>> Cathy: I REMEMBER THAT.

THAT WAS A LOT OF FUN.

AND I STILL HAVE MY PICTURE, BY THE WAY, AT MY DESK IN MPR.

SPEAKING OF FUN, ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS IN THE WHOLE WORLD IS RIDING CAFESJIAN'S CAROUSEL.

THE 110-YEAR-OLD CAROUSEL JUST WRAPPED UP ANOTHER SUMMER SEASON AT COMO PARK.

IT'S CELEBRATING ITS BIG BIRTHDAY.

IT BOASTS A VARIETY OF HORSES, OR JUMPERS FOR YOU CAROUSEL CONNOISSEURS OUT THERE, AND THE ATTRACTION IS FAITHFULLY MAINTAINED WITH ORIGINAL PAINT.

IF YOU HAVE BEEN NEAR THE RIDE, YOU MAY HAVE EVEN HEARD THE FULLY RESTORED WURLITZER 153-BAND ORGAN BLASTING MUSIC.

HERE TO TAKE US FOR A SPIN THROUGH THE CAROUSEL'S HISTORY -- SEE WHAT I DID -- AND FUTURE, THE PRESIDENT OF THE NONPROFIT OUR FAIR CAROUSEL, TRACY TOLZMANN, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

>> THANKS, CATHY AND ERIC, GREAT TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

>> Cathy: WELL, HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

THE BIG CELEBRATION WAS LAST WEEKEND.

>> 110, HOW MANY 110-YEAR-OLDS DO YOU KNOW THAT ARE RUNNING LIKE THAT RIDE?

>> Cathy: I HAVE TO SAY SHE GOES REALLY -- SHE DOES REALLY WELL.

>> IT GOES EIGHT MILES AN HOUR, WHICH IS A LITTLE FASTER THAN MOST CAROUSELS.

>> Cathy: NOW, THERE ARE THREE STYLES OF CAROUSEL CARVINGS, I UNDERSTAND, RIGHT?

AND OUR -- YOUR CAROUSEL, OUR CAROUSEL IS CARVED IN THE PHILADELPHIA STYLE, IS THAT RIGHT?

>> CORRECT, THE PHILADELPHIA STYLE, WHICH IS MORE REALISTIC.

THE HORSES LOOK MORE REAL TH THAN, SAY, THE CONEY ISLAND STYLE, WHICH IS MUCH MORE FANCIFUL AND MAYBE THE HORSES JUST DON'T LOOK QUITE ANATOMICALLY CORRECT.

>> Cathy: OKAY.

>> YOU KNOW, THEIR NECKS ARE EXTRA LONG, YOU KNOW, ODD THINGS LIKE THAT.

>> Eric: WHAT DO YOU DO ABOUT PARTS AND MAINTENANCE?

YOU BROUGHT EVEN A -- WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT?

>> WELL, THE ONLY SPARE PART THAT WE HAVE -- >> Eric: HOLD IT UP.

>> -- ON THIS 110-YEAR-OLD CAROUSEL IS THIS, AND THIS IS THE MAIN BEARING.

THIS IS A USED MAIN BEARING THAT WE REMOVED IN 2015.

BUT THE 30-TON RIDE RIDES ON TOP F THIS, ON TOP OF THE 25-FOOT CENTER POLE, SO THE WHOLE HING S BALANCED ON THIS BRONZE BEARING.

AND THIS IS THE ONLY PART THAT THE PHILADELPHIA TOBOGGAN COMPANY IN PHILADELPHIA STILL MAKES.

EVERYTHING ELSE IS NONEXISTENT.

>> Cathy: WOW.

>> SO IF -- WE DO HAVE A SPECIAL FUND.

WHEN PEOPLE SPONSORED OUR HORSES, WE HAD ADOPT A PONY AND YOU COULD ADOPT A PONY FOR BETWEEN 25,000 AND $10,000, AND WE DO HAVE A FEW LEFT, ABOUT TEN MORE READY, OF THE 68 TOTAL, THAT ARE UP FOR ADOPTION.

BUT, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, WE'VE GOT THAT MONEY FROM THAT GOES INTO OUR CATASTROPHIC FAILURE FUND IS WHAT I LIKE TO CALL IT.

