Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,
As many of you may remember reading, or seeing stories in Oct. of 2016, telling and showing the volunteer firemen distributing carousel animals to storefronts in and around Cottage Grove, this was done to promote public knowledge of the Friends of the Cottage Grove Carousel restoration project of a 1929 Hershel Carousel. There were 12 animals distributed to storefronts, banks and the community Center.
In the next few days, you will see those same animals rounded up to find temporary stables at the WOE fairgrounds, for retrofitting new sleeves for the rod that connects the animal to the crankshaft. The crankshaft is responsible for raising and lowering the animal as the carousel revolves.
This retrofitting is necessary, along with paint touch up, to have them ready for mounting on the location for demonstration and open house Aug. 4, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The carousel will be erected but not operating, as we will not have our modern drive start/stop brake mechanism, nor the operational inspections necessary. It is available for photographs, if parents choose; one to two children allowed at a time on the carousel.
It will also be available for viewing during the operation of the Western Oregon Exposition August.
The Friends of the Cottage Grove Carousel thank all the businesses that have pastured carousel animals over the last 21 months. We thank those donors who generously contributed to the donation boxes which accompanied the animals. It is this money that pays for high-grade toxic-free paint at $35 a quart!
Hope to see you at the fairgrounds!
Don Williams
Friends of the Cottage Grove Carousel