Category: Quality Of Life

Pasta and water, but not pasta-water

A recent study by online insurance company Choice Mutual (choicemutual.com) set out to determine what people from each state would choose for their last meal. Not surprisingly, most respondents chose comfort foods. The study found that New Hampshire residents would order some sort of pasta or noodles, which “includes everything from chicken alfredo to ramen,” the study summary explained. Soda was the first choice of beverages in every state, but New Hampshire respondents chose water as their second favorite drink.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The top Last Meal choice in most states was a steak dinner, followed by potatoes. Excluding soda, the top beverage choices nationwide were wine and water. Visit choicemutual.com/blog/favorite-last-meal-by-state.

Cleaning up the Merrimack

As reported in an April 21 article by Nashua InkLink (nashua.inklink.news), the Massachusetts-based conservation organization “Clean River Project” hopes to expand its clean-up efforts to New Hampshire. InkLink quoted Rocky Morrison, the organization’s head. “We’re dying to go to Manchester and Nashua,” he told InkLink, “and do a scan on the bottom of the river. New Hampshire is like a treasure trove. We don’t know what’s there. You never know what you’re going to find.” The Clean River Project uses boats outfitted with sonar equipment to detect objects in the water, and has contracts with cities on the Merrimack in Massachusetts to maintain riverbanks by collecting floating trash.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Morrison and his group have applied for grants from the EPA to move their efforts into New Hampshire but have not received any yet. Visit cleanriverproject.org.

How fast did we run?

As reported by WMUR in an April 21 online article, “New Hampshire runners had a strong day at the Boston Marathon.” Amherst’s Samuel Bradbury was New Hampshire’s fastest runner, with a finishing time of two hours, 22 minutes, 23 seconds, placing 57th in the men’s group and 62nd overall. Emilee Risteen from Derry had the fastest time for New Hampshire women at two hours, 40 minutes, 35 seconds, placing 52nd among women and 855th overall. Thomas Cantera from Nashua finished the race in two hours, 37 minutes, 35 seconds, placing 490th in the Para Division and 611th overall.

QOL score: +1

Comments: According to an April 23 online article by Runner’s World (runnersworld.com), 28,845 runners started the race. The Boston Athletic Association, which organizes the Marathon, announced that John Korir from Kenya placed first overall, with a time of two hours, 24 minutes, 45 seconds, and Sharon Lokedi of Kenya was the fastest woman, with a finishing time of two hours, 17 minutes, 22 seconds. Switzerland’s Marcel Hug was the fastest wheelchair racer, with a time of one hour, 21 minutes, 24 seconds. Visit results.baa.org/2025.

QOL score last week: 63

Net change: +3

QOL this week: 66

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

Let us know at [email protected].

Gold (golden brown) anniversary

As reported in an April 18 online story by New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR), the chicken tender has celebrated its 50th anniversary. Manchester comedian and chicken tender activist Nick Lavallee, known as “The Mayor of Tender Town,” organized a celebration at the Puritan Backroom Restaurant on Thursday, April 17, to celebrate the chicken tender’s entry into middle age. Food historians speculate that Manchester-style chicken tenders originated at the Puritan. NHPR quoted Lavallee: “A Manchester style tendie. Not only is it marinated in a blend of pineapple juice and other things, but when it’s served fresh and hot, it’s like it’s more of a crisp than a crunch,” he said. “It’s the best. There’s nothing quite like a Manchester style tender.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: As reported by WMUR in an April 17 online article, the cast of the MTV show Jersey Shore visited the Puritan to celebrate its chicken tenders. “Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino, Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi, Ronnie Magro and the crew from the show were at the Puritan Backroom in Manchester filming a new season of their show, Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, the story reported.

EZ to get scammed

An April 15 online story by WMUR stated, “The state Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission are working together to combat a scam that targets E-ZPass users in New Hampshire.” Many drivers have reported receiving fake text messages saying they have outstanding balances on their EZ accounts for unpaid tolls that need to be paid immediately. (For example: “Immediate action is required to avoid penalties and enforcement actions resulting from non-payment,” as the scam text QOL received just this week said.) “The agencies are planning to use data from reports to identify patterns and potentially disrupt scam operations,” the WMUR story reported.

QOL score: -1

Comment: WMUR quoted Senior Assistant Attorney General Brandon Garod, who emphatically stated that “E-ZPass will never text someone about an unpaid bill, something it makes clear on the front page of its website.”

A very senior prom

On Thursday, April 17, Winnacunnet High School students helped throw a prom for residents at a Hampton assisted living home. As reported in an April 18, online article by WMUR, “For months, students and residents at Cornerstone at Hampton worked together to plan the event, creating centerpieces, selecting songs for the DJ and crafting a menu.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: The prom’s theme was “Botanical Garden.” WMUR reported that “each resident was invited to bring a family member or friend as their prom date.”

QOL score: 62

Net change: +1

QOL this week: 63

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

Let us know at [email protected].

