Main Street Matters

Looking festive

2008-12-09T14:04:00.000-08:00

Local churches, businesses, and other groups have been decorating the streetlamps on Main Street, following a Christmas Tree theme. We didn't get in line for that due to missing the memo, but we're regretting it, partly because some of them are fun, some are lovely, and WE could have taken a shot at it! Another reason is that the ambulance crew decorated the tree with various tools of the life-saving trade. Don't get me wrong; I've been on the receiving end of their attention, and I'm a fan, but there's just something goofy about a tree decorated with neck-braces, rubber gloves, surgical masks, and the like, don't you think?

Happy December

2008-12-04T10:35:00.001-08:00

We've already had a bit of snow, with more on the way today or tomorrow.

Main Street is looking lovely. Early darkness sure shows off the lights from our various store fronts and lamp posts, but folks are worrying about getting through their holiday chores before bad weather makes that more of a challenge.

Work continues on the new post office (it's nearly closed in, so interior construction can continue during the winter). New windows have been installed on the building that formerly housed Ned's restaurant, but I haven't heard of any tenants yet. This is a tough time to start a retail business, but Winthrop people understand customer loyalty, and will support good local enterprise once it takes root.

The Keep Maine Strong initiative, sponsored by several Chambers of Commerce, has a great message for Winthrop and the rest of our state. Let's hope that, this holiday season, Mainers remember the Main Street business owners who regularly contribute to their communities, whether it's stuff for silent auctions or time spent in committee work.

If you shop in a big box store, or buy from internet sites, but go into your local retail store when you need a booster club donation or a yearbook ad, think about the logic, or lack of logic, in that choice.

Ugh...Killing Books

2008-11-28T14:11:00.001-08:00

Every once in a while someone orders a paperback from us, and doesn't pick it up. Sometimes it's because they have changed phone numbers and we weren't able to contact them to let them know their order was here. Sometimes it's because their circumstances have changed and they just can't afford it. Sometimes we never know why, but the book will take up residence here. If nobody else seems to want it either (go figure), we will eventually need to send it back.

Here's when it gets ugly.

Publishers and distributors will only take the front cover, not the whole book. No, I have no idea why they don't just use it to fill an order from some other bookseller; that's just the way it works.

That's when we have to bite the bullet and start killing books so we can get most of our money back. We tear off the covers, and recycle the rest. Those coverless books can neither be sold nor given away, or we'd be violating the terms of our contracts with book suppliers.

So today we got to it, and ugh...it just never gets easier.

State Budget Slashed; Education Takes the Hit

2008-11-20T13:31:00.000-08:00

Today's news, according to the Kennebec Journal, is that, due to a budget shortfall, the state budget must be trimmed by $80 million.

Today's news was also in our e-mail In Box this morning, as teacher after teacher wrote to say that their budgets have been frozen, making them unable to spend money on books, money they were initially allocated last September.

Talk about real life being "ripped from the headlines"!

This will impact small businesses, those that employ most Mainers. It will bring layoffs, leading to increased unemployment and reduced state income tax revenues...a downward spiral.

Let's hope the expected economic upturn next year comes, and is substantial.

In the meantime, our schools need help from all of us in their efforts to meet student needs.

Every community has folks who regularly, and generously, donate to nonprofits. If you're one of these fine folks, I hope you will look closer to home, and help out our kids and teachers. Without you there will be no more field trips, no special programs...and no new books.

New Jobs, Business Heating Up....Whew!

2008-11-19T12:56:00.000-08:00

Between yesterday and today, two new employers held open houses right here in Winthrop, announcing hundreds of new jobs coming to town. Yesterday, NotifyMD, a company working with medical practices nationwide to improve communications and patient care, and today, Gold Bridge Partners, professional software developers, have announced moves to Winthrop. Cheers to the Winthrop Area Chamber of Commerce, the Western Kennebec Economic Development Alliance, Code Enforcement Officer Beth Young and the Winthrop Planning Board for facilitating. Work continues on the post office, with bricklayers plying their craft every day. The view in the photo is from across the street at Key Bank. Our own business is full steam ahead, with a book fair going out to Temple Beth El in Augusta, a new regional book club, and holiday orders being placed and picked up. Winthrop is truly a great place to live and run a business.

Randall Probert

2008-11-17T14:08:00.000-08:00

Randall Probert is one of Maine's many well-kept literary secrets. Retired from a twenty-year career as a Maine Warden in the Matagamon region, he took up writing, publishing a growing line of titles, both non-fiction and fiction. An engaging and pleasant gentleman, he darkens our door here at Apple Valley Books at unscheduled intervals, a stack of books under his arm. Usually we have several of each of his titles at a time, always autographed. We think you'll enjoy his tales of the Maine woods and back-woods Mainers, mined from a lifetime of experience. Although we can get anything, we can only manage easy-as-pie Paypal buttons for a handful of titles at a time. He's worth the space, we think, so all of Randall's books are available here for easy ordering!

