Ray Routhier has written about pop culture, movies, TV, music and lifestyle trends for the Portland Press Herald since 1993. He is continually fascinated with stories that show the unique character of Maine’s people and places. He’s written about why so many businesses use the made-up word “Mainely” in their names, how you can trace Portland’s history through its various smells and why Mainers lament the loss of Portland-made B&M baked beans. He’s interviewed a wide variety of filmmakers, actors, musicians and authors, including Patrick Dempsey, Tony Shalhoub, Richard Russo, Tess Gerritsen, Tony Bennett, Anna Kendrick, and Stephen King. His passions, besides writing, include baseball history, old movies and “Jeopardy!” A native of Manchester, New Hampshire, he graduated with a degree in political science from the University of New Hampshire. He lives in South Portland with his wife and two children.
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PublishedNovember 13, 2020
As the weather cools, more outdoor diners become ‘early birds’
The pandemic has pushed the dinner hour up, especially this fall in Maine, as outdoor diners try to take advantage of the relative daytime warmth.
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PublishedNovember 8, 2020
Adaptive sports program helps veterans stay connected through outdoor recreation
Participants say the VAST program, run by veteran and olympic skier Kristina Sabasteanski through the New Gloucester nonprofit Pineland Farms, is even more important amidst the isolation of the pandemic.
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PublishedNovember 5, 2020
With pre-election polls so far off, so often, should we pay any attention to them?
Pollsters and election experts say there are just too many, done to varying degrees of thoroughness, to provide any real value to voters.
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PublishedNovember 1, 2020
Pandemic-driven anxiety hits new heights as election nears
Health officials say the U.S. is in the midst of a mental health crisis, as the weight of the upcoming election, the pandemic and social unrest wreak havoc on people’s sense of well-being and shatter many of their daily structures.
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PublishedNovember 1, 2020
Collaborative online exhibit puts Osher library on the map
The USM institution is among 10 top map libraries in the country featured in a digital project called ‘Mapping A World of Cities.’
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PublishedOctober 31, 2020
65 people face quarantine at 2 Portland schools after cases of COVID-19 detected
Superintendent Xavier Botana says 65 students and staff at Portland High School and Lyman Moore Middle School are affected after four cases of COVID-19 were detected there and at two other schools.
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PublishedOctober 26, 2020
Why does Portland have a John Ford statue?
The Oscar-winning director from Hollywood’s Golden Age grew up in Portland, but it took a friend of Ford’s from Louisiana to get his hometown to formally recognize his achievements.
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PublishedOctober 20, 2020
Pandemic means trick-or-treating will be trickier this Halloween
State and local officials say the tradition of giving out candy carries a risk of spreading COVID-19, leading some people to look for creative alternatives to celebrate Halloween.
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PublishedOctober 12, 2020
Maine musicians find ways to get by but worry about winter
They’ve turned their homes into concert venues, rented themselves out for shows, played for tips online and dipped into savings to keep their careers alive during the pandemic.
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PublishedOctober 8, 2020
Nickelodeon Cinemas closes temporarily, citing lack of films
The movie house in downtown Portland opened in August but a lack of new films led management to close again Sept. 30, with the hope of reopening again in November.
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