*#$^&@-%! weather

A reminder that New England can still New England in April, the snow totals from last weekend’s snowfall reached 7 inches in Temple, 6 inches in Deering, 5.9 in Francestown and 8.1 in Greenville, according to a snow total rundown from WMUR on April 12. Between 2 and 4 inches seemed to be the totals for most towns between Nashua and the Concord area. According to the National Weather Service, the forecast for the coming weekend in the Manchester area is for a mostly sunny Friday (April 18) with highs near 61, a mostly cloudy Saturday with highs near 64 and a mostly sunny Sunday with highs near 56. Get predictions for weekend weather and beyond at weather.gov.

QOL score: -1

Comment: In Maine the New Hampshire Fisher Cats had two games postponed last weekend against the Sea Dogs in Portland due to snow (Saturday) and “inclement weather” (Sunday). But they’re back for this weekend’s warmer weather to play as Los Gatos Feroces and the New Hampshire Space Potatoes in Manchester.

Job opportunities in Manchester look good

According to a recent study by employment website Indeed.com that ranked 390 cities in the United States by their job prospects, Manchester is the 10th best city in the country in which to look for a job. Using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the study reported that Manchester boasts of annual job growth of 3.5 percent, an average annual salary of $62,810, an unemployment rate of 2 percent and more than 100,000 people employed.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The top-ranked city in the study was Midland, Texas, with a job growth rate of 5.1 percent. Visit the report at indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/best-cities-for-jobs.

Clean up, clean up

Manchester organizations are collaborating to hold a city clean-up event deploying more than 200 volunteers on Monday, April 21, according to a press release. The Park2Park cleanup will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. in 14 city parks and the streets in between. The event is a joint effort of Manchester Connects, the SEE Science Center, and the city’s parks and rec department. Many local businesses and nonprofits are participating in the effort. Individuals may sign up to help SEE with the cleanup from Arms Park to Gateway Park at bit.ly/SEEPark2Park until April 15; volunteers must be 18 or older.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Is that song in your head now? You’re welcome.

The Corral returns

As reported by Patch.com on April 13, nearly 200 people waited in line for the official re-opening of Manchester’s Golden Corral Buffet & Grill on Thursday, April 10. “The restaurant at 655 South Willow Street had closed in September,” Patch.com reported. Many of the people in line were previous customers who were excited about the re-opening of the popular buffet restaurant, and others queued for a chance to win free dinners for a year.

QOL score: +1

Comment: While there are more than 370 Golden Corral locations, according to its Wikipedia entry, this is the only one in New Hampshire.

QOL score last week : 60

Net change: +2

QOL this week: 62

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

Let us know at [email protected].

Share your two cents about sidewalks

The Manchester public is invited to share ideas and feedback on the Downtown Sidewalk Improvement Project at two public sessions on Friday, April 18, at the Spotlight Room (96 Hanover St.), according to a Monday, April 7, story in the Manchester Ink Link. The Project focuses on the block bordered by Elm, Chestnut, Concord and Manchester streets, the article said, and the visioning sessions will be hosted by the Manchester Economic Development Office, the Department of Public Works, and Plan NH. The first session will be from 3 to 4:30 p.m. and the second from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

QOL score: +1

Comment: “Public outreach is a requirement of the $1.8 million federal grant that’s supporting the project,” the article said, and the funding is “explicitly designated to enhance pedestrian infrastructure….”

Two more warm destinations

Avelo Airlines (aveloair.com) announced on April 3 that it has added two new non-stop routes from Manchester-Boston Regional Airport: Wilmington (NC) International Airport (ILM) and the Grand Strand’s Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR). Flights to Wilmington will fly out of Manchester on Thursdays and Sundays. Flights to Myrtle Beach will leave Manchester on Mondays and Fridays. The press release stated that one-way fares started at $39.

QOL score: +1

Comment: These two new routes bring Avelo’s services to North Carolina to four, according to the press release, including Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), and Concord-Padgett Regional Airport (USA) in Charlotte.

… If they can get there

WMUR reported on April 5 that the FAA said an Avelo Airlines flight from MHT to Concord, North Carolina, was illuminated by a laser about 15 miles from the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport on Friday, April 4, around 9:40 p.m. Laser light can interfere with pilots’ vision.

QOL score: -1

Comment: “Anyone who shines a laser at an aircraft can face fines up to $11,000 per violation” and other penalties, WMUR said.

Maple sap thief on the loose

Sugarmomma’s Maple Farm in Northwood reported the theft of 1,200 gallons of maple sap from a collection tank back in March. “Between 11 and 5 today someone stole 1,200 gallons of sap on Route 43, between Lucas pond road and Route 4,” the farm posted on its Facebook page on March 11. In a Monday, April 7, story in the Union Leader, Sugarmomma’s producer Debra Locke said she reported the theft to Northwood’s police department. In the story, the police chief is quoted as saying that the case remained open and there were no other reports of sap thefts in the area. Locke said the sap would have produced 30 to 35 gallons of syrup, according to the story.

QOL score: -1

Comment: If you have any information about the missing sap, call the Northwood Police Department at 942-8284, the story said.

QOL score: 60

Net change: 0

QOL this week: 60

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

Let us know at [email protected].

