File photo
The carousel is about 98 percent complete. The work remaining is the electronics on the drive mechanism and some lighting.
Master Woodcarver Ken Means offered to paint the horse for a local resident, Nadine Kelley, who had adopted a carousel horse and was returned to her on May 23.
Ken is a resident of Coquille and is carving most of the animals for the Coquille carousel. He is the only identified master carver on the west coast. There are many carvers in the Portland-Salem-Albany area, but the classification of ”master” is unique.
Star Trek’s Captain Kirk was portrayed by William Shatner, who recently appeared at the Hult Center. Several years ago, Shatner asked Means to carve a full-size life-like wooden horse.
The Cascade Chorus offered to do a benefit fundraiser musical revue for us on May 19 in Cottage Grove. It was a full house, and we are most grateful for the public participating in beautiful musical enjoyment of old favorites such as Old Man River and Love Letters in the Sand. We are so grateful to Calvary Chapel for making their auditorium available to the Carousel for our fundraiser. We were so fortunate to have Fred Craft, producer of Radio Redux Theatre, as our MC.
A fundraising rummage and plant sale will be hosted by Friends at the WOE Fairgrounds, 2000 N. Douglass Ave., Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, June 7, 8, 9 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Learn about the progress made to restore the 1929 carousel, and help raise funds for the temporary operational site at Brad’s Chevrolet. We are accepting donations for the sale. Call Ellen at 541-674-9228 for more information.
