Category: News

Quality of Life 22/11/03

Energy worries

President and chief executive officer of Eversource Energy Joseph R. Nolan Jr. has expressed concern about possible energy shortages in New England this coming winter, WMUR reported. In a recent letter to President Joe Biden, Nolan said the region’s electricity grid operator and the federal Energy Regulatory Commission fear that there wouldn’t be enough natural gas to meet the region’s power needs during an extended stretch of cold weather. Nolan called on the president to utilize the emergency powers of the federal government — citing emergency authorities such as the Federal Power Act, the Jones Act, the Natural Gas Policy Act and the Defense Production Act — to ensure that New England has access to adequate fuel resources, should severe weather conditions occur.

QOL score: -2

Comment: Eversource has been working to increase investments in clean energy resources, Nolan said in the letter, but many of those projects are still years away from being implemented.

Third safest state

A recent WalletHub study ranked New Hampshire as the third safest U.S. state to live in. The study looked at various factors, such as rates of violent crime, the number of law enforcement employees and active firefighters, rates of substance abuse and overdose deaths, suicide rates, the number of registered sex offenders, household financial security and rates of bankruptcy, rates of workplace injuries and fatalities, Covid vaccination rates, motor vehicle fatalities and more. New Hampshire ranked especially well for its low numbers of murders and non-negligent manslaughters per capita (No. 1), assaults per capita (No. 2), fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel (No. 3) and fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 full-time workers (No. 4).

QOL score: +1

Comment: New Hampshire follows Maine at No. 2 and Vermont at No. 1 on the list.

New Hampshire surgical center recognized

The Bedford Ambulatory Surgical Center was recently named in Newsweek’s list of top 500 Ambulatory Surgical Centers in the U.S. According to a press release, the list, compiled in collaboration with the market research firm Statista, was based on a survey of more than 4,000 medical professionals and performance data from more than 5,000 ambulatory surgical centers. “To be named one of the top ASC’s in the country and the only one in New Hampshire is an honor and a testimony to our dedication and our caring doctors, nurses and staff,” BASC founder Nick Vailas said in the release.

QOL score: +1

Comment: BASC, now in its 30th year, employs 40 doctors and performs 13,000 procedures every year, including colonoscopies and endoscopies; imaging and orthopedics for total hip, knee and shoulder replacements; cataract removal and more.

Electric school buses

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program is awarding $2,765,000 from President Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law to two school districts in New Hampshire. According to a press release, the funds will allow Henniker and Rumney schools to purchase seven clean electric school buses. “These buses are a win-win for our economy and the sustainability of our environment by giving us cleaner air, reducing health risks for children and often providing lower fuel and maintenance costs,” U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who helped negotiate the bipartisan infrastructure law along with U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan, said in the release.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The districts receiving the funds were chosen “with a particular focus on reducing air pollution in historically-disadvantaged areas with priority needs,” EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash said.

QOL score: 83

Net change: 1

QOL this week: 84


What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

If I were the owner

When I come back in my next life I’m going to concentrate on making serious money.

The plan would be to come back in the ’70s and head straight to Vegas to bet on all the games I know the outcome of already, like Biff in Back to the Future Part II. Then after I get banned from the casinos I take my winnings to Wall Street to buy stocks like CMGI when it was at $1 a share and dump it at $140 right before the tech bubble burst.Then I’d find young Bill Gates and Steve Jobs and be the angel investor for Apple and Microsoft, which would give me real money after the initial public offering.

All this would be for the purpose of going on a spending spree to buy my own professional teams and/or entire sports leagues or media-related entities so I could bring back good things that have faded away and eliminate insanities that have emerged as people are afraid to go against trends and say the emperor has no clothes.

I would do so emphatically if I owned any of the following.

Boston Red Sox

I’d fire the analytics department before I found my new office.

I’d hire a stadium architect to figure out a way to make up the equal number of seats that would be lost if they pulled out all the old/ancient seats at Fenway to put in modern replacements wide enough to actually be comfortable through a whole game. With the proviso that not a blade of grass will be changed on the playing field.

Then for on the field in 2023, I’d do the following;

(1) Fire Chaim Bloom as GM. No hard feelings, buddy. You’re just not my cup of tea.

(2) Sign Xander Bogaerts to a six-year deal at high market rates with the proviso that when Marcelo Mayer is ready he moves to center field, or third if Raffy Devers leaves or goes to first.

