George Schindler, Dean of the Society of American Magicians, had very troubling news on this morning's SAMTalk listserve.

We're including the entire press-release from Barry's Magic Shop because it so effectively relates the incredible situation facing Barry's Magic Shop. 

In a time when many brick-and-mortar magic stores are closing for want of business, the Montgomery County (MD) officials hope to evict the store to improve the sidewalk and alley way. 

But we are still in a democracy and while it may be tough to fight City Hall, it's not impossible. 

We're reminded of a Tommy Cooper joke:

    An explorer comes across a proud pigmy standing next to a dead elephant. 

    "Did you kill this elephant?" the explorer asks.

    "I did," says the pigmy.

    "With what?" asks the explorer.

    "I killed it with my club."

    The explorer looks at the pigmy and asks, "How big is your club?"

    "We've got about 500 members," says the pigmy.

There is strength in numbers. 

Here is the press release:

Barry’s Magic Shop Threatened With Eviction by Montgomery County After 31 years in Business in Wheaton, Maryland.

JUNE 14, 2006: The owners of Barry’s Magic Shop, Mr. Barry Taylor and Ms. Susie Kang, are dismayed to inform our many loyal customers and the general public that our beloved magic business located at 11234 Georgia Avenue in Wheaton, Maryland, is being threatened with eviction by Montgomery County through the Wheaton Redevelopment Program, which on May 31, 2006 forcibly acquired title to the building that we lease through a condemnation action. 

Tragically, unless we are able to promptly work out suitable alternative arrangements with Montgomery County, the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area may well lose its last remaining magic shop.

Ironically, Barry’s Magic Shop not only serves professional and amateur magicians, as well as young children interested in learning the traditional performing art of magic, from throughout Montgomery County, Maryland, but it actually attracts many hundreds of customers to Wheaton’s declining business district from relatively distant locations such as Fairfax County, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Annapolis, Maryland, and beyond. 

Customers who visit us at our Wheaton magic shop often patronize other local businesses in the area, such as delicatessens, coffee shops, and the like. We are puzzled as to how using taxpayer-generated public funds to potentially snuff out our wholesome, family-oriented business constitutes community redevelopment.

Montgomery County plans to demolish the building which we have leased for 31 years so that it can improve the alley sidewalk which connects Georgia Avenue to the parking lot behind our building. 

It is a shame that the County has not given more serious consideration to creative ways to beautify and improve that sidewalk without demolishing our building and threatening our small business.

While Montgomery County has stated that they wish to cooperate with us to assist us in relocating to another building, and we welcome good faith cooperation, a forced relocation would place an enormous financial strain on our small family-owned and operated business. 

Furthermore, we are unlikely to quickly find any suitable alternative business site which has the space and commercial access for anywhere near the rent that we have been paying under our lease.

We truly doubt whether Montgomery County fully considered the unique family-oriented nature of our magic shop and its customers, as compared to other alternative sites in the vicinity which might have been used for enhanced pedestrian access in Wheaton. 

At this point in time, we do not know what the outcome of this terrible conundrum that we are facing will be, and frankly, facing this uncertainty has been very stressful to us at a personal level.
We ask for the prayers and support from our loyal customers and friends in Montgomery County, Maryland, where we have lived and worked for decades. 

Please promptly send (by email or letter) your respectful expressions of support for Barry’s Magic Shop to the government officials listed below, along with copies to us in order that we may keep track of your efforts. 

Every letter helps.  Your letter may make the difference!  Thank you very much for your many years of support as our customers and friends.

Barry Taylor & Susie Kang, Barry’s Magic Shop, 301-933-0373,
magic@erols.com, http://www.barrysmagicshop.com

Montgomery County Executive
Douglas M. Duncan
Executive Office Building
101 Monroe Street, 2nd Floor
Rockville, MD 20850
(240) 777-2500
TTY (240) 777-2544
Email: douglas.duncan@montgomerycountymd.gov

 

Joseph R. Davis, Director

Wheaton Redevelopment Program

Montgomery County Maryland

2424 Reedie Drive

Wheaton, MD 20902

(240) 777-8125

Joseph.davis@montgomerycountymd.gov

 

Tom Perez, Councilmember (District 5, Wheaton)

Montgomery County Maryland

100 Maryland Ave, 6th Floor
Rockville, MD 20850
(240) 777-7966
Councilmember.Perez@montgomerycountymd.gov

 

