Category: News

Quality of Life 26/03/05

Dog for Hopkinton

Town elections are coming up and in Hopkinton all the town and school office races are uncontested except one. On March 10 town residents between 0 and 17 years old will be invited to vote for Dog of the Year, for which there will be five candidates, according to a story published on the NHPR website on Feb. 25. Voters will receive “I Voted” stickers designed in recent years by the town’s schoolchildren. The article noted that only one dog per household may run for the office, and candidates must be registered and have up-to-date rabies vaccination records.

QOL score: +1 for civic participation

Comments: The idea came from the new town clerk, the article said; she thought it might help remind people to register their dogs by the April 30 deadline.

A plan for plants

On Feb. 26 Merrimack’s Town Council voted unanimously for a new plan to manage invasive plants. The plan was developed by a committee formed last summer. Merrimack Outdoors, the website for the Town’s Conservation Commission, says, “The term ‘invasive’ is often misused to refer to any aggressive weedy plant. The term actually refers only to plants which are BOTH non-native to the region, AND cause environmental or economic harm, or pose a health risk to humans.” Merrimack’s invasive plant species include Japanese knotweed, kudzu, burning bush, and autumn olive.

QOL score: +1

Comment: “Merrimack’s forests, wetlands, and river corridors are vital natural assets that connect the community to its ecological heritage and future,” the plan says. In a phone interview with the Hippo, the Town Manager’s Office said the plan will be available on the town website soon.

Not a lot of zombie homes

According to a Feb. 26 story published on the New Hampshire Public Radio website, New Hampshire “has the lowest ‘zombie’ vacancy rate in the nation.” A “zombie vacancy,” the story said, “is one in which the homeowner abandons the property before a foreclosure is finalized.” New Hampshire also ranked 41st in the nation in foreclosure rate, the story said.

QOL score: +1

Comment: “The Granite State also had the lowest overall home vacancy rate in the country, 0.03%, and the lowest vacancy rate for institutional investor-owned properties, 0.08%,” the article said.

QOL score last week: 51

Net change: +3

QOL this week: 54

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

News & Notes 26/03/05

Trees for schools

The New Hampshire Division of Forest and Lands is accepting applications for the Schoolyard Canopy Enhancement Program, which is part of the division’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, according to a press release. The program selects schools to receive two or three trees with staff from the Urban Forestry Center working with teachers, principals and students to plan the planting and maintenance process, the release said. “New Hampshire is so well-known for its forests and it’s really encouraging to see how excited kids get when their school is involved in the program,” A.J. Dupere, urban forester at the Division of Forests and Lands, said in the press release. “They ask a million great questions about ‘their trees.’” To receive the one-page application form, contact Liz McKinley, community forester, at elizabeth.c.mckinley@dncr.nh.gov and submit the application by April 3. See nhdfl.dncr.nh.gov.

Help Hooksett

Hooksett service organizations and the town will hold a Beautify Hooksett Day on Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Scheduled activities include roadside trash pick-up, planting flowers and other projects, followed by a gathering at Lambert Park, according to a flyer in the Hooksett Chamber of Commerce newsletter. Sign up by April 11 at bit.ly/3Kjc0ui and email hooksettkiwanis@gmail.com with questions.

Poetry

The Derry Public Library will hold its 9th Annual MacGregor Poetry Contest March 9 through April 11, with categories for poets ages 15 through adult and ages 14 and under, according to a library flyer. Prizes are offered in each category and poets can enter up to two poems, no more than two pages each, the flyer said. See derrypl.org.

The Dover Public Library is holding a poetry contest for Seacoast residents as young as 5 years old through adults. The deadline for entry is April 15; see dover.nh.gov/government/city-operations/library.

Authors

Save the date for the Derry Author Fest on Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Derry Public Library. This year the theme is “Pathways to Publication” and the fest will feature panels and a keynote speaker as well as a book sale, according to derryauthorfest.wordpress.com, where you can register for the event.

Rochester will also host an authors event: The Rochester Writers Night will hold its third annual Rochester Area Authors Fair on Saturday, April 11, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the covered pavilion at Hanson Pines Park, 68 Dominicus Way in Rochester, featuring keynote speaker J.R. Rainville, author of the Ungifted fantasy series, according to a press release. See facebook.com/rochesterNHwriters.

