Cranberry capsule opened 25 years later
CRANBERRY TWP — In retrospect, 1991 was a pivotal time for the township.
Interstate 279, linking Pittsburgh to the North Hills had just been finished, the township had recently moved its municipal office to 2525 Rochester Road and officials were anticipating growth and development by starting a transportation impact fee program.
“A lot of important things happened in that 1989, 1990 time frame,” said Supervisor Dick Hadley who lived in the township and was a member of the parks and recreation board back then.
To mark the opening of the Cranberry Township Municipal Center, officials collected items for a time capsule in March 1991.
The effort was coordinated by former library director Carol Troese, who got entries from officials, civic groups, churches and businesses, said library director Leslie Pallotta.
The capsule, a wooden box, was sealed and placed in the township lobby, though it was later moved to the library. A framed key was hung in the library's office instructing future officials to open the capsule on March 4, 2016.
Upon opening the capsule on that date, officials got a sample of popular culture and current events that were important to residents 25 years ago.
Among the items in the box were two bottles of water. One contained water from Brush Creek and another contained water treated at the former Cranberry Municipal Sewer and Water Authority plant on Rochester Road. Documents indicate that it was treated to a higher standard than state and federal governments required.
A letter written by water plant manager Anthony Lenze explaining the samples concluded with “Water is our country's most priceless heritage.”
Years later the township shut down its water plant and reached an agreement to buy water from the West View Water Authority.
Popular culture mementos included a number of toys and stickers from a preschool and a set of 1990 Pittsburgh Pirates trading cards.
“It's interesting how some things have come back around and some things have changed dramatically,” said parks and recreation director Pete Geis, who helped sort and catalog the items in the capsule.
The preschool that submitted toys also submitted a letter that identified its students with their Social Security numbers, something that probably would not happen today.
A business directory listing all of the businesses in the township included some that are still here today and some that are long gone. In 1991, Cranberry was yet to have its own ZIP code, so it used nearby post offices in Mars, Zelienople and Evans City.
Also included in the capsule were newspapers and letters from residents and officials.One issue that came up numerous times in the papers and letters was a controversial plan for a thoroughbred horse racing track near Route 228 and Interstate 79.The plan, which never came to fruition, generated concerns from residents about traffic impact and also about the potential negative influence of having gambling in the township.The municipal center was bought by the township in 1989 and was renovated and opened by 1991. Built in 1963, it was the former home of a Perry Forge plant.Back then Cranberry had no downtown or central gathering place, so officials envisioned the new municipal center filling that role, Hadley said.“That's why they came up with the town center concept within the building. It is a place people can come and have all the services within the building,” he said.Cranberry's population was about 14,000 in 1991 and in the past 25 years it has more than doubled. Along with that growth the municipal center has expanded too, a $3.2 million renovation project was finished last year.Township manager Jerry Andree is one of numerous township employees who were already on the staff in 1991.“One of the things that the board said to me when we moved in was 'wear the carpet out,' meaning bring the residents in, make this their building,” he said in a video posted online by the township.