IF SOMETHING SHOULD HAPPEN, FOR INSTANCE, ONE OF THE CRANKS THAT HOLDS FOUR HORSES EACH THAT MAKES THE HORSES GO UP AND DOWN, BECAUSE ALL OF OUR HORSES ARE JUMPERS, AS YOU POINTED OUT, IF SOMETHING SHOULD HAPPEN TO THAT, WELL, WE'D HAVE TO HAVE IT MANUFACTURED SPECIALLY.

>> Cathy: WOW.

>> AND IT WOULD BE INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE.

>> Eric: CAN'T GO DOWN TO MENARDS.

>> NO, NO.

NOW WE HAVE ONE A FEW QUICK FIXES HERE AND THERE.

BUT WE HAVE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE IN THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY CATASTROPHIC FAILURES.

A YEAR AGO, LABOR DAY WEEKEND, WE WERE SHUT DOWN, FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY AND MONDAY OF LABOR DAY, BECAUSE WE HAD A LITTLE SQUEAK UP IN THE UPPER WORKS.

WELL, A LITTLE SQUEAK CAN TURN INTO A CATASTROPHIC AILURE.

>> Cathy: NO KIDDING.

>> SO WE HAD TO JUST CLOSE UNTIL THE MILLWRIGHTS COULD COME IN, THESE GUYS ARE EXPERTS, THEY CRAWL AROUND UP ABOVE AND LIE DOWN AND WATCH THINGS AND READJUST.

IT'S AMAZING.

>> Cathy: YOU KNOW, I WANT TO SHOW PICTURES OF THESE HORSES UP CLOSE.

WE'VE GOT SOME VIDEO.

WE'RE GOING TO ROLL THAT.

YOU'RE GOING TO TALK OVER IT.

WE MENTIONED THE CARVING, OBVIOUSLY.

AND I'M WONDERING, THE CAROUSEL WAS AT THE STATE FAIR FIRST, RIGHT?

>> THE CAROUSEL WAS AT THE STATE FAIR FOR 75 YEARS, FROM 1914.

THE STATE FAIR USED TO START ON LABOR DAY, SO LAST SATURDAY, THE 7th OF SEPTEMBER WAS OUR ACTUAL 110th ANNIVERSARY.

BUT WHEN IT OPENED ON THAT DAY, IT ONLY OPENED FOR A FEW RIDES BECAUSE THEY SAID THEY HAD A MAIN BEARING FAILURE.

WELL, THAT'S REALLY NOT WHAT HAPPENED.

THE CENTER POLE WAS SLIGHTLY OUT OF ADJUSTMENT, AND IT HAS TO BE SO PERFECTLY BALANCED.

SO, ANYWAY, LUCKILY THEY GOT IT FIXED AND ABOUT 8,000 PEOPLE RODE THAT CAROUSEL AT THE FIRST FAIR.

BUT SINCE THEN, IN 1988, THE CAROUSEL WENT ON AUCTION.

THE PRIVATE OWNERSHIP, THE STATE FAIR NEVER OWNED IT, IT WAS A FRANCHISE, A PRIVATE OWNER, SOLD THE CAROUSEL, OUR FAIR CAROUSEL WAS FORMED BY PETER BOEM AND NANCY ETERSON, JUST TWO CONCERNED CITIZENS THAT FORMED THE NONPROFIT.

>> Cathy: THEN, OF COURSE, I HATE TO INTERRUPT YOU, BECAUSE WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME, SO IT ACTUALLY GOT TO COMO PARK, BY THE WAY.

DO YOU NEED VOLUNTEERS?

>> WE NEED VOLUNTEERS.

WE'RE STILL OPEN.

FRIDAY AND SUNDAY THROUGH THE END OF OCTOBER, AS LONG AS IT'S 45° OR WARMER.

>> Cathy: GREAT.

>> SO, WE CAN USE VOLUNTEERS.

WE ASK PEOPLE TO DO THREE-HOUR SHIFTS.

THEY EARN FREE TICKETS.

SO EVERY HOUR THEY WORK, THEY GET A TICKET, WHICH THEY CAN GIVE TO THEIR FRIENDS OR FAMILY, ANYONE THEY'D LIKE.

>> Cathy: IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES.

>> Eric: WE'VE GOT TO RUN.

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ANNIVERSARY.

>> HANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WELL, WE INVITE EVERYONE TO COME TOWN.

WE HAVE TWO EVENTS COMING UP.

HISTORY IN MOTION.

>> Cathy: RIGHT, SEPTEMBER 24th AND OCTOBER 2nd.