CAROUSEL CLOSURE TO LAST INTO SEPTEMBER
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From the St. George Spectrum, August 12, 2012
Written by David DeMille 


[Photo]
Laminated signs saying that the horses are resting and can't be ridden are
affixed to several of the horses on the St. George Carousel on Sunday in
St. George. / Photos by Jud Burkett / The Spectrum & Daily News


ST. GEORGE — Children hoping for another go-round on St. George City's
downtown carousel will have to wait another month.

A faulty part puts the attraction out of commission until September and
parents who visited the city's Town Square on Sunday to cool off in the
splash pad said they were disappointed their children couldn't get a ride
on the carousel any time soon.

"It's too bad, and when they get it fixed all the kids will be back in
school," said Leinia Inoke, who said her children asked right away about
a ride on the carousel, but were turned away by signs saying it was closed.

And while city officials were apologizing for the inconvenience, some
residents were wondering aloud again about the need for the carousel,
which drew some fire to the city when it allocated $300,000 in
redevelopment funds for the carousel last year.

"It hasn't had the best history," said Kim Jensen, another parent.

The carousel was a major point of contention in the 2011 election cycle,
with challengers criticizing incumbent city council members for what the
challengers said was a symbol of irresponsible spending during a bad
economy. Shortly after the carousel opened, a 65-year-old resident was
injured when a 25-pound ceiling panel fell on her while she was riding
it with her husband and grandson.

When in operation, the carousel has also been immensely popular, drawing
thousands of riders every month and generating $76,000 in revenue in its
first 12 months, far outpacing any money-making hopes city officials had,
said Marc Mortensen, assistant to the city manager.

While the repairs will take into September, it isn't an especially
expensive fix.

A part called the gear pinion crank is the culprit, Mortensen said,
adding that the customized part must be specially manufactured at a shop
in Wichita, Kan., before it can be shipped to St. George. The part runs
$1,700, but the inconvenience is the major problem, he said.

"It's not the cost at all. It's just the time," he said. "The cost
associated with this is the downtime, with kids out for the summer.
It's opportunity lost."

The city also purchased a number of other parts, hoping to have them on
hand in case of future issues, spending $7,000 total to hopefully keep
the carousel working into the foreseeable future, Mortensen said.

Mayor Daniel McArthur said the carousel has been a great addition to
the city's downtown area, fitting in well with city leaders' plans to
make the city center more vibrant.

"It's been great. We just have to get it working again, and we want to
get it working again for people because we know they enjoy it and want
to ride it," he said.