The Oyster Bay Main Street Association announced the recent formation of a Carousel Committee, co-chaired by board members Jerritt Gluck and Mike Rich with Honorary Chair Grammy Award winning entertainer and local resident Billy Joel. The committee is proposing taking Nassau County's Nunley carousel, now housed in a hangar at Mitchel Field and bringing it to Oyster Bay. MSA Executive Director Joan Mahon said, "Based on recommendations put forth by Dan Burden of Walkable Communities, Inc., members of the Oyster Bay Main Street Association started looking into ways to connect the waterfront with the downtown. One of the ways to revitalize this area is to increase the number of yearround activities for families within the community. By focusing on the connection between Roosevelt Memorial Park and the extension of Audrey Avenue leading to the park, quality of life and security issues can be addressed. A committee has been formed to explore the possibility of bringing an antique carousel to the downtown area as a way to offer a family centered activity and create a clearly visible destination near the water."

An initial concept is to cut down some trees on the north side of the railroad to allow a line of sight to the water. They are proposing to place the carousel in the area by the flagpole.

Ms. Mahon said they are considering how to install the carousel and a suggestion is to enclose it in glass as the Greenport carousel is, but she added, "We are not that far ahead in the plans. The idea is to try to bring something that will bring a presence to the area. To put more 'eyes' in the park: to bring something physical - to bring more eyes and ears to the park to the site. It can even generate revenues as the one in Greenport." In March the MSA invited the Village of Greenport Mayor David Kappel to speak about the revitalization of his village and he said the amusement generated $130,000 at one dollar a ride with the money going to pay for maintenance and security at that park.

Ms. Mahon said, "We'd love it to be in the park and to have it help with security. At dusk it doesn't seem safe for taking kids," although she added, "The Second Precinct says it is a safe community."

She said the announcement of the formation of the carousel committee is just the first step, that the idea is relatively new, but they hope with the support of someone like Billy Joel it will help to bring awareness to the cause. "We know there is a lot of work to make it happen," she said.

Ms. Mahon said Billy Joel's interest in the Carousel Committee stems from his desire to help involved citizens bring about positive change that benefits families. During his formative years, Mr. Joel remembers visiting Oyster Bay for class field trips and was fascinated by its history. Mr. Joel's affinity for antique carousels is evident in his first classical music album released in 2001, Fantasies and Delusions which featured a piece entitled Waltz #1 (Nunley's Carousel) Op. 2.

The concept of bringing a carousel to Oyster Bay was made public at a meeting July 23 of the MSA Design Committee of co-chairs architect Ellen Roché and landscape designer David Lamb. The meeting was to discuss plans for the extension of Audrey Avenue (the area in front of the LIRR station soon to become the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum, under the auspices of the Oyster Bay Historical Society. The station is soon to be turned over to the town. The real estate contract has just been signed by Town Supervisor John Venditto and the document is now in the office of the MTA real estate division in Manhattan, waiting for their signature.)

At the July 23 meeting, Mike Rich presented the concept of bringing the carousel to the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park in the area where the flagpole is located.

Ms. Mahon said at that meeting she met with representatives of various groups to get an understanding of their reaction to the carousel. "Almost everyone was in favor of the concept," she said. Marie Knight, president of the Oyster Bay Civic Association and a MSA director said she was not in favor of the idea since it goes against the deed restrictions on the land. On Dec. 14, 1942 the Town of Oyster Bay signed a deed between them and the owners of the park, the Roosevelt Memorial Association (a corporation created by an Act of Congress on May 31, 1920) for care and maintenance of the park. The document states that the park is meant for residents to enjoy "rest, healthy refreshment and recreation to be obtained from a site of natural beauty and also the advantage of a convenient place for appropriate outdoor amusement and access to the salt waters of the Bay for bathing."

