Category: Quality Of Life

Girls work

Girls at Work, a Manchester-based nonprofit that empowers girls through teaching them to build and use tools, was slated to hold its second job fair for high school girls on Tuesday, May 2, and Wednesday, May 3. According to a press release, the first job fair, held last November, was organized by two local high school girls following their experience at a construction job fair where they felt they were not taken seriously. The second fair was expanded from one day to two days and featured twice as many businesses, with indoor and outdoor booths. Girls from Manchester, Goffstown and some area charter schools were invited to attend.

QOL score: +1

Comment:In January, following the inaugural job fair, U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan recognized the young organizers, Kaylee Richard of Manchester and Samantha Grenier of Goffstown, as Granite Staters of the Month. “I admire Kaylee and Samantha for taking the initiative to make a difference in their community and empower women to explore their career options,” Hassan said in a statement for the Congressional Record. “It’s important that young Granite State women were able to see themselves in the women professionals they talked to and envision their career paths accordingly. Their courage in tackling the issue and making New Hampshire a more inclusive place is emblematic of the Granite State spirit.”

New to the field and winning

NHTI community college in Concord made history at the 2023 United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Invitational, held on April 29 in Springfield, Mass. In the women’s events, Natalie Riley won second place in the discus, setting a new school record with a throw of 34.41 meters and placing fifth in the shot put with a 9.72-meter throw, making her the first Track and Field conference champion in school history. Hannah Edgerly also set a new school record in the 1,500-meter race with a time of 6:09.12 and a 14th-place finish. In the men’s events, Jahlen Buckmire set a new school record in triple jump, finishing eighth with 11.54 meters.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The Track and Field program at NHTI is in its second season. “Our athletes put in an incredible effort and showcased their talents against tough competition,” Ed Winters, NHTI’s athletics director, said in the release. “The records and medal won by our athletes are a testament to their dedication and hard work.”

Hold on to your e-wallets

A recent analysis conducted by Secure Data Recovery showed that New Hampshire is the state most affected by shopping scams. Using Google search trend data from all 50 states, the study revealed that the rate of internet searches about scams among New Hampshire residents was 43 percent higher than the national average. Facebook emerged as the brand most frequently associated with scams in the state.

QOL score: -1

Comment: The study also noted that the top three states affected by shopping scams — New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Vermont — all have higher median incomes than the national average and suggests that scammers may be targeting individuals with disposable income.

QOL score: 71

Net change: +1

QOL this week: 72

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

Featured photo: NHTI athletes at the 2023 USCAA Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Invitational. Courtesy photo.

Hey, leave our seafood platters alone

Dozens of restaurants in New Hampshire are feeling the effects of a nationwide ransomware attack, WMUR reported. The attack on NCR, a supplier for many restaurant point-of-sale systems, has caused issues with gift cards, loyalty points and payroll for some restaurants. While some can still redeem old gift cards, others have been unable to issue new ones for almost two weeks. In a statement to WMUR, NCR said it’s working to restore applications and enhance its security. In-restaurant purchases and transactions are not currently affected.

QOL score: -1
Comment: The Beach Plum, a restaurant chain with four locations in New Hampshire, has been hit particularly hard by the ransomware attack since it typically offers a gift card promotion in anticipation of Mother’s Day, according to the article.

New lab

Catholic Medical Center has expanded its cardiac electrophysiology (EP) services by opening a third EP lab in Manchester, according to a press release. EP is a cardiac specialty that deals with abnormal heart rhythms, which can be treated with minimally invasive procedures like cardiac ablation, pacemaker insertion and the Watchman and Convergent procedures. Last year 2,259 patients were treated in CMC’s EP Labs. “We have a tremendous demand for these services,” Brian Cusson, MS, RDCS, Director of Invasive and Non-Invasive Cardiovascular Services, said in the release. “Adding this third lab allows us to better provide timely and needed care to patients in our community.” CMC plans to continue to improve and upgrade its existing EP facilities.

