Category: Quality Of Life

Let’s buy one and dress it in a hat and tie

As reported by Manchester InkLink in a May 7 online article, the City of Manchester is selling retired parking meters to the public “… as Manchester completes its transition to newer parking technology,” the article read. “The meters will be available for $15 each, cash only, while supplies last.” InkLink quoted Manchester Parking Director Faye Morrison, who said that there were approximately 300 parking meters for sale as of May 7. She said she expected them to sell quickly.

QOL score: +1

Comment: To buy one of these meters, pay in person at the Victory Garage, 25 Vine St. Sales took place May 8 and will continue on Friday, May 15, “with additional pickups possible afterward, for as long as they last,” the story reported.

The sweet breeze of a whiffing batter

In an April 28 press release the New Hampshire Fisher Cats announced their fifth no-hitter ever. “Jackson Wentworth, Nate Garkow, Irv Carter, and Kai Peterson combined to throw the fifth no-hitter in Fisher Cats history, as New Hampshire blanked the Binghamton Rumble Ponies,” the press release read about that day’s game. “The 6-0 combined nine-inning no-hitter is New Hampshire’s second in franchise history and their first since May 21, 2012.“

QOL score: +1

Comment: According to the Fisher Cats press release, “Starter Jackson Wentworth has pitched in a combined no-hitter in both college and professional. (While at Kansas State, Wentworth tossed the final two frames on a no-hitter against Cincinnati on March 8, 2023.)”

Nursing is strong in New Hampshire

A recent study by online financial services company Wallet Hub reported that New Hampshire is the second-best state for nurses. The report cited a strong job market for nurses. “The state has the most nursing-job openings per capita, and a large number of hospitals per capita. In addition, New Hampshire has some of the best nursing schools in the country. The Granite State also restricts mandatory overtime for nurses, which helps stop nurses from being taken advantage of and overworked.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: New Hampshire ranked second of the 50 states, with the 12th best “Opportunity and Competition Rank”, and first in “Work Environment. Maine ranked No. 1 overall, and Oklahoma ranked 50th. Visit wallethub.com/edu/best-states-for-nurses/4041.

QOL score: 48

Net change: +3

QOL this week: 51

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Full tank, empty wallet

According to a May 4 press release from online fuel price tracker GasBuddy.com, New Hampshire gasoline prices rose 28.5 cents per gallon during the week beginning April 24. The average gasoline price in the state as of Monday, May 4 was “$4.35/g … according to GasBuddy’s survey of 875 stations in New Hampshire. Prices in New Hampshire are 44.1 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand $1.48/g higher than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has increased 21.3 cents compared to [April 24] and stands at $5.621 per gallon.”

QOL score: -1

Comment: The same announcement reported that gas inflation in New Hampshire is fairly modest compared to the rest of the country.

New Hampshire, the Lithium State?

As reported in an April 29 online news story in the Concord Monitor, “a new USGS assessment estimates that the Appalachian region of the eastern U.S. contains 2.3 metric tons of undiscovered, economically recoverable lithium: enough to replace 328 years of U.S. imports.” Lithium deposits have been known about in Maine for several years, the report continued, “and the geological conditions suggest that similar deposits likely exist in New Hampshire.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: “Lithium has long been a valuable resource for industrial and health-related applications,” the Monitor story read, “but has become much more important as the energy transition has increased the importance of batteries, often based on various lithium chemistries. About half of the lithium used in the U.S. is currently imported. “

New proms, experienced dresses

As reported on WMUR’s New Hampshire Chronicle on April 28, many area teens will be wearing second-hand or vintage dresses to prom this year. “There are several reasons teens are thrifting for prom,” WMUR reported, noting “the cost, environmental concerns, or wanting a unique look no one will have. Lucky for those students, there are several free or low-cost options available around the Granite State.” One of these options, according to the report, is Missy’s Closet Thrift Shop (13 Hazel Lane, Manchester, 978-7872, facebook.com/MissysClosetBoutique); ReProm Pop-Up in Exeter and Tom and Chickpea in Derry were also mentioned.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The story said that Missy’s Closet “collects donations all year long and started the season off with 3,000 dresses and received 1,000 more over the four weeks it was open.”

A Nashua Junior Ranger?

An April 29 online article in The Cabinet Press was headlined “Nashua fifth grader in running for Junior Ranger title … and $20k.” Fifth-grader Gavin Ryan is one of five remaining contestants in his age group in this year’s Junior Ranger contest sponsored by Ranger Rick Magazine, the story said. The competition’s website (jr-ranger.org) says the contest is designed to “celebrate curiosity, confidence, and a love for the natural world.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: “The competition ends on June 4 and the winner will be announced on June 19,” the Cabinet story read. “Should Gavin win the competition, he would be featured in Ranger Rick, have an exclusive wildlife experience with renowned biologist Jeff Corwin and receive $20,000.” The story also noted “The link to vote for Gavin is available at jr-ranger.org/2026/gavin-8531.”

QOL score last week: 46

Net change:+2

QOL this week: 48

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Spectacularly beautiful murals for kids

From April 16 to April 26, the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua hosted Mural Fest 2026, a public art initiative that covered walls in the building’s basketball courts, swimming pool room and other large spaces with brightly colored, highly detailed murals. As described on the Club’s website, “The festival brings together professional international mural artists, Club youth, families, and community partners to create murals that celebrate creativity, unity, and youth empowerment.” The murals are stunning.

QOL score: +1

Comment: In a telephone interview, Derek Pollacchi, the director of communications for the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua, explained why the murals are so important: “It really boils down to this: It’s for the kids. It’s for the members. It’s for inspiration. It’s a message. It’s hope. The kids are involved with the murals from the start, you know, underneath the mural is their touches and their art. It’s really about using the space that we have to put out a message of inspiration and hope and inclusivity for the youth that we serve.”

Fewer cigarette butts, more science

On April 20, the SEE Science Center, Manchester Connects, and the City of Manchester worked together in the second year of SEE’s Park2Park clean-up event. In an April 23 press release, SEE Science Center reported, “With the coordinated power of 227 volunteers who each spent 2 hours in this effort, 266 bags of trash and 20 containers of sharps were removed from 15 parks in 4 city wards. Volunteers at this year’s event collected 23.75 bags of cigarette butts (approximately 6,000 butts) for special recycling and also participated in citizen science recording how much trash was collected where.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: According to the same press release, “Manchester public spaces span more than 1,400 acres of municipal property across 83 sites, including parks, trails, recreational facilities, cemeteries, and public schools.Anyone interested in how they can support Manchester’s public spaces throughout the year can learn more by visiting the division’s Adopt-a-Site and Blue Bags for Litter programs on the Manchester city website.”

QOL score last week: 44

Net change: +2

QOL this week: 46

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Turtles on the move

In an April 6 press release the Turtle Brigade (nhanimalrights.org/turtle-brigade) reminded the public that with warmer temperatures more turtles will make their way onto area roadways and depend on thoughtful humans to make it to their destinations. “From May 3 through Oct. 3, NH residents are encouraged to stay alert for turtles, especially near roads that intersect wetlands and known nesting areas,” the press release read. “In the wild, very few turtles survive to reproductive age. Those that do face significant challenges, especially when crossing roadways during nesting season. While some species can live for over a century in the right conditions, most never reach their maturity due to habitat loss and human-related threats.”

QOL score: +1 for nesting turtles

Comment: The Turtle Brigade’s first recommendation to drivers is to“Slow down and stay alert,” i.e. don’t run them over.

The ski industry is worried

A new study from the University of New Hampshire has found a “high level of alarm that is greater than the national average” among New Hampshire’s ski industry about climate change. In an April 8 press release UNH announced that “that the majority of New Hampshire ski industry professionals are concerned about the effects of global warming on the ski industry, which generates close to $278.8 million each season in the Granite State, and believe more should be done. The study released by UNH’s Carsey School of Public Policy shows that this shared unease suggests a readiness to adopt sustainable practices and advocate for industry-wide adaptations.”

QOL score: -1 for the precarious state of skiing in NH

Comment: For some Granite Staters, the best part of winter is skiing.

Where did all the eelgrass go?

In an April 15 press release, the Conservation Law Foundation (clf.org) announced that the population of eelgrass in New Hampshire’s Great Bay has fallen precipitously. “Eelgrass — underwater seagrasses that are the foundation of the Great Bay estuary’s ecosystem — has collapsed,” the press release read, “marking the most severe ecological decline seen in Great Bay in decades. According to a new study, eelgrass coverage across the estuary fell by 80 percent in a single year, dropping from more than 1,000 acres in 2024 to just 211 acres last year. Within Great Bay itself, the loss was even more dramatic, reaching 98 percent in that same period.”

QOL score: -1

Comment: The CLF report said, “The stressors on eelgrass — sediment from rain runoff and increasingly intense storms, excess nutrient pollution from wastewater and stormwater, invasive green crabs and warming water temperatures caused by climate change — have all posed challenges to eelgrass health for years.” Visit scholars.unh.edu/prep/502.

A new home for your CDs and movie posters

Red River Theatres in Concord has put out a call for donations for its Annual Movie, Music, and Poster Sale, which will take place during Market Days in June. According to an item in Intown Concord’s newsletter, The Intown Insider, “Red River Theatres is now accepting donations…. They accept your gently used: vinyl records, DVDs and Blu-rays, VHS tapes, Cassette tapes, CDs, and Music and movie memorabilia. Drop off your items at Red River Theatres during regular business hours, or email info@redrivertheatres.org to schedule a time.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: You can feel good knowing that your VHS collection of early run The X-Files episodes will find a good home.

