SARANAC LAKE - Two weeks from today, the long-awaited Adirondack Carousel will give its first rides to the public.
The carousel's May 26 grand opening will be the culmination of years of work, largely by volunteers, to bring the vision that Karen Loffler first presented to the village board in 2001 to reality.
The $1.3 million project, located in William Morris Park at the corner of Bloomingdale Avenue and Depot Street, is designed to fuse art, education and entertainment. It features a carousel of hand-carved and hand-painted Adirondack animals, and a handicapped-accessible chariot, housed in a 3,500-square-foot pavillion building that organizers plan to use for educational programs and rent out for birthday parties, reunions and other events.
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Moose - Official name: Beethoven
Sponsor: Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas Adams
Carver: Carl Dion of Hatfield, Pa.
A total of 18 animals can fit on the carousel at one time, four more are being stored in the building and two more are still being carved. The additional animals will be rotated onto the carousel over time to prevent wear and tear.
The carousel carvers were selected based their skills, carving sophistication and after a careful review of their previous work. Each carver picked an animal found in the Park, decorated it with Adirondack-themed items, flora and fauna, and had to include a ladybug somewhere on the animal that children can hunt for. The carvers, who hail from all across the country, were required to follow the guidelines of traditional construction, sanding and priming.
Each animal has a sponsor and its own name. The names were selected by elementary students in the Saranac Lake Central School District, students at St. Bernard's Catholic elementary school and local homeschooled children.
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Enterprise photos by Chris Knight
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Raccoon
Official name: Ranger
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Sponsor: Stewart's Shops
Carver: Carl Borst of Schnectady
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Red Squirrel
Official name: Red Storm
Sponsor: '61 graduating class of Saranac Lake High School
Carver: Thomas Holzinger of Roanoke, Ind.
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Skunk
Official name: Spencer
Sponsor: Joan and Bill Grabe
Carver: Thomas Holzinger of Roanoke, Ind.
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Bobcat
Official name: Moonlight
Sponsor: Students of Paul Smith's College
Carver: Bob Eck of Plantation, Fla.
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Salamander
Official name: Wiggly
Sponsor: Adworkshop
Carver: Al Becker, Wayne Miles, Russell Musgrave, Sonny Schiller, Keith Hargrove and James Barker, from Missouri, Illinois
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Deer
Official name: John
Sponsor: Edie Crawford
Carvers: William Underwood of upstate New York
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Eagle
Official name: Soarin
Sponsor: Anonymous
Carver: Carl Borst of Schnectady
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Black Bear
Official name: Paws
Sponsor: Andrea and Tim Collins
Carver: Carl Borst and Andy Manchester
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Turtle
Official name: Shelly
Sponsor: Urell Family
Carver: Pony Keepers of Missoula, Mont.
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Black Fly
Official name: Bug-Eye
Sponsor: Marge and Ted Glowa
Carver: Rich Kraft of Tupper Lake
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Hermit Thrush
Official name: Twitter
Sponsor: Carolyn Eisenmenger
Carver: Tracy Kochanski of Westfield, Mass.
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Otter
Official name: Oliver
Sponsor: Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks
Carver: Karen Loffler of Saranac Lake
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Porcupine
Official name: Spike
Sponsor: The Maggs, Schoff and Welch families
Carver: The Fanning Garage Grinders: Eileen Fanning, Pamela Chappell and Patricia Livingston.
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Bass
Official name: Flipper
Sponsor: Louis Rubin, Rainbow Lake
Carver: Fanning Garage Grinders: Eileen Fanning, Pamela Chappell and Patricia Livingston
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Loon
Official name: Lucy
Sponsor: Connie Weatherup
Carver: Clifton "Jack" Barrette of Plattsburgh
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Moose
Official name: Beethoven
Sponsor: Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas Adams
Carver: Carl Dion of Hatfield, Pa.
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Fox
Official name: Flames
Sponsor: Marie White
Carver: Alice Porter of Ogden, Iowa
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Beaver
Official name: Chuck
Sponsor: Anonymous
Carver: Carl Borst of Schnectady
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Hare
Official name: Harry
Sponsor: Stuart, Charlotte Lyon
Carver: Ed Hepp of South Cambridge, N.Y.
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Horse
Official name: Thunder
Sponsor: The Backer family
Carver: Lyde Buchtenkirch-Biscardi of Hyde Park
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Toad
Official name: Buck
Sponsor: Northern Insuring Agency Inc., Giltz & McCullough families
Carver: Clifton "Jack" Barrette of Plattsburgh