President's Message - Reprinted from the Autumn 2005 Merry-Go-Roundup

"We ... Did It."

By Bette Largent, NCA President

Over the past several months, I participated in one of the most exciting experiences in all my years of working with the NCA. It involved saving Coney Island's historic and beloved B & B Carousel, within hours of its scheduled, announced, and advertised auction on August 10, 2005.

On Tuesday morning, August 9, I rose early to check my e-mail in-box. Working behind the scenes, we'd all done all we could do, and we were down to the final agonizing hours of waiting and anticipation - brutal for me, and much more so for those who'd been working to preserve the carousel for several years.

There was a message from Marvin Sylvor, of New York's City Carousel Conservancy. It said, "We ... did it ... at 11:00 a.m. today there will be a mayoral announcement at the B & B. It was purchased by NYC ... the auction is cancelled." He'd sent it at 5:58 a.m. Eastern time; I opened it at 6:15 a.m. Pacific time. Within hours, the news would be flying around the carousel world.

Once I quit bouncing off the walls, laughing, crying, and emitting more than a few Western yeehaws, I grabbed a cup of coffee, sat down, and forwarded it to the NCA Board, adding the note, "One phone call from Spokane and one fax from Santa Monica on Monday probably swung the deal ..."

We'll never know for sure.

The NCA stayed below the radar on this save, working with quiet determination. We received many e-mails, letters, and Internet posts, and endured some not-so-nice comments about our silent activities before the pending auction. Nevertheless, we stayed the course.

Many are not aware that the hours spent by our NCA Board members, Friends groups, and individual members are donated and must fit into our work schedules and personal lives. My case is no different; at the time of this crisis, I was juggling summer activities, carousel functions, restoration work, and out-of-town guests.

For several months, we assisted Dan Pisark, Marvin Sylvor of the City Carousel Conservancy, and Kate Collignon of the Economic Development Council, and stuck to our plan. The NCA helped establish the carousel's credibility, provided statistics and evaluations for their files, and evaluated the offers presented by the city of New York.

We summoned all the resources within our organization, as well as experts from the greater carousel and band organ communities. All responded without reservation. We also helped Lisa Pisano research the history of the B & B Carousell, like hounds on a hunt.

When the B & B returns to Coney Island's historic district, it will be newly restored and ready for riders of all ages. A display will educate visitors about its continued history at the location since 1932 and its creation by Borrelli, Mangels, Carmel, and Wolfinger.

This is not the only recent success story. Others during this period include the rescue of a little machine in Madison, Wisconsin, spearheaded by Ray Jones. We also discovered new carousels, now listed for the first time in our census.

The NCA continues to get better and better at what it "does." Several carousels this year entered a new century of operation; we attended their celebrations and honored their preservation with NCA commemorative plaques. We helped many carousels in need. Several NCA Board members attended ribbon-cutting ceremonies at new installations and carousel museums. Several carousel Friends groups are celebrating their successes. And their efforts have been praised by national media.

Our preserved carousels are still turning - in malls, in city parks, and at fairgrounds, zoos, and museums - exposing new generations to the thrill of the ride. Take a moment to mentally thank our Board members and committee chairs listed on the inside front cover, and to welcome those newly elected. Thank yourself, too, for becoming a member of the NCA and supporting your favorite or local carousel. We make a great team. We are all winners.

The last e-mail I received on August 9 said, "at first I thought it was a hoax, everyone knows Bette doesn't get up at 6 a.m." It wasn't a hoax. It was a success. Let's have many more.

And, yes, I do get up at 6 a.m., when I have a carousel to ride or to save.