(3) Get seriously into the Aaron Judge sweepstakes to get the right fielder they need and make 3-4-5 in the order a bear, or to drive up the price for the Yankees to inhibit future spending.

(4) Give in to the bullpen-crazed world of today and make Chris Sale the closer, to save his arm, with Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck the set-up guys to lock up the last three innings.

(5) Entertain trade offers made on everyone else to reset the team with the right deals. Though it would take a whopper to send Devers away.

The Patriots

Don’t care if it takes 20 years, I’d sign Coach B to a lifetime contract to insure he makes it to win record 348 as a Patriot to go past Don Shula after his classless 2007 during the failed undefeated season, especially the “Beli-cheat” comments.

I’d go back to the colonial army-inspired blue and silver uniforms they won all their Super Bowls wearing, ’cause the new ones ain’t bringing them any luck.

To heck with the border war; I’d immediately put Bill Parcells in the team Hall of Fame because he’s the guy who resurrected the franchise when no one cared and set it on course to be the dynasty it became. The guy’s 81, time’s running out.

The Celtics

I’d dump the black uniforms with the green trim. Yuck.

On the belief you have to give up something to get something, I’d trade Jaylen Brown and Grant Williams to Cleveland for point guard Darius Garland and Evan Mobley because it would improve their ball handling, make them bigger up front and give them the eventual replacement for Al Horford. And if they want to dump Kevin Love’s $30 million expiring contract I’d take that on because it would give them $55 million to spend on free agency next summer.

Tell Jayson Tatum to stop whining about every foul call and bench him when he takes it to the extreme and sulks the rest of the game. I mean who gets kicked out of an exhibition game for getting techs?

If not traded, I’d make Grant Williams an inactive — coaching decision until he stops complaining about every call against him. Because he doesn’t understand it’s costing him the benefit of the doubt on 50-50 calls.

Major League Baseball

I’d ban all the stat geeks and robot managers like they’re going to do with the shift.

It would be illegal to take a pitcher out of any game with a no-hitter in progress.

Sports Media

All in-game coaches interviews with play underway would be banned.

It would be No Soup for anyone making contrived signature phrases to stand out, like John Sterling’s annoying “the Yaaankeees win.” Authentic ones that come out of the moment like Mike Gorman’s “Got it” or Marv Albert’s “Yes!” that make the experience better get big year-end bonuses.

Since “superstar” is the most inflationary, inaccurately used and overused word in sports, it would be a month’s suspension of press passes for using it to describe any player below the level of Tom Brady, LeBron James, Bobby Orr or Secretariat. And it’s a lifetime ban for anyone on my staff if Kyrie Irving is ever called that.

Finally, I do know CMGI came after Microsoft and Apple. But since it’s my fantasy I make the rules how I like. So this one goes back and forth in time as well. With stops in 1927 to see the Babe in person, 1941 for the 56-game hitting streak and as the Kid hit .406, 1951 to see the Giants win the pennant, 1962 to watch Wilt score 100, and 1970 to feel the electricity in MSG as he ended the suspense of whether he could or couldn’t play by drilling the elbow jumper to start the magical Willis Reed game.

Now, sadly, back to reality.

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

Giving back with overstock

New retail store plans to help local nonprofits

Adam Daley is the founder and owner of Granite State Discounts, a new discount retail store in Amherst that claims to sell name-brand household and essential products at the lowest price in the state while also partnering with local nonprofits to give back to the community.

metal shelving racks holding rows of household products
Granite State Discounts

What is Granite State Discounts?

It’s almost like a combination of a thrift store and a regular retail store. We sell everyday essential household items, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, diapers, hair care products, health care products, feminine care products, adult diapers. We’re offering them at the lowest price in the entire state of New Hampshire. If you can find it at another retailer, we’ll beat the price. Even when Walmart has a certain item that’s on sale, if we have that item we’ll beat the price. We also have a very large selection of new and secondhand clothing for men and women, children and babies. We have toys, games, novelties, books, vinyl records, a little bit of everything.

How are you able to pull off a retail concept like this?

I’m licensed to buy overstock. There’s also been some personal investment and saving up, and we also make money in other ways, like doing consignments.

What gave you the idea for this store?

My entire life, I always had a love for small discount stores. As a kid, I used to love places like Building #19, flea markets, things like that. I’ve always been interested in advertising and the way stores look and display their products. Having my own place one day was always in the back of my mind. I wanted to have a place that could possibly create memories for kids, the way I have memories of going to certain stores when I was a kid. … My goal is to be able to earn a living to contribute to my family while also helping to make it easier for others to contribute to theirs. I wanted to leave a legacy of kindness and set a good example for my kids.

What kind of shopping experience would you like to create for your customers?

I want this to be a place that doesn’t feel like a regular store. I want it to be a place people can go to when they don’t have much money but need to provide for their family. I want it to feel different than a typical dollar store or big corporation. I want it to have that old-school feeling of a mom-and-pop shop where people can come in and engage in conversation.

How is Granite State Discounts giving back to the community?

In a few different ways. The second Wednesday of every month is Heroes Day, where we take an additional 20 percent off the total purchase amount of $40 or more for veterans, active military, first responders, nurses and school teachers. We’re planning to do in-store fundraisers every other month for local nonprofits and organizations. Our first one is going to be in December for 603 Sober Living out of Manchester. It’s going to be an in-store shopping event where I’m going to print out certificates for the owner of 603 Sober Living to hand out to whoever she chooses, and for anyone who comes in to shop with a certificate, 603 Sober Living will receive 30 percent of that total sale. If business picks up a little more, we might do those kinds of events every month. We partner with New Hampshire Artists for Autism; we have some of their T-shirts and decals in the store, and money from those sales goes to their organization. We’re also planning to start doing shopping by appointment only on Tuesdays for individuals who have sensory issues or need physical accommodations. We’ll set up the shop in whatever way they need, with lower lighting or lowered noise, things like that. That way, people will have a sensory-friendly place to do their shopping.

What are your future plans for the store?

I’m hoping that we can get a larger location eventually so that we can hold more stuff and have a little more space to move around. We’d possibly have more than one location. I’ve also been thinking about trying to find some spaces to do some pop-up shops in the meantime.

Featured photo: Adam Daley. Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 22/11/03

General election

New Hampshire’s general election is on Tuesday, Nov. 8. Offices on the ballot include Governor, U.S. Senator, Representative in Congress, Executive Counselor, State Senator, State Representatives and County offices. To be eligible to vote, you must be at least 18 years old on Election Day, be a United States citizen and reside in the city or town where you plan to vote. If you are not yet registered to vote, you may register in person at the polls on Election Day. Registration involves filling out a Voter Registration Form and providing documents proving your identity and age, U.S. citizenship and residency. If, when registering to vote, you do not have those documents, you can sign an affidavit, affirming under oath that you meet the voting eligibility requirements. If you are already registered to vote, the only documentation you will need to bring to the polls is a valid photo ID, in accordance with the New Hampshire Voter ID Law (a full list of valid forms of ID can be found on the Secretary of State website). Registered absentee voters can file their absentee ballots at their local clerk’s office in person anytime before Monday, Nov. 7, at 5 p.m., or assign a delivery agent to deliver the completed absentee ballot in the affidavit and mailing envelope to the clerk at the voter’s local polling place on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8, by 5 p.m. Use the Secretary of State’s voter information lookup tool at app.sos.nh.gov to check your voter registration status, the status of your absentee ballot, your polling location and hours and town clerk information and to see a sample ballot. For more information about voting and elections in New Hampshire, visit the Secretary of State website at sos.nh.gov.

Cleaner Center City

The City of Manchester has installed seven new sidewalk trash receptacles in its Center City neighborhood. According to a press release, the receptacle locations, strategically chosen by the city’s Department of Public Works to make the highest potential impact, include the intersections of Pine and Auburn streets, Union Street and Lake Avenue, Spruce and Beech streets, Lake Avenue and Maple Street, Spruce and Lincoln streets and Manchester and Lincoln streets and outside of the Families in Transition shelter on Pine Street. The receptacles will receive twice-weekly collection as part of the neighborhood’s regular trash collection schedule. The installations are the first in a pilot program to place sidewalk trash receptacles in high foot traffic areas outside of the Downtown corridor. “We look forward to gathering as much information as possible in an effort to reduce litter and overall environmental impacts in these neighborhoods by providing convenient, clean and readily accessible community receptacles,” Solid Waste & Environmental Programs Manager Chaz Newton said in the release.

Gas goes up

Gas prices in New Hampshire are on the rise, with an increase of 19.5 cents per gallon in the last week, according to the latest GasBuddy price report. Prices were averaging $3.66 per gallon as of Oct. 31, standing at 27.7 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and 34.6 cents per gallon higher than a year ago. The data is based on a survey of 875 gas stations across the state. The national average price of gasoline as of Oct. 31 was $3.72 — 4.7 cents per gallon down from last week, and 3 cents per gallon down from a month ago.

