Category: Quality Of Life

Record-breaking tourism

Summer 2021 in New Hampshire saw 4.4 million visitors, who spent more than $2.1 billion, which broke the previous record in Summer 2019 with a 21-percent increase in visitors and a 5-percent increase in spending for the season. According to a press release from the New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development, fiscal year 2021 as a whole had a record number of visitors at 12.8 million, with spending over $5.5 billion, equaling $322.6 million in state tax revenue. “Our tourism team here at BEA kept a marketing presence in key states throughout the pandemic, so while other states retreated, we were poised to come out of the gate fast … and that worked,” Taylor Caswell, commissioner of New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs, said in the release.

Score: +1

Comment: The total fiscal year 2021 returns on investment generated $197 in visitor spending for each $1 invested in marketing efforts, and $12.08 in tax revenue for each $1 invested, according to the release.

Souped-up recycling

Manchester has made another step in its commitment to invest in environment-friendly practices, recently becoming the second city in the nation to use ocean-bound recycled plastic in their recycling carts. According to a press release, the OceanCore carts are 100-percent recyclable and will replace broken or new carts for residents across the city. Ten percent of their post-consumer recycled materials are made up of recycled plastics found in and near waterbodies.

Score: +1

Comment: Other environmentally-friendly steps that the city has taken include the recent sale of $46.5 million in green bonds to help finance its program to remove combined sewer overflows into the Merrimack River for cleaner water; the construction of a solar array on the former landfill; and the addition of energy-efficient buses to the Manchester Transit Authority fleet, according to the release.

More personal finance classes, please

A recent study of personal finance curriculum and graduation requirements of all 79 public high schools in New Hampshire showed that many schools still do not require students to pass a class in personal finance to graduate. According to a press release, the study done by NH Jump$tart Coalition — an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that helps prepare youth for successful financial decision-making — was completed in late 2021 and found that 68 percent of New Hampshire public high schools clearly offer a personal finance course as an elective, in addition to meeting the state requirement for economics; 13 percent clearly require a standalone course in personal finance for graduation; and 6 percent require economics only.

Score: -1

Comment: There’s still plenty of room for improvement, but we’re getting there: According to the release, in 2013, only three public high schools met the state minimum requirement in economics and required students to pass a half-credit class in personal finance to graduate, while in 2021, 10 schools met those criteria (locally, those schools are Bedford, Belmont, Bow and Pelham high schools).

Lighting up the community

Granite VNA and Central NH VNA & Hospice raised more than $65,000 during its annual Lights, Life and Memories campaign to support hospice care. According to a press release, the community added to the more than 1,800 names in the online Honor Roll, and more than 600 names were inscribed on porcelain doves to remember loved ones who have died. And in December, 150 businesses throughout the Concord area were illuminated by Lights, Life and Memories purple candles to honor the lives of those who have passed.

Score: +1

Comment: The Community Memorial Service, with music, readings, reflection and remembrance, can be seen at granitevna.org/lights.

QOL score: 54

Net change: +2

QOL this week: 56

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

Unemployment claims below pre-Covid numbers

Last week’s unemployment claims in New Hampshire were 22.9 percent lower than they were during the same week in 2019 — the sixth-biggest decrease in the U.S. — according to personal-finance website WalletHub’s updated report on States Whose Unemployment Claims Are Increasing the Most. They are 9.71 percent lower compared to the same week in 2020, and 83.86 percent lower than the same week in 2021.

Score: +1

Comment: According to the report, New Hampshire is one of only 14 states whose unemployment claims last week were lower than before the pandemic.

Life-changing donation for local veteran

Mike Moran, a local disabled veteran who served almost 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, will soon replace his manual wheelchair with an iBOT Personal Mobility Device, courtesy of a Veterans Count donor and assistance from Manchester-based Mobius Mobility, which manufactures the device. According to a press release, Moran has been using his wheelchair for 14 years; with the iBOT PMD, the 51-year-old will now be able to get up and down stairs and curbs, move through all kinds of terrain and experience life at standing height. Veterans Count and Mobius Mobility helped Moran get the prescription and other documentation he needed to qualify for the iBOT, and helped him schedule his training, the release said.

Score: +1

Comment: “We are still taking requests for the remaining four iBOT donations, and we encourage veterans to inquire,” Kathy Flynn, senior director of development for Veterans Count, said in the release.

Camp for all kids

ReKINDling Curiosity is coming back for a second year to help ensure that all kids who want to get a chance to go to camp. According to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Education, the initiative is meant to provide a positive childhood experience at an approved overnight or day youth recreation camp in New Hampshire. The program, which is federally funded using Covid-19 response money, will pay up to $650 of youth recreation camp fees for qualifying students.