The Concord Arts Market will hold a HeARTwork market event on Saturday, March 7, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Carriage House at Kimball Jenkins, 266 N. Main St. in Concord. The day will also feature faculty demos, kid-friendly interactive art activities and more, according to kimballjenkins.com/events.

“Spray: Jules Olitski in the 1960s” will open at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester on Saturday, March 7 (with an opening reception on Thursday, March 5, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. for members and “not-yet-members” paying $25; register on the website). The exhibit “invites you to rediscover a modern master who explored the possibilities of color with gumption, vision, and a passion for experimentation,” according to currier.org.

The Franco-American Centre will hold a Cabane à Sucre celebration on Saturday, March 21, from 6 to 10 p.m. at Murphy’s Taproom & Carriage House in Bedford, according to the Centre’s newsletter. The evening will feature a “cabane a sucre-style dinner,” sweet maple treats and contra dancing with The Reel McCoys, the newsletter said. Purchase tickets by Thursday, March 12, at facnh.com.

The New Hampshire Outdoor Expo takes place Friday, March 6, from 1 to 7 p.m.; Saturday, March 7, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, March 8, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hampshire Dome in Milford. The expo will feature vendors related to fishing, hunting, camping, kayaking and boating as well as appearances by experts, a boat display, an archery range, a trout pond, a gaga pit for kids and more, according to nhoutdoorexpo.com, where you can purchase tickets and find information about parking.

This Week 26/02/26

Thursday, Feb. 26

The Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey present The Greatest Show on Earth returns to the SNHU Arena in Manchester starting Thursday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m. with a run of seven performances through Sunday, March 1. See snhuarena.com for tickets. The show is described as “a high-energy, music-driven experience with bold circus performances, unforgettable characters, and a nonstop party vibe,” according to a press release.

Thursday, Feb. 26

Patrick Swayze! Jennifer Grey! Jerry Orbach! The lift! Getting Baby out of a corner! Relive it all at Dirty Dancing in Concert tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Capitol Center for the Art’s Chubb Theater, 44 S. Main St. in Concord. The event pairs a screening of the movie with a live performance of the songs and a post-screening party, according to ccanh.com, where you can buy tickets.

Friday, Feb. 27

Enduring ’80s band The Smithereens will perform at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) tonight at 8 p.m. with special guest vocalist John Cowsill. Tickets start at $50.

Friday, Feb. 27

The Cue Zero Theatre Company (cztheatre.com) presents When the Rain Stops Falling at the Arts Academy of New Hampshire (19 Keewaydin Drive, Salem, 912-4944, artsacademynh.org) tonight and tomorrow, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 1, at 2 p.m. See the Cue Zero website for tickets.

Friday, Feb. 27

DJ-based dance party Gimme Gimme Disco will take place tonight at 8 p.m. at the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua, 800-657-8774, nashuacenterforthearts.com). Disco attire is encouraged. Tickets start at $29 through the Center’s website. This is a general admission, open floor, 18+ show.

Saturday, Feb. 28

There will be a lecture at the New Hampshire Historical Society (30 Park St., Concord, 228-6688, nhhistory.org) this afternoon at 2 p.m. on Maple Sugaring in New England. Join Steven Roberge, University of New Hampshire’s State Extension Forester, to learn about the history, production and biology of maple sugaring. Admission is free for Society members, $10 for nonmembers. No registration required.

Saturday, Feb. 28

Catch blues-rock artist Brad Dubay tonight at 7 p.m. at the Big Bear Lodge at the Andres Institute of Art in Brookline. See andresinstitute.org to purchase tickets. Find more about Brad Dubay and hear his new album Planet 9 at braddubay.bandzoogle.com.

Monday, March 3

Manchester Artists Association will meet this evening at 7 p.m. in the community room at The Michael L. Briggs Public Safety Building, 405 Valley St. in Manchester, according to an email from the Association. The meeting wll feature the “Artists of the Month” selection followed by the featured speaker, Jim Roberts, “a renowned painter/printmaker” who will discuss “his approach to painting and on his career as an artist,” the email said. See jimrobertsart.com for more on Roberts.

Save the Date! Friday, March 13
Comedian Jim Gaffigan will perform at the SNHU Arena (555 Elm St. in downtown Manchester, 644-5000) Friday, March 13, at 7 p.m. as part of his “Everything is Wonderful!” tour. See snhuarena.com for tickets.