Food pantry upgrade

Hannaford Supermarkets and Families in Transition announce the launch of a new state-of-the-art food pantry at 176 Lake Ave. in Manchester. According to a press release, the newly remodeled Families in Transition Food Pantry, which has been made possible by a $50,000 donation from Hannaford, has been reimagined to resemble the look and feel of a traditional grocery store, with features such as shopping carts, commercial produce coolers, front door display meat freezers, a new inventory system and more. The mission of the pantry is to offer a more dignified shopping experience for the more than 1,000 food-insecure individuals and families living in Manchester who have been using the Families in Transition food pantry on a monthly basis.

CMC recognized

Healthgrades, a marketplace connecting doctors and patients, has named Catholic Medical Center in Manchester one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery. According to a press release, the list was compiled by evaluating patient mortality and complication rates for 31 of the most common conditions and procedures at nearly 4,500 hospitals across the country. CMC also received several other distinctions from Healthgrades, including receiving the Cardiac Surgery Excellence Award for the second year in a row; being named among the top 10 percent in the nation for cardiac surgery for the second year in a row; being a five-star recipient for valve surgery for the second year in a row; and being a five-star recipient for coronary bypass surgery and for treatment of GI bleed. “We commend CMC for their ongoing commitment to providing high-quality care to patients undergoing cardiac surgery and treatment of GI bleed,” Brad Bowman, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Data Science at Healthgrades, said in the release. “Consumers can feel confident that hospitals recognized by Healthgrades for these conditions and procedures have demonstrated their ability to deliver consistently exceptional outcomes.”

The NH Tech Alliance has named Ryan Barton, CEO of Mainstay Technologies, the recipient of its 2022 Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Barton will receive the award in person at the annual Innovation Summit on Thursday, Nov. 10, at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord. According to a press release, the award recognizes the brightest, most innovative individuals in New Hampshire’s tech industry. Tickets are available at nhtechalliance.org/innovation-summit.

The SEE Science Center presents Science on Tap on Tuesday, Nov. 8, at 6 p.m. in the lounge and function room at Stark Brewing Co., 500 Commercial St. in Manchester. According to a press release, the informal discussion series features local scientists and experts on specialized topics. Science on Tap events are free and open to the public. RSVP at see-sciencecenter.org/adults.

The Nashua Regional Planning Commission is holding its last Household Hazardous Waste Collection of the year on Saturday, Nov. 5, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Nashua City Park & Ride (25 Crown St.). There is a fee of $15 per vehicle (cash or check only), with additional charges for waste exceeding 10 gallons or 20 pounds. Visit nashuarpc.org/hhw or call 417-6570.

This Week 22/10/27

Big Events October 27, 2022 and beyond

Thursday, Oct. 27

The Witch of Weston Tower will haunt McIntyre Ski Area (50 Chalet Ct., Manchester) today through Sunday, Oct. 30. Take a scenic chairlift ride to the summit of McIntyre Ski Area and travel the treacherous trail to the Witch of Weston Tower to see some of “the most spooktacular views of Manchester,” according to a press release. On Saturday, there will be Trunk-Or-Treating, a costume contest and more. The cost for lift ride and the witch is $20 for ages 13 and up, $10 for ages 6 to 12, and free for kids 5 and under. Bring money for food trucks, face and pumpkin painting, live music and more. Visit mcintyreskiarea.com.

Friday, Oct. 28

Tonight is the Halloween Howl in downtown Concord. The event runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Main Street and feature community trick-or-treating along Main Street with a “Not so Scary” dance party with Nazzy, costume contests, games and family activities. Visit intownconcord.org or see the listings starting on page 11 in last week’s issue, which includes Halloween fun for all ages.

Saturday, Oct. 29

The New Hampshire Pumpkin Festival returns to downtown Laconia today, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The one-day street festival celebrates all things pumpkin. Attendees can enjoy live music, a “pumpkin palooza” cornhole tournament and a craft and artisan show. For the kids there will be a climbing wall, face-painting, pumpkin bowling, a costume parade, jack-o’-lantern lighting and more. Visit nhpumpkinfestival.com.

Saturday, Oct. 29

The Wilton Main Street Association will hold its The Haunting of Wilton today. The event kicks off with scary stories at the Wilton Library at 11 a.m., followed by a costume parade down Main Street at noon, trick-or-treating with downtown merchants from 1 to 2 p.m., a murder mystery clue game with downtown merchants from 2 to 3 p.m., and a costume dance in Main Street Park with a DJ and more. See visitwilton.com.

