Joe Knows Downtown... Do You?
What business is now located in the building formerly home to Waterville's State Theater? Visit the trivia page of this site to submit your answer.

WMSt offers Public Art Mini-Grants!
WMSt is THRILLED to offer mini-grants in the amount of $500-$3500 to artists/creators interested in developing public art in Downtown Waterville. Visit the news page of this site for more info. Applications are due April 30!

Incentive for Downtown Business Creation and Expansion
...a Downtown Forgivable Loan Program to provide financial assistance to business and property owners interested in creating new businesses or significantly expanding existing businesses within the established Downtown District. more...

- Barrels Community Market
- WMSt 10th Anniversary Publication
- Meet Me Downtown Business Profiles
- Downtown Historic Walking Guide
- Downtown Partners 2011-12

- Sign up for our monthly e-newsletter
- Find us on facebook

"Meet Me Downtown" is a monthly column featuring various independent businesses in Downtown Waterville. The goal of this series is to introduce our fine merchants to the community as part of our efforts to build support for our independent business owners. If you have a suggestion for a business to be featured, please contact us at shannon@watervillemainstreet.org or 680-2055. Visit the Meet Me Downtown home page to read our other business profiles.

RE-BOOKS: Printed Matters
by Michelle Troutman

When Robert Sezak opened RE-BOOKS in 1993, "There was a wealth of bookstores in the area that sold new (first-hand) books. There hadn't been a used bookstore in Waterville for a number of years."

Sezak considers himself to have always been bookish. While growing up, he was a fan of Jack London ( White Fang , Call of the Wild , short stories). Nowadays, he enjoys mysteries and history.

RE-BOOKS is a general used bookstore, so Sezak sells a little bit of everything. "I probably have one of the best sci-fi/fantasy sections in the state. I have a strong mystery selection and a very good poetry section. I am in the process of expanding my non-fiction, especially history. I am also having a sale from now until Christmas with bargains up to 80% off selected books."

Sezak decides which books to sell based on titles he finds intriguing that he knows he has a market for, and if customers have asked for them.

He buys books if he can use them, but he is very picky, "and the market is changing drastically, so prices are becoming suppressed." Sezak won't consider buying certain books for re-sale, such as Reader's Digest Condensed Books and Harlequin romance novels.

What he likes most about the business is that he gets to be among books. Among the challenges of running a used bookstore is that you don't always know what will sell. "At any given time, 80% is dead stock -- you don't know which 80%."

Sezak modeled RE-BOOKS after bookstores owned by his friends in the Bangor area, Bill Lippincott of Lippincott Books and Pro-Libris Books, owned by Eric Fury. Like them, Sezak is transitioning his sales to the Internet. On an average day, Sezak spends much of his time entering books at Web sites Amazon.com, Biblio.com, and Half.com, and occasionally, eBay.

Beyond books, Sezak's interests include public service. He graduated from The University of Maine at Augusta with a degree in Public Administration. He is an alternate member of the Fairfield Planning Board, and was recently elected to the Fairfield town council. He is also president of the Sunset Home for Aged Women.

For now, Sezak will continue doing what he loves, living among books, fulfilling his lifelong dream of owning a bookstore.

RE-BOOKS at 25 East Concourse is open from 12 to 5pm Monday and Friday and from 10am to 5pm Tuesday through Thursday, and Saturday: 207-877-2484. Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/RE-BOOKS/116745773821

Visit the Meet Me Downtown home page to read our other business profiles.

Adams & Worth
72 Main St.
872-5424
Adams & Worth is set-up like a small home, where visitors to the kitchenette will find utensils, placemats, and dishware... more
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
Corner of Elm and Park Streets
Rev. Jeremiah Chaplin, the first president of Colby College, formed this church in 1818. Because it was illegal for a religious group to own property, an organization of pew holders was formed. ... Learn more.
For every $100 spent at a locally owned business, $45 stays in the local economy, creating jobs and expanding the city's tax base. For every $100 spent at a national chain or franchise store, only $14 remains in the community.