Featured photo: The Smithereens.

Olympics close historically

The Big Story – USA Hockey Rules: The Winter Olympics closed with a reenactment of USA’s magical 1980 “Do You Believe In Miracles” hockey game. Except both the men and women earned gold in spectacular fashion in DYBIM: the Sequel. Not the sinister Russian Red Army Hockey team this time. It was arch-rival Canada instead, whose teams were beaten in OT by identical 2-1 scores. But it was USA men’s first gold since their upset of the USSR became the greatest upset in U.S. sports history. The women’s win was most precarious. After trailing most of the game Hilary Knight tied it at 1-1 with just 2:09 left before Megan Keller’s awesome “slide the puck low by the defender and jump behind her to recover” move to slip it by the goalie for the win. The men won on Jack Hughes’ one-timer in OT.

Didn’t expect the Olympics to grab me this time. But the reminder miracles do happen sometime in sports did it again. Cue the timeless Al Michaels call, “Do you believe….”

Sports 101: Bill the Spaceman Lee, who’ll speak at a Manchester B&G Club fundraiser on March 11 (noon to 1 p.m. at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Manchester Union Street Clubhouse, see bgcgm.org/speaker-series), with 94 has won the third most games by a Red Sox lefty all-time. Name the two ahead of him.

News Item – Sunday’s Celtics vs. Lakers: The C’s were 111-87 winners when MVP candidate Jaylen Brown (32) and (back to being sixth man) Payton Pritchard (30) combined for 62 points. Some observations:

1 – The broadcast pushed the rivalry thing. But given the low crowd energy and L.A. having no players Boston hates, it’s dead at the moment.

2 – LeBron looked tired, uninterested and a lot slower than he used to be. That’s a recipe for retirement.

3 – Hate Luka Doncic’s game! He’s very good of course, but also complains all the time, takes predictable shots, and barely tries on D, all of which makes him boring to watch.

4 – The white L.A. uniforms offer no connection to when L.A. was good in the 1990s, let alone the ’80s.

5 – What took them so long to do the Pat Riley statue unveiled Sunday? Just 38 years after leaving the building.

News Item – NH (kinda, sorta) All Over Olympic Hockey Dramas: Knight, who tied USA-Canada at 1-1 with 2:09 left, is a one-time Hanover, N.H., resident, and game-winning men’s star Jack Hughes is the son of my friend (and former sideline reporter on college TV broadcasts I produced back in the day) UNH Hall of Fame hockey goalie Ellen Weinberg-Hughes and one-time Manchester Monarchs coach Jim Hughes. And while Keller is from Michigan, don’t hold that against her. Because her “slide the puck low by the defender and jump behind her to recover it for the win” was an awesome thing of beauty that will be remembered forever.

The Numbers:

41 – most Olympic medals won – Norway – 18 gold, 11 silver, 14 bronze

33 – second most medals won – USA – 12 gold, 12 silver, 9 bronze

30 – third-best medal total – Italy – 10 gold, 6 silver, 14 bronze

… Of the Week Awards

Thumbs Up – UCLA Hoop Coach Mick Cronin: Nice to see someone finally hold their own player accountable for aberrant behavior, instead of blaming refs, other players or some guy in the third row. Here it was sending center Steven Jamerson to the locker room for good after a cheap shot flagrant foul.

Promotion of the Week: Talk about a guy who earned a promotion for functioning tremendously under duress. That’s young Zak Kuhr, who started 2025 as Pats linebacker coach before doing an excellent job (particularly with in-game adjustments) filling in as Defensive Coordinator for Terrell Williams during his cancer treatment. He keeps that job while Williams moves to a new role.

Thumbs Down – Roman Anthony To Hit Lead-off: Stat geeks did it again with word the Sox’ best hitter will bat lead-off. It means he’ll be guaranteed to have 160 at-bats with no one on base to knock in. Will get even worse if/when they hit the usual low OBP guys at 8 and 9. A bonehead move.

Sports 101: Jon Lester and 300-game-winner Lefty Grove with 110 and 106 respectively are the only two lefties with more Red Sox pitching wins than Bill Lee’s 94.

