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Valley family rides into past on historic Idora carousel in NY
Photo
Troy Reinhart, left, 39, of Manhattan, and his parents Sandra Reinhart, right, 69, and Robert Reinhart, back right, 77, both of Girard, paid a visit to Jane’s Carousel at Brooklyn Bridge Park. The carousel, which reopened in New York on Sept. 16, was restored by Jane Walentas who purchased it in 1984 from Idora Park.
By Elise Franco
Girard
Robert and Sandra Reinhart’s recent trip to New York City turned out to be a blast from the past.
The Girard couple traveled to Manhattan on Sept. 17 to visit their son, Troy, 39, who moved there in 2000. Sandra Reinhart, 69, said they visit Troy four or five times each year, but this visit would be a bit more nostalgic than the rest.
Opening that weekend at the edge of the East River in Brooklyn Bridge Park was Jane’s Carousel, the 1922 Philadelphia Toboggan Co. model that once sat in Youngstown’s Idora Park.
“We planned the trip and then we read in the paper that the carousel was opening that weekend,” Sandra Reinhart said. “Riding it, it was just like being a little kid again.”
Jane Walentas purchased the carousel at an auction in 1984 after it was badly damaged in a fire at the park. She spent the next 22 years restoring the historic ride.
Both Sandra and Robert Reinhart, 77, said they remember riding the carousel as kids, then bringing their own children to ride later in life.
“That was really something,” Robert Reinhart said. “Every time we visited I rode it, and then with our kids, too.”
Sandra said she’ll never forget the look or sound of the original carousel and was pleased to see how beautiful the restoration is.
“I remember it so vividly,” she said. “Being back on it brought back so many memories, and [Walentas] did a wonderful job.”
Troy Reinhart said going to the carousel with his parents was a meaningful moment.
“It was a very special time for not only me, but also to see my parents riding the carousel they rode as [children,]” he said. “It was kind of ironic that it ends up in New York, and they happened to be here on the opening weekend.”
For Robert Reinhart, the best part about seeing the restored carousel was the memories it evoked.
“It brought back to me Idora Park itself. It reminded me of The Wild Cat and The Jack Rabbit and the bumper cars,” he said. “I thought of all the things that Idora Park itself was at that time.”