SANTA CLARITA THROUGH TIME 50-YEAR CAPSULE TO BE BURIED AT NEW METROLINK STATION.

Byline: Angela M. Lemire Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Though not in so many words, residents and city employees who swung by City Hall on Thursday said au revoir to an odd assortment of memorabilia that ranged from an 18-foot paper scroll signed by residents, to a Saugus Cafe menu and Austin Powers ``Wacky Wobbler'' toy.

Undoubtedly, the loosely translated French phrase for ``see you later'' better suited the daylong exhibit of the city's first time capsule and its contents than, say, a standard goodbye or farewell.

Residents still around in 2050 will get a look at the time capsule again, when the city digs it up from the base of the Jan Heidt Metrolink Station and reopens it.

The vessel, a 14-by-30-inch stainless steel box, will be buried at an undisclosed time early next week, said Aaron Solomon, community services supervisor. However, its official dedication will take place March 18, during grand opening ceremonies for the Jan Heidt Metrolink Station. A bronze plaque will mark its location, he said.

City officials hope the time capsule - like those contents displayed from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday at City Hall - would give residents and students in 2050 a perspective of local history to compare with their own lives.

Area high school students, for example, created a display of black-and- white photographs that depict students sporting today's fashion, modes of transportation, technology and food.

As a result of residents' suggestions via phone calls, letters and e-mail over the last three months, city officials included in the time capsule such signs of the times as a Pokemon key chain, Palm Pilot electronic organizer, wireless phone, pager and 1999 Women's World Cup Soccer doll - a Mattel product that ``kicks and throws like Mia Hamm,'' according to its box.

Businesses such as Billy's Ski and Surf, Saugus Cafe and Newhall Hardware in Old Town Newhall also made the final cut of soon-to-be-artifacts by submitting, respectively, photographs, business calendars and menus. Starbuck's Coffee donated - you guessed it - a vacuum-sealed pound of coffee.

There's also a city zoning map, posters from the annual Cowboy Poetry & Music Festival and Italian Streetpainting Festival, Sheriff's Department handbook, publications from College of the Canyons and California Institute of the Arts, photo scrapbooks of historic Mentryville and Placerita Canyon, and a book recounting the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, which registered a 6.7 magnitude and caused much local damage.

And, of course, there's Jerry Reynolds' illustrated city history titled, ``Santa Clarita: Valley of Golden Dreams.''

Audrey Lang, a city employee in human resources, walked away from the exhibit Thursday with a distinctly proud impression of the city.

And she hoped residents 50 years from now would draw a similar conclusion about life in Santa Clarita.

``I think this all shows how fortunate we all are here,'' said Lang, pointing to several youths' essays selected for the time capsule. ``This little boy talks about how much time he spends doing things here in the city with his parents. He's very fortunate to have that nowadays.''

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2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Jose Terrazas examines items that will be sealed in Santa Clarita's time capsule.

(2 -- color) Two women sign a scroll at City Hall that will be included in the city's first time capsule.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer