Category: Quality Of Life

*#$^&@-%! weather

A reminder that New England can still New England in April, the snow totals from last weekend’s snowfall reached 7 inches in Temple, 6 inches in Deering, 5.9 in Francestown and 8.1 in Greenville, according to a snow total rundown from WMUR on April 12. Between 2 and 4 inches seemed to be the totals for most towns between Nashua and the Concord area. According to the National Weather Service, the forecast for the coming weekend in the Manchester area is for a mostly sunny Friday (April 18) with highs near 61, a mostly cloudy Saturday with highs near 64 and a mostly sunny Sunday with highs near 56. Get predictions for weekend weather and beyond at weather.gov.

QOL score: -1

Comment: In Maine the New Hampshire Fisher Cats had two games postponed last weekend against the Sea Dogs in Portland due to snow (Saturday) and “inclement weather” (Sunday). But they’re back for this weekend’s warmer weather to play as Los Gatos Feroces and the New Hampshire Space Potatoes in Manchester.

Job opportunities in Manchester look good

According to a recent study by employment website Indeed.com that ranked 390 cities in the United States by their job prospects, Manchester is the 10th best city in the country in which to look for a job. Using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the study reported that Manchester boasts of annual job growth of 3.5 percent, an average annual salary of $62,810, an unemployment rate of 2 percent and more than 100,000 people employed.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The top-ranked city in the study was Midland, Texas, with a job growth rate of 5.1 percent. Visit the report at indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/best-cities-for-jobs.

Clean up, clean up

Manchester organizations are collaborating to hold a city clean-up event deploying more than 200 volunteers on Monday, April 21, according to a press release. The Park2Park cleanup will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. in 14 city parks and the streets in between. The event is a joint effort of Manchester Connects, the SEE Science Center, and the city’s parks and rec department. Many local businesses and nonprofits are participating in the effort. Individuals may sign up to help SEE with the cleanup from Arms Park to Gateway Park at bit.ly/SEEPark2Park until April 15; volunteers must be 18 or older.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Is that song in your head now? You’re welcome.

The Corral returns

As reported by Patch.com on April 13, nearly 200 people waited in line for the official re-opening of Manchester’s Golden Corral Buffet & Grill on Thursday, April 10. “The restaurant at 655 South Willow Street had closed in September,” Patch.com reported. Many of the people in line were previous customers who were excited about the re-opening of the popular buffet restaurant, and others queued for a chance to win free dinners for a year.

QOL score: +1

Comment: While there are more than 370 Golden Corral locations, according to its Wikipedia entry, this is the only one in New Hampshire.

QOL score last week : 60

Net change: +2

QOL this week: 62

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Share your two cents about sidewalks

The Manchester public is invited to share ideas and feedback on the Downtown Sidewalk Improvement Project at two public sessions on Friday, April 18, at the Spotlight Room (96 Hanover St.), according to a Monday, April 7, story in the Manchester Ink Link. The Project focuses on the block bordered by Elm, Chestnut, Concord and Manchester streets, the article said, and the visioning sessions will be hosted by the Manchester Economic Development Office, the Department of Public Works, and Plan NH. The first session will be from 3 to 4:30 p.m. and the second from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

QOL score: +1

Comment: “Public outreach is a requirement of the $1.8 million federal grant that’s supporting the project,” the article said, and the funding is “explicitly designated to enhance pedestrian infrastructure….”

Two more warm destinations

Avelo Airlines (aveloair.com) announced on April 3 that it has added two new non-stop routes from Manchester-Boston Regional Airport: Wilmington (NC) International Airport (ILM) and the Grand Strand’s Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR). Flights to Wilmington will fly out of Manchester on Thursdays and Sundays. Flights to Myrtle Beach will leave Manchester on Mondays and Fridays. The press release stated that one-way fares started at $39.

QOL score: +1

Comment: These two new routes bring Avelo’s services to North Carolina to four, according to the press release, including Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), and Concord-Padgett Regional Airport (USA) in Charlotte.

… If they can get there

WMUR reported on April 5 that the FAA said an Avelo Airlines flight from MHT to Concord, North Carolina, was illuminated by a laser about 15 miles from the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport on Friday, April 4, around 9:40 p.m. Laser light can interfere with pilots’ vision.

QOL score: -1

Comment: “Anyone who shines a laser at an aircraft can face fines up to $11,000 per violation” and other penalties, WMUR said.

Maple sap thief on the loose

Sugarmomma’s Maple Farm in Northwood reported the theft of 1,200 gallons of maple sap from a collection tank back in March. “Between 11 and 5 today someone stole 1,200 gallons of sap on Route 43, between Lucas pond road and Route 4,” the farm posted on its Facebook page on March 11. In a Monday, April 7, story in the Union Leader, Sugarmomma’s producer Debra Locke said she reported the theft to Northwood’s police department. In the story, the police chief is quoted as saying that the case remained open and there were no other reports of sap thefts in the area. Locke said the sap would have produced 30 to 35 gallons of syrup, according to the story.

QOL score: -1

Comment: If you have any information about the missing sap, call the Northwood Police Department at 942-8284, the story said.

