UPPER LAKE>>> The Rotary Club of Lakeport took a trip back to 1925 during a special visit with 4th and 5th grade students at Upper Lake Elementary, part of the Club’s Centennial celebration and upcoming Time Capsule Project.
The visit began with an invitation from Heather Hunt, a 4th grade teacher, who was so enthusiastic about the opportunity that she extended it to her fellow teachers. The result: a time-travel-themed presentation for more than 120 students, all eager to participate.
Rotary Club President Pam Harpster and Rotarian Denise Combs arrived dressed in 1920s flapper attire and shared Rotary’s 100-year history of service. They also spoke about plans to bury a community time capsule on June 25, 2025, at 5:30 PM in Xabatin Park, near the historic Curfew Bell—restored and placed there by the Lakeport Rotary Club in 2024. The capsule will be opened by future Rotarians in 2050.
Students filled out a worksheet provided by Rotary where they listed any of the goals they have for the future, as well as their thoughts on current events, including their own personal likes and dislikes.
As part of their contribution to the project, students (All 9 and 10 years of age) were invited to complete a special writing assignment titled “Letters to the Future.” In their letters, students answered thoughtful questions such as:
• What do you love most about living in 2025?
• What are your favorite things—hobbies, games, friends, technology, or traditions?
• What do you hope the world will be like in 2050?
• What are your dreams for yourself and your community?
The young Cougars wondered if they might have kids and thought about their families, pets, what kind of cars they might be driving in the future, and what sports would be like in 2050. Hunt said she encouraged the writing activity as a valuable exercise, “It’s something that would motivate them outside of the box of our traditional writing activities,” she said.
Hunt admitted 25 years is a long time and wondered if the students were a little too young to understand what the project means, but they crunched the numbers of how old they would be when the time capsule opens in a quarter of a century.
The teacher also asked the students what type of images to include in the work sheets and printed out a picture of a cyber truck, NBA star Stephen Curry, WNBA athlete Caitlin Clark, popular pop star Taylor Swift and her boyfriend Travis Kelce, and images from the Minecraft movie to include in the time capsule.
“It was nice to see that they were thinking of people in their lives, not just about themselves,” said Hunt, “We talked about whether they would they still be friends with people they hang out with now, 25 years later. I told them, ‘In 25 years some of you might still be here, others may have moved away,'” which she said led to conversations about how communication works right now, how we receive information, and how that might change in the future.
“I told them, ‘you might want to be at the time capsule opening.”
Hunt can empathize, she added that she grew up in Kelseyville and Moutain Vista Middle School was brand new 1989 when she was her students’ age and her grade also had a time capsule project, albeit with unanticipated results. “During our 20th class reunion, we dug it up, but sadly it was water-logged, so a lot of the stuff didn’t survive. It was neat, I remembered we had (included) a VHS cassette tape and we had written letters to ourselves.” Hunt lamented due to water damage, her class wasn’t able to read the letters, but said that it sounds like the Rotary will take more precautions for their time capsule.
The students’ reflections will be included in the capsule, offering future generations a glimpse into the everyday lives and imaginations of Lake County children.
Harpster and Combs also explained the significance of their flapper dresses—made especially for dancing, a favorite activity of the 1920s—which delighted the students and sparked additional conversations about dance, futuristic technology, and what life may look like in 25 years.
Harpster and Combs noted that one memorable moment came when 5th grader Jacob Thomsen declared his plan to be both a pilot and Rotary Club president—joking that he’d fit it in between flights.
The visit was part of the Rotary Club’s mission to celebrate its legacy while building bridges to the future through education, community engagement, and service.
“The Rotary Club of Lakeport serves as a pillar of support and unity in our local community, fostering connections and relationships among its members. It plays a vital role in addressing critical issues, from education and healthcare to community development, leaving a lasting impact on the lives of those it serves,” said Harpster, adding that Rotary is the embodiment of community engagement and service, exemplifying the power of collective action to create positive change, making it an invaluable asset to our local area.
For more information about the Time Capsule Project, the Rotary Club of Lakeport’s Centennial Celebration, and other community service projects visit the Rotary Club of Lakeport’s website www.lakeportrotary.org.
—Ariel Carmona Jr. contributed to this report.