Final Thought – Bears Possibly Moving to Indiana: I stopped being a NY Giants fan because they moved to New Jersey for a free stadium but kept the New York Giants name. Booooo! It’ll be much worse if the NFL’s founding team abandons Chicago after 106 years, following the Indiana legislature’s vote to give a corporation worth $6 billion a free stadium. The historic franchise dubbed the Monsters of the Midway for their toughness would be going to an environmentally controlled (yuck) Dome to cause league founder George Halas to roll over in his grave and make real fans of Da Bears want to puke.

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

Quality of Life 26/02/26

Gold, silver, bronze, granite

In Olympic news, as reported by WMUR in a Feb. 19 online article, “Salem’s Caroline Harvey has been named the MVP of the women’s hockey tournament at the Winter Olympics in Milan.” Team USA got the gold medal with a 2-1 win over Canada in overtime. “In the tournament, Harvey was tied for the lead in points with nine and led all players in +/- at +14 and assists with seven.” A post from the New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development at visitnh.gov/blog/winter-olympics-from-the-granite-state lists past and current Olympic athletes from New Hampshire and notes that Dartmouth College “has sent more athletes to compete in the winter Olympics than any other Ivy League institution.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: A Feb. 20 Instagram post by UNH (@uofnh) noted that “In 1994, UNH launched one of only three sled hockey teams in the entire country. Today, it’s an international force sending four athletes to the 2026 Paralympics.” Those games begin March 6. See nepassage.org/sled-hockey.

Don’t hit Happy Plowmore!

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation has announced the winners of its Second Annual “Name a Plow” Contest. According to the NHDOT website, “After a statewide call for submissions and more than 600 name suggestions with over 1,800 community votes, our judges tallied the results, and the winning names were chosen.” This winter’s winning names are Wicked Plowah, Plowabunga, The Blizzard Lizard, Winniplowsaukee, Sled Zeppelin, Happy Plowmore, and Skarupa Snow Scoopah, named for WMUR meteorologist Kevin Skarupa. “These plow names reflect the humor and spirit of New Hampshire and will be proudly displayed on our snow removal fleet throughout the winter,” the NHDOT website post said.

QOL score: +1

Comment: “Stay safe this season and remember to give snowplows plenty of room to work!” the NHDOT posted, with the hashtag #DontCrowdThePlow.

Property taxes not the highest

A Feb. 17 announcement by finance website WalletHub revealed that New Hampshire residents do not, in fact, pay the highest rates of property taxes in the country. “The average U.S. household pays $3,119 per year in property taxes on their home, according to the U.S. Census Bureau,” the announcement read. According to a ranking by the website, New Hampshire residents have the fourth highest property tax rate. According to the report, with a tax rate of 1.66 percent, the owner of a home assessed at $402,500 (the state average) owes $6,667 per year. The good news in a misery-loves-company sort of way, is that there are three states where residents pay even more.

QOL score: -1, because 4th is still pretty high

Comment: WalletHub ranked New Jersey’s tax rate the highest at 2.11 percent (an average of $6,667) and Hawaii’s the lowest at 2.7 percent (a yearly average of $2,239). Visit wallethub.com/edu.

Last week’s QOL score: 50

Net change: +1

QOL this week: 51

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

News & Notes 26/02/26

ICE facility

The Department of Homeland Security “will not move forward with a proposed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Merrimack,” according to a press release from Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s office on Feb. 24. “I thank [DHS Secretary Kristi] Noem for hearing the concerns of the Town of Merrimack and for the continued cooperation between DHS and New Hampshire law enforcement to secure our northern border, keep dangerous criminals off our streets, and ensure our communities are safe,” Ayotte said in the statement.

New library

The Daland Memorial Library in Mount Vernon is in its new home at 8 Lilac Lane in Mont Vernon after a grand opening on Feb. 22, according to the library’s Facebook page. The new library will be open Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday from 2 to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 to 1 p.m., according to a post. The new library replaces the 1909-built original library and is a 7,600-square-foot facility, according to a press release from Mont Vernon Library Charitable Foundation. See dalandlibrary.com.

