Category: Quality Of Life

Stop the jumping worms!

As it prepares for its annual plant sale, the Derry Garden Club is on the lookout for “jumping worms.” According to a press release, the worms remove nutrients from the top soil, which wreaks havoc on the agricultural environment, and they have recently resurfaced in New England. The club is repotting all plants to treated vermiculite in order to keep the jumping worms at bay. Anyone who has unwanted perennials that they would like to donate to the sale can set up a time with the club to have them sort through your garden (call Sally at 432-7714).

Score: -1 for the concept of worms that jump

Comment: At least you know the plants you get at the sale on June 4 at Robert Frost Farm in Derry will be jumping-worm-free!

More affordable health care

Affordable Care Act benchmark premium rates in New Hampshire are the lowest in the country, according to a study released last month by the Urban Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. According to a press release, benchmark premiums in New Hampshire have decreased for the second year in a row, down from $405 per month in 2020 to $333 per month in 2021 and $309 per month in 2022. The national average, on the other hand, was $453 in 2020, $446 in 2021 and $438 in 2022. The nation averaged a 2.2-percent reduction in benchmark premium rates from 2019 to 2022, while the Granite State’s reduction was 8.2 percent.

Score: +1

Comment:“Never before has New Hampshire had better access to more increasingly affordable health insurance options,” NHID Commissioner Christopher Nicolopoulos said in the release.

Middling drug problems

New Hampshire is in the middle of the pack when it comes to states with the biggest drug problems. According to a report from WalletHub, the Granite State ranked 24th in the personal-finance website’s recent study, which looked at factors like arrest and overdose rates, the number of opioid prescriptions and employee drug testing laws. In the broader category of Drug Use & Addiction, New Hampshire ranked 34th, while it ranked 15th in Law Enforcement (which included statistics like number of drug arrests) and 37th in Drug Health Issues & Rehab (which included statistics like number of people receiving substance abuse treatment per 1,000 drug users), according to the report.

Score: 0

Comment: Cross the border to Vermont and you’ll be in the state with the highest share of both teens and adults who used illicit drugs in the past month, the report said.

Magnifying youth voices

Forty-eight youth artists were featured at the 2022 Magnify Voices Expressive Arts Contest celebration on May 4, an event that showcased their personal struggles with mental health through artwork and stories. According to a press release, the contest was created in 2019 by the New Hampshire Children’s System of Care to give youth in grades 5 through 12 a chance to share their stories through short films, essays, poems and other expressive art, and to change the stigma around mental health. Attendees at the celebration were able to view the art as well as receive information from organizations focused on improving youth mental health and hear from keynote speaker Dr. Alison Roy, a licensed clinical psychologist and trauma expert. The People’s Choice Award went to Emily W., Emily A., Lindsey K. and Lana. G for a submission titled Short Film, which discussed mental health illnesses; audio from the video includes, “If you suffer from any of these conditions, you are not alone. Don’t be afraid to reach out to a trusted loved one or a professional,” the release said.

Score: +1

Comment: This year’s submissions will be on display June 4 through July 16 at the Jaffrey Civic Center in Jaffrey and at other events around the state. On May 15, NH CSoC will be the featured nonprofit at the Fisher Cats game in Manchester.

QOL score: 79

Net change: +1

QOL this week: 80

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

Statewide historical quest

Hit the road for a journey that could take you to more than 270 of New Hampshire’s historically significant places. The state Division of Historical Resources announced in a press release that it has created a new Historical Highway Marker Quest to entice travelers to visit the state’s historic markers. If you visit at least 10 markers you can fill out a form online at nh.gov/nhdr to get a sticker that says “I love N.H. Historical Highway Markers.” Anyone who visits any marker is encouraged to post pictures of their stops on social media using the hashtag “#NHHistoricalMarkers.” According to the release, the online N.H. Historical Highway Markers map has been upgraded to make it easier for people to find the places where they want to stop, and it includes a picture and location description of each marker. Highway markers include meeting houses, stone arch bridges, lost villages and cemeteries, as well as spots related to poets, painters, athletes and more.

Score: +1

Comment: Sounds like some fun summer road trips to QOL!

Baby falcons on board!

As of May 3, all five peregrine falcon eggs in the nest that is monitored by NH Audubon’s live falcon cam appear to have hatched. According to the falcons’ YouTube page, the first three hatched on the same day, on April 28, and the fourth hatched May 1. To see the nest, which is at 750 Elm St., you can find a link at nhaudubon.org or search for “peregrine networks” on YouTube.

Score: +1

Comment: In the coming weeks, the young falcons will learn from their parents how to hunt before they start to migrate out of the area, according to the YouTube page.

Basketball for animals

Salem High School student Noah Mustapha and his friends love a good game of pickup basketball, and he loved his experience volunteering at the Salem Animal Rescue League — so it made sense, he thought, to create a “3v3” tournament fundraiser, with proceeds going to the Rescue League. According to a press release, Mustapha and fellow students Jack Dailey and Dom Buccheri set up the basketball tournament in the high school gym and got 16 teams to join, with more than 100 fans coming to watch. The event raised almost $700 to benefit the animals.

Score: +1

Comment: “I decided to choose SARL because during the football season my team and I went to help move things around and set up the cages outside and thought it would be awesome if we could help out more,” Mustapha said in the release.

National scholars

Out of more than 5,000 candidates nationwide, six New Hampshire seniors have been named semifinalists in the 2022 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. According to a press release, the semifinalists are Abhinav S. Govindaraju of Bedford High School, Ke Nicole Hu of St. Paul’s School, Akhil S. Kammila of Nashua High School South, Lilia R. Potter-Schwartz of Portsmouth High School, Annabella Wu of Londonderry High School and Vincent H. Xiao of Phillips Exeter Academy. “These high school seniors are among a group of highly distinguished and academically-centered students who have been chosen because of their achievements both inside and outside of the classroom,” Frank Edelblut, commissioner of education, said in the release.

Score: +1

Comment: New Hampshire’s semifinalists join a group of 620 semifinalists from throughout the nation who are being recognized for their outstanding achievements in academics, the arts, leadership, school and community involvement and career and technical fields, the release said.

QOL score: 75

Net change: +4

QOL this week: 79

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

A trail built for all

Some of the physical, cultural and social barriers to nature have been broken down with the grand opening of the All Person Trail at The Nature Conservancy’s Manchester Cedar Swamp Preserve. According to a press release, the purpose of the newly constructed trail is to bring people of all abilities and backgrounds closer to nature even when they’re in the midst of the state’s largest city. The 1.2-mile trail officially opened on Earth Day after three years of planning and construction. It winds through the preserve’s diverse habitats, including wetlands and rock formations dating back to the Ice Age. It is flat and even, allowing for easy walking and use of assistance-providing devices like wheelchairs and strollers, the release said. There are benches along the trail, along with illustrated panels that highlight the sights, sounds and smells of the preserve; there’s also an app-based audio tour in both English and Spanish. The parking area includes accessible parking spaces and a nongendered, family-friendly portable toilet, according to the release.

Score: +2

Comment: Also beginning today, a new stop on the Manchester Transit Authority’s bus route provides much-needed transportation to and from the preserve, located in the Hackett Hill area of Manchester. Riders can now take the Route 11 bus to the “All Persons Trail” stop.

Spotlight on New American youth

Refugee youth will get their chance to shine at the New Americans Got Talent Show, happening Thursday, April 28, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Bank of NH Stage in Concord. According to a press release, the event is being put on by Overcomers Refugee Services and Project S.T.O.R.Y. The performers are ages 7 to 20, and they’ll be presenting talents like musical performances, dancing, athletics, cup stacking and public speaking. “Local celebrities” will be on the judges panel, and the top three performers will win cash prizes of $500, $300 and $200, the release said. Attendance is free, but donations benefitting refugee youth programs are welcome at OvercomersNH.org. RSVP at [email protected].

Score: +1

Comment: “This talent show is important to me and the kids because the kids get a chance to show their talents and perform,” Fred Nshimiyimana of Project S.T.O.R.Y, said in the release. “I think that’s really great because here in America, a lot of refugee kids haven’t had the chance to show off their skills and talents.”

Support for first responders

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats have a new charitable initiative called the First Responders Fund, created to support the families of New Hampshire Police and Firefighters in need. According to a press release, the fund will officially launch as part of First Responders Night at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 11, and 50 percent of the proceeds from individual tickets sold that night will benefit the fund, as will the in-game 50/50 raffle and boot pass collection. The Fisher Cats Foundation will also make a $2,500 donation and contribute a portion of the funds from the annual Granite State Baseball Dinner, the release said.

Score: +1

Comment: “Oftentimes, first responders find themselves in need of help also. This initiative will help our members overcome some unforeseen obstacles in their personal lives,” Manchester Fire Chief Andre R. Parent said in the release.

Police impersonation scam

Last week the Manchester Police Department sent out a public alert after several people called to a report that a person claiming to be a Manchester Police Officer had called and demanded money. According to a press release, the scammer uses the name of an officer who really works at the Manchester Police Department and tells the person they owe thousands of dollars in court fees. The caller also tells the victim that they will be arrested if they hang up.

Comment: -1

Score: Always contact your local police department directly to verify any calls like this that seem suspicious, the release said.

QOL score: 72

Net change: +3

QOL this week: 75

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

Uke lovers rejoice

After two and a half years with no performances, The Ukestra with Mike Loce will be performing for the residents of the Huntington at Nashua on April 28. According to Ukestra Music Director Mike Loce, the group has about 30 active members and has been rehearsing regularly at Nashua Public Library. Prior to the pandemic, their last performance was a holiday show in 2019 at the Nashua Community Music School; their next planned gig scheduled for March 15, 2020, was, of course, canceled. “Having this group shut down (with everything else) was one of the hardest things I had to get through as an independent, self-employed musician/educator,” Loce said in an email.

Score: +1 (for being back in action!)

Comment: You can check out the genesis of this uke enthusiasts’ group and more at ukestra.org.

Reverse raffle for the win

The Queen City Rotary Club’s first ever Pot of Gold Reverse Raffle was a success, bringing in more than $40,000 to support Manchester’s youth. According to a press release, club members sold tickets and sought sponsorships, and on March 17 the winning ticket was drawn at the Manchester Millyard Museum. The big winner’s name was chosen last — hence the “reverse raffle” — and they got half the winnings, with the other half going to charities that support youth in the Queen City.

Score: +1

Comment: “This was a true grass roots event,” MonicaLabonville, president of the Queen City Rotary Club, said in the release. “Our club is united in our cause, and we have a lot of fun raising money.”

Too soon, ticks!

Since mid-March there’s been an increase in the number of emergency room visits for tick bites in New Hampshire, according to a report from WMUR. “We’re seeing a gamut of patients coming in with various stages of tick bites — some where the ticks are still embedded,” Dr. James Martin, medical director of Urgent Care at Milford Medical Center, told WMUR. “We have occasional patients who are actually ill from their tick bites, and they have headaches and fevers and maybe the rash, muscle aches and that type of thing.” Health officials are encouraging people to wear repellent with DEET, wear long pants and sleeves, keep grass short, get rid of standing water, do regular tick checks on people and pets, and put clothes worn outside in the dryer to kill any ticks.

Score: -2

Comment: It seems a little unfair that we already have to worry about ticks when we’ve barely had any warm, sunny days yet.

SleepOut success

Waypoint’s SleepOut 2022, held remotely on March 25, raised more than $313,000, with 270 people from across the state sleeping in their own backyards and coming together online for a livestream event. According to a press release, proceeds from the event support Waypoint’s mission to help youth who are experiencing homelessness through street outreach, basic needs relief, crisis care, case management, the Youth Resource Center in Manchester, and rapid and transitional housing throughout the state. Gov. Chris Sununu attended the livestream and told a story of a young person who is receiving help from Waypoint and will soon have his first apartment, the release said.

Score: +1

Comment: Waypoint also has plans for expansion of services in three areas of the state, including outreach and drop-in centers in Rochester and Concord, and New Hampshire’s first overnight shelter for young people, in Manchester, the release said.

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].

The right Recipe

The American Culinary Federation Education Foundation has granted accreditation to the New Hampshire Food Bank’s Recipe for Success – Culinary Job Training Program. According to a press release, it’s the first culinary training program in New Hampshire to receive this distinction, and only the eighth in the country. The program helps people with financial hardships learn new skills so they can be more self-sufficient and ultimately find employment in the food service industry. Recipe for Success provides more than 500 meals per day to five Boys & Girls Clubs in the surrounding areas and produces meals in bulk to be frozen for use by 31 other agencies, the release said.

Score: +1

Comment: “With this accreditation, we will be able to increase our program’s marketability, while ensuring participants are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to seek employment in the food service industry,” Bradley Labarre, the Recipe for Success executive chef and program manager, said in the release.

Financially literate

New Hampshire is the fifth most financially literate state in the country, according to WalletHub’s 2022’s Most & Least Financially Literate States report. The report analyzed financial-education programs and consumer habits, according to a press release. The Granite State came in first for WalletHub’s WalletLiteracy Survey score and for financial knowledge and education. It also has the lowest share of unbanked households, and it ranked eighth for percentage of adults who compare credit cards before applying and 12th for the percentage of adults who only pay the minimum on credit cards, the report said.

Score: +1

Comment: The only other state to make the Top 10 was Maine, which ranked seventh. Nebraska, Utah, Virginia and Colorado beat out New Hampshire for the Top 4 spots.