Score: +1

Comment: “For many children, especially those from low-income backgrounds or with disabilities, this opportunity to attend a summer camp could help alleviate anxiety and trauma resulting from the pandemic, and succeed in academic instruction when they return to school in the fall,” Frank Edelblut, commissioner of education, said in the release.

Beware of Covid smishing campaign

Scammers pretending to be from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services and the New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles are texting residents trying to get personal identifying information. According to a consumer alert from Attorney General John M. Formella, the scam is called “smishing” — when scammers send text messages purporting to be from a reputable agency to get personal information — and this one is a Covid-19 themed campaign. The text messages contain links to a fraudulent “New Hampshire State Covid-19 Vaccine Status Validation” website, which features legitimate-looking seals of the Department of Health and Human Services and Division of Motor Vehicles. On the site, the consumer is asked to enter personal information like their Social Security number and date of birth, the release said.

Score: -1

Comment: Residents are advised not to reply to unsolicited text messages, not to click on a link in a text message from someone you don’t know, and not to provide money or personal information over the phone or by email to someone you don’t know.

QOL score: 52

Net change: +2

QOL this week: 54

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

This one’s for the teachers

Area 23 in Concord is making snow days even better for teachers and school staff. According to Area 23’s Facebook page, if Concord cancels school in January or February, teachers and staff get drinks and food at half price from 4 to 6 p.m. that day. The eatery, located on North State Street, offers craft beer, cider and pub eats.

Score: +1

Comment: Area 23 gets an A+ for this snow day special!

Success at the slopes

The holiday week was a success for the state’s ski areas, according to a press release from Ski New Hampshire, with most resorts reporting that business was up for the period compared to last year. Pats Peak in Henniker, for example, had significant increases in admissions and revenue; general manager Kris Blomback said in the release that business was “absolutely booming.” At McIntyre Ski Area, there was an increase in the number of visitors who had never been skiing or riding but decided to give it a try, marketing director Aly Moore said in the release. Moore also reported that many guests chose to spend time outside on the patio around the fire pits, and at Pats Peak relatively mild weather had guests stay outside the lodge for eating and breaks.

Score: +1

Comment: With the Martin Luther King Jr. long weekend coming up, “snowmaking efforts will resume in full force to refresh snow conditions and expand terrain,” the release said

It’s beginning to look a lot like winter

The weather has been brutal lately, with unexpected icing Jan. 5 leading to cars off the roads all over the state during the morning commute, followed by a snow day for some on Jan. 7 and more winter weather that made for tough driving Jan. 9. QOL got caught off guard by snow squalls in the Hooksett and Concord area Jan. 10, and the following day, wind chill advisories were in effect, getting as low as 25 below zero, according to a press release.

Score: -1

Comment: Yes, QOL knows this is New Hampshire, but with Covid putting so many events and activities in jeopardy again, it would be nice if we didn’t have to worry every day about weather canceling plans.

Family-friendly Granite State

New Hampshire is the sixth-best state to raise a family, according to WalletHub’s new report of 2022’s Best & Worst States to Raise a Family. According to a press release, the personal finance website compared family-friendliness data for all 50 states, using information like median annual family income and housing affordability. The Granite State is No. 1 in two areas: It has the lowest percentage of families in poverty and the lowest unemployment rate. It also has the second lowest infant mortality rate and second fewest violent crimes per capita.

Score: +1

Comment: New Hampshire was above average in other areas too; according to the report, it ranked 17th for child-care costs, median annual family income and percentage of residents ages 12 and up who are fully vaccinated, and it ranked 19th for its separation and divorce rate.

QOL score: 50

Net change: +2

QOL this week: 52

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

Upgrades for local libraries

Forty-two New Hampshire public libraries will get funding through an Institute for Museum and Library Services’ “Grants to States” program, part of the American Rescue Act Plan of 2021. According to a press release, the grants, which total $825,442, will be facilitated by the New Hampshire State Library and align with its 2017-2022 five-year plan, addressing three goals: expanding access to libraries and information services for patrons of all abilities; improving equity of access to library services by offering professional support for librarians and staff; and increasing innovative services and programming to meet the changing needs for library services. Numerous local libraries will receive grants, including the libraries in Concord, Derry, Goffstown, Hooksett, Londonderry Manchester, Nashua and Windham. Projects had to start after Jan. 2 and be completed by Sept. 30.

Score: +1

Comment: Examples of funded projects include upgrading technology, digitizing historical documents and oral histories and purchasing bicycles to deliver materials to patrons who can’t come to the library, the release said.

Gubernatorial brags

A recent press release from the Office of Gov. Chris Sununu was full of brags about New Hampshire rankings. The state ranks highest in personal freedom, economic opportunity and safety in the country, the release said, pointing to recently released data, like data from the U.S. Census Bureau that shows New Hampshire was the fastest growing state in the Northeast in 2021, with a population growth of 0.8 percent, and a U.S. News & World Report that puts the Granite State first for public safety. Other data rankings include: sixth best in the Tax Foundation’s Business Tax Climate Index, first for overall freedom in the Cato Institute’s “Freedom in the 50 States” report, first for economic freedom according to a report from the Fraser Institute, and lowest poverty rate according to a report from Forbes.

