Spirit Magazine - May 2014 - (Page 79)

arms aloft as if conducting the carousel. I wait as patiently as I can while Hollis chooses her mount. Surprise-she settles on the mermaid. "Mommy, I'll ride her, and you ride the dolphin." I hoist Hollis up, and then myself. As we wait for the shining brass gong that tells the animals it's time to gallop, the conductor walks over. Scott Harrison, the creator of the Carousel of Happiness and the carver of all these wooden creatures, is 66, white-haired, and hazel-eyed. Today, he wears a paint-splattered sweatshirt and jeans and covers his balding head with a hat advertising Nederland's popular Frozen Dead Guy Days festival (named for someone's loved one who'd been stored in a Tuff Shed; it's that kind of town). "Hollis!" Scott says. "It's great to see you." And to both of us: "Great choice of animals. They're an interspecies couple. The baby dolphin in the mermaid's arms is its offspring." It's a little weird and thoroughly magical, like the 1913 Wurlitzer band organ that Scott walks back to and revs to life with a hand crank. It plays music (today's choice: "Chattanooga Choo Choo") from a paper roll just as the carousel starts spinning. A placard on the organ notes that it incorporates 102 instruments, including trumpets, flutes, piccolos, a cymbal, two drums, and tubas. I glance over at Hollis on her mermaid. She clutches the gold, swirlypatterned pole protruding from its back with a look of sheer ecstasy. Then I look at Scott, the most prominent artist in a town filled with artists. He spent 29 years carving each of these animals and restoring an old carousel after U-Hauling its 20-ton body from Utah. And with grants, cash donations, and volunteer labor from locals, he set it up. The doors opened on Memorial Day 2010, and since then Scott has sold or given away about half a million $1 tickets. Hollis has used an estimated 300 of them. Before Hollis became a regular here, I knew nothing about Scott. After 31 years in Nederland, he's no stranger. But when I asked around, few people knew much about him. Something told me that he had a deeper story, so I decided to talk to him myself. I'm so glad I did, because Scott Harrison exceeds anything I had expected-his is a strange, wonderful tale with a great and beautiful sadness at its center. Not unlike the carousel itself. MOVING ZOO Having carved all 56 animals and restored an antique carousel, the conductor himself greets his guests. MAY 2014 SPIRIT 79

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Spirit Magazine - May 2014

Spirit Magazine - May 2014
Contents
Gary’s Greeting
Gary’s Greeting en Español
Star of the Month
Freedom Story
From the Editor
Your Words
Your Pictures
Media Center
Eat Drink Sleep
Beef up broccoli (the vegan way)
Bunk over in Kennebunkport
Encourage creativity in the workplace
Wise Guide
Strengthen your sense of humor
Numbers
Lengthen locks
Learn a minty-fresh fact
Business
Uncover indie e-books
Share with strangers
The Art of the Veer
The Carousel of Happiness
Your Adventure In Providence
Promotional Series: Spirit of California
Promotional Series: Spirit of New Mexico
Calendar
Find fun on the fly
Fun!
Spotlight
Community Outreach
Products & Services
Flight Service
Terminal Maps
Information
Rapid Rewards and A+ Rewards Partners
Route Map
Sit down with Sarah McLachlan
The “If” List

Spirit Magazine - May 2014

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