The Elm Park Time Travelers

A merry-go-round sitting on a beached barge in the murky waters of the Kill van Kull is discovered. The story takes place in the post covid-20 era when local and state governments have slashed their budgets. Three men from Elm Park attach a rope to the barge truck and pull it onto the litter-strewn shore. It would be a nice diversion for kids in the neighborhood where schools are closed and shopping malls shuttered. Freddy and Hank help Gregg chain the merry-go-round to his flatbed truck and haul it to Eggert's Field in Elm Park on Staten Island's north shore. The three men repair its gasoline engine and replace a broken horse with a chair. Nancy a woman in her 30s helps with the cleanup of the merry-go-round. On the advice of Lora a clairvoyant Nancy and Freddy place magnets along the whirligig's circumference. Immediately it begins to glow and a high-pitched sound emanates from the amusement ride. Staring into her crystal ball Lora asserts that the people can take time trips while holding a large horseshoe magnet found in the area. Apparently there's a connection between magnetic fields and time travel. The story depicts colorful characters: Nancy deadly accurate with a gun Lora crystal-ball gazer Freddy energetic octogenarian Charlie a retired detective Mildred the prim woman Rev Staller soapbox preacher Billy side talker to his invisible sidekick Blanche ex-gogo dancer Dr. Emil alcoholic doctor and his young assistant Alfred. A trio of villains Darren Trupp David Bloom and Lance Landum appear from time to time - forcing Nancy and her friends to deal with them -ultimately dispatching the trio to a fishing village in the Caribbean.