QOL score: 60

Net change: 0

QOL this week: 60

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Pay gap

According to a March 24 report by the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute (nhfpi.org), women in New Hampshire still make less than their male counterparts. “Nationally, women earned 83 percent of what men earned in 2023,” the report read, “according to the most recently available data from the U.S. Census Bureau. In New Hampshire, women working full-time, year-round, earned 76 percent of what men earned. Of the 25 occupational categories described in 2023 New Hampshire Employment Security data, there were only three in which women had higher median earnings than men”

QOL score: -1

Comment: To read the report in its entirety, including its methodology, visit nhfpi.org/blog.

Visitor to the casino goes owl-in

As reported in a March 28 online article on Boston.com, the Gate City Casino in Nashua had an unexpected visitor last Tuesday, a female barred owl. According to the article, “local rescuers were unable to immediately remove the bird, so casino guests watched as the owl slept perched on a television.” The story quoted the casino’s marketing manager, Mark Martino, who “said the owl, who was named ‘Jack Pots’ by the casino’s security team, seemed slightly bothered by all the noise.” It wasn’t until the next day that a local animal rescue organization, Wings of the Dawn, was able to catch and remove “Ms. Pots.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: Maria Colby, director of Wings of the Dawn Rehabilitation Center, said the owl was ready to leave by the time she got there. “I netted it, and it took all of like 10 seconds to do,” she was quoted by Boston.com. “[She was] shaking” and seemed “shell-shocked. It was obviously a traumatic experience for the bird.” After two days of observation, the owl was released back into the wild.

Not as clean as it looks

In a March 28 story, New Hampshire Public Radio reported that “almost 900 million gallons of untreated sewage flowed into the Merrimack River last year, 30% more than the usual overflows over the past 10 years.” Surprisingly, according to the Merrimack River Watershed Council, that is an improvement over the previous year. “It was a reduction from 2023 — the year of the state’s wettest summer on record — when about 2 billion gallons of sewage ran into the river.” According to the report, about half the sewage in 2024 came from Manchester and Nashua in New Hampshire and Lowell, Lawrence and Haverhill in Massachusetts.

QOL score: -1

Comment: The culprit, according to the NHPR story, is an old design of the sewer system that allows it to overflow during rain storms.

QOL score last week: 61

Net change: -1

QOL this week: 60

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Free prom dresses

Missy’s Closet Thrift Shop (13 Hazel Lane, Manchester, 978-7872, facebook.com/MissysClosetBoutique) is in the midst of its biggest event of the year, Free Prom Dress For Teens. Throughout the year the Missy’s Closet staff collects prom dresses, suits, make-up, jewelry and anything else teens may need for prom. These are given away to teens entirely for free, according to a press release.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Teens can shop for prom necessities at 68 March Ave. in Manchester on Fridays (4 to 7 p.m.), Saturdays (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and Sundays (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) until April 6.

Nevertheless, they persisted

As reported by WMUR in a March 19 online article, an Exeter coffee bar owner has used a negative review as a way to promote business. The shop, Flamingos Coffee Bar, recently received a two-star review online, with the comment, “Place was disgustingly pro women and just walking inside I immediately felt unwelcome as a male … probably wouldn’t return.” “Logan says she initially thought, ‘Ouch’,” the WMUR article read, “but her mindset quickly shifted from offended to empowered. ‘It’s actually a really great motto,’ she said. ‘It’s a great slogan.’” Since then, Logan has used the phrase “Disgustingly Pro-Women” sell popular merchandise with the motto on it.

QOL score: +1

Comment: See the “Disgustingly Pro-Women” merch at flamingoscoffeebar.com/merch.

Tolls, now 20 percent more annoying

In a March 19 online article, New Hampshire Public Radio reported that “the open road tolls in Hooksett on Interstate 93 will be closed starting in April until about Memorial Day. In the meantime, all traffic will be directed through the traditional cash and EZ Pass Lanes.” According to a March 18 press release from the Department of Transportation (dot.nh.gov) the shutdown is “to replace the full ORT system equipment. The anticipated start date is Tuesday, April 1, 2025, weather dependent. The work is expected to take approximately two months with an anticipated reopening prior to Memorial Day 2025.”

QOL score: -2

Comment: As recommended by NHPR, “Travelers can check traffic conditions at NewEngland511.org before heading out.”

Trophy fish

In a March 20 press release, the New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game (nhfishgame.com) announced the winners of 2024’s Trophy Fish Program. Two new state records were set in 2024. Douglas Shanahan of Laconia bested the former pumpkinseed mark with a 10.75-inch long, 1-pound 3.92-ounce specimen from Winnisquam Lake last May. Stephen Whisler, age 13, of Portsmouth, set a new state record for the species with a 21.75-inch long, 6-pound 4-ounce sea raven taken in the Atlantic Ocean off Hampton in July.

QOL score: +1

Comment:For a list of New Hampshire trophy fish, and to learn more about the program, visit wildlife.nh.gov/fishing-new-hampshire/trophy-and-record-fish-program.