Ms. Knight has been involved in restoring the park for several years. She was the person who got a copy of the original Dec. 14, 1942 deed, and discussed it with attorney Steve Marx, counsel to supervisor John Venditto. She was advised to start an OBCA subcommittee to help renovate the park and she appointed Charles Doering to head that committee. (The deed requires a TR Park advisory committee of seven or nine people including a board member as chair. She suggested Chris Coschignano as the board's representative and they agreed to that.)

The deed says the Town of Oyster Bay is to maintain it as a "public park with hedges, walks, paths, steps, benches, seats, playgrounds, lights and lighting equipment, drains and drainage equipment, water supplies and equipment, beaches, terraces, sea walls and other protective constructions, trees, shrubs, lawns, grass plots, flower plots, fountains, and comfort station and other buildings and structures," etc. The convenant states: "No circuses, carnivals or amusements which are dependent upon mechanical operation or device shall be permitted in any part of the park, and this shall be construed to exclude, among other amusement park activities, the carousel, switch-back, ferris wheel, roller coaster and other similar mechanical amusements of a noisy variety."

The park was divided into three zones, A, B and C. The A-zone is for athletic games (where the softball field and the tennis courts are located); B is the open space area from the entrance off Maxwell and Audrey Avenues to the flagpole area and is for "rest, recreation and quiet enjoyment of Park visitors." Zone C, is where the picnic shelter is located and is for games such as croquet, soft ball, and similar other quiet field games requiring no structural equipment."

Ms. Knight said if it belongs anywhere in Oyster Bay it should be "on the western waterfront where tourists already go."

Ms. Mahon said Dr. John Gable executive director of the Theodore Roosevelt Association has met with the committee and heard the issues and she said, "He is going to be helping us as we try to work with the membership and the board to bring the carousel to Oyster Bay." Dr. Gable, she said, is not on the committee but he is someone they can reach out to. "He is willing to work with the organization," she said.

There is a lot of support for the carousel. Charmine Pratt McLaughlin, who recently relocated in Oyster Bay called this newspaper to say how excited she was with the idea. "I love it," she said. "As a 52-year-old, some of my deepest emotional memories of growing up on Long Island are of the carousel. I wish I had a photo of it." Oyster Bay tries to stay old world, and to bring a carousel like this would only enhance that idea," she said. "I can't imagine Theodore Roosevelt not wanting the historic carousel with its swan benches."

On Sunday, Aug. 15, Peter, a Bayville resident who was shopping at Pleasant Valley Gallery & Gifts on South Street in Oyster Bay was in favor of the idea of the carousel. "It's a wonderful idea. It's a piece of old-world charm."

"It fits in perfectly with our historic village," said Claire Bellerjeau of Pleasant Valley Gallery & Gifts. "It does. There's no doubt about it," agreed Peter.

Chris Bellerjeau added, "I think it would be so much fun. Anything that encourages people to get out and walk around town is good and that's a big reason." He suggested a good location might be the town owned Capone property, the parcel between the Western Waterfront and the Town parking lot at the boat basin.

Peter had a second thought about the location. He said the carousel is "mechanical and aged and the salt air will play havoc with the works. That was the problem at the Coney Island amusement park."

Another local resident suggested a good location might be south of the marina parking lot and east of the picnic shelter where a small parking lot is located. He was concerned that the central area of the park is being well used for recreation by a large portion of the downtown inhabitants. They have been using the area as a sports field as well as using the barbecue units for picnics.

He said, "Before anyone puts a carousel in the northern end of the park have them - whoever - visit the park on a Saturday and Sunday and realize the way the park is being used in keeping the spirit of what the TR park is all about. Perhaps they should rethink the location. It really needs study. I'm not opposed to the carousel, but they should rethink the location."

