Category: Quality Of Life

Test for lead

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Public Health Services has released some concerning data about the rates of testing lead levels in young children in the state. Its latest annual report, 2021 Lead Exposure in New Hampshire Data Brief, revealed that between 2019 and 2021 the number of children who had their lead levels tested at the ages of 1 and 2 as required by New Hampshire’s Universal Testing Law had dropped by 25 percent, likely due to the pandemic. “Childhood lead exposure is a significant issue in New Hampshire because of the large number of older homes that contain lead-based paint, the main source of exposure in children,” Dr. Jonathan Ballard, chief medical officer NH DHHS, said in a press release. “Now is the time for parents to play catch-up if their children missed important doctor’s visits. Parents with children under 6 years of age who have not had two lead level tests in their lifetime should schedule an appointment to be tested.”

QOL score: -1

Comment: Lead in the blood, even at low levels, has been shown to negatively affect a child’s ability to think, learn and behave and could result in permanent effects if the poisoning is not caught and stopped early, the release said. Visit dhhs.nh.gov/programs-services/environmental-health-and-you/lead-poisoning-prevention-program.

Helping the loons

Biologists from the Loon Preservation Committee carried out a successful rescue mission on Feb. 6 and Feb. 7 for seven loons that became trapped on Newfound Lake and Lake Winnipesaukee when extreme cold temperatures caused the lakes to ice over. According to a press release, adult loons typically migrate to the ocean for the winter, at which point they molt their feathers, which leaves them flightless for four to six weeks while their new feathers grow in. Some loons, however, become flightless before making it to the ocean and end up stranded on the frozen lakes, where they may starve or become prey.

Tuftonboro Fire Department assisted the biologists, providing an airboat and three firefighters to help with the rescue mission. The loons were treated and rehabilitated at VCA Capital Area Veterinary Emergency and Specialty and Wings of the Dawn Wildlife Rehabilitation for a couple of days, then released at the ocean off the New Hampshire coast.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The biologists attached colored bands to the rescued loons’ legs for possible tracking. Six of the ten banded loons that were rescued in a rescue mission in January 2022 were later identified on New Hampshire lakes, and four of those six were in breeding pairs.

What is “cheer on the local student?”

Caleb Richmond, a Georgetown University student from Bedford and Jeopardy! Teen Tournament semifinalist in 2018, will return to Jeopardy! for the “High School Reunion Tournament,” a 14-day event that airs Monday, Feb. 20, through Thursday, March 9, according to a press release from the show. Caleb is slated to make his first appearance in this tournament on Thursday, March 2.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Jeopardy! airs weekdays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. on WBZ-TV CBS, according to jeopardy.com where you can also find the 2018 episodes (see Caleb in episodes labeled “Game #2” and “Game #7”).

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 [email protected].

Brrr, cold, part 1

The bitter cold temperatures last weekend posed challenges for firefighters across the state. WMUR reported that a fire truck used to respond to a fire at a building on Liberty Street in Manchester became stuck when the water that was dispensed to put out the fire quickly iced over on the street. Additionally, one of the responding firefighters fell on the ice, and another firefighter suffered frostbite, the report said.

QOL score: -1

Comment: Last month ended with one of the warmest average low temperatures recorded for January: 24.1 degrees, beating the past record of 23.9 degrees set in January 1932, WMUR reported.

Brrr, cold, part 2

In other fire department news, the Manchester Fire Department responded to 56 emergency calls related to broken water pipes and fire sprinkler systems resulting from the extreme cold in the 24-hour period between 7 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4, and 7 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 5, according to a department press release, and more followed once the frozen pipes began to thaw.

QOL score: -1

Comment: Manchester Fire Department recommends using passive techniques to defrost pipes and discourages methods involving blowtorches or open flames. When in doubt, it’s best to contact a licensed professional.

A reminder that cold can be fun

Two ice sculptures tied for first place in the live ice carving competition that took place at the 5th annual Concord NH Winter Festival on Jan. 28: an aquatic scene with three fish sculpted by Eric Knoll, and a howling mother wolf and wolf pup sculpted by Michael Legassey. The event was hosted by Intown Concord and included food vendors and other fun for the people who came to watch the competition.

QOL score: +1

Comments: Ice can be lovely when you’re not scraping it off your car.

More help

Catholic Medical Center, New Hampshire’s contracted provider of The Doorway of Greater Manchester, has partnered with Easterseals NH Farnum to provide substance misuse treatment services after hours, on the weekends and on holidays. According to a press release, the program, known as the Extended Doorway, is open at Farnum (140 Queen City Ave., Manchester) Monday through Friday, from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m.; Friday, 5 p.m., through Monday, 8 a.m.; and on holidays. “As the Extended Doorway for Catholic Medical Center, we are able to catch people at the peak of their motivation to get help,” Annette Escalante, Farnum senior vice president, said in the release.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Services can be accessed on site or by calling 622-3020.