Book Fair Week

2008-11-13T14:00:00.000-08:00

We're in the middle of the Winthrop Grade School Book Fair, organized by the PTA, and wow is it going well! The kids are happy, the books are going like hotcakes, maybe even like books about hotcakes, and Lynn Plourde is going to do a reading and sign some copies of her numerous and fabulous kids' books this evening. Until we put everything back together after tomorrow, fair warning, our selection for kids is a bit thin, but that's a small price to pay. What's big with kids right now? Kittens, puppies, fairies, horses, Skippyjon Jones books, and Camp Confidential. Subject to change without notice, of course.

Book Fair Season

2008-11-11T10:15:00.000-08:00

All those boxes of children's books piled up between our shelving units are now off the floor and on display at Winthrop Grade School.

Tomorrow, happy young readers will be picking books to take home, and it will all benefit the PTA and enable the group to fill teacher requests. At a time when school budgets are shrinking, fundraisers like this are essential, and need all the community support they can get.

Each year more schools invite us to do their events, both because they understand how important it is to support local business, and because they appreciate the great selection of books, and only books, that we send.

I've always noticed that books look much better when we've sent them off to a school for a book fair. Maybe it's because the books are set out on tables, which shows off the art on the covers. Maybe it's because the kids' excitement is catching. Whatever the reason, we love doing it!

Blog...What Blog?

2008-11-10T12:13:00.000-08:00

When we started this blog, we had hoped to have the time to keep it current. It would be a way to remind folks in the Winthrop area that their Main Street has a life of its own, and is worth visiting. It would be a way for folks who have moved away, temporarily or permanently, to keep in touch with what's happening here. Good ideas all, but sometimes real live intervenes. Clearly, and gratefully, our wonderful customers have kept us too busy to post updates.

OK, we'll try again, and try harder.

So....what's new downtown?

Work continues on our post office, right across the street from our shop. The old post office, once a local auto dealership, will be demolished to make more parking space. I can't say I'm happy about that, since we really need more retail space on Main Street.

The former Ned's building has been sold, and is being remodeled. So far the work looks just beautiful, with granite around the doorway, and nice front windows to follow. The owner is looking for tenants, and we hope to have new neighbors soon. If I had my "druthers" I'd love an A-1 Diner spinoff here, a place which would bring us both home-style meatloaf and mashed, and specialties which include interesting ethnic fare.

New Gift Items are coming in!

2008-03-18T07:56:00.001-07:00

After a pretty dry spell with some of the potters that we carry, we're making progress. Shell, of Raw Earth Designs, just delivered mugs, regular and thumb-style (these ones you hold in the palm of your hand, great for warming arthritis-stiffness).

Shell is wonderful.

Also, we're expecting a delivery any day now from a new potter who has very nice designs and beautiful colors, Turningstone Pottery. Watch for it! We're starting with a few pieces, mostly mugs, but can also get really well-made place-settings in any of their colors. Nice people, beautiful work; we can't wait!

We also have many new art tiles, our only major import just now, from Black Dog of Wells, a unique family business from across the pond. They were so nice to us with the exchange rate, that our prices are actually very good on these.

Great Gift Books!

2007-12-06T11:44:00.000-08:00

There are so many good books recently released, that we hardly know where to begin!

"At One In a Place Called Maine" by popular children's author Lynn Plourde is a gorgeously illustrated poetic expression of how great a place Maine is. We agree, of course!

"The Story of Sugarloaf" by John Christie is a beautiful coffee-table book for anyone with an interest in that spectacular mountain.

"The City of Dogs" by Livi Michael is a charming modern fantasy for kids anywhere near middle school age, featuring a charming cast of (surprise!) dogs. This is our pick for best recent juvenile novel.

"Here If You Need Me" by Kate Braestrup is memoir by a Maine Warden Service chaplain. This is our biggest repeat sale of the season, with many people liking it so much that they purchase several more as gifts.

"Be the Pack Leader" by Cesar Millan, the well-known dog whisperer, is a great idea for anyone owned by a dog on your gift list.

Yes, we know Rachael Ray has a new book out, and it's good, of course, but don't overlook the "What Can I Bring? Cookbook" by Anne Byrn. We cooked the first recipe we opened to, loved it, and plan to work our way through much of the book. The recipes are intended to work for potlucks, parties, and so on, but many of them are great for everyday cooking.

"T is for Trespass" is Sue Grafton's latest Kinsey Millhone mystery, too knew for us to have read it yet! We trust her to have written another charming nail-biter of an adventure. We also wonder what she'll do when she runs out of letters; do you suppose she might take a cue from the hurricane naming system, and start using greek letters?

