President's Message - Reprinted from the Summer 2008 Merry-Go-Roundup

By Bette Largent

Five more carousels will celebrate their 100th anniversaries in 2008. Join me in wishing them congratulations and great success in their next century of operation! Two years ago our census chairman, Pat Wentzel, sent an email out that we would add 32 carousels to this growing category by 2011. What a triumph for those who have already achieved this centurion status and congratulations to those celebrating in 2008. They are: Central Park, NY, Stein and Goldstein, original to Coney Island; Six Flags over Atlanta, Georgia, PTC# 17, original to Chicago's Riverside Park; Gage Park Herschell-Spillman, Topeka, Kansas; Lakeside Park, Denver, Colorado, Parker/mixed menagerie; and Windmill Island's DeBoer Brothers, Holland, Michigan.

Each and every antique carousel has an operating team which works hard at their continued operation and preservation. It may be a large staff, a small staff or no staff at all but committed volunteers that keep the gears greased, the popcorn popped, and the big smiles greeting you at the gate. People young and old alike clamor aboard for that merry go round experience which is just the same as it was when the wood smelled new and the paint looked fresh.

And there are new carousels and newly-restored carousels opening every summer as well. Yes, those who have done the hard work in their creation or restoration or put in the hours to operate them now know they won't be traded in for a new model after a few miles, thrown in the trash like yesterday's news or swapped out for something brighter and better. The century carousels are sending a message loud and clear, this ride is art and this art is here for the long haul. There may be years of tough going and years that are better than others, but for the last 35 years there has been a group out there who cares enough to help them try to make this year the best it can be. That group is the NCA and we can also celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Fred Fried, one of our founders, this year as well.

The NCA has met the challenge of helping carousels repair, restore, market, celebrate, raise funds, and find volunteers. We have recommended the installation of fire protection, security, safety, displays and material that educate. We continue to save and catalog their history and help you hum to their magical tunes. We also hope we can assist them all in meeting their new demands, for both old and new, with recommendations on climate control, new materials, and new technology in preserving them for the future.