Ashley Hebert, 26, is one of the 30 female contestants on the new season of the hit reality show.
Ray Routhier
Staff Writer
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.
Posted inLife & Culture
It’s a dirty job
But somebody’s gotta love it — and it could be you, finding that learning to be a Master Gardener really grows on you.
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Posted inArts & Entertainment, Books
Author Q&A: Making the best of the worst of times
Charles Dickens’ wife of 22 years wasn’t the loser he claimed she was when he dumped her, a Bates College professor discovers.
Posted inUncategorized
Power struggle
It’s the time of year when a Mainer’s thoughts turn to getting a generator for the inevitable outages winter brings. But what kind? How many watts? Here’s what you need to know.
Posted inLife & Culture
Music and NightlifeMarley Christmas to all, and to all a good nyuk
Maine comic Bob Marley is at the Merrill for a string of holiday shows.
Posted inLife & Culture, News
Pining for a tree? He’ll help
After I helped Lee Randall lay a 6-foot-long balsam fir on the roof rack of a Jeep Cherokee, he handed me some twine and asked “How are your knots?”
That’s something I’d never pondered. But now, as I helped Randall sell Christmas trees on a Friday evening at O’Donal’s Nursery in Gorham, my knots were definitely in question.
I quickly wrapped the twine around the roof rack three, maybe four times, to make sure it would hold. Then I tied a knot — the only knot I know how to tie, but don’t ask me its name. Then I doubled it, and tripled it, and quadrupled it.
Posted inLife & Culture
Festive (Just don’t digest it)
But it’s not true that the poor, pilloried poinsettia is poisonous – at worst it could give you, or kitty, an upset stomach. So go ahead and use it in your holiday decor.
Posted inLife & Culture
Something ‘different’ for the holidays
You can have a blue Christmas, courtesy of an Elvis impersonator, or a bit of burlesque – and those are just a couple of the less traditional ways Mainers can celebrate the season.
Posted inBusiness, News
Pin setters right up mechanic’s alley
Maine at Work: Our reporter gets his hands – and his khakis – dirty behind the scenes at Bayside Bowl.
Posted inLife & Culture
Open House: Nesting instinct
The Weirs of West Bath wanted a home that really fit them — and got one with an open plan, tons of storage, a tree-filled lot and soaring windows that invite the outside in.