"The War, an Intimate History" provides a massive print/still companion to the film documentary. Great for the history buff, or anyone who remembers.

Remember "The Dangerous Book for Boys"? If you have boys in your family, chances are you own one. Now there's a "Daring Book for Girls" by Miriam Peskowitz, so the girls don't feel so left out! This is not at all a way to keep the girls sewing and cooking, by the way, with sections on paper airplanes, campfire songs, making a seine net, and on and on.

"At One In a Place Called Maine" by popular children's author Lynn Plourde is a gorgeously illustrated poetic expression of how great a place Maine is. We agree, of course!

--Eric

Art Fair!

2007-08-18T11:17:00.001-07:00

In spite of forecasts, today started off pouring down rain, but the art fair folks got going anyway, and the weather stayed mostly nice, albeit windy. Local author Lynn Plourde spent several hours signing books, mostly her two new ones, Dino Pets and A Mountain of Mittens. The art show is still going on as I write this, and there's some great stuff...my personal pick, if I didn't have more art than I know what to do with, is a print called, I think, "Reclining Chakras", a clever and striking version of the quabalistic tree of life by Jeri Holt. Neat!
--Eric

Silence of the Songbirds

2007-08-03T11:23:00.000-07:00

After providing books for sale at a Kennebec Land Trust author event recently, we have a few signed copies left of Bridget Stutchbury's book, Silence of the Songbirds. These would make a great gift for the birder in your family (doesn't every family have one?), or for yourself, of course! The author, a professor of biology in Toronto, explores the many facets of the steady decline in migrating songbirds. Prepare yourself to be convinced--it's happening, and it's important. Allow me to expand the topic to the Land Trust, quietly doing a great deal of land preservation for almost twenty years now. If you love this area, as we do, and value the wild character of the still-undeveloped places, then your bequest, donation, or volunteer time could not go to a better organization. To see a map of the lands they have purchased for preservation, see the map. --Eric

Survived Harry Potter 7!

2007-07-26T09:54:00.000-07:00

Whew! We had our usual midnight opening, so all the boy-wizard fans could start in on the final installment of Harry Potter. People in cloaks, robes, and feathers lined up all the way to the Post Office, with props like a goblet of fire and, of course, brooms! We didn't run out of books, but boy, it was close. Well, now that I think of it, we spent part of the following Monday without stock, but at least nobody had to wait more than a day.
Rita has finished it (first day, actually), but I am taking my time and savoring it. The real question is, what will scratch that "great fantasy" itch next? My own recommendation for kids is Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson" stories. All I know is, it's fun searching, and a new book is always a treat!
--Eric

Saturday events for 07-21-07

2007-07-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

Just a few things to point out:
There will be a large yard-sale event down at the end of Royal Street near the car-wash the the Wicked Bean Saturday morning. The folks at the Wicked Bean make dynamite coffee, so it's worth the trip, even if you don't find that genuine Downeast Tree Squeak Beanie Baby to complete your collection!
We will be blearily (after the midnight Harry Potter sales) providing the new Harry Potter book for sale at Cumston Library starting at around 9:00 in the morning in Monmouth.
If the weather drives you indoors, the Theater at Monmouth is performing Charlotte's Web at 2:00, then Sight Unseen at 7:30. If you haven't been there before, we urge you to give it a try; they never disappoint! For details, their full summer schedule, or to reserve tickets, call their box office at 933-9999.

Harry Potter Night!

2007-07-10T10:06:00.000-07:00

As always, we will be opening our doors at midnight on the morning of the Harry Potter book release! We understand that everybody just wants to get their book and head home with it, so we won't make you wait through any games, contests, etc. We will have a few giveaway items, and a life-sized promotion standup that will go to the best-dressed fan. Oh, and stacks of books! This will be Friday night, July 20th, for the release of the book in the first minutes of the 21st. To reserve a copy, just call us at 377-3967; no need for a deposit or prepayment. --Eric

Essential stops

2007-07-10T09:38:00.000-07:00

We were visiting Stonington last weekend, and stopped at a couple of our favorite food-places along the way.
On Route 3 in Liberty, "John's Ice Cream" is too easy to miss. If you spot it, it is so worth a stop! I always get the toasted coconut, and Rita always gets the ginger. Mmm...
A new restaurant in the Blue Hill area is "El El Frijoles". (Spanglish for L.L. Beans, I'm assuming, so you know they have a sense of humor). They have California-style Mexican food, all made right there in the kitchen. Home-made salsa bar, very friendly staff, and a casual woodsy setting combine to make it a real treat. The address is 41 Caterpillar Hill Road in Sargentville, but we think of it as "on the left, on Route 15, about two miles before you cross the bridge onto Little Deer Isle."
Of course, there's good food a lot closer to Winthrop, but that's another post... --Eric

Bumperstickers...a good laugh

2007-07-02T12:53:00.000-07:00

I always enjoy watching (and listening) to customers as they look through our bumper stickers. There's a sure sign when someone has reached our box of stickers while browsing our shelves: the sound of laughter.