Humanitarian efforts

The New Hampshire business and nonprofit community has banded together to create the Ukraine Relief Fund. According to a press release, the fund launched last week, and 100 percent of donations will be directed to relief efforts in Ukraine through a partnership between Granite United Way and the Walesa Institute. “This effort showcases how New Hampshire often uniquely addresses things,” Patrick Tufts, president and CEO of Granite United Way, said in the release. “While we recognize that no single entity can solve one of the world’s most complex issues, we do know that together we can create true impact.”

Score: +1

Comment: Donations for the New Hampshire Ukraine Relief Fund can be made at graniteuw.org or by texting NH4UKRAINE to 41444. There will also be a collection drive for specific items that are immediately needed, Thursday, April 14, through Saturday, April 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day at the DEKA warehouse at 540 Commercial St. in Manchester. Common Man restaurants throughout the state will also serve as drop-off locations now through April 17. Visit graniteuw.org for a list of needed items.

Pay attention!

From 2014 through 2020, there have been 42 fatal crashes with distraction or inattention as the primary cause, and in 2020 distracted driving accounted for as much as 30 percent of all crashes throughout the state, according to the New Hampshire Office of Highway Safety. April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and the state is taking the opportunity to remind residents that distracted driving, including the use of electronic devices, is dangerous and illegal.

Score: -1

Comment: New Hampshire law prohibits the use of “any hand-held mobile electronic device capable of providing voice or data communication” while driving or stopped in traffic (the emphasis is for those of us who might think red-light texting is OK…).

QOL score: 69

Net change: +2

QOL this week: 71

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

The falcons are nesting

It’s nesting season for Manchester’s peregrine falcons, and you can watch it on the NH Audubon’s live falcon cam. According to a press release from the Audubon, the pair is currently incubating five eggs in its nest, which is at 750 Elm St. You can find a link at nhaudubon.org, or search for “peregrine networks” on YouTube. The eggs typically hatch in late April or early May and the birds fledge from the nest in late May or early June, according to information posted on the falcons’ YouTube page. The young falcons will spend four to six weeks learning from their parents how to hunt, and then they will start to migrate out of the area.

Score: +1

Comment: The date of this year’s first egg was March 21, earlier than any of the previous seven years that were recorded, according to the YouTube page; in 2016, 2020 and 2021, the first eggs were March 24, which is the second earliest date.

No more early release days in Nashua

Last week, the Nashua Board of Education voted to eliminate early release days for the 2022-2023 school year. According to a press release, early release days had allowed teaching staff to attend workshops and school meetings in the afternoon, as students left two hours early, and the district usually scheduled five or six early release days during the school year. Instead, according to the release, administrators will now plan for full-day workshops and school meetings for teachers on Sept. 13, primary day; Nov. 8, election day; and Feb. 20, Presidents Day, when students are not in school. The proposed calendar increases the total amount of instructional time by 14 hours and allows for “more full and complete weeks of schooling,” the release said. It also helps to better align calendars between CTE centers and districts, to reduce the number of conflicts.

Score: 0

Comment: The kids probably won’t care for the additional hours in school, but parents who won’t have to figure out middle-of-the-day school pickups and child care certainly will.

Watch for skimmers

Manchester has had several instances recently where credit card skimmers have been found on credit card terminals at local businesses. According to a press release, skimmers were found on March 23 at Walmart on Gold Street; on March 28 at the 7-Eleven on Beech Street; and on March 30 at the 7-Eleven on Maple Street. Skimmers can steal credit card numbers and can be hard to see, as they look very similar to legitimate card scanners, and they can be snapped onto a card reader within seconds.

Score: -1

Comment: Businesses are being asked to check their credit card terminals daily for skimmers, and customers should check their bank accounts for suspicious activity, the release said.

Lapse in 911 text service

For three days, some people in New Hampshire trying to text 911 through the Verizon Wireless network were not able to. On April 1, the New Hampshire Department of Safety’s Division of Emergency Services and Communications sent out a media alert to let residents and visitors know that some Verizon Wireless customers were experiencing a failure when attempting to send a text to 911, instead getting an automated message saying, “Please make a voice call to 911. There is no text service to 911 available at this time.” No other carriers had issues, the alert said. Verizon’s network engineers were able to resolve the problem by April 4, according to an update from Emergency Services and Communications.

Score: -1

Comment: QOL hopes that anyone who couldn’t get through to 911 via text was able to call and get help quickly.

QOL score: 70

Net change: -1

QOL this week: 69

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