Every year, for over 100 years, the Short High Union County Alumni Association has held an Alumni Banquet to celebrate exceptional students who go above and beyond, as well as the returning classes and their representatives who make that trip down memory lane. 

 This year on June 15th, at the Union County Middle School, this year’s Alumni Banquet will be the setting for the unveiling of a time capsule thanks to the efforts of one Kerry Garrett and the class of 1999 25 years ago.

 As the last class to attend school in the Short High School building before it was demolished and rebuilt as Liberty Middle School (now Union County Middle School), Garrett and her class were encouraged by teachers to assemble the capsule.

 “I believe it was our 8th grade middle school teachers came up with the idea for us to write letters to ourselves and include photos of the Short High School building,” says Garrett. “No one recalls it being buried, but it was located at the front of Union County Middle School entryway with a headstone marker that read LMS 1995-2024.

 “When I started a Facebook page for our 25 year reunion […]” Garrett continues, “One student remembered a groundskeeper showing him where it was buried.”

When the time came to unearth the capsule, Garrett was met with some surprise at her request. “I reached out to the Union County Middle School Principal, who probably thought I was crazy,” says Garrett, “but over a couple months, I was able to have her maintenance crew dig it up with a tractor.”

 Once the time capsule was extracted, it was revealed to have been damaged by water. Unfortunately, many items were lost - but not all!

 “I flew in a few weeks later to have it opened prior to the reunion because I didn’t want it to be disappointing if […] everything was ruined,” says Garrett. “A couple polaroids, a videotape and a book survived.”

 It is to be determined whether or not the videotape will be playable, but the photos that were found will be on display at the reunion. Upon asking what she was most excited to see, Garrett had this to say:

 “I was most excited to read the letter to myself and see what I was doing back then! I remember putting money/change thinking it would be worth more? I didn’t know about inflation then! 

“Unfortunately, there were no signs of letters or change,” Garrett continues. “Another classmate joked about putting a rare baseball card in. That would’ve been very exciting to see something rare or valuable. I was shocked to see my nerdy self in a few pictures!”

 Garrett is also looking forward to being reunited with former classmates and reliving old memories at the Alumni Banquet, and welcomes one and all to attend the event.

 Tickets will be available for $16 at the Kehila Coffee Shop until June 7th, so make sure to save your spot for this momentous occasion! The Union County Middle School doors will open at 4 p.m. on June 15th, and the banquet will begin at 5:30 p.m.

 Those interested in more details regarding the Alumni Banquet are encouraged to get in touch with Kevin Johnston, Treasurer, via phone at 503-839-0146.