BOSTON, Mass. (10/28/2008) -- Sunday afternoon, 30 horses made their debut at the Boston Common Frog Pond carousel opening.
The General Manager of the Boston Common Frog Pond, Bob McKeown, said that the carousel, which is open for a trial period from October 25 through November 9, received an enthusiastic reception from its clientele. McKeown said that he was surprised that the carousel riders were not just children.
“It’s obviously mostly kids who enjoy the ride,” said McKeown. “But we did receive an enthusiastic comment card from a 50 year-old woman, and a wedding couple stopped by yesterday to take a ride, as well. The guy was still in his tux.”
McKeown said that he tried to snap some photos of the newlyweds riding the carousel with his camera phone, but they came out blurry.
McKeown, General Manager of the Boston Common Frog Pond since May 2008, has over 20 years prior experience in ice rink management. “I’ve been in the skating business for many years,” said McKeown. “In 1988, I started my job running the Arlington Ice Rink. The buck stopped with me. I was there for 14 years.”
McKeown’s career in ice rink management then led him to oversee operations at the Chelmsford Forum ice rink in North Billerica, Massachusetts, where the UMass Lowell hockey team used to play.
Dressed in a light green Boston Common Frog Pond t-shirt, evergreen pants, and a matching hat, McKeown stood out in the rain on Tuesday. He showed off the sleek new herd of horses on the merry-go-round, outside of his pond-side office building.
McKeown refused to take a photograph with the horses, saying that he was not allowed to show the detailed tattoos that snake down both of his bare arms.
“Even though they (the tattoos) are Disney and kid-friendly,” he said, “I really shouldn’t (show them).”
Due to the continuous rain, McKeown said that he had to shut down operations all day Tuesday. “We can’t open because it’s all slippery and wet,” said McKeown. He said that plans to introduce this carousel to Boston Common have been in the works for around four years and the Foundation cannot afford to have any accidents caused by the rain.
Boston Common Frog Pond Foundation Chairman, Thomas A. Kershaw, introduced the carousel idea to the Frog Pond Foundation and has been pushing for its implementation ever since. Kershaw, a Boston Businessman and owner of the Hampshire House, Cheers Beacon Hill, Cheers Faneuil Hall Marketplace, and 75 Chestnut restaurant, is a central figure in the Frog Pond facility management, along with the Boston Parks and Recreation Department. The Frog Pond Snack bar is also under the supervision of Kershaw’s restaurant chefs.
The Boston Common Frog Pond, open for winter skating since 1997, continued to expand to what is now an almost year-round gathering place for local residents and visitors. Open November to March for public skating, the Frog Pond becomes a reflecting pool in the spring and fall, and finally it transforms into a wading pool for the months of July and August.
The carousel is a part of the recent effort to expand recreational offerings at Boston Common Frog Pond during the off-season.
“We are trying to fill in those fall and spring months,” said McKeown. “We are hoping, come March, when we close the skating rink that we can have the carousel up and running permanently.”
The Boston Common Frog Pond is more than a recreational facility for public enjoyment. The Foundation also reaches out to the community through Philanthropic work. The Boston Common Frog Pond works with the Red Sox Foundation in the winter to teach kids how to skate and hires summer employees from the Boston Youth Foundation.
McKeown said that the Frog Pond had a great group of high school employees from the Boston Youth Foundation, this past summer.
“I really enjoy teaching young people who have never had a job before,” said McKeown.
Although the addition of a carousel to the Frog Pond was calculated to affect business in the spring and fall, McKeown said that he sees potential for the carousel to function for a longer period of time.
“I know that Tom (Kershaw) would like to see it open until January 1, for the holidays,” said McKeown. “We will never say never.”
McKeown said that the Boston Common Frog Pond Foundation is contemplating several other changes to the events calendar, in addition to the presence of the new carousel. McKeown said that he has been brainstorming and he would like to add some several “theme night” skating events throughout the year, as well as an art show around the reflecting pond, and summer electric sailboat races. He said that he hopes to hire an activities director who could oversee arts and crafts of the facility.
“We are just trying to look to expand programs in whatever way we can,” said McKeown. “I’m all about the children and the senior citizens. It’s that smile on their faces when they come up to the snack bar to purchase a ticket or get a cup of cocoa that gets me.”
November 19, 2008, Boston Mayor, Thomas M. Menino will once again cut the ribbon to open up the Boston Common Frog Pond for the first night of skating in the 2008-2009 season. The opening night festivities will include visits from local sports team mascots including the Boston Red Sox Green Monster, Nutcracker characters from The Boston Ballet, and Lucky from the Boston Celtics. Visit http://www.bosotncommonfrogpond.org/.
By CATHERINE MOORE