Score: +1

Comment: The press release did not ask if New Hampshire had been working out lately, because New Hampshire looks great.

Making veterans’ wishes come true

Residents of the Manchester VA Community Learning Center were in quarantine and confined to their rooms due to Covid during the holidays, meaning they couldn’t visit with family. According to a press release from the New Hampshire Daughters of the American Revolution — who represent the Veterans Administration Voluntary Services — the VA center asked each of the residents for their Christmas wishes, then compiled a list for the DAR, which sponsored the wishes. In return, the DAR received a “wonderful gift” on Christmas Day, in the form of a message from the VA center: “When you make a veteran cry, it’s either a very bad day or a really emotional thing. The thoughtfulness of the gifts that were provided this year was truly breathtaking. I had five veterans tear up. They truly had one of the best days I have seen, in a really long time. Your organization’s kindness was beyond measure.”

Score: +1

Comment: The message also noted that “for just one day [these veterans] were young and they were showered with gifts and love.”

This feels familiar …

As 2022 begins, events are being canceled like it’s 2020. This week, Taste of Bedford, which was scheduled for Jan. 11, was canceled “due to the rapidly escalating cases of both Covid-19 and flu during this post-holiday period,” according to an email sent by organizers the morning of Jan. 4. NHSCOT’s Hogmanay, which had been planned for Jan. 2 was canceled, and an artist’s reception for a new art display at Nashua Public Library has been postponed indefinitely (though the exhibit is still scheduled to open for viewing this Saturday, Jan. 8 — check out the story on page 14!).

Score: -3 (one for each fun time delayed)

Comment: Come on, 2022, cancellations are so two years ago. Do your own thing!

QOL score for the start of 2022: 50

Net change: 0

QOL this week: 50

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

Messy roads for Christmas

Hundreds of crashes and several major road closures on Christmas morning put a damper on some people’s holiday plans. According to a report from WMUR, portions of Interstates 93 and 89 were closed, and there was a 15-car crash on the Everett Turnpike. Plow crews worked around the clock, mainly salting and sanding, but the air temperature, the road temperatures and the rain that was freezing on contact made it difficult to keep the roads clear until temperatures warmed up somewhat mid-day, according to the report.

Score: -1

Comment: Being involved in a car crash on Christmas Day is a bummer, but at least no major injuries were reported. Here’s hoping for safer travels on New Year’s Eve!

Money for mental health and more

The Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester, which was Millennium Running’s “Official Charity of 2021,” will receive $16,943 from the $126,760 in proceeds and fundraising that Millennium’s events raised this year, while the remaining funds will go to more than 50 other organizations, according to a press release. “Mental health has never been more important than over the past year and a half,” Millennium Running owner and founder John Mortimer said in the release. “We are so happy that our running community was able to support the mission of The Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester.” Millennium raised more money for local charities this year than ever before.

Score: +1

Comment: Some of Millennium Running’s signature events had specific charitable partners; the CMC Manchester City Marathon, for example, raised $11,446 for Veterans Count while the BASC Santa Claus Shuffle raised $6,199 for the Safe Sports Network.

Local art students represent

Students from the National Junior Art Honor Society at Rundlett Middle School in Concord were chosen to create ornaments for New Hampshire’s Christmas tree at the Presidents’ Park in Washington, D.C. According to a report from NHPR, it’s an annual tradition for decorated trees representing all U.S. states and territories to be placed in the space in front of the White House, and Rundlett’s students drew ornament-sized illustrations that answered the question “What makes your state beautiful?”

Score: +1

Comment: Some of the illustrations included a covered bridge with mountains in the background and a fall tree with colorful leaves, the report said. Way to represent New Hampshire!

Thousands of toys

The Front Door Agency’s annual Holiday Program provided toys, warm clothing and groceries for nearly 500 children in need, thanks to the support of hundreds of individuals and local businesses and organizations. According to a press release, thousands of gifts filled the ballroom of the Courtyard by Marriott in Nashua.

Score: +1

Comment: “It’s sad that so many kids need help this year, but I’m happy I can help even in a small way,” 12-year-old Jack Murphy, who volunteered to move donated gifts into the ballroom so they could be organized by family, said in the release.

QOL score at the end of 2020: 76

QOL score at the end of 2021: 88

Net change: +12

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

Preserving New Hampshire

The Land and Community Heritage Investment Program has awarded more than $4.7 million in matching grants for 40 projects throughout New Hampshire that support historic preservation and land conservation. According to a press release, these grants will bolster outdoor recreation, food-producing farmland and working forests and will help preