BURLINGTON, North Carolina — The Dentzel Carousel is a staple in the city of Burlington.
"It's basically like the main feature of the Burlington City Park," explains 11-year-old, Brianna Bowden, matter-of-factly.
Right now, the carousel is closed. The structure is in Ohio for restoration. When it comes back, there's talk of maybe moving it to a new spot; somewhere else in the park or even downtown. There's some concern it could potentially flood in its current location. But that doesn't sit right with Brianna, so she wrote a letter to local leaders.
"It basically stated my name, who I was and why I thought that the carousel should stay there," she says.
She remembers visiting with friends and family and doesn't want it to go away. She even did some research, noting the city had nearly 63 inches of rain in 2018. If it hasn't flooded already, she's not sure it ever will. Plus, she says there's a simple fix.
"What I basically said is they need to elevate it a little bit," she explains.
Her father, Ryan Bowden, posted the letter on Facebook and from there, it's taken off, with more than 400 shares as of January 29.
"My dad said that if you want sit back and complain, then stand up for what's right," she says.
Brianna's stand is getting a virtual round of applause, with a lot of positive comments. One person noted she should even be the "future Mayor of Burlington."
"As parents, we're proud," Ryan tells.
And unlike the carousel, this isn't something she wants to go around in circles.
She hopes her leaders will listen. She says she's heard back from a handful of Council Members. The Mayor called her dad on Tuesday.
Her dad says he's happy she's interested in being engaged in her community and is learning how to do it in a respectful way.
"To remain humble and be compassionate about it," he says.
Discussion about moving the carousel is in very early phases and nothing is set in stone. Burlington City Council plans to talk about possibilities at their next meeting. Brianna has also been invited to speak in the public comments section about her cause.
As for the carousel itself, the repairs are expected to take several months. You can track the progress here.
Here's Brianna's full letter:
Dear Mayor and Council Members,
My name is Brianna Bowden, and I live in Burlington.
I’m writing to you to voice my concern in removing the carousel from the Burlington City Park.
I’m 11 years old, and I enjoy visiting the city park and riding the carousel every chance I can. I enjoy going to the park with my Parents, Nana, Pa, MeMe and PawPaw. We visit a lot, especially during the summer when I’m out of school. I love riding the carousel with my little sister Brylee. I love making those memories with my family.
The carousel is the main fixture of the City Park and I feel it’s best for it to remain there. If you’re worried about it flooding, then all you need to do is raise it up a little bit. I would like to remind you all that this past year we had a record amount of rainfall. According to weather.gov, Alamance County received 62.44 inches of rain in 2018. If the carousel didn’t flood then, I doubt very seriously it ever will.
Please spend the money to fix the carousel, but leave it where it belongs so we can continue to make those memories for years to come. The City Park wouldn’t be the same without the carousel.
Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.
Brianna Bowden
5th Grader at EM Holt Elementary