Search for time capsule celebrating 50-year reunion at Dana Hills High School hits a snag

With the Dana Hill High School Class of 1974's reunion coming up this weekend, the much anticipated opening of a time capsule buried all those years ago has hit a snag, as searchers can't actually find it.

With less than a week's time to find the time capsule, several members of the school's current staff could be seen wandering the campus, located at 33333 Golden Lantern in Dana Point, armed with metal detectors as no one can remember exactly where the piece of history was buried. 

"I always said, 'In 2024, we're gonna be in our late 60s,'" said Joshua Vecchione, the President of the graduating class. "We won't be able to remember where we parked our car, where our keys are. We need to open it in 25 years," he said. "So, I guess that's proven true, because none of us can actually remember where we put the time capsule."

Vecchione says that he and others lightly recall burying the capsule, a small metal box just big enough to hold records, cassette tapes, yearbooks and a class ring, in a place that is now covered by cement and indoors. 

Furthering their suspicions, is a video from several years ago of one of DHHS' former principals noting that the cemented area had not always been a part of campus.

Now, alumni are torn whether the capsule really is buried under that spot, or if it's buried closer to the area where an old flag pole used to be. 

Two of the volunteers said that their metal detectors signaled a hit in the area, and dug deep down, only to find one single earring. 

"We're still looking and we're continuing to rely on our amazing alumni to find it," said Principal Brad Baker. "It'll just continue to be a great story, at the very least, and we're gonna be making a new one for our new generation — I'll make sure to leave the note under my desk."