Pay gap

According to a March 24 report by the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute (nhfpi.org), women in New Hampshire still make less than their male counterparts. “Nationally, women earned 83 percent of what men earned in 2023,” the report read, “according to the most recently available data from the U.S. Census Bureau. In New Hampshire, women working full-time, year-round, earned 76 percent of what men earned. Of the 25 occupational categories described in 2023 New Hampshire Employment Security data, there were only three in which women had higher median earnings than men”

QOL score: -1

Comment: To read the report in its entirety, including its methodology, visit nhfpi.org/blog.

Visitor to the casino goes owl-in

As reported in a March 28 online article on Boston.com, the Gate City Casino in Nashua had an unexpected visitor last Tuesday, a female barred owl. According to the article, “local rescuers were unable to immediately remove the bird, so casino guests watched as the owl slept perched on a television.” The story quoted the casino’s marketing manager, Mark Martino, who “said the owl, who was named ‘Jack Pots’ by the casino’s security team, seemed slightly bothered by all the noise.” It wasn’t until the next day that a local animal rescue organization, Wings of the Dawn, was able to catch and remove “Ms. Pots.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: Maria Colby, director of Wings of the Dawn Rehabilitation Center, said the owl was ready to leave by the time she got there. “I netted it, and it took all of like 10 seconds to do,” she was quoted by Boston.com. “[She was] shaking” and seemed “shell-shocked. It was obviously a traumatic experience for the bird.” After two days of observation, the owl was released back into the wild.

Not as clean as it looks

In a March 28 story, New Hampshire Public Radio reported that “almost 900 million gallons of untreated sewage flowed into the Merrimack River last year, 30% more than the usual overflows over the past 10 years.” Surprisingly, according to the Merrimack River Watershed Council, that is an improvement over the previous year. “It was a reduction from 2023 — the year of the state’s wettest summer on record — when about 2 billion gallons of sewage ran into the river.” According to the report, about half the sewage in 2024 came from Manchester and Nashua in New Hampshire and Lowell, Lawrence and Haverhill in Massachusetts.

QOL score: -1

Comment: The culprit, according to the NHPR story, is an old design of the sewer system that allows it to overflow during rain storms.

QOL score last week: 61

Net change: -1

QOL this week: 60

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

Let us know at [email protected].

Free prom dresses

Missy’s Closet Thrift Shop (13 Hazel Lane, Manchester, 978-7872, facebook.com/MissysClosetBoutique) is in the midst of its biggest event of the year, Free Prom Dress For Teens. Throughout the year the Missy’s Closet staff collects prom dresses, suits, make-up, jewelry and anything else teens may need for prom. These are given away to teens entirely for free, according to a press release.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Teens can shop for prom necessities at 68 March Ave. in Manchester on Fridays (4 to 7 p.m.), Saturdays (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and Sundays (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) until April 6.

Nevertheless, they persisted

As reported by WMUR in a March 19 online article, an Exeter coffee bar owner has used a negative review as a way to promote business. The shop, Flamingos Coffee Bar, recently received a two-star review online, with the comment, “Place was disgustingly pro women and just walking inside I immediately felt unwelcome as a male … probably wouldn’t return.” “Logan says she initially thought, ‘Ouch’,” the WMUR article read, “but her mindset quickly shifted from offended to empowered. ‘It’s actually a really great motto,’ she said. ‘It’s a great slogan.’” Since then, Logan has used the phrase “Disgustingly Pro-Women” sell popular merchandise with the motto on it.

QOL score: +1

Comment: See the “Disgustingly Pro-Women” merch at flamingoscoffeebar.com/merch.

Tolls, now 20 percent more annoying

In a March 19 online article, New Hampshire Public Radio reported that “the open road tolls in Hooksett on Interstate 93 will be closed starting in April until about Memorial Day. In the meantime, all traffic will be directed through the traditional cash and EZ Pass Lanes.” According to a March 18 press release from the Department of Transportation (dot.nh.gov) the shutdown is “to replace the full ORT system equipment. The anticipated start date is Tuesday, April 1, 2025, weather dependent. The work is expected to take approximately two months with an anticipated reopening prior to Memorial Day 2025.”

QOL score: -2

Comment: As recommended by NHPR, “Travelers can check traffic conditions at NewEngland511.org before heading out.”

Trophy fish

In a March 20 press release, the New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game (nhfishgame.com) announced the winners of 2024’s Trophy Fish Program. Two new state records were set in 2024. Douglas Shanahan of Laconia bested the former pumpkinseed mark with a 10.75-inch long, 1-pound 3.92-ounce specimen from Winnisquam Lake last May. Stephen Whisler, age 13, of Portsmouth, set a new state record for the species with a 21.75-inch long, 6-pound 4-ounce sea raven taken in the Atlantic Ocean off Hampton in July.

QOL score: +1

Comment:For a list of New Hampshire trophy fish, and to learn more about the program, visit wildlife.nh.gov/fishing-new-hampshire/trophy-and-record-fish-program.

QOL score last week: 60

Net change: +1

QOL this week: 61

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at [email protected].