Category: Quality Of Life

Falcons’ first egg

The peregrine falcon pair living in New Hampshire Audubon’s peregrine nest box atop the Brady Sullivan Tower in Manchester have welcomed their first egg of the season. According to the Audubon’s daily peregrine falcons log, the egg was laid on Sunday, March 26, at 4 a.m., which is right on schedule as the peregrines typically lay their eggs in late March, hatch their chicks at the end of April and fledge their young by early June. You can watch the falcons on the Audubon’s 24/7 high-definition livestream of the nest box on YouTube; visit nhaudubon.org/education/birds-and-birding/ peregrine-cam for links and more information.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The first egg of 2022 was laid on March 21, with four eggs to follow, one laid every two to three days.

We’re pretty innovative

A recent WalletHub study ranked New Hampshire the ninth most innovative U.S. state. The study looked at various factors, such as the numbers of STEM professionals, science- and engineering-degree holders, invention patents, accelerated start-ups, households with internet access and more. New Hampshire ranked especially high for eighth-grade math and science academic performance (No. 2), projected STEM job demand by 2030 (No. 8) and share of technology companies (No. 9).

QOL score: +1

Comment: Massachusetts is the only New England state to join New Hampshire in the top 10, coming in at No. 2, behind District of Columbia.

Tomie dePaola Forever stamp

The U.S. Postal Service will honor prolific New Hampshire children’s author and illustrator Tomie dePaola with the issuance of a Forever stamp. According to a press release, the stamp art features an illustration from the cover of Strega Nona, the first book in dePaola’s popular series of the same name, published in 1975, depicting the book’s title character, which translates from Italian to “Grandma Witch.” A first-day-of-issue event and dedication ceremony for the stamp will take place at the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester), free and open to the public, on Friday, May 5, at 11 a.m. Visit usps.com/tomiedepaola.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Tomie dePaola, who died in March 2020 at the age of 85, wrote and illustrated more than 270 children’s books during his 50-plus-year career.

Another reason to avoid ticks

The tick-borne disease babesiosis has reached the status of “endemic” in New Hampshire, meaning that it is considered to be a regularly occurring disease in the state, New Hampshire Bulletin reported. A study recently released by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that the number of reported cases of babesiosis in New Hampshire had risen from 13 in 2011 to 63 in 2019, an increase of more than 370 percent within the eight-year period. The disease, typically carried to humans by infected black-legged or deer ticks, can cause flu-like symptoms and the destruction of red blood cells, or it can show no symptoms. Elderly people and people with weakened immune systems are at the highest risk of developing serious health complications.

QOL score: -1

Comment: Visit tickfreenh.org for local resources and information to prevent and protect against tick-borne illnesses.

QOL score: 61

Net change: +2

QOL this week: 63

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

Double the St. Pat’s fun

There is still more St. Patrick’s Day fun to be had as the City of Manchester celebrates the holiday this weekend with its St. Patrick’s Parade and Shamrock Shuffle. The parade will be held on Sunday, March 26, kicking off at noon from the intersection of Salmon and Elm streets in the Queen City and continuing south on Elm Street. Admission is free, and shuttle services will run from 10 a.m. to noon from the corner of Central and Chestnut streets to the parade’s assembly area. Visit saintpatsnh.com. Immediately before the parade is the Citizens Bank Shamrock Shuffle, a road race organized by Millennium Running that starts (at 11 a.m.) and finishes in front of Veterans Memorial Park (723 Elm St.). Visit millenniumrunning.com.

QOL score: +1

Comment: According to the Manchester St. Patrick’s Parade Facebook page, Elm Street is primed for the occasion with the two painted shamrocks on the pavement in front of City Hall and in front of Veterans Park having been given a fresh coat of paint with the help of Mayor Joyce Craig and the 2023 Grand Marshal Dick Phelan.

Increased hate group activity

Data recently released by the Anti-Defamation League revealed that activity by organized hate groups is on the rise and at an all-time high in New England. According to NHPR, the number of reports of white supremacist groups displaying or handing out propaganda in New Hampshire is now more than four times what it was in 2021.

QOL score: -2

Comment: The Anti-Defamation League’s report follows data released by the FBI earlier this year which revealed a significant increase in the number of hate crimes committed in New Hampshire, according to NHPR. New Hampshire law enforcement documented 34 reported hate crimes in 2021, up from 19 in 2020. Hate crimes are defined by the FBI as violent criminal acts against a person or property motivated by bias against a race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity.

B.A.s for KFC-ers

Employees of New Hampshire’s 14 KFC restaurants can attend Western Governors University with 100 percent tuition coverage as part of a new partnership between KFC Foundation and the accredited online university. According to a press release, the opportunity is non-competitive, and every eligible employee who applies and enrolls will receive the tuition coverage. “Every year we look for new ways to support and enhance the lives of KFC restaurant employees,” Emma Horn, Executive Director of the KFC Foundation, said in the release.