QOL score last week: 60

Net change: +1

QOL this week: 61

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Cookies for heroes

There is still time to buy Girl Scout cookies for “Hometown Heroes.” According to Ginger Kozlowski, spokesperson for the Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains, the Gift of Caring program is a way for community members to thank active military members and other professionals who give of themselves to their communities: “Police, fire, hospitals, food banks — almost any charitable or nonprofit kind of [organization].” Gifts may be made online at https://bit.ly/4fquQeW for the rest of cookie season.

QOL score: +1

Comment: According to the website of the Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains (1 Commerce Drive, Bedford, 888-471-9686,girlscoutsgwm.org), their most popular cookie is the Thin Mint. This year each box of cookies is $6, which helps support the Girl Scouts and their mission.

Concord man sets medical milestone

As reported in a March 7 online article by New Hampshire Public Radio, a Concord man has received a kidney transplanted from a pig. According to the story, 66-year-old Tim Andrews “is one of only four people in the world who have ever received pig kidneys. And he’s one of just two still living.” The two-and-a-half-hour operation took place on Feb. 7 at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. According to a press release from Mass General, the kidney was “a genetically edited pig kidney with 69 genomic edits.” According to the NHPR report, Andrews is on his feet and walking independently.

QOL score: +1

Comment: As reported by NHPR, “Mass General is planning two more pig-to-human kidney transplants this year, as part of a federally approved study.” To hear more from Tim Andrews and his doctors, visit YouTube and search for “Our Milestone Second Successful Xenotransplant.”

Big winners for tiny films

The Nashua Public Library has announced the winners of this year’s Tiny Film Festival. The Library showcased 20 local filmmakers on Friday, March 7, at this third annual event. According to a March 10 press release from the Library, “film submissions were open to everyone and featured only two criteria: the film had to be under 60 seconds and must be suitable for viewing by all ages.” The winner of the Kids 12 and Under category was Skunk Movie by Elizabeth Goemans, and the runner-up was Little Worm by Laurel Guarneri. In the Teen category, Lyriq Rivera, Vidhi Pawar and Chase Coffin won for The Other Side, with Yin vs. Yang by Gil and Roy Costa taking second-place honors. In the Adult category, Case of the Missing Pizza by Ronit Sinha and Dark by 3 by Andi Cass took first and second place.

QOL score: +1

Comment: View the films at nashualibrary.org/tinyfilmfestival.

QOL score last week: 57

Net change: +3

QOL this week: 60

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Pi Day

Friday, March 14, is National Pi Day — as in π, 3.14… . The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord is holding a Pi Day Lunar Eclipse celebration from 12:01 to 3 a.m. on Friday, an all ages event that includes Pi activities, watching the lunar eclipse and pizza, according to starhop.com (registration required). Sal’s Pizza in Manchester and Derry is tossing itself into the spirit of the day, by offering $3.14 off every extra-large pizza when you use the code “PIDAY” in store or online.

QOL score: +1 (.1415926….)

Comment: According to the Sal’s website, an extra-large pizza is 19 inches in diameter. Using the formula C=πd, that works out to a circumference of approximately 59.7 inches.

Potholes will get worse from now on

Between fluctuations in temperature and the hard wear we put our roads through, potholes are an unavoidable hazard of driving in New Hampshire. According to a Feb. 17 article in Discover magazine, we should expect them to only get worse. The article quoted Jennifer Jacobs, a civil engineer at the University of New Hampshire. “[Roads] are designed to operate under certain climate or weather conditions,” she said. Jacobs and her team have used climate change models to calculate the damage to roads under hotter weather and more extreme temperature shifts, and have determined that the calculations that are used to estimate how much maintenance our roads will need might be significantly inaccurate in coming decades.

QOL score: -1

Comment: The Discover magazine article went on: “To resist the forces of climate change, the team recommends making asphalt layers 7 to 32 percent thicker, with layers getting heftier as temperatures rise. ”

Winnie graduates

As reported by WMUR in a March 5 online article, Winnie, an emotional support dog with the state’s 911 call centers, has graduated from her training and is ready to start full-time work providing support to New Hampshire’s emergency dispatchers. According to WMUR, with the help of her trainer Abigail and the Hero Pups organization, Winnie “was recognized by the New Hampshire Department of Safety’s Division of Emergency Services and Communications for completing training.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: WMUR quoted Mark Doyle, the director of emergency services and communications: “Winni has been specifically trained to provide emotional support and mental health wellness for our team. Since Winni completed her training and joined the team full-time around the start of the new year, her impact has been immediate and overwhelmingly positive.”

Downward dog. And cat. And maybe bunny.

As reported by The Concord Monitor in a March 10 online story, a local program is pairing yoga practitioners with animal partners. “To encourage the adoption of animals in their shelter and foster connections between humans and their four-legged counterparts,” the article reads, “Pope Memorial SPCA holds yoga classes twice a month where participants can practice poses alongside shelter pets.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: Spending time with an animal has been shown to lower stress in humans, the SPCA said in the article, as does yoga.

QOL score last week: 57

Net change: +2

QOL this week: 59

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.