In response to Robert Andrew Powell's article "TV From There" (October 8): It's disappointing to see that WAMI-TV, which started with the aim of boosting South Florida TV with original shows and series, has only served to drain its talent. I can't wait to see The Brady Bunch make an appearance, or perhaps shows such as Wayne's World. At least they were good.
Robert Seplin
Hollywood
The Swap Shop Circus: The Greatest Sham on Earth
Ah, the Swap Shop ("The Sultan of Swap," Sean Rowe, October 1). Watch a 6000-pound elephant stand on her head. Watch a woman be turned by a magician into an old, limping tiger. The Swap Shop has been boring audiences for years with their pathetic circus show.
Perhaps the act is a testament to owner Preston Henn's old-fashioned ideas of entertainment, or perhaps it's simply that he's not so creative when it comes to his advertising budget. (He spends over $1 million annually to keep the circus alive!)
The crowds don't come for the elephants, Preston. Do something good, offer the animals an early retirement.
Brooke Bailey
Lake Worth
Quit Pecking at Henn and Enjoy the Greatest Bargain on Earth
While I must agree with the reaction of letters in the October 8 New Times concerning Mr. Henn and the abuse of animals, any and all, the writers of those letters are missing the bigger picture.
Henn may use a circus as an attraction to lure tourists and keep his vendors busy with customers, but the Swap Shop provides the area with a unique market, a market where, for a small price, a local resident can lease a space and unload his garage at unbeatable prices. That in itself is the attraction. Everyone loves searching for a bargain. The Swap Shop has thousands of them.
Like it or not, the Swap Shop serves our community, both buyers and sellers alike. And on Henn's behalf, not too long ago, he did get rid of the circus to offer shoppers other types of entertainment. That fell through, so the circus is back, but no one should blame the drawbacks of the circus with the success of the Swap Shop. One negative doesn't cancel out the positive benefits.
Mark Axel
Margate
We're Starting to See a Pattern
I was appalled after reading the October 1 article about Preston Henn and his Swap Shop. I'd like to thank New Times for printing the two letters from readers on October 8 that spelled out the pathetic nature of the flea market's resident animal circus.
Federal and state laws regulating the treatment of circus animals are minimal and shoddily enforced. The fact is that elephants remain chained to the ground most of the time, and the great cats spend their days and nights in cages barely big enough to turn around in.
If you do take your kids to the Swap Shop circus, point out to them that it's a textbook example of how not to treat animals.
Nan Vollbracht
Cooper City