QOL score: +1

Comment: WGU offers more than 60 bachelor’s and master’s degree programs and certification programs across Business, Information Technology, Education and Healthcare, according to the release.

QOL score: 61

Net change: 0

QOL this week: 61

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

Spring!

This week’s Hippo highlights events happening as the calendar turns to spring, which officially begins Monday, March 20. Last weekend we all did the “spring forward” of daylight saving time. Brightly colored Peeps and jelly beans fill the candy aisles — so naturally that means in New Hampshire it’s time for a Nor’easter! With big weather bearing down on the state, many towns postponed their town meetings (originally slated for March 14) to March 28. See your town clerk’s office for information. By mid morning on March 14, with big fluffy heavy flakes falling steadily, WMUR was reporting that tens of thousands of New Hampshire customers had lost power so far.

QOL score: -1 (hey, complaining about March weather is a New Hampshire spring activity)

Comments: The kids, meanwhile, may be rejoicing. More snow to play with now and, if this is how your town does this, another day off on March 28.

Yes, coach!

NHTI, Concord’s Community College’s Lynx men’s basketball coach Irvin Harris (pictured above) has been named the Yankee Small College Conference Coach of the Year in his first season as head coach. Yankee Small College Conference is a United States Collegiate Athletic Association Division II conference that includes two- and four-year schools from New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont and New York State. According to a press release, Harris led the Lynx to an 11-3 conference record, with which they are now tied for first. The team also came out on top in highest-scoring offense, with an average of 86.2 points per game; rebounds, with 45.2 per game; and steals, with nearly 12 per game, under Harris’s leadership.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Harris hails from Omaha, Nebraska, according to the release.

Ukuleles for the kids

The Dover Rotary Club presented a $1,000 donation to the Ukulele Kids Club, an initiative of the Southern New Hampshire Ukulele Group, to support its mission of bringing music and instruments to hospitalized children. According to a press release, the Ukulele Kids Club operates in more than 200 hospitals and has donated more than 14,000 instruments in conjunction with music therapy sessions. “I have witnessed first-hand how music therapy soothes patients,” June Pinkham, one of the organizers of the Southern NH Ukulele Group, said in the release. “I’ve seen how it relaxes them and makes them more receptive to treatment. It’s amazing. We are honored to accept this generous donation on behalf of the UKC.”

QOL score: +1

Comment:Southern NH Ukulele Group has raised over $90,000 for the Ukulele Kids Club to date, with a goal of reaching $100,000 in 2023, according to the release.

QOL score: 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].

Doc talks

The Timothy & Abigail B. Walker Lecture Fund has contributed $6,000 to support the Concord Hospital Trust’s popular “What’s Up Doc?” lecture series for another two years. According to a press release, the series features monthly presentations given by Concord Hospital doctors, nurses and medical professionals about disease prevention and risk reduction, medical advances, new technology and new and innovative medical treatments and services.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Upcoming lecture topics include “What is Acute Pain and Why Does it Sometimes Become Chronic?” on March 10, “Skin Cancer” on April 14 and “Podiatry Update” on June 9. All lectures are free to attend and are recorded and posted on YouTube and Facebook. For more information and to register, visit giveto.concordhospital.org/events/whats-up-doc.

Local dentists

Northeast Delta Dental’s Northern New England Dental Loan Repayment Program has distributed $300,000 in awards to its first round of applicants, supporting three dental practices located in Berlin, New Hampshire; Brattleboro, Vermont, and southern Maine. According to a press release, the multi-year awards, created in 2022 to attract and retain dentists to rural and underserved areas and populations across Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, will assist general dentists and oral surgeons with their loan repayment obligations. Visit bistateprimar1.wpengine.com/nned-loan-repayment.

QOL score: +1

Comment: There has been an acute shortage of dentists across all specialties in northern New England, according to the release, due to a combination of factors, including retirements, state Medicaid program benefit expansions, and difficulties recruiting in rural and underserved areas across the region.

Good roads

A new report analyzing data from the U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Census Bureau revealed that New Hampshire has the best roads in the country, while “[spending] some of the lowest capital outlay per mile.” According to a press release from the office of Gov. Chris Sununu, New Hampshire receives the lowest amount of total federal funding for roads and bridges, making the No. 1 ranking “a testament to the Department of Transportation’s management.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: “New Hampshire is blessed with a dedicated team of professionals that works hard to build and maintain our transportation system and I’m honored that we are being recognized for our work,” NH Department of Transportation Commissioner Bill Cass said in the release.

QOL score: 57

Net change: +3

QOL this week: 60

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

See the student plane!

The first-ever aircraft produced by the student plane-building partnership between the Aviation Museum of NH, Manchester School of Technology and Tango Flight, finished last summer, is on display at the museum (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry; nhahs.org) now through March 26. According to a press release, the working two-seat RV-12iS light sport aircraft was completed in August 2022 after three years of effort by local students, mentor volunteers from the museum and other program supporters, with assistance from Tango Flight, a consulting nonprofit that specializes in student plane-building projects. The plane has already made numerous flights and special appearances locally and around the country.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Students are currently working on a new plane, the release said.

Nominate your nurse

Nominations are open for New Hampshire Healthcare Heroes. According to a press release, the program, sponsored by Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare, the NH Sector Partnerships and Initiative, Southern New Hampshire Area Health Education Center and others, celebrates health care workers in the state. Nominees may include clinical and nonclinical providers, administrators, educators, facilities, custodial and kitchen staff and others who provide direct or indirect care to patients and families receiving health care. A volunteer committee, made up of health care professionals across the state, will review the nominations and select one winner and two runners-up for each of the seven regions in the state. Each Hero will be honored in a pinning ceremony, hosted in partnership with their employer and streamed live on Facebook, and will receive a banner and customized swag bag.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Anyone can nominate a Healthcare Hero by submitting an online nomination form at nhhealthcareheroes.org. Nominations close on April 7.

Almost showtime

The Nashua Center for the Arts and its management partner Spectacle Live will host a series of public information sessions regarding the new arts and entertainment venue set to open this spring. According to a press release, venue staff will be available to provide information and answer questions related to employment opportunities, venue renting and hosting special events, memberships and group sales and corporate sponsorships; and box office representatives will be available to patrons who are interested in purchasing tickets to upcoming shows. Upcoming sessions will take place at Martha’s Exchange Banquet Space (185 Main St. in Nashua) on Tuesday, March 7, from 5 to 8 p.m., and Wednesday, March 8, from 9 a.m. to noon. Visit NashuaCenterfortheArts.com.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The venue, which will be able to accommodate 500 to 1,000 patrons with flexible seating configurations, is expected to open in April and will host nationally touring musicians, live comedy, theater, children’s performances and more.

QOL score: 54

Net change: +3

QOL this week: 57

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

Featured photo: Student-built RV-12 plane on display at the Aviation Museum. Courtesy photo.

We love our teachers

The New Hampshire Department of Education received a record-setting 322 nominations for the 2024 Teacher of the Year award. According to a press release, the nominations, submitted by New Hampshire educators’ coworkers, students, students’ parents and school leaders, represented 118 schools across 59 towns. “New Hampshire has fallen in love with the bright, engaging and dedicated teachers that devote their careers to educating our youth,” Christine Brennan, deputy commissioner of education, said in the release. “We are overwhelmed with the large number of nominations for our Teacher of the Year program, and we are thrilled that the education field is eager to recognize these hardworking individuals.” Nominations are now closed. Nominated teachers must formally accept the nomination and apply for the award by March 20. The 2024 Teacher of the Year will be announced in October.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Christian Cheetham of Alvirne High School in Hudson currently holds the title of 2023 Teacher of the Year.

Somebody’s QOL just got way better

A winning ticket for the Tri-State Megabucks lottery was sold at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet on Leavy Drive in Bedford on Saturday, Feb. 18, WMUR reported. The jackpot is estimated by the New Hampshire Lottery to be worth $1.77 million. The winner, who matched all five winning numbers and the Mega Ball number, has a choice between taking their winnings in graduated annual payments over 30 years or as one lump sum payment.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The last Megabucks jackpot, which was worth an estimated $1.5 million, was sold in Madawaska, Maine, on Nov. 12, 2022, and was never claimed, according to the article.

Fundraising fun

Catholic Charities NH generated more than $200,000 to help Granite Staters in need from its 2023 Mardi Gras Gala, held on Saturday, Feb. 11, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown. According to a press release, the nonprofit’s signature event featured authentic New Orleans cuisine, cocktails, entertainment, a live auction, dancing and more. “As our first in-person Mardi Gras since 2019, we made up for lost time with the experience and celebration that our community deserves,” Karen Moynihan, vice president of philanthropy at Catholic Charities NH, said in the release. The funds raised will support programs that help to create lasting change in the lives of individuals and families struggling with a wide range of issues that impact communities across New Hampshire, such as hunger, poverty, financial despair, mental health, homelessness, unsafe environments for children and isolation among seniors.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Plans are already in the works for the 2024 Mardi Gras Gala, which is set for Feb. 10, 2024, according to the release.

QOL score: 51

Net change: +3

QOL this week: 54

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

Featured photo: Catholic Charities NH Mardi Gras Gala. Photo by Mark MacKenzie, Capturing Wisdom Photography.