QOL score: 50

Net change: 0

QOL this week: 50

News your wallet already knows

Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration collected by Texas-based electricity company Payless Power revealed that New Hampshire is the U.S. state with the biggest jump in electricity prices between August 2021 and August 2022, with a 40 percent increase in cost per kilowatt-hour. The study also found that New Hampshire is the state with the fifth-highest estimated monthly residential electric bill, averaging $173.34, and the sixth-highest cost per kilowatt-hour at 20 cents.

QOL score: -2

Comment: Find the complete study at paylesspower.com/blog/where-to-save-on-your-electric-bill.

Hospitals are crowded

News outlets around the country have reported hospital overcrowding this winter, and New Hampshire is no exception. Earlier this month the New Hampshire Hospital Association tweeted a graph showing a statewide average of 94.9 percent occupancy of staffed hospital beds in December. Hospitals in Concord and Laconia “have been at or above 100% capacity for the past few months, with little or no let-up,” according to a Jan. 23 Concord Monitor Granite Geek story. Workforce shortages and difficulty moving patients to long-term care facilities (which are also crowded and short-staffed) are thought to be behind the crowding, the story said.

QOL score: -2

Comment: Props to the hospital staff trying to keep it all together during long emergency room waits.

Top marks

For the fourth year in a row United Way of Greater Nashua is the recipient of Charity Navigator’s highest rating for nonprofits demonstrating strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency. According to a press release, only 21 percent of charities evaluated by Charity Navigator receive the highest rating. “This … indicates that your organization adheres to sector best practices and executes its mission in a financially efficient way … [and] verifies that United Way of Greater Nashua exceeds industry standards and outperforms most charities in your area of work,” Charity Navigator president and CEO Michael Thatcher wrote in the award letter. United Way of Greater Nashua has also received top ratings for accountability, transparency and financial management from the nonprofit reporter GuideStar.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Participate in their fundraising via the upcoming Nashua Nor’easter Winter Walk/Run/Drive Community Fundraiser, taking place Feb. 26 through March 4. Choose the day, distance, method and speed of locomotion to tackle the distance by yourself or with a team, according to a press release.

Rookie of the Week

Breezie Williams, a freshman guard on the University of New Hampshire’s women’s basketball team, was named Rookie of the Week by America East on Jan. 30, according to a press release, her second such designation this season. QOL will let the press release recount the stats: “Williams averaged 11.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.0 steals in 33.9 minutes per game to rank second on the team in scoring and third in rebounding last week. She shot 41.2 percent (7 of 17) from the floor and a perfect 8-for-8 at the foul line. Williams helped lead UNH to its first conference win of the season, a 56-51 victory at UMass Lowell on Jan. 28, by recording 13 points, six rebounds, two steals and an assist.”

QOL score: +1 because QOL likes rooting for all the home teams

Comments: UNH women’s basketball will play a home game on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 1 p.m. vs. Bryant University. Tickets cost $10 ($15 to sit courtside), $5 for kids and seniors for general admission. See unhwildcats.com/tickets.

QOL score: 52

Net change: -2

QOL this week: 50

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

Featured photo: Granite United Way Volunteer Income Tax Assistance. Courtesy photo.

Donation for mental health

Merrimack County Savings Bank, better known as The Merrimack, donated $10,000 to support two New Hampshire mental health services. According to a press release, the recipients are Riverbend Community Mental Health, a private nonprofit organization based in Concord that offers comprehensive behavioral health and addiction treatment services for children, adolescents, adults and families, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) New Hampshire, a grassroots organization that works to improve the lives of people affected by mental illness and suicide through support, education and advocacy for improved access to services and social supports, early intervention and science-based practices that promote recovery and build skills and resilience. “Riverbend and NAMI NH play a crucial role in our community by providing access to lifesaving treatment,” Linda Lorden, president of The Merrimack, said in the release. “We hope this donation will help stretch the resources needed to improve the quality of life for our neighbors, friends, and families.”

QOL Score: +1

Comment: Data published by NAMI revealed that 1 in 5 adults and 1 in 6 children in New Hampshire experience mental illness each year, according to the release.

One less spot for movies in a theater

Concord’s 10-screen Regal Cinema movie theater, located at 282 Loudon Road, is one of 39 movie theaters across the country set to be closed by Cineworld Group, the parent company of Regal Cinemas, effective Feb. 15, the Union Leader reported. Cineworld filed for bankruptcy in September 2022 following financial struggles spurred by the pandemic and competition with at-home streaming services. Regal is the second-largest movie theater chain in the U.S. following AMC theaters and has more than 500 locations. The company announced that it will reject the leases of the 39 theaters to save an estimated $22 million, which would allow it to keep remaining theaters open.

QOL Score: -1

Comment: Remaining theaters such as the Regal Cinema on Technology Drive in Hooksett, which will continue to serve up popcorn and movies.

