Category: Quality Of Life

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].

Be a champ

Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning is teaming up with the American Red Cross during January, National Blood Donor Month, in a call for blood and platelet donations to prevent a seasonal blood shortage. According to a press release from the Concord-based Northern New England Region Red Cross office, the Red Cross, in partnership with the National Football League, will enter everyone who donates blood, platelets or plasma now through Jan. 31 for a chance to win a trip for two to the Super Bowl LVII event in Arizona. Visit RedCrossBlood.org/SuperBowl.

QOL score: +1

Comment: To book a donation appointment at a Red Cross blood donation site near you, download the Red Cross Blood Donor app, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-733-2767.

Land conservation

The New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP) will award $4.3 million in matching grants to municipalities, nonprofit organizations and community groups to support 34 land conservation and historic preservation projects across the state. According to a press release, those projects include rehabilitating 17 historic structures and permanently conserving more than 2,700 acres of farm, timber, and ecologically significant land in all ten New Hampshire counties.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The grants will be additionally matched by more than $15 million funding from other public and private sources, according to the release. Recipients are expected to complete the funded projects within two years.

Hate crime increase

Newly released data from the FBI has revealed a significant increase in the number of hate crimes committed in New Hampshire, NHPR reported. 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.

QOL score: -2

Comment: The hate crimes in New Hampshire included 16 instances of destruction or property or vandalism and 13 instances of intimidation. Nearly half of the crimes were targeted at Black residents, eight were motivated by religious bias and seven were related to sexual orientation, according to the article.

Help for families

Bank of New Hampshire has made a $5,000 donation to Harbor Care to support its efforts to help families that are experiencing homelessness or at risk of experiencing homelessness. According to a press release, Harbor Care serves more than 5,000 individuals through housing and residential services, primary and behavioral health care, substance use disorder treatment, home care, HIV/AIDS care, veteran services and food pantries and kitchens that make more than 100,000 meals available annually.

QOL score: +1

Comment:“Support from Bank of New Hampshire will provide thousands of meals and, in the long term, help create the foundations for our clients to build their lives,” Henry Och, President and CEO of Harbor Care, said in the release.

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].

Power down

Around 95,000 New Hampshire electric utility customers experienced power outages on the morning of Friday, Dec. 23, after heavy winds and rain downed trees and power lines across the state, WMUR reported. The National Weather Service issued hazardous weather alerts for icy roadways, hurricane force winds and flood warnings. The storm caused seawater flooding on the seacoast, closing parts of Route 1A in Rye and North Hampton.

QOL score: -1

Comment: This was the second case of statewide outages this month, after around 62,000 electric utility customers were left without power following the first big snowstorm of the season on Thursday, Dec. 15.

Toys for kids

The 11th annual Tower of Toys, an initiative that collects donations of unwrapped holiday gifts for children of families in need, collected around 1,000 toys and raised more than $20,000, according to a press release. “Our mission is to make the work of nonprofit organizations and families easier during the Christmas season, and most importantly, to make the season truly magical for New Hampshire’s children,” Tower of Toys founder and sponsor Larry Thibodeau said in the release. The donations were distributed to a number of local nonprofit organizations that work with children and families, including Dover Children’s Home, Friends of Aine, Friends of Forgotten Children, My Turn, Nashua Children’s Home, New Generation, Roca Kidz Club, Spaulding Academy & Family Services, Walk with a Child and Webster House.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The donated toys were formed into a tower on display at a celebratory holiday reception held at the Beacon Building in Manchester on Thursday, Dec. 15.

An end-of-year gift

Gas prices in New Hampshire have fallen 12.2 cents per gallon in the last week. According to a GasBuddy price report, the average gasoline price in New Hampshire is down to $3.29 per gallon as of Dec. 19. The data is based on a survey of 875 gas stations across the state. Prices are now 41.7 cents per gallon lower than a month ago.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The national average price of gas was projected to fall below $3 per gallon for the first time in nearly 600 days by Christmas.

Praise for a NICU nurse

Victoria M. Hastings, RN, a clinical nurse in the NICU at the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, is among 10 neonatal intensive care unit nurses nationwide selected as a finalist in the 4moms first annual Nominate a NICU Nurse program. According to a press release, co-workers, friends and families of NICU babies nominate their favorite nurses for the award, and finalists are selected based on submission stories and the number of times they were nominated. “Reading through all of the nominations was truly special,” Hastings said in the release. “It’s nice to be reminded how important the work we all do in the NICU really is to our families, patients and co-workers.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: Ten 4moms MamaRoo Swings were donated to CHaD in Hastings’ honor.

