If cash-strapped Nassau County officials were hoping that the 99-year-old time capsule unearthed yesterday at the Old Courthouse in Mineola would provide a quick solution to their fiscal woes, they were most likely disappointed.

However, County Executive Thomas Gulotta said he was ecstatic to be the first to sift through the crumbling contents left in the courthouse cornerstone almost a century ago by Gov. Theodore Roosevelt.

"It's an inspiring experience to be able to hold 100 years of Nassau County heritage in your hands," Gulotta said after he donned a pair of cotton gloves and opened the box that had been stored during a public ceremony much like yesterday's centennial celebration.