Greenport carousel reopens after lead paint removal

A historic century-old carousel in Greenport, shuttered because of lead paint, has been reopened just in time for Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial start of summer.

The carousel resumed operations on Friday at noon following a remediation project that removed the paint, said Greenport Mayor Kevin Stuessi.

And to mark the occasion, the village allowed people to ride for free on “reopening day,” he said.

“It’s an exciting day and it’s really wonderful to see the doors open again, together with all the flags to celebrate Memorial Day,” he said Friday. “We’ve got beautiful weather to celebrate, too.”

The ride, located in Mitchell Park, was shut down in March after the paint was discovered by a restoration expert hired by the administration of former Mayor George Hubbard. The expert tested the paint on one horse and discovered the presence of lead.

The substance was likely from the original paint when the ride was manufactured, said Stuessi, who took office a week after the discovery. His administration conducted additional testing that found lead on other horses.

That has now been rectified, he said Friday.

“It’s in great shape,” Stuessi said. “The carousel horses have been coated properly and anything that was there that needs to be removed was removed.”

It didn’t take long for the public to get back on the horses — the carousel was soon full after opening, he said. It was to operate until 6 p.m.

We’re so excited,” said Sasha Garcia of Greenport. “My daughter couldn’t wait.”

Garcia said her daughter, Genevieve, 5, has been riding the carousel since she was a year old.

The carousel will be open every day from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. until Labor Day, the mayor said. It costs $2.50 per ride.

It's unclear why the lead paint had not been previously discovered or if tests had ever been conducted on the carousel's paint, Stuessi had said in April. The paint was not chipping or peeling off the horses, some of which are made from wood, with others made of aluminum and fiberglass.

Dr. Ken Spaeth, chief of occupational and environmental medicine at Northwell Health, had said the safety risk to riders would be extremely minimal if the lead paint was not chipping or peeling. Typically, exposure to lead paint occurs when very young children put paint chips in their mouths.