SEPTEMBER 25, 2020, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A3
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KEIZERTIMES.COM
McNary grad debuts Salem brick shop
Alex deMeurers turns COVID
turmoil into new Salem biz
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
Similar to what many
people
throughout
the
country have experienced this
year, Alex deMeurers’s felt the
pain of being laid off from his
job in June due to the spread
of COVID-19.
But instead of attempting
to fi nd a new occupation,
deMeurers
took
the
opportunity to fulfi ll a lifelong
aspiration.
“As it turned out, being
laid off might have been a
good thing,” deMeurers said.
The 2016 McNary grad has
been fascinated with LEGOS
since he was a kid, and even
at age 22, deMeurers is still
captivated by the popular
toys, which is why he made
the decision to open up his
own store.
Brick in the Wall, an
interactive, LEGO-themed
shop, will have its grand
Submitted
McNary High School graduate Alex deMeurers surrounded by the wares of his new south Salem
store, Brick in the Wall.
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4965 River Rd N, Keizer • 503-393-0701 • 10 am to 4 pm, Mon – Sat
opening on Friday, Sept. 25,
located at 3838 Commercial
Street S.E., in Salem. The
store is fully stocked with
plastic LEGO toy products to
be purchased, sold and traded
by customers.
Opening a LEGO store,
deMeurers admitted, has been
something he has wanted to
do his entire life.
“This is a childhood dream
come true,” deMeurers said.
“I’m really excited.”
As a kid, deMeurers used
to spend the majority of his
time playing with LEGOS for
hours on end.
“I spent most of my time as
a kid putting LEGOS together.
It became an obsession that
never went away,” deMeurers
said. “I used to play so long
and so hard my fi ngers would
bleed. I know what it is to be
a LEGO enthusiast.”
However, deMeurers wants
Brick in the Wall to be more
than a place that people come
to shop for their favorite
LEGOS.
Brick in the Wall will have
a LEGO train continually
circling the store and it will
give customers of all ages
the opportunity to play a
variety of vintage LEGO
video games in the store.
DeMeurers also will give his
customers the chance to dig
through thousands of different
LEGOS to try and fi nds the
bricks that suit them the best
— there are new and used sets
of LEGOS to match every
individual taste and challenge
level according to deMeurers.
“The goal for the store
is to make it a place where
people can come and hang
out and have fun, rather than
just having it be a shopping
experience,” deMeurers said.
Down the road, deMeurers
is hoping that his store will
be able to provide an after-
school program for youngsters
that also have a passion for
LEGOS.
deMeurers initially plans to
run the store by himself, but
wants to hire some part-time
employees in the near future.
With COVID-19 still
prevalent in the area, Brick in
the Wall requires customers
to wear masks upon entering
the store and use gloves or
hand sanitizer before and after
touching products.
But even in the middle
of a pandemic, deMeurers is
looking forward to running
his dream business.
“I really hope that everyone
loves the idea of the store as
much as I do,” deMeurers said.
Brick in the Wall will be
open Tuesday through Sunday
from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. — with
the exception of Saturday,
where the store will stay open
until 8 p.m.
For more information
contact deMeurers at 503-
383-9559 or visit the store’s
website, www.brickinthewall.
store.
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WorshipDirectory
These Salem-Keizer houses of worship invite you to visit. Call to list your church in our Worship Directory: (503) 390-1051
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503 -393 - 0222 • KeizerCommunityChurch.com
SUNDAY:
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www.KeizerChristian.org