Narrows Recreation Area by digging up
the time capsule they placed there when
the launch was built. The wooden box
around the plastic bucket seemingly
dissolved with time. Little remained of
the casing that day.
Vincent Dimatteo Jr, 73, served on
the committee that placed the capsule in
the ground. “It was something for the
future, for the younger generations,”
DiMatteo said. The capsule was just a
fun idea, he said. It was given a
relatively short time period to ensure that
many of the older members would still
be around.
The capsule, which was opened at the
group’s district meeting in Laughlin,
Nevada, contained VHS tapes of model
boat races, newspapers and magazines
from 1989, a photograph of four
presidents at the White House and an
outboard model boat engine covered in
grease. A rare coin, valued at an
estimated $33,000 today, was also
inside, according to Kim Grim, who
along with her husband Mark, acts as the
group’s liaison to the Los Angeles
County Department of Parks and
Recreation.
The model boat launch where gas and
electric powered model boats fly by at
high speeds was paid for through a
NAMBA fundraiser that brought in
nearly $20,000 in 1989.
A plastic crate will replace the older
time capsule.
“We’re going to put in all kinds of
information to be opened in another 25
years,” Grim said. The new capsule will
have two rare bottles of malt whiskey,
race programs from the last 25 years,
t-shirts, banners, engines and a few
business cards.
(Continued on page 4)
PROPWASH
October 2015
3
In Memory of Mr. Billy J. Hale Jr.
January 8, 1959 - February 26, 2015
By Tammy Hale
On February 26, 2015 the
world lost a hero. Billy may not
have fought in any wars, but he
fought a hard battle. He did not
lose the battle, but accepted his
promotion to heaven. While we
all miss him dearly, we know he
is at peace and no longer in
pain.
Billy was known by many
names and titles. He was Junior
to his family, dad to his kids,
and PawPaw to his grandkids.
To me, he was husband, friend,
and honey. He was also known
as an auto technician to co-
workers and a "boat person" to
the guys in the boat club. He
had a lot of friends and never
met a stranger.
Early on, Billy worked for
his dad. He figured out office
work was not for him so he started working on cars so he could be outside. He worked
at Huffine’s Chevrolet in Plano, Texas for many years as an auto technician. He really
loved old cars. He could see a fender or part of a car in a movie and tell you what kind
of car it was. He liked watching car shows on television and going to car shows too.
As a hobbyist, Billy raced radio controlled model boats. He would spend time
working on his boats and getting them ready for races. He traveled all over staying in
cheap hotels or in a trailer with his friend. He raced under all conditions – heat, rain,
cold, and even snow.
He loved to travel. Our first trip together was to Cancun to relax on the beach. We
went to Las Vegas, Nevada several times including our honeymoon. In Las Vegas, he
liked playing blackjack, shooting craps, and seeing shows. But our favorite type of
travel was cruising. We went to Cozumel, the Bahamas, Key West, Belize, and
Roatan, but our last and favorite trip was to Alaska.
Billy will be missed by his family and friends. He was a great man, husband,
father, son, brother and friend.
District 19 Time Capsule From 1989 Dug Up
By Jason Henry
San Gabriel Valley Tribune
Editors Note: The following is an excerpt from the San Gabriel Valley Times
newspaper with pictures provided by photo correspondent Shilah Montiel of the San
Gabriel Valley Tribune.
On Friday December 5, 2014 sledgehammers chipped away at a cement barrier on
the drivers stand at Legg Lake, S. El Monte, California securing a time capsule
containing model boat relics from 1989. But it was the jackhammer that broke through
to the bucket full of materials buried slightly longer than a recent college graduate’s
lifespan.
The North American Model Boat Association District 19 celebrated the 25th
anniversary of the building of a model boat drivers stand at Legg Lake in the Whittier
Vince DiMatteo takes first shot at
busting through the concrete barrier
