A New Spin on Carousels

The Adirondack Carousel Inc., has worked for the past five years to build a not-so-typical carousel in Saranac Lake

Story and photos by Sally Hale

The year was 2001, and Karen Loffler, founder of Adirondack Carousel Inc., was constantly asked the question of where her proposed carousel – a merry-go-round that would consist of not horses, but 23 hand-carved animals of the Adirondacks – would be built. Roughly five years and several criteria lists and rejections later, the search ended when the village manager for Riverside Park, located in Saranac Lake, offered the park as a venue for the carousel's home. There was one simple problem: the opinion of the village inhabitants.

"We were thrilled with the location," Loffler said. "It was the main intersection of the village. But a lot of people were opposed to us putting it there because they thought it would block the view of the lake for locals and visitors. We said that we wanted to bring the community together, and not separate it, so we bowed out."

Within a month and a half of that decision, a community panel was formed to comb the village in search of a suitable venue. Several months later, a location was chosen from more than 30 proposed sites and a formal petition was brought to the village board for a venue that, according to Loffler, was at the "top" of the list. The carousel would be built at William Morris Park, allocated by the Village Trustees of Saranac Lake. Offering a highly-visible site that is on level ground, the property, located in a public park near the railroad, is what Loffler deems ideal. And the community complaints have, according to Loffler, been silenced-practically.

"I've heard only one person with a negative comment, and that person just doesn't like carousels," Loffler said. "And the rest, they can't wait for the carousel to go there. A lot of people said, 'That's where I always thought it should go.' People are behind us now, instead of only half a community!"

Since its creation in 2001, the non-profit organization Adirondack Carousel Inc. has grown to include a board of roughly nine members and two full-time staff workers, with the concept of community behind the organization's mission, or purpose, for the project. The carved animals, which range from a black fly to a bass to a bobcat to a loon, will, according to Loffler, act as a tool in educating the public on the Adirondack's indigenous wildlife. Indeed, it's hoped that the wooden figures, each with a retail value of about $14,000, will serve as a catalyst for yearly Adirondack-themed programs, workshops, and lectures. And the economy was also a factor in creating a carousel.

"It is truly a community project, built by a community"

"Build it and they will come," said Marge Glowa, Campaign Coordinator and Board Member since June 2006. "It's a fascinating project for the North Country because it will become a tourist attraction to some degree. [But] It's much more than just a merry-go-round in a park."

In fact, this merry-go-round is part of a $2.1 million fund-raising project. The plan is to house the carousel in a 3,600 square-foot pavilion that is projected to cost $750,000, the "lions share" of which the organization members hope to generate from both public and private donations. Radiant heat in the flooring is on the agenda, as is the construction of a 40-person circular gallery which is slated to hold art exhibits and lessons. According to Loffler, hundreds upon hundreds of light bulbs will be purchased, and a small room - dimensions yet to be determined - for a potential workshop and classroom area will also be built in the wheelchair-accessible pavilion. In addition, the playground, which was redone in 1986, will be torn down and a new play area will be erected in its place. It is, as Glowa stated, an ambitious undertaking.

"Before, people said, 'Where are you going to put it?' Now they say, 'When is it going to be ready?'"

"We're going in several directions," Glowa said. "We're going to be applying for grants from foundations, and we're also going to be soliciting donations. People will be able to sponsor everything from a wooden-carved door handle to a framed mirror in a bathroom. They can even buy a tile on the floor, and have their name engraved on it; anything from $5 to $500,000 can be sponsored. We want to make it possible for everyone on every level to feel like they can make a donation. It is truly a community project, built by a community."

And it's a project that aims to remain in the community: a portion of the funds generated will be used to establish an endowment to ensure the operation of the carousel for the upcoming years. Yet more work still lies ahead. Although the local planning board has approved the design plans, an operating agreement with the Village of Saranac Lake must still be written due to the fact that the carousel pavilion will be in a public park. The carousel, which is slated to be completed in 2009 or 2010, will be the property of the Adirondack Carousel Inc., and Loffler, who predicts she will be "crying the whole time" on the day the carousel assumes operation, hopes it will remain a permanent fixture of Saranac Lake.

"Once we put it up, we hope never to take it down, and that it continues to run," said Loffler. "I know it's going to happen, and I know that we will keep going. Before, people said, ‘Where are you going to put it?' Now they say, 'When is it going to be ready?"

What animal would you like to see on the carousel?

The Carving Craze

The carousel which is being "built with community hands," as the non-profit's logo states, encompasses not just a local scope, but a national one. Out of the 23 hand-carved wooden animals which are scheduled to debut on the carousel, 18 have found sponsors, with five figures recently completed and roughly nine being worked on currently. The carvers span the country, with wooden wildlife creations being shipped from such locations as New Hamsphire, Illinois, Ohio, New York, Washington State, and Montana. And the carvers, Loffler said, all have one trait in common.

"Carvers are really into sharing," said Loffler. "It's a smaller hobby, less people do it. To attract carvers, I advertised in the magazine Chip Chats, a National Woodcarving Association publication. I thought there would be a good response, and there was."

And the wooden animals are what Glowa, whose company, Bye Bye Black Fly, produces the deet-free insect repellent of the same name and who fittingly sponsored the creation of the wooden black fly, deems works of art.

"They are truly pieces of art, when you consider the amount of time it takes to carve one," said Glowa. "They are a true labor of love."

Indeed, it takes an estimated 300 to 500 hours worth of labor for a wooden carousel animal to be created. First, the carver will start with slabs of wood, specifically, bass, which will then be glued into a block. All the animals are hollow inside, and they are initially built to resemble the most un-carousel of shapes-a coffin. Layers and layers of wood are then added to the basic structure to create what Loffler calls "dimensional space," allocated areas that will later house ears and legs, and possibly a tail. The wood is then sanded to become as "smooth as it can get," with wood sealer then applied on the surface before two or three layers of gesso, a product that will enable paint to adhere to it, is applied. And then, finally, the paint is applied.

"All animals are voluntary carved, so there won't be a cohesive look. All are going to be quite different," Loffler said. "We have a whole bunch ready to paint. The artists have the choice of what colors they use, while the carousel itself will be highlighted with greens and browns. There is a big difference between the dragon fly and raccoon, in terms of the caliber of carving, it varies from animal to animal."

Yet one thing that will not vary is the presence of a three-inch, black polka-dotted, circular red insect- namely, a ladybug. Since Loffler is just one thesis away from receiving her Masters in Creative Studies, it is perhaps not surprising that Loffler decided that an image of a ladybug will be carved onto each of the wooden carousel animals. The hope is that the engraving will be another "fun" element of the ride and will encourage first time visitors, most likely children, to search the animals for the carousel's so-called design signature. And the fact that it was inspired by her daughter's old story book is, perhaps, fitting.

"Raising my daughter," laughs Loffler, "was easy compared to this project!"