QOL score: +1
Comment: Heart arrhythmia affects approximately five percent of adults in the U.S., with atrial fibrillation being the most prevalent type, according to the release.

NH: Still not super diverse

Rochester, New Hampshire, came in second-to-last in a WalletHub study that ranked the 501 most populated cities in the U.S. from most to least diverse. Cities were analyzed across five diversity categories, including socioeconomic, cultural, economic, household and religious diversity. Other New Hampshire cities were also low on the list, including Keene at No. 498, Dover at No. 493, Derry at No. 491 and Lebanon at 488. New Hampshire’s most diverse city is Nashua, coming in at No. 367.

QOL score: -1
Comment:New Hampshire did have one outlier, with Derry ranking as the city with the second most diverse household incomes.

QOL score: 72
Net change: -1
QOL this week: 71

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

Featured photo: Catholic Medical Center opens a third cardiac electrophysiology lab in Manchester. Courtesy photo.

Woo-hoo, NH robotics teams!

Five student robotics teams from New Hampshire have qualified to compete in two upcoming world robotics championships in Texas. The robotics team from Spark Academy in Manchester and Awesome Potatoes, a team from Great Brook Middle School in Antrim, will head to the VEX World Championship in Dallas from April 25 through May 4. The Blue Box team from Windham Middle School and Windham High School, the Lakerbots from Inter-Lakes Middle High School in Meredith and Chop Shop 166 from Merrimack High School are competing in the 2023 FIRST Championship in Houston from April 19 through April 22.

QOL score: +1

Comment: All teams currently have GoFundMe campaigns to help them raise the necessary funds for the trip.

Help for the helpers

Elementary and early childhood educators in New Hampshire who are enrolled in the Lexia LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) one- and two-year training programs will be eligible to receive a stipend upon achieving a mastery level score of 80 percent, among other program completion requirements, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Education. Gov. Chris Sununu and the Executive Council approved $956,340 in federal funds to be distributed as stipends to qualifying educators in the amounts of $1,000 for elementary educators and $500 for early childhood educators. “These educators are working diligently to empower our youngest children to read proficiently, and they are spending their valuable free time advancing and integrating the science of reading so that New Hampshire can accelerate literacy learning for all students,” New Hampshire education commissioner Frank Edelblut said in the release.

QOL score: +1

Comment:Around 2,468 individuals have enrolled or pre-enrolled in the Lexia LETRS program since it was made available to educators in New Hampshire in November 2022. The program will continue to be offered through September 2024. Visit lexialearning.com/newhampshire-letrs to learn more and to register.

Funds for the trail

Merrimack County Savings Bank has contributed $10,000 to the Friends of the Merrimack River Greenway Trail, an initiative to create a continuous, off-street paved trail following the Merrimack River from Pembroke to Boscawen. According to a press release, the funds will support the development of Phase 2, a recreational trail to be built by the City of Concord this year as part of the Merrimack River Recreation and Open Space Corridor, extending from the northern end of Terrill Park’s wetland to Loudon Road’s cornfields.

QOL score: +1

Comment: When complete, the trail will be approximately 13 miles long and accessible to individuals with mobility challenges, according to the release. Visit merrimackrivergreenwaytrail.org.

QOL score: 69

Net change: +3

QOL this week: 72

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

Featured photo: Photo courtesy of Friends of the Merrimack River Greenway Trail.

Sweet sign of spring

Dover Public Library has announced the winners of its annual “Peeps Show” contest held last month. According to a press release, participants built shoe box dioramas using Peeps marshmallow candies of any color or design to recreate scenes from literature. And the winners are: “A Day at Charm School” by Emmeline Jess-Johnson in the kids division; “3 Little Peeps and the Big Bad Chick” by Harper Stansfield in the youth division; “Midsummer Night’s Peep” by Lucy McCammon in the teen division; and “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Sarah Denham in the adult division.