Free tax prep

Granite United Way has launched a free tax prep program for New Hampshire residents with annual household incomes of up to $60,000. According to a press release, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, supported by a $50,000 contribution from Citizens, connects qualifying low-to-moderate-income individuals and families in the state with IRS-certified volunteers who can help them access the greatest amount of tax refunds. “This is one of the uniquely impactful ways Granite United Way helps our community,” Paula Gay, asset building coordinator, said in the release. “VITA’s IRS-certified volunteers are up to date on all the options in which to receive their refunds and options to use a portion of their refund to gain financial stability moving forward.” To schedule an appointment near you, visit nhtaxhelp.org.

QOL Score: +1

Comment: IRS data revealed that about one in four New Hampshire residents don’t file for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), leaving an estimated $49 million unclaimed, according to the release.

QOL score: 51

Net change: +1

QOL this week: 52

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

Featured photo: Granite United Way Volunteer Income Tax Assistance. Courtesy photo.

Money woes

The number of bankruptcy filings in New Hampshire appears to be trending upward, New Hampshire Business Review reported in a Jan. 3 story. Though the total number of bankruptcies per year has been at record lows for the last few years — and 2022 still 10 percent fewer than 2021 — those numbers started to take a turn at the end of the year. November saw 51 — the same number as November 2021 — and December saw 64 — a more than 25 percent jump from November and nearly 40 percent higher than December 2021, which had a record low of 46.

QOL score: -1

Comment: Unemployment also started to increase at the end of 2022, rising another fifth of a point to 2.6 in November, and up from 2 percent in June, according to the article.

Eyes on the road, NH

A recent WalletHub study ranked New Hampshire the eighth worst U.S. state to drive in. The study looked at various factors, such as the costs of gas, car insurance and auto maintenance; traffic congestion, average commuting times, weather conditions, road and bridge quality; the rate of auto-related fatalities, injuries and crimes; and more. New Hampshire was ranked the state with the highest number of days with precipitation, and ranked poorly in other areas, including average gas prices (No. 34), share of rush-hour traffic congestion (No. 31), car dealerships per capita (No. 31) and auto maintenance costs (No. 27).

QOL score: -1

Comment: On the bright side, New Hampshire ranked as the state with the third lowest car thefts.

Future leaders

Three New Hampshire Girl Scout troops in grades 3 through 8 met U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan on Jan. 9 at the Nashua Public Library. According to a press release, Hassan spoke to the Scouts about how she does her job and answered questions about how to deal with negative ads, how to run a campaign and what traits are needed to be a successful female in a leadership role. She also talked about the importance of asking for help, accepting constructive criticism, standing up for oneself, listening to others and reading.

QOL score: +1

Comment: According to the release, a recent Girl Scout Research Institute study revealed that nearly six in 10 girls said they are interested in being a future leader through advocacy, public service or a career as an elected official.

Helping out

The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation is distributing a total of $3,810,500 in grants through its 2022 Community Grants Program — an increase of more than $1 million from the previous year, made possible by contributions from foundation donor-advised funds, according to a press release. The grants, which range in amount from $10,000 to $60,000, can be used for any operating expenses without restrictions and are usually paid out over the course of three years.

QOL score: +1

Comment: “New Hampshire asks a lot of the nonprofit sector — from teaching our youngest children to sheltering struggling families to helping protect natural resources and promote civil discourse,” Anne Phillips, director of grantmaking at the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, said in the release.

QOL score: 51

Net change: 0

QOL this week: 51

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

Get your Thin Mints and Samoas

Girl Scout cookie season has begun in New Hampshire. According to a press release, the Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains are taking orders now and can start delivering cookies to local customers around Feb. 10. If you don’t know a Girl Scout personally, you can place an order online starting on Feb. 27 or use the online Cookie Finder tool to locate a booth near you where the Scouts will be selling cookies in person from mid February through March 19. Visit girlscoutcookies.org.

QOL Score: +1

Comments: Every box of cookies sold supports Girl Scouts’ service projects, troop traveling and summer camps.

Helping people be healthy

Bank of New Hampshire has made a $10,000 donation to the local nonprofit Granite United Way as part of a corporate pledge for 2022. According to a press release, the funds will support Granite United Way’s mission of helping people “learn, earn and be healthy” and removing barriers to create opportunities for people to make a positive impact in their local communities.

QOL Score: +1

Comments: “Granite United Way is proud to partner with the team at Bank of New Hampshire to ensure our community has access to critical programs and services that strengthen individuals and families,” Patrick Tufts, President and CEO of Granite United Way, said in the release.

Eggs cost what?

Grocery prices have become a blur of “wait, how much for Cheez-Its?” but QOL took notice when a dozen eggs was over $5 at an area supermarket last week (and cartons of 18 eggs were nearly $9 each). According to a New England Public Media story from Dec. 27, the higher egg prices are due in part to a deadly outbreak of bird flu that has led to fewer egg-laying chickens nationwide.

QOL Score: -2

Comments: The strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza was first detected in New Hampshire in January 2022 and is still present in the state, NHPR reported in a Jan. 3 story.

QOL score: 51

Net change: 0

QOL this week: 51

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