The Palisades Center carousel, which is leaving the mall, was one of the big bells-and-whistles attractions touted when the mall first opened in 1997. At the south side of the 3rd floor Food Court sat the carousel, and the ferris wheel was at the north end. Both can be seen at night, lights glowing, spinning around. When the mall first opened, those carnival rides, framed from windows outside, were quite a sight. Then, of course, they just became the standard view, part of the landscape, nothing special.

Nowadays, few ride it (except my daughter who always tries, but I usually say no.) So, the fact that the mall management isn’t renewing the carousel’s lease isn’t too much of  a surprise, if you think about it. But a mall official told staff writer Hema Easley that they are going to replace it with a double-decker carousel, bigger than this one, “which will be more desirable for our customers.” Um, we’ll see.

The carousel is moving out after its last day of giving rides, June 14. If you have taken a ride on the merry-go-round, holding a toddler as he grasped the golden pole, you know that it is actually a beautiful piece of craftsmanship. I spent many a day holding onto a little one, or standing on the sidelines watching a kid whiz by, waving with every turn.

In the beginning, I remember the carousel was popular even with some of those who didn’t welcome the mall (few Rocklanders did, really, though some were just resigned while others adamantly fought the developers every step of the way). Now, it, like the mall itelf, is just there — no longer a destination, maybe a convenience, or just a weekend traffic headache when trying to navigate around it as Rocklanders get on with their daily lives. I hope the carousel finds a nice home, and toddlers again can take a spin with glee, waving to Mommy with every turn.

2004 FILE PHOTOS: Top left, Eoghan McGee of Orangeburg, then 5, rides the carousel at the Palisades Center mall in West Nyack. Above right, Heaven Delgado, then 5, rides the carousel during spring break.