QOL score: +1

Comment: On April 6 the New York Times published on its website a series of photographs of the Peeps-making process, from the dyeing of the sugar to a photo of a phalanx of Peeps headed to their boxes. An interesting debate in the comments section — what is tastier, fresh Peeps or Peeps that have been brought out of their packaging and left to “cure” for a few days? Discuss!

Keep smiling

Manchester Public Health’s Oral Health Program has received a donation of $6,101.26 from the Manchester Rotary Club. According to a press release, the funds will be used to offset the costs of much-needed electrical components for the program’s mobile dental van and of updating the outlets and breakers at the 21 area schools that the program serves, which has become necessary in order for the program to continue providing dental care to all qualifying children.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The city’s oral health program is the largest of its kind in New Hampshire, providing free preventive dental care to around 600 students each year.

Cheers!

The New Hampshire Liquor Commission, in partnership with Jack Daniel’s whiskey brand, kicked off a first-of-its-kind recycling program in Manchester this month, NHPR reported, collecting more than 6,300 pounds of glass. The program, called “Bring Back Jack,” incentivizes customers to recycle their empty wine and spirits bottles to reduce glass waste in landfills; customers who bring at least a dozen glass bottles to select outlet locations will receive $25 off a future purchase of $150 or more, and if any of those bottles are from Jack Daniel’s products, customers will receive an additional $5 off the purchase of a single Jack Daniel’s product. The recycled bottles are crushed into glass cullet and used to make new glass bottles for beverages. Visit liquorandwineoutlets.com/bringbackjack for a schedule of upcoming recycling events.

QOL score: +1

Comment: According to the article, data from the Environmental Protection Agency shows that the percentage of glass recycling in the U.S. is only 31 percent, and that more than 7 million tons of non-recycled glass waste ends up in U.S. landfills each year, equaling about 5 percent of all waste.

QOL score: 66

Net change: +3

QOL this week: 69

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

Featured photo: “Midsummer Night’s Peep” by Lucy McCammon, teen division. Photo courtesy Dover Public Library.

Egg updates!

As of the morning of Tuesday, April 4, four eggs had been laid by the peregrine falcon pair that resides in the New Hampshire Audubon’s peregrine nest box atop the Brady Sullivan Tower in Manchester. According to the Audubon’s daily peregrine falcons log, the first egg was laid on Sunday, March 26, at 4 a.m., with the second, third and fourth to follow on Tuesday, March 28, at 4 p.m., Friday, March 31, at 2 a.m., and Sunday, April 2, at 10 a.m. Last year the falcons laid a total of five eggs. Watch them 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: Peregrine falcons typically lay their eggs in late March, hatch their chicks at the end of April and fledge their young by early June, according to the NH Audubon.

Ride to school

The Bike School Bus program, a program of the nonprofit Manchester Moves, is back in action, NHPR reported. Now in its second year, Bike School Bus allows elementary school students in Manchester to ride bikes to school safely by providing them with good-quality bikes with bells and lighting and guidance along bike-friendly routes and paths. Visit manchestermoves.org/bike-school-bus to learn more.

QOL score: +1

Comment: According to the Manchester Moves website, the pilot Bike School Bus last year saw more than 20 kids pedaling to school five days a week, rain or shine, with each kid averaging 40 miles per week on their bike.

Manager of the year

Mike Capsalis, Manager of the Hannaford on Fort Eddy Road in Concord, has been named Hannaford Supermarkets’ Store Manager of the Year, according to a press release. With more than 30 years of experience working at Hannaford, Capsalis has served as a store manager for 18 years and previously held other positions at multiple Hannaford stores, including overnight stock crew manager and assistant manager. Chosen from among managers at 185 Hannaford locations across New England and New York, he was recognized in particular for his leadership skills, consistent support and engagement of associates, deep commitment to the community and innovative thinking to improve store operations.

QOL score: +1

Comment:“Receiving this honor is a dream come true,” Capsalis said in the release. “As a long-time associate, I have enjoyed so many experiences at Hannaford and I truly appreciate the family atmosphere, as well as the camaraderie and friendships I have built over the years.”

QOL score: 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].

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].