Memorial

Swim With a Mission, “a New Hampshire-based nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting veterans through fundraising, community engagement, and grants to local veteran service organizations,” has awarded a $15,000 matching grant to support the “Gulf Wars and War on Terror Memorial being developed by the Manchester Veterans Council. This permanent memorial will honor the service members, civilians, and family members from New Hampshire who were impacted by the conflicts spanning from 1990 to 2021,” according to a SWAM press release. “To help complete this important tribute, SWAM is partnering with the Manchester Veterans Council to raise the remaining $30,000 needed for the project. Through SWAM’s matching grant, every dollar donated will be doubled, up to $15,000,” the release said. The memorial is slated for a Memorial Day 2026 dedication in Veterans Park in Manchester, according to SWAM. See the Manchester Veterans Council’s Facebook page for more information on recent donations and images of the planned memorial.

Parenting help

The Upper Room Family Resource Center, based in Derry, will offer a virtual class, “Managing Emotions in Children (ages 3-12),” on Wednesday, March 25, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., according to a press release. The free class “will help parents learn new strategies to understand and handle a child’s strong feelings such as fear, anger, sadness, disappointment and anxiety,” the release said. To sign up, call 437-8477, ext. 126, the release said, and see urteachers.org for more on the organization.

Barn assistance

April 15 is the deadline to apply for Historic Barn Assessment Grants, meant to help preserve privately owned historic New Hampshire barns, according to the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance. The program offers $400 or $250 grants (coupled with some matching funds from the property owner) to hire a barn consultant to “inspect the barn, determine its age and key construction features, [and] assess what’s required to stabilize, repair, and reuse the structure. Grant recipients will receive a written report; that can be used as a valuable planning tool that identifies problems, proposes specific preservation strategies, and offers cost estimates for the needed repairs,” according to nhpreservation.org, where you can find a list of participating towns and details on how to apply.

Shamrock Shuffle

The Northwestern Mutual Shamrock Shuffle, rescheduled after Manchester’s St. Patrick’s Day parade was canceled for the year, will now take place on Saturday, March 14, at 11 a.m. with Lil’ Leprechaun Runs for kids starting at 10:30 a.m. The 2-mile run/walk on Canal Street will begin and end at Harpoon Brewery and the first 1,000 registrants will receive kilts, according to millenniumrunning.com/shamrock.

Night out for a cause

The Pinnacle Foundation, an organization “formed to positively impact chronic homelessness, build a bridge to homeownership through financial literacy and education, and support our communities’ veterans’ immediate needs in the greater Manchester community,” according to pinnaclefoundationnh.org, will hold its winter fundraiser on Wednesday, March 4, at 5:30 p.m. at the Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St. in Manchester. The event will feature live music by the Chad LaMarsh Band, a silent auction, keynote speeches and more. See pinnaclefoundationnh.org/2026-winter-fundraiser for tickets.

Jazz for a cause

Concord Community Music School, 23 Wall St. in Concord, will hold its annual Jazz Night Fundraiser on Saturday, March 21, at 7 p.m., with a pre-show reception starting at 5:30 p.m., according to a post on the school’s Facebook page. The evening will feature the James Fernando Trio and proceeds will benefit the school’s Financial Aid Fund. Seats cost $80 each or $300 for a table of four, the post said. Call 228-1196 or go to ccmusicschool.org to order tickets.

“Through the Trees,” an exhibition featuring the works of Amira Nguyen-Hasoon, Kate Knox, and Rebecca Desrochers, is on display through March 1 at See Saw Art, 66 Hanover St., Suite 201, in Manchester. The gallery will be open Friday, Feb. 27, from 2 to 6 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 28, from 1 to 4 p.m. and Sunday, March 1, from 1 to 4 p.m., according to seesaw.gallery.

Cue Zero Theatre will hold auditions for adults for its June production of Stephen Sondheim’s Company on Sunday, March 15, with callbacks on Thursday, March 19, at the Arts Academy of New Hampshire, 19 Keewaydin Drive in Salem, according to a press release. See cztheatre.com for character details and audition information.

The Wilton Actor Guild will present Moriarty: A New Sherlock Holmes Mystery, a Ken Ludwig-penned sequel to Baskerville described as fast-paced and funny, on Friday, March 6, and Saturday, March 7, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 7, at 2 p.m. at the Golden Brook School Auditorium, 112B Lowell Road in Windham, according to a press release. See windhamactorsguild.com for tickets.

You have until Sunday, March 1, to submit your 60-second film to the Tiny Film Festival at the Nashua Public Library, 2 Court St. in Nashua. See nashualibrary.org/tinyfilmfestival for the rules. The films will be screened at the library on Friday, March 20, at 6 p.m.

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