Sunday, Oct. 30

Spend Halloween Eve at Spooky World Presents: Nightmare New England, which is open this weekend Thursday, Oct. 27, and Friday, Oct. 28, with available times starting at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 29, and today, Oct. 30, with available times starting at 6 p.m., and tomorrow, actual Halloween, with times starting at 7 p.m. See nightmarenewengland.com for ticket information. Find out about what it’s like to be one of the actors serving up scares at a haunted house in Katelyn Sahagian’s story in the Oct. 20 issue of the Hippo, where you can also find information about other area haunted attractions. Find the e-edition at hippopress.com and the story on page 10.

Wednesday, Nov. 2

Winemaker Amy LaBelle is hosting a decorative focaccia making class at LaBelle Winery (14 Route 111, Derry) today at 6 p.m. Learn how to make focaccia dough from scratch and how to use vegetables and herbs to create a piece of delicious edible artwork. Tickets cost $45 and can be purchased on LaBelle’s website labellewinery.com.

Save the date! Nov. 12, Salute our Soldiers Gala
The 11th annual Salute our Soldiers gala will be held in person on Nov. 12 at the Sky Meadow Country Club (6 Mountain Laurels Drive in Nashua) beginning at 5 p.m. The gala recognizes and celebrates the contribution of women in the United States military. The gala, which has been virtual since 2019, will have a cocktail reception and a surf and turf dinner, an address by Catherine Smart, a policy analyst with Applied Research Associates and veteran of the United States Army Military Police, and entertainment by nationally recognized singer and impressionist Tony Pace. Individual tickets cost $200 and a table for up to 10 people costs $2000. To purchase tickets or to learn more about this event, visit VetsCount.org/nh/nashua-gala-2022.

Featured photo. Courtesy photo.

Quality of Life 22/10/27

Teacher of the year

Christian Cheetham, a teacher at Alvirne High School in Hudson, has been named New Hampshire’s 2023 Teacher of the Year. According to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Education, Cheetham was presented with the award during a surprise celebration on Oct. 24. Selected out of 44 nominees, he will now serve as an ambassador for teachers throughout the state and is in the running for the title of National Teacher of the Year. “I think kids and adults are desperate for real experiences,” Cheetham wrote in his application essay. “Technology is robbing us of our humanity and I strive every day to bring the humanity back. … In my opinion, our students are desperate for real mentoring relationships.” Cheetham also wrote that his motivation as a teacher is to teach students how to live their lives in ways that truly make them happy, according to the release.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Cheetham will join New Hampshire 2023 Teacher of the Year semi-finalists and finalists and other distinguished educators in the state at a Leadership in Education Banquet in December to celebrate their accomplishments.

Rental assistance

New Hampshire Housing has put its NH Emergency Rental Assistance Program on pause after the U.S. Treasury announced that New Hampshire will not receive any additional resources to continue the program beyond Dec. 29. According to a press release, new applications will not be accepted as New Hampshire Housing reviews pending submitted applications, the level of federal funding available and the status of New Hampshire’s existing requests to the U.S. Treasury for additional funding. Visit nhhfa.org/emergency-rental-assistance for updates.

QOL score: -2

Comment:More than $230 million in assistance has been provided to more than 23,000 households across the state through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program since March 2021.

Library for all

Nashua Public Library has opened a new sensory-friendly space for adult programs and events. According to a press release, the library consulted with community organizations that provided information about how to create a more comfortable atmosphere for visitors who are neurodiverse or on the autism spectrum or living with an intellectual or developmental disability. “We recognized that we weren’t serving the neurodiverse community as well as we could be during our adult events,” library director Jennifer McCormack said in the release. “As we learn more about their wide range of needs, we’ve started taking steps to ensure that everyone can enjoy and benefit from our programs in an environment where they can thrive.” Events and programs held in the space are presented with softer lighting, less noise, moveable seating and other sensory-friendly considerations. Visit nashualibrary.org.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The library is looking into additional ways to support the neurodiverse community in the future, the release said, such as offering sensory kits for adults to borrow during library visits; providing a social script with details and illustrations to help adults on the autism spectrum understand what they can expect when visiting the library; and hosting sensory-friendly film screenings.

QOL score: 83

Net change: 0

QOL this week: 83


What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

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