By Anthony Rifilato
On July 10, legislators approved a $484,000 contract with Carousel Works, an Ohio-based company that is expected to fully restore and revamp the carousel - which was built in 1912 - including its 41 horses, one lion and original Wurlitzer 153 organ.
Carousel Works is one of the largest manufacturers of wooden carousels in the world, and has completed 16 major restoration projects, according to Nassau County Legislator Joe Scannell (D-Baldwin). "We're excited because they're a great, reputable company," Scannell said. "This company is great, and I'm comfortable that they're going to do a great job."
Scannell said the project is expected to be completed sometime next year, when the carousel will become the centerpiece of a planned expansion of the children's and firefighters' museums and the Cradle of Aviation on Museum Row in Garden City. "Everyone is excited that the carousel is going to be the anchor," Scannell said. "It's a great project. I'm proud that an important part of the county's and my district's history will be preserved. This was the last legislative hurdle for the project, so it was very significant."
For Scannell and many others, it's the end of an often acrimonious dispute over where the carousel would be located, which many said held up the restoration process. The political bickering ignited in 2004 after a community group led by musician Billy Joel proposed restoring the ride and bringing it to Oyster Bay. Scannell disagreed, saying that it belonged back in Baldwin, where its home for 55 years was Nunley's Amusement Park.
Others proposed moving the ride to Museum Row, where it would be more easily accessible to more county residents. After the expansion was announced last February, Scannell reversed course and supported the Museum Row plan.
"Now it's definitely happening," said Beth Obergh, a Wantagh resident whose 9-year-old daughter, Rachel, started a non-profit fund-raising group two years ago called Pennies for Ponies to spur the carousel's restoration. "Everything is over. It's all for the kids now, and Museum Row will make it an excellent destination. It was such a long time frame, and there's real activity now instead of day after day of wondering what's happening."
The carousel has been awaiting a major restoration since the county purchased it in 1998 for $854,400 after the park closed. The restoration will cost $484,000, said Scannell, who is allocating $420,000 in discretionary capital funds for the project, along with money from Pennies for Ponies, which Obergh said has raised nearly $50,000 after schools throughout Nassau County paid $2,000 to adopt one of the 42 carousel animals. Obergh said that only eight horses remain, and that it is only a matter of time before they are all adopted. She said her daughter is even traveling to Ohio "to make sure that when the [horses] leave, they arrive somewhere. And she will count all those horses."
Some, however, have criticized Scannell's use of capital funds for the carousel restoration. Chris Browne, a Republican candidate challenging Scannell in the 5th District, said that the money Scannell is using for the restoration should instead be directed to various projects in his district, which includes Baldwin and Rockville Centre, and not, Browne said, for the carousel.
"While everybody loves and cherishes the memory of Nunley's Carousel, the county has already spent sufficient funds," Browne said. "The $420,000 that Scannell has allocated from his capital funds should be used for important projects within the 5th District, such as roads, parks or economic development initiatives."
Scannell disagreed, insisting that the money is being put to good use. "I'm using county funds for a county project," he said. "I know thousands of my constituents will be enjoying the carousel for generations to come. It's a great project that wouldn't have happened if I didn't spearhead it."
Scannell explained that the county is allocating $1 million to build an enclosure for the carousel on Museum Row. "We're looking at September 2008 as a target opening date," he said. "Now that we passed the contract, we have money in the capital budget for the building. We're hoping the expansion project and restoration are done at the same time."
Scannell also said that he is trying to secure a $483,000 increase in legislative capital funds this year to offset the costs of the restoration, and if that fails, he'll use the $420,000 he pledged as a safeguard. "It would be a one-time increase because it's a special project that the county as a whole should be bearing," he said.
For Obergh, meanwhile, the Nunley's saga is now coming full circle. Last week Rachel received a CD from Joel that featured his song "Waltz No. 1, Op. 2," a tribute to the carousel that will be played on the ride's organ once it is restored.
"Now everyone is on the same page, and is joining back together for the kids," Obergh said.
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