Diablo Valley Conference, and the Delta Counties Coalition memorabilia were also included.

Please click on the image to view District 3 Board of Supervisor Diane Burgis letter to be opened in 2072.