QOL score: 90

Net change: +2

QOL this week: 92

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

Like toilet paper all over again…

QOL was unfortunately in the market for some children’s fever medicine (your acetaminophen, your ibuprofen) last week and learned, as other parents probably already know, that the over-the-counter medicines are harder to get than Taylor Swift tickets, particularly the younger-kid-friendly liquid version (the Tylenol, not the tickets). A driving tour of many Greater Manchester grocery stores, big box stores and pharmacies turned up some kid tablet versions (boo to the idea of halving a chewable tablet) and exactly one liquid acetaminophen in a brand QOL has never heard of. Online searches also showed most area stores out of stock. News stories confirm that this situation is playing out nationwide, though a Dec. 3 story on npr.org reported that Johnson & Johnson, maker of Children’s Tylenol and Children’s Motrin, said, “there is no nationwide shortage — just a lot of demand.”

QOL score: -2

Comments: All of the stories emphasize talking to a pediatrician (i.e. not the internet) about your kid’s specific symptoms and possible alternatives if you can’t find medication.

Less fun part of a snow day

The first big snow of the season, which hit New Hampshire late Thursday, Dec. 15, and continued in some parts of the state through Saturday, left around 62,000 electric utility customers without electricity by Saturday, WMUR reported. Utility crews responded to downed wires and trees throughout the state causing the outages. As of Dec. 18, 448 customers were still without electricity, most residing in the Peterborough-Jaffrey area, around Conway and in the Upper Valley.

QOL score: -1

Comment: The storm, which dropped 1 to 2 feet of snow in many parts of the state, also created hazardous road conditions. WMUR reported that New Hampshire State Police had responded to more than 200 crashes, spinouts and vehicles off the road.

Kudos to the Sandman

Manchester’s own Adam Sandler has been named the winner of this year’s Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, NHPR reported. The award, considered one of the most prestigious honors in comedy, “recognizes individuals who have had an impact on American society in ways similar to the distinguished 19th-century novelist and essayist Samuel Clemens, best known as Mark Twain,” according to the Kennedy Center website. Sandler will receive the award at a gala performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on March 19, 2023.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Sandler paid a visit to the Puritan Backroom in Manchester last week, as captured in a TikTok video posted by ESPN.

A small gift (in February)

New Hampshire Eversource customers may see a slight decrease in their energy bill next year. The utility recently filed its proposal for its next energy service rate adjustment, which would go into effect on Feb. 1, with the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission. If approved, the rate will be 20.2 cents per kilowatt-hour, down from 22.6 cents per kilowatt-hour, the rate set in August.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The adjustment would lower the supply portion of the average residential customer’s bill by approximately seven percent.

QOL score: 91

Net change: -1

QOL this week: 90

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

NH representation

Twenty-one upperclassmen from the Arts Academy of New Hampshire in Salem have painted, photographed and drawn unique pieces of art celebrating New Hampshire. According to a press release, that artwork can now be seen on a series of holiday ornaments that are on display at the 2022 National Christmas Tree display in President’s Park as part of the America Celebrates ornament program. “I told the group to think about what they truly love about New Hampshire and its scenery, and I also told them that this is the time to shine, and to showcase their best work,” Frank Sharlow, co-director and art teacher at the school, said in the release. The ornaments depicted New Hampshire beaches, mountains, trails, the state flower (purple lilac) and the state bird (purple finch), white birch trees, various wildlife, Funspot arcade at Weirs Beach and more Granite State icons and scenery.

QOL Score: +1

Comment: The Arts Academy of New Hampshire was one of 58 schools nationwide to participate in this year’s America Celebrates ornament program, which features art by more than 2,600 students across the country.

Fill up!

Gas prices in New Hampshire have fallen 11 cents per gallon in the last week. According to a GasBuddy price report, the average gasoline price in New Hampshire is down to $3.42 per gallon as of Dec. 12. The data is based on a survey of 875 gas stations across the state. Prices are now 36.7 cents per gallon lower than a month ago, but still 10.8 cents per gallon higher than this time last year.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The national average price of gasoline was $3.21, according to the report — down 14.4 cents per gallon in the last week and down 56.5 cents per gallon from a month ago.

Snow!

The first big snow of the season is projected to start sometime between the night of Thursday, Dec. 15, and the morning of Friday, Dec. 16, WMUR reported. Northern and central parts of the state could get at least 6 inches of snow accumulation, while the southern part of the state is more likely to get a wintry mix and cold rain. Commuters should expect a high impact on travel conditions on Friday. The storm is projected to pass sometime between late Friday night and the first half of the day Saturday.

QOL score: +1 if you’re a kid hoping for a snow day and because the lack of snow was starting to seem weird

Comment: Some kids got two-hour delays on Monday after the accumulation of snow Sunday night.

Give blood, get stuff

The American Red Cross is calling for blood and platelet donations to prevent a seasonal blood shortage, according to a press release. Shortages can happen this time of year due to a number of barriers, including holiday traveling, seasonal illness and weather conditions. Everyone who donates through Dec. 15 will receive a $10 Amazon gift card; donate between Dec. 16 and Jan. 2 will receive a long-sleeved Red Cross T-shirt — while supplies last.

QOL score: +1

Comment: To book a donation appointment at a Red Cross blood donation site near you, download the Red Cross Blood Donor app, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-733-2767.

QOL score: 87

Net change: +4

QOL this week: 91

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