Thursday August 11, 2005

Swap Shop Owner Fucks Over Circus

Preston Henn, the owner of the Swap Shop, stopped paying the folks who operated his circus three weeks ago. Today he threw them out, and apparently has no intention to have them back or pay what he owes them. By various accounts it’s because he’s crazy, or because they don’t have insurance. Animal abuse, apparently, is not the reason.

Frankly, we’ve never been able to fully process how Broward is able to have a free daily circus, so to have it be gone is odd, but hardly disturbing. Still, the loss of one more weird South Florida thing is something to mourn. Maybe the Circus will come to Miami. Maybe to Fairchild or something. Or maybe the Seaquarium—wouldn’t that be fitting somehow? All your alleged animal mistreatment under one roof?

Update: Miami News Blog links to this interesting story about Preston Henn in a very old issue of New Times.

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  1. cohen    Fri Aug 12, 02:53 PM #  

    free daily circus, at the new performing art center, and or locust projects

  2. Merkin    Fri Aug 12, 06:42 PM #  

    Apparently Preston Henn’s own bizarre circus antics made the other one unnecessary. Who needs the Great Wallenda and a troupe of elephants when you have a live Baker Act and a pack of bozos? But the smart money says he wanted them out so he could sell off the land to condo builders. And while access to the Swap Shop might actually appeal to a certain element of condo dweller, overlooking piles of steaming elephant dung, well, even in Broward County that’s a long shot.

  3. Chad Harris    Sat Aug 13, 03:49 AM #  

    Man, the Swap Shop better not go under – I don’t know what I’d do. That place is it’s own small city, losing it would be a tragedy.

    Hey didn’t Henn lose a million dollars at the Seminole casino? Is that true?

  4. MadamE    Sun Aug 14, 10:36 AM #  

    Sad to say I think this Village ala Mad Max (run by a oppresive tyrant with a slight chemical imbalance) time has lapsed. I for one will miss the phrase heard most often. “too much…no..no..one dollar..NO!..ALL for one dollar!” The greatest question is where will the hatienne community go if it closes? Where will they live, congregate? Who will care?

  5. lonnie donegan    Fri Aug 19, 09:53 PM #  

    the guys a total nut job ! mean power tripper !
    he should be in tahiti with 3 girls sittin on his face instead of riding around on his golf cart being a total dick to less fortunate people trying to make a meager living in this oppresive heat ! shades of adolf hitler right here in 2005 , only in south florida lololol regards, lonnie