Some political (left leaning, frequently), some environmental (if one can actually separate politics from the environment these days), some just clever, our stickers get lots of attention, and I love seeing them on cars around town. --Rita

Patriot Guard Riders

2007-06-28T07:31:00.000-07:00

What do I do when I'm not reading (or selling) books? This week I used my time off with the Patriot Guard Riders, appearing in support of the family of Sgt. Parker, one of Maine's fallen soldiers. If you've seen me demonstrating against the war, this may surprise you, but I have no trouble reconciling the two positions. I just learned from my step-son, Michael, that he will soon be deployed again to Iraq for fifteen months. I know who to blame for the war, and it's not the soldiers. The Patriot Guard, a national group of motorcyclists from all walks of life and all over the political spectrum, have given me a great venue for expressing my support. Here's a photo by daughter Branwen (Michael's sister, and another PGR member), of me with some of the others this Tuesday up in Salem. --Eric

Local Author To Appear

2007-06-28T06:40:00.000-07:00

Local author Lynn Plourde will be here on Saturday morning, June 30th from 9:00 to 11:00. She'll be available to autograph and personalize copies of her new books, Dino Pets and Mountains of Mittens, and we'll also have lots of copies of her other titles as well.

Lynn delights in discussing her books with her fans, so the morning should be lots of fun.

At the same time, the Main Street merchants will be hosting a big yard sale, and the Farmers' Market will be in full swing across the street.

Should be a great event...hope you can stop by.

Teacher Orders

2007-06-21T11:27:00.001-07:00

Since both partners in our business have been teachers, serving schools has always been a big part of our business. Over the years we have shipped books to schools all over New England...literally from Connecticut to the Canadian border. Because of our experience in this field, we've learned that teachers appreciate getting all their books together in one box, and that paying invoices is much easier for administrative personnel if each purchase order is billed out separately. It's that kind of service that sets us apart from the big box stores, and we're proud of it.

School orders come in cycles. Since most are on a July 1 to June 30 fiscal year, there is sometimes a rush to get remaining funds encumbered by the end of June, while orders for the next school year are being put together. It's a very busy time, and don't be surprised if you find us surrounded by book boxes when you come in to shop! --Rita

Mountain of Mittens from Lynn Plourde

2007-06-18T07:14:00.000-07:00

Winthrop author Lynn Plourde has a new book, just arrived in our store this morning. It's A Mountain of Mittens, illustrated by Mitch Vane, and it's a hoot.

You'll chuckle as you read about Molly, who keeps losing her mittens (parents and grandparents know all about that!). Her parents try a chain of yarn, and then duct tape, both with disastrous results, as more and more of Molly's mittens end up in the "lost and found" pile.

Does Molly ever figure out how to keep track of her mittens? Read A Mountain of Mittens and you'll find out. --Rita

Book Buzz

2007-06-15T05:06:00.001-07:00

Another chilly morning, with mist on the surface of our beautiful lakes and people wondering when summer will arrive.

The biggest book-buzz is around Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle these days. Kingsolver, who's always a good read, has outdone herself. The book describes her family's year of eating local, mostly home-grown, food. There are anecdotes, recipes, and comments from teenage daughter Camille. The book goes further, however, into the often troubling politics of food, describing how the Farm Bill hurts local farmers, what feedlots are like (skip this section if you ever want to buy supermarket meat again), and how labels are often deceptive.

If you're looking for a good read, and care about the food you give your family, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is for you. It's our best seller right now. There's a related website for you to check out as well: http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com. --Rita

Happy June

2007-06-14T06:22:00.000-07:00

The weather may still be unseasonably chilly, and the sun still in hiding, but there's an unmistakable energy here in downtown Winthrop.

Our summer residents are coming back home, stopping by for updates on what happened over the winter, and otherwise re-weaving themselves into our local fabric. It's one of those "turning of the year" things I enjoy most.

Now all we need is some good late spring weather to make it all perfect. --Rita

DVDs for Kids about Maine?

2007-06-11T09:04:00.000-07:00

Just had an interesting question from a customer: is there a market for DVDs on Maine for younger kids? Seems he's a video pro whose own young children are going into preschool, and he's got the time and talent to produce a quality product. I gave him advice and encouragement, as we do for all local entrepreneurs, and am looking forward to seeing his final product. Good Luck! --Rita