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Schools

Time Capsule Appears to Have Been Found in Coultrap Cornerstone

Geneva School District 304 Superintendent Kent Mutchler said Monday night that contractors might have discovered a time capsule in the recently-demolished Coultrap building.

"We discovered in the cornerstone what could be a time capsule," Mutchler said.

Whether or not it's a time capsule might be determined at a later date, however. The School District is hoping to have one of the relatives of Harry Coultrap—the Geneva educator after whom the building was named—open the capsule during a rededication ceremony at the Fourth Street administrative offices, which will be renamed the Coultrap Educational Center.

A date for the rededication has yet to be determined. School Board members originally had talked about holding the ceremony on the same date of the annual Corn Boil, generally held on the first day of school. The 2013 All-Sports Boosters Corn Boil is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 21.

On Monday night, School Board members talked about Sept. 28 as a possible alternative date for the rededication.

One of the reasons the building dedication might be delayed is that the School District is making long-needed repairs to the Fourth Street facility.

"A large portion of this work has been delayed for several years due to discussions about the future of the Coultrap building and the potential relocation of the administrative offices," Communications Coordinator Kelley Munch said in the "For the Record" summary of Monday's meeting. "With the demolition of the Coultrap building and the board’s decision to keep the administrative offices at the Fourth Street location, District leadership analyzed the departmental work flow, planned for the reorganization of the facility’s layout, and outlined necessary facility and/or energy upgrades needed before locating each department into their proposed area."

The anticipated total for the maintenance and reorganization is $113,950.

Mutchler also reported that the Coultrap building above-ground demolition is complete, although workers still are dismantling the below-ground sections of the building that dates back to 1923.

Neighbors had expressed concern about the dust and men in "hazmat suits" at the demolition site at 1113 Peyton St.

"We appreciate the patience of the neighbors during this process," Mutchler said Monday night.

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