QOL score last week: 44

Net change: 0

QOL this week: 44

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Rowing for a cause

A New Hampshire woman has raised money for trauma recovery programs by solo-rowing more than 3,000 miles across the Atlantic, WMUR reported in an April 9 online article. “Renee Blacken [who live in Bethlehem] began the journey in January, rowing from the Canary Islands to Antigua,” WMUR reported. After 65 days alone at sea, she made history as the first woman to row solo in the Atlantic Dash, the report said.

QOL score: +1

Comment: “Blacken raised nearly $20,000 during her journey for the nonprofit Outdoor Adventuring for Good, which supports trauma recovery programs,” WMUR reported in an April 12 article. Seeatlanticdash.com for more on the event.

Thanks a lot, ticks!

“A tick-borne illness that can leave people severely allergic to meat and dairy is becoming a growing concern in New Hampshire,” Patch.com reported in an April 10 online article. The allergy, known as Alpha-gal syndrome, can induce an extreme allergic sensitivity to meat in previously unaffected patients and can be contracted through a tick bite. “The illness is carried most commonly by the Lone Star tick,” the article read. “Alpha-gal syndrome is becoming more frequent in New England as ticks move farther north, some say, due to climate change.”

QOL score: -1

Comment: Patch.com reported that “the CDC says the condition differs from typical food allergies because symptoms are often delayed by two hours or more after exposure and can appear suddenly after years of eating meat without problems.”

An old battery can still cause problems

According to an April 6 online article in the Concord Monitor, the batteries of an electric car that had been involved in a March 31 crash at the Bedford tolls spontaneously re-ignited in Merrimack days later. The Monitor article quoted Jim Bailey Sr., owner of Bailey’s Towing and Auto Body in Merrimack, who removed the car from the original accident site: “‘[T]his morning, I moved the car carefully to a different location. Within 15 minutes, the batteries shorted out and it went into thermal runaway,” the article quoted Bailey.

QOL score: -1

Comment: According to the Monitor article, “the resulting [second] fire took hours to put out with some 60,000 gallons of water.” For more on battery fires and the safe disposal of batteries, visit nhrecycles.org/recyclerightcampaign/how-properly-dispose-batteries.

QOL score last week: 45

Net change: -1

QOL this week: 44

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Drop that … drop it!

Trupanion.com, an online pet insurance company, released a report March 24 indicating that the number of pet poisonings in New Hampshire has gone up. The study reported that there have been 701 insurance claims from New Hampshire policy holders for veterinary care to treat poisonings since 2020 (651 dogs and 50 cats). According to the study, some of the most common sources of poisoning for pets have included grapes and raisins, chocolate, and drugs (both legal and the other type). “The cost of poison-related claims ranged from $558 for onions to $1,705 for anti-freeze and detergents,” the report read.

QOL score: -1

Comment: The study found that “Louisiana had the highest rate of poison-related claims with 1.75 claims per 1,000 pets, [and] Arkansas had the lowest … with .65 claims per 1,000 pets.”

No! Not the nuggies!

According to a New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services press release from April 3: “The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a public health alert for frozen, dinosaur-shaped, ready-to-eat chicken nuggets that may be contaminated with unsafe levels of lead. This product was sold at New Hampshire Walmart locations.” “The public health alert is for 29-oz. plastic bags containing approximately 36 “Great Value Fully Cooked Dino Shaped Chicken Breast Nuggets” with the Best If Used By date “FEB 10, 2027,” lot code “0416DPO1215,” and establishment number “P44164” printed on the back of the bag. Consumers who purchased or received these chicken nuggets should check their freezers and avoid eating this product. The product should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase,” the release said.

QOL score: -2, because sometimes dino nuggies are the only form of protein in the picky-eater diet

Comment: The release warned the nuggie-consuming public that “There is no safe amount of lead exposure. Exposure to even small amounts of lead may cause behavioral, developmental and health problems. Because children under age 6 are undergoing critical neurological and physical development, they are especially vulnerable to the adverse effects of lead on the body.”

How does poutine factor into that?

Researchers at Eating Disorder Solutions (eatingdisordersolutions.com) recently analyzed data from sources including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Diabetes Association to rank each state in terms of healthy diets. New Hampshire made the Top 10. “New Hampshire (9th overall) leads the country in food security (#1),” a summary of the study read, “and ranks #5 for farmers markets per capita, highlighting strong access to fresh produce.” According to the summary, there is still a lot of opportunity for improvement in our diets. “Government-backed research shows just how widespread unhealthy eating habits are in the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only about 1 in 10 adults meet the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: According to the study’s rankings, New Hampshire has a Healthy Diet Index score of 61.02. The study’s highest-ranking state, Vermont, has a score of 75.92, with more than twice as many farmers markets per capita and a high consumption rate of vegetables. “At the other end of the ranking,” the study summary reported, “West Virginia ranks last with the highest rates of obesity (#48), diabetes (#48), and high cholesterol (#48), alongside one of the lowest fruit and vegetable intake rates.”

QOL score: 47

Net change: -2

QOL this week: 45

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.