The carousel committee (in formation) includes: Chris Robinson, president of RMS Engineering; architect Joe Reilly, president of Reilly Associates; Tina Lewis and Rob O'Brian, owners of Wild Honey restaurant (located in the Moore's building owned by Mr. Gluck); Nick Voulgaris III, Main Street board member and Promotions chair; Gene Pelland, Oyster Bay resident and boating enthusiast (and captain of the Red Head, Billy Joel's boat currently docked at the western waterfront pier); Andy Tini, past district governor, Rotary International and Lance Elder, CEO of Education & Assistance Corporation. Honorary committee members include Peter Tilles of the Tilles Development Corporation, said Ms. Mahon.

MSA said the following people have been formally or informally spoken with for their support: Claudia Oaks, director of the museums a Mitchel Field; Chris Coshignano head of the TR park committee; Peter Schmitt, NC legislator minority leader; Judy Jacobs, NC majority leader; Stephen Marx, attorney, counsel to the supervisor John Venditto; Ian Siegel, chief assistant to County Executive Tom Suozzi.

There is a great deal for residents to consider about the carousel decision and the use of the park. Charles Doering, chair of the Oyster Bay Civic Association TR Park Committee objects to the carousel on grounds that the park is supposed to be for passive use. "The current ball field was built in early 1970s and was supposed to be a temporary ball field according to a May 13, 1969 town resolution," he said. "The park is not to be turned into Disneyland. The residents don't want an influx of people into this residential area."

While the project is still in the conceptual phase, Main Street has begun the process of working with representatives of various community organizations to understand all of the issues involved. Those representatives are from such local organizations as: Friends of Locomotive 35; Friends of the Bay; the Oyster Bay Historical Society; The Oyster Bay Civic Association; Island Properties, LLC; the Theodore Roosevelt Association; the Town of Oyster Bay and Nassau County. Each group has been asked to identify their list of requests and constraints that need to be considered. Main Street envisions the project to follow a public process, involving the local town and county government, community groups, businesses, families and property owners in developing the ideas further. For more information, contact the Oyster Bay Main Street Association at 516-922-6982 or log on to www.oysterbaymainstreet.org.

Ian Siegel, director of constituent affairs for Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi confirmed that the county received a request from the carousel committee for the Nunley Carousel. He said, "The fact is that the Nunley Carousel has been neglected and mismanaged for the past 10 years. It is sitting in a warehouse/hangar aging. The county executive is committed to restoring this beautiful piece of Nassau's history to its former glory and since a request has been made by this group in Oyster Bay, at this time we are considering their request - no more, no less," he said.

Presently, the county is compiling a list of people interested in the project and they will be getting back to them after they make a decision on what they plan to do. Mr. Siegel said, "We are getting calls from people asking if there is a fund set up, saying they want to give money for the project." There have been no other requests for the carousel, he said.

The Nunley Carousel

The Nunley carousel is 50 ft. in diameter with 42 painted animals all horses, except for one lion and two chariots. It also has an organ. In 1997, the carousel was to be restored by the Friends of Long Island Heritage for Mitchel Field and Billy Joel was involved in that idea.

The Nunley Carousel was built in Brooklyn in 1910 by Sol Stein (who did the heads and legs) and Harry Goldstein (who did the horse's musculature) in what, according to an article in The New York Times on Sept. 17, 1995, "in the Coney Island tradition" of having big strong wild horses. The men also created the Central Park carousel at 65th Street. The Nunley carousel was located on Sunrise Highway in Baldwin for 56 years as part of an amusement park. The Lercari brothers, Stephen, Lou and Jack owned the property starting in 1964, and in 1995 they decided it was time to sell the carousel. The public was concerned at the prospect of losing the carousel and in response to a public outcry, then Nassau County Executive Tom Gulotta kept it off the auction block fearing it would be dismantled and sold in pieces. Instead the county purchased it in 1998 for $854,400.

There have been people interested in buying the carousel over the years. According to The Times article, in 1993 King Kullen wanted to buy the site and keep the carousel "in a glass room." At one time Anthony Gentile of Adventureland wanted the carousel and offered $500,000 for it for his East Farmingdale amusement park site.