Category: Quality Of Life

Bridge closed

On Monday, Sept. 21, a routine inspection by the NH DOT found “potential structural deficiencies” in Manchester’s Queen City Bridge and so the bridge was closed until further notice, according to a press release the City issued that day. “At this point the full inspection has yet to be completed. In order to protect the safety of the traveling public the bridge will be closed until further notice. We will continue to keep the public informed as the inspection is complete, and will provide updates and plans for traffic as information becomes available,” the press release said.

QOL score: -2, but feeling good about routine inspections

Comments: Visit nixle.us/manchester-nh-city to see recent Nixle alerts for Manchester and to sign up for mobile alerts for your area.

‘We will not tolerate that in Manchester’

In the early hours of Sept. 16, downtown Manchester cafe The Moka Pot was vandalized. Windows were broken and “offensive language and hate symbols had been spray-painted on the business,” according to a press release from Manchester Police Department. “Due to the nature of the graffiti, the New Hampshire Department of Justice Civil Rights Unit was notified,” the release said. Manchester Police Chief Peter Marr released a statement: “This was more than property damage. It was a deliberate act intended to intimidate and instill fear, and we will not tolerate that in Manchester.” On Sept. 17, the police released images from a nearby security camera to the media and on its socials showing a “person of interest.”

QOL score: -2

Comment: A post labeled as “from The Moka Pot Team” on the cafe’s Instagram page thanked the community for support after the vandalism and read, in part: “We’ll fix the windows. We’ll clean the walls. We’ll make the repairs. And we’ll do what we do best: make the coffee.”

Helping the kids

In a Sept. 17 press release, local educational support organization Manchester Proud announced the turnout for its annual free back-to-school event, CelebratED. “More than 2,500 people attended this year’s celebration,” the statement read, “an estimated 200 percent increase over 2025. Families received 1,000 backpacks, 833 items of clothing, 372 books and 600 lunch boxes, while young people received 150 hair services and 65 vision screenings. More than 90 community organizations participated, supported by 60 volunteers and more than $50,000 in contributions from donors and community partners.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: “Manchester Proud has done an amazing job connecting thousands of families with the resources and support they need to start the school year ready for success,” Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais said in the press release. Visit manchesterproud.org.

QOL score last week: 65

Net change: -3

QOL this week: 62

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

Did he drop it in the book drop out front?

As reported in a Sept. 12 online article by New Hampshire Public Radio and the Concord Monitor, a very, very overdue book has been returned to the Concord Public Library. After reading a flyer announcing the Library’s year-long freeze on late fees, Barrington resident John Hanson decided to return a book that had been on his family’s shelves for as long as he could remember. The book is a bound copy of a magazine, NHPR and the Monitor reported — The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine from September 1894. “It bore markings from the Concord Public Library,” the story read, “along with the words ‘may be kept for one week.’ But the book did not return home for 48,220 days, or over 132 years, since being checked out. It would have amassed an overdue fine of $12,055, although the library wouldn’t have charged him.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: “The library,” the article read, “said it won’t put the magazine back into circulation but hopes to display it in the Concord Room, where Concord-related archival material lives.”

A situation bearly under control

In a Sept. 9 online article, WMUR reported that the Manchester Police and Fire Departments rescued a bear from a tree near Amory Street and Notre Dame Avenue on Sept. 8, with the assistance of NH Fish and Game. As bears go, WMUR reported, it was a fairly manageable size. “According to officials, Animal Control Officers found a bear that is estimated to be one year old and 100 pounds in a tree.” The rescuers’ first plan was not as successful as they would have hoped. “Police say they called in Fish and Game to help get the bear onto the ground. The bear was tranquilized, but proceeded to climb higher into the tree. The Manchester Fire Department brought in an aerial bucket, and a Fish and Game official was able to retrieve the bear.”

QOL score: +1 for a happy ending

Comment: According to a National Park Service website, black bears are exceptional at climbing up trees, but descending is more difficult: “They have strong curved claws that allow them to climb trees with agility. … Unlike other tree-climbing mammals that descend head-first, a black bear walks down a tree with its rear legs in the lead.” Visit nps.gov/articles/black-bears.htm.

Ending veteran homelessness

Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais’s office released a statement on Sept. 10 that the city has effectively ended homelessness among its veterans. “Manchester has met the legacy benchmarks for effectively ending veteran homelessness,” the office announced in a press release, ‘fulfilling a commitment Mayor Ruais made when launching the [Manchester Veterans Initiative] in September 2024.” At that time, the press release stated, there were 47 homeless veterans in Manchester. “Every veteran from that original group has since secured permanent housing. Tragically, one veteran has passed away. Over 130 veterans have now been housed through the initiative.” The statement pointed out that this does not mean that no veteran in Manchester will ever experience homelessness, but that procedures are in place to address it.

QOL score: +1

Comment: “Manchester has a system in place to quickly identify veterans experiencing homelessness, connect them with services, and help them secure permanent housing. The goal is to ensure veteran homelessness remains rare, brief, and nonrecurring.” In a statement, Mayor Ruais wrote, “We can take the lessons learned from this initiative and scale it to address the larger population. This is exactly what we have done with the elderly and infirm, families and children along with those suffering from substance use disorder or mental health issues.” Visit manchesternh.gov/Government/Mayor-and-Aldermen/Mayors-Office/Press-Room.

QOL score last week: 62

Net change: +3

QOL this week: 65

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

Hopeful signs

In a Sept. 2 online article WMUR reported that in August, Manchester had its first month without a drug overdose death since 2015. The article quoted Chris Stawasz, the Northeast regional director of American Medical Response, who said that reducing overdose deaths has been a collaborative effort. “It’s a combined effort by many groups to make this happen. And certainly, the availability of Narcan to the general public is a key factor in preventing deaths,” Stawasz said. “That’s probably the single biggest factor that we believe is contributing to this milestone.”

QOL score: +2, for a trend that hopefully continues

Comment: According to the WMUR story, “while the news is optimistic, the opioid epidemic has always been unpredictable. AMR says communities will need to keep working together to prevent deadly overdoses.”

Miss Dolly’s legacy lives on

In an Aug. 27 online article, New Hampshire Public Radio reported a bipartisan effort in the State Legislature “to make Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library accessible to participating families statewide.” The late singer and philanthropist established a program in 1995 to provide age-appropriate books each month to children up to 5 years old. “Currently, there are only a few partnering programs in the Granite State,” the NHPR article reported, “including in Barrington, Durham, Nashua, and the North Country….” On Thursday, state Sens. Darryl Abbas, a Republican from Salem, Donovan Fenton, a Keene Democrat, and Suzanne Prentiss, a Democrat from Lebanon, announced they planned to file legislation for the “Imagination Library Act.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: “[The bipartisan] plan would use state funds, administered through the state Department of Education, to help provide the free books to participating families,” the article read. “According to their announcement, their proposal would cost up to $750,000 per year once it is fully expanded over the next five years.”

Fall hiking safety

HikeSafe is a program developed by New Hampshire Fish and Game to help inform hikers about the facts they need to know to hike safely in the White Mountains. According to a recent blog post on the HikeSafe website, many hikers run into problems when they plan for conditions at the start of a hike, not conditions higher up in the mountains. “One of the biggest mistakes a fall hiker can make is preparing for the weather only at the trailhead instead of the summit or how it will change along the entire route. Temperatures drop as elevation rises, and the higher summits can experience freezing temperatures, strong winds, ice and even snow (sometimes in July!), while conditions down low might feel like a comfortable fall day.”

QOL score: +1 for thoughtful hiking

Comment: Other factors that many hikers fail to consider in the fall, according to the HikeSafe blog post, include not wearing seasonally appropriate clothing, shorter daylight, underestimating crowds on popular trails, encounters with hunters, and, perhaps related, encounters with grumpy wildlife. Visit hikesafe.com/blogs/fall-hiking-in-the-white-mountains.

QOL score: 58

Net change:+4

QOL this week: 62

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

Offline kids

An Aug. 24 report by thecannyvulture.com said, “In Hillsborough County, 2,253 children live in a home with no internet, 2.7% of all the kids in the county.” According to an Aug. 24 blog post on compareinternet.com, nationwide, 3.2 million school children are starting this school year without internet access.

QOL score: -1 New Hampshire ranks well in internet access nationally, but this is still 2,253 children too many.

Comment: According to the compareinternet.com blog post, “Washington County, Mississippi, in the Delta, has 47 percent of its children living in homes with no internet. That’s more than 5,100 kids. Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, is also at 47 percent. Socorro County, New Mexico, rural and largely Hispanic and Native American, is at 39 percent.”

Lanternflies

As reported in an August 25 online article by WMUR, an invasive species of insect, the spotted lanternfly, has been seen in New Hampshire for the first time. “Officials confirmed … that the spotted lanternfly was seen in Salem,” the article reported. “The spotted lanternfly poses risks to vineyards, nurseries and agricultural and ornamental plants. Officials said it doesn’t harm people, pets or structures, but it can become a nuisance if it becomes more established over time.”

QOL score: -1

Comment: On its website, the US Department of Agriculture describes the spotted lanternfly as “an invasive planthopper that feeds on a wide range of plants, including grapevines, hops, stone fruit trees, and hardwood trees. When the spotted lanternfly feeds, it excretes a sticky, sugary fluid that promotes sooty mold growth, which can further damage plants.” Visit aphis.usda.gov/plant-pests-diseases/slf.

Murals and more murals

In an Aug. 31 press release, the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua announced that as part of the club’s ongoing MuralFest, “10 nationally and internationally known artists continue transforming the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua through five large-scale murals, located throughout the Club both inside and outside. The festival, which runs through Sept. 2, brings artists from across the country and around the world together with the Club community. The event’s name, Be Creative BGCN MuralFest, was chosen by a Club member.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: In an Aug. 30 online article, WMUR reported that on Saturday, Aug. 29, artists from the organization ArtCity Nashua invited members of the public to help create 15 permanent murals along Nashua’s Heritage Rail Trail. The goal of “the mural and music festival,” WMUR reported, was “to transform the area known as the ‘Tree Streets’ into a public art display. Artists joined people from the community to make masterpieces, even leading a spray painting class.”

