The City of Vero Beach officially kicked off its Centennial Celebration last Saturday morning with a Flag Ceremony and Time Capsule placement at the Driftwood Inn Resort. Fortunately, westerly winds were helping to blow the remnants of the devastating red tide out to sea.

“This is a great honor that was bestowed on us. We could not have been more proud than to be a participant in the Centennial Celebration,” said Lee Olsen, Waldo’s Restaurant general manager.

The event encouraged folks to pause and reflect on the past with the preservation of items to help those in the next century understand life today. Old cellphones, menus, newspaper articles, military medals and hats were among the items dropped off at City Hall and Waldo’s for inclusion in the time capsule. According to Olsen, the most unique object was an old Driftwood Inn Resort skeleton key.

The capsule was topped off with a hand-painted tile which, according to Olsen, belonged to his late father and was painted by “a little old man on the beach in Brazil with one finger.” Olsen joked, “the scary thing is that in 100 years it will probably take some guy in scuba gear to get to it.”

He may not be too far from the mark; Vero has had trouble keeping track of its time capsules. According to City Clerk Tammy Bursick, the last one, buried somewhere near the front of City Hall, has yet to be located.

Tom Staubach, who manages all the restoration work on the iconic oceanside property, was the mastermind behind the design of the flagpole’s foundation, which pays homage to Waldo’s Mountain, a 100-foot mound with stairs created by Waldo Sexton. The two-step foundation was decorated with reclaimed tiles, the markings of a sundial and the date May 19, 2119, which will mark the City’s 200th anniversary.

Adding a level of historical authenticity, City Councilman Tony Young, grandson of A.W. Young, elected in 1919 as Vero’s first mayor, was on hand for the dedication.

“This is the start of our Centennial Year,” stated City Councilwoman Laura Moss. “We’re burying the time capsule in the foundation of the flagpole. We’re taking things from the past and burying them, preserving them for the future. We have a beautiful community and we look to preserve and protect it for the future.”

Anna Valencia Tillery, Ms. Vero Centennial, arrived in style in the rumble seat of a 1931 Ford Coupe bearing the time capsule, before she and Mayor Harry Howle wielded spades to entomb the collected artifacts.

With the full fanfare due the Centenary, the flag was presented by Ret. Col. Martin Zickert to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office Color Guard, as bugler Duke Scales set the tone for the occasion. At the behest of Young, the flag had flown over the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on May 19 of this year, the date of the City’s 99th anniversary.

After the flag-raising, Indian River Charter High School student Katie Brown sang a moving rendition of the National Anthem.

“We live in a wonderful, beautiful city and I’m really glad that the red tide seems to have subsided,” said Howle in his closing remarks. “It’s a beautiful day, and we’ve got a wonderful celebration here today, the official kickoff for our Centennial Celebration.”

For Centennial event information, visit verobeach100.org.