Ray Routhier writes about pop culture, entertainment, music, TV and lifestyle issues. In more than 23 years at the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, he has been continually fascinated with stories that show the unique character of Maine’s people and places. The word he uses most for stories he’s drawn to is “quirky.”
He’s written about the changing cable TV and Internet landscapes, and what those changes mean for the future of information and entertainment. He’s dug clams, raked blueberries and rode on the back of a garbage truck, all in pursuit of stories about real Mainers. He’s had a ball interviewing a range of celebrities from Anna Kendrick and Patrick Dempsey to Billy Joel and Tony Bennett.
His passions, besides writing, include baseball history, old movies and “Jeopardy!” A native of Manchester, N.H., he graduated with a degree in political science from the University of New Hampshire. He lives in South Portland with his wife and two daughters.
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PublishedNovember 23, 2020
Make time, and space, for these holiday events
Maine holiday events have been adapted for safety this year, including several driving events featuring festive light displays.
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PublishedNovember 23, 2020
Run & Eat: Sample several dumplings from BaoBao for a takeout treat
The Portland restaurant has online ordering and an easy curbside pickup system.
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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 9, 2020
Local theaters host virtual readings
Portland Stage presents John Cariani, reading from his new novel version of ‘Almost, Maine,’ and Acorn Productions puts on a reading of ‘Madeleines,’ by Bess Welden.
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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 26, 2020
Never fear, there’s still plenty of Halloween events happening this year
Halloween this year is on a Saturday night, so even during a pandemic, there’ll be scary-good things to do in Maine.
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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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