QOL score last week: 58

Net change: -1

QOL this week: 57

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

More fun than Connecticut, anyway

According to a recent study released by online economics website Wallethub.com, New Hampshire is the 43rd most fun state in the country. Reporting on its study, Wallethub wrote that it had “compared all 50 states across 26 key indicators of enjoyable experiences that won’t break the bank. These range from movie costs to accessibility of national parks to nightlife options per capita.” And while New Hampshire didn’t compare well with fun powerhouses like California or Florida (ranked No. 1 and No. 2 respectively), we ranked 41st in the category of Entertainment and Recreation, but 47th with respect to Nightlife.

QOL score: -1

Comment: It could be worse; compared to West Virginia, New Hampshire looks like springtime in Paris. Visit wallethub.com/edu/most-fun-states/34665.

Of course she’s blue; we just ruined her vacation

As reported by WMUR in an Aug. 19 online article, a Goffstown family made a “one-in-a-billion” discovery last week. While on a chartered fishing trip out of Rye, WMUR reported, “the [Major family] noticed a fishing pole and line in the water. When they went to pull it out of the water, they found a lobster tangled in it.” Even more exciting was the color of the lobster: blue. Blue lobsters do occur naturally but are very rare, the article continued — “about one in two million.” On top of that, she turned out to be a pregnant blue lobster, making her an even rarer find.

QOL score: +1

Comment: WMUR reported that the anonymous blue lobster was marked and returned to the water to continue with her birthing journey.

Maybe it’s the lack of ‘fun’?

A recent survey by the University of New Hampshire found that “25 percent of Granite Staters are considering moving away.” “The greatest likelihood of leaving is among younger and never married residents,” the Aug. 18 survey report read. “In contrast, [the study] found little differences in likelihood of leaving by other characteristics and life experiences such as educational attainment and household income.”

QOL score: -1

Comment: Study authors pointed out that the number of New Hampshire residents considering moving is in line with the statistics from other New England states. “Recent polling by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center found that only 23 percent of New Hampshire residents responded they were ‘likely or somewhat likely’ to move out of the state in the next five years. In contrast, larger shares of respondents from nearby states reported they were likely to leave, including residents of Vermont (42 percent), Connecticut (40 percent), Rhode Island (35 percent), and Massachusetts (34 percent).” Visit carsey.unh.edu/publication/retaining-residents-important-new-hampshires-future-why-do-people-leave.

QOL score last week: 59

Net change: -1

QOL this week: 58

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Not here, fanwort – not today!

According to an Aug. 17 press release by NH LAKES, “a vigilant Lake Host recently prevented fanwort, an invasive aquatic plant, from entering Newfound Lake, one of New Hampshire’s most pristine lakes.” After identifying fanwort among some plants tangled in his boat’s propeller, NH LAKES Lake host Aidan Nolan removed it, and reported it to the Newfound Lake Region Association. As a result, the invasive fanwort was stopped before it could establish itself.

QOL score: +1

Comment: In the same press release, NH LAKES highlighted the danger of fanwort. “This invasive, aquatic species can spread rapidly, crowd out native plants, disrupt habitat, interfere with boating and swimming, reduce shoreline property values, and negatively impact local tourism.” Visit nhlakes.org/invasive-species-prevention.

Gone and no longer forgotten

As reported online on Aug. 17, by the Concord Monitor and New Hampshire Public Radio, a new historical marker was unveiled in Concord on Sunday, Aug. 16, honoring William Penn Thompson, a pioneer of Black baseball in the United States. Erected by the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire, the marker, which overlooks White Park, celebrates Thompson’s life and career. Thompson was born in Virginia but moved to Concord sometime before 1891. “Thompson led an impressive career as a ballplayer, playing for the Cuban Colored Giants and the Philadelphia Colored Giants in the Negro Leagues,” the Monitor/NHPR story reported, at a time of strict segregation between Black and white teams and players. “This new addition is the first Black Heritage Trail marker in the city,” the article reported.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Thompson’s marker reads, in part, “Although discrimination denied him the opportunity to compete in the major leagues, Thompson’s extraordinary talent, perseverance, and showmanship left an enduring mark on the game. His contributions to baseball history secured his legacy as a pioneering athlete and one of New Hampshire’s most notable Black sports figures.” Visit blackheritagetrailnh.org/nh-black-history-marker-sites.

Traffic lights smarter than most of us

“The City of Manchester installed new technology to adjust traffic signals in real time at 22 busy intersections,” reported WMUR in an Aug. 13 online article. “The white, dome-shaped cameras use sensors and artificial intelligence to detect vehicles and pedestrians. The system then alters traffic signal timing to help traffic move as efficiently as possible.”

QOL score: +1, optimistically

Comment: “The project was funded through a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation, or SMART, Grants Program,” the WMUR article reported. “The Queen City was one of 34 Stage 1 SMART Grant recipients from 21 states to receive a collective total of $50 million.” View a map of the locations of the new traffic lights at infogram.com/untitled-1hmr6g83nvrxz2n.

QOL score last week: 56

Net change: +3

QOL this week: 59

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.