Ms. Nancy Floreen, Councilmember

Montgomery County Maryland

100 Maryland Avenue, 6th Floor

Rockville, MD  20850

(240) 777-7959

councilmember.floreen@montgomerycountymd.gov

 

Ms. Marilyn J. Praisner, Councilmember

Montgomery County Maryland

100 Maryland Avenue, 6th Floor

Rockville, MD  20850

(240) 777-7968

councilmember.praisner@montgomerycountymd.gov

 

George Leventhal, Councilmember and Council President

Montgomery County Maryland

100 Maryland Avenue, 6th Floor

Rockville, MD  20850

(240) 777-7811

councilmember.leventhal@montgomerycountymd.gov

 

Howard A. Denis, Councilmember

Montgomery County Maryland

100 Maryland Avenue, 6th Floor

Rockville, MD  20850

(240) 777-7964

councilmember.denis@montgomerycountymd.gov

 

Steve Silverman, Councilmember

Montgomery County Maryland

100 Maryland Avenue, 6th Floor

Rockville, MD  20850

(240) 777-7960

councilmember.silverman@montgomerycountymd.gov

 

Michael L. Subin, Councilmember

Montgomery County Maryland

100 Maryland Avenue, 6th Floor

Rockville, MD  20850

(240) 777-7828

councilmember.subin@montgomerycountymd.gov

 

Michael Knapp, Councilmember

Montgomery County Maryland

100 Maryland Avenue, 6th Floor

Rockville, MD  20850

(240) 777-7955

councilmember.knapp@montgomerycountymd.gov

 

Phil Andrews, Councilmember

Montgomery County Maryland

100 Maryland Avenue, 6th Floor

Rockville, MD  20850

(240) 777-7906

councilmember.andrews@montgomerycountymd.gov

 

Governor Robert L. Erlich, Jr.

Office of the Governor

State House

Annapolis, MD 21401-1925

http://www.gov.state.md.us/mail

 

Lieutenant Governor Michael S. Steele

Office of the Lt. Governor

State House

Annapolis, MD  21401-1925

ltgovernor@gov.state.md.us

 

Wheaton & Kensington Chamber of Commerce

wkchamber@wkchamber.org

 

George Schindler, Dean of the Society of American Magicians, had very troubling news on this morning's SAMTalk listserve.

We're including the entire press-release from Barry's Magic Shop because it so effectively relates the incredible situation facing Barry's Magic Shop. 

In a time when many brick-and-mortar magic stores are closing for want
of business, the Montgomery County (MD) officials hope to evict the
store to improve the sidewalk and alley way. 

But we are still in a democracy and while it may be tough to fight City Hall, it's not impossible. 

We're reminded of a Tommy Cooper joke:

    An explorer comes across a proud pigmy standing next to a dead elephant. 

    "Did you kill this elephant?" the explorer asks.

    "I did," says the pigmy.

    "With what?" asks the explorer.

    "I killed it with my club."

    The explorer looks at the pigmy and asks, "How big is your club?"

    "We've got about 500 members," says the pigmy.

There is strength in numbers. 

Here is the press release:

Barry’s Magic Shop Threatened With Eviction by Montgomery County After 31 years in Business in Wheaton, Maryland.

JUNE 14, 2006: The owners of Barry’s Magic Shop, Mr. Barry Taylor and
Ms. Susie Kang, are dismayed to inform our many loyal customers and the
general public that our beloved magic business located at 11234 Georgia
Avenue in Wheaton, Maryland, is being threatened with eviction by
Montgomery County through the Wheaton Redevelopment Program, which on
May 31, 2006 forcibly acquired title to the building that we lease
through a condemnation action. 

Tragically, unless we are able to promptly work out suitable
alternative arrangements with Montgomery County, the Washington, D.C.
metropolitan area may well lose its last remaining magic shop.

Ironically, Barry’s Magic Shop not only serves professional and amateur
magicians, as well as young children interested in learning the
traditional performing art of magic, from throughout Montgomery County,
Maryland, but it actually attracts many hundreds of customers to
Wheaton’s declining business district from relatively distant locations
such as Fairfax County, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Annapolis,
Maryland, and beyond. 

Customers who visit us at our Wheaton magic shop often patronize other
local businesses in the area, such as delicatessens, coffee shops, and
the like. We are puzzled as to how using taxpayer-generated public
funds to potentially snuff out our wholesome, family-oriented business
constitutes community redevelopment.

Montgomery County plans to demolish the building which we have leased
for 31 years so that it can improve the alley sidewalk which connects
Georgia Avenue to the parking lot behind our building. 

It is a shame that the County has not given more serious consideration
to creative ways to beautify and improve that sidewalk without
demolishing our building and threatening our small business.

While Montgomery County has stated that they wish to cooperate with us
to assist us in relocating to another building, and we welcome good
faith cooperation, a forced relocation would place an enormous
financial strain on our small family-owned and operated business. 

Furthermore, we are unlikely to quickly find any suitable alternative
business site which has the space and commercial access for anywhere
near the rent that we have been paying under our lease.

We truly doubt whether Montgomery County fully considered the unique
family-oriented nature of our magic shop and its customers, as compared
to other alternative sites in the vicinity which might have been used
for enhanced pedestrian access in Wheaton. 

At this point in time, we do not know what the outcome of this terrible
conundrum that we are facing will be, and frankly, facing this
uncertainty has been very stressful to us at a personal level.
We ask for the prayers and support from our loyal customers and friends
in Montgomery County, Maryland, where we have lived and worked for
decades. 

Please promptly send (by email or letter) your respectful expressions
of support for Barry’s Magic Shop to the government officials listed
below, along with copies to us in order that we may keep track of your
efforts. 

Every letter helps.  Your letter may make the difference!  Thank you
very much for your many years of support as our customers and friends.

Barry Taylor & Susie Kang, Barry’s Magic Shop, 301-933-0373,
magic@erols.com, http://www.barrysmagicshop.com

Montgomery County Executive
Douglas M. Duncan
Executive Office Building
101 Monroe Street, 2nd Floor
Rockville, MD 20850
(240) 777-2500
TTY (240) 777-2544
Email: douglas.duncan@montgomerycountymd.gov

 

Joseph R. Davis, Director

Wheaton Redevelopment Program

Montgomery County Maryland

2424 Reedie Drive

Wheaton, MD 20902

(240) 777-8125

Joseph.davis@montgomerycountymd.gov

 

Tom Perez, Councilmember (District 5, Wheaton)

Montgomery County Maryland

100 Maryland Ave, 6th Floor
Rockville, MD 20850
(240) 777-7966
Councilmember.Perez@montgomerycountymd.gov

 

Ms. Nancy Floreen, Councilmember

Montgomery County Maryland

100 Maryland Avenue, 6th Floor

Rockville, MD  20850

(240) 777-7959

councilmember.floreen@montgomerycountymd.gov

 

Ms. Marilyn J. Praisner, Councilmember

Montgomery County Maryland

100 Maryland Avenue, 6th Floor

Rockville, MD  20850

(240) 777-7968

councilmember.praisner@montgomerycountymd.gov

 

George Leventhal, Councilmember and Council President

Montgomery County Maryland

100 Maryland Avenue, 6th Floor

Rockville, MD  20850

(240) 777-7811

councilmember.leventhal@montgomerycountymd.gov

 

Howard A. Denis, Councilmember

Montgomery County Maryland

100 Maryland Avenue, 6th Floor

Rockville, MD  20850

(240) 777-7964

councilmember.denis@montgomerycountymd.gov

 

Steve Silverman, Councilmember

Montgomery County Maryland

100 Maryland Avenue, 6th Floor

Rockville, MD  20850

(240) 777-7960

councilmember.silverman@montgomerycountymd.gov

 

Michael L. Subin, Councilmember

Montgomery County Maryland

100 Maryland Avenue, 6th Floor

Rockville, MD  20850

(240) 777-7828

councilmember.subin@montgomerycountymd.gov

 

Michael Knapp, Councilmember

Montgomery County Maryland

100 Maryland Avenue, 6th Floor

Rockville, MD  20850

(240) 777-7955

councilmember.knapp@montgomerycountymd.gov

 

Phil Andrews, Councilmember

Montgomery County Maryland

100 Maryland Avenue, 6th Floor

Rockville, MD  20850

(240) 777-7906

councilmember.andrews@montgomerycountymd.gov

 

Governor Robert L. Erlich, Jr.

Office of the Governor

State House

Annapolis, MD 21401-1925

http://www.gov.state.md.us/mail

 

Lieutenant Governor Michael S. Steele

Office of the Lt. Governor

State House

Annapolis, MD  21401-1925

ltgovernor@gov.state.md.us

 

Wheaton & Kensington Chamber of Commerce

wkchamber@wkchamber.org

 

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