On Tuesday night, a crowd will gather at City Hall to protect one of Southeast Raleigh's oldest treasures: the Chavis Park carousel.
Built circa 1920 and placed in the Southeast park in 1937, the carousel's hand-carved animals are rivaled only by the older merry-go-round in Pullen Park 2 miles to the west.
Supporters of the park resist the city's plans to move it from its historic spot to a new home within the park, and they are also pushing for improvements that would bring the park back to its glory days when it was segregated and used by blacks from all over the state. Backers hope to bring back a kiddie train, which Pullen still has, and a Tuskegee Airman-style plane from World War II, which also used to grace Chavis.
The meeting begins at City Hall at 222 W. Hargett St. at 7 p.m. Supporters ask that Chavis backers arrive 15 minutes early to occupy the front rows.
Josh Shaffer feels drawn to life's smaller stories – the tiny triumphs of ordinary people, the curiosities you see out the window of your car. He plays the trombone. He can juggle a little. His hero is this guy from Baltimore who lost his paycheck when it blew off his dashboard, and who responded by stopping his car to do a little dance on the shoulder and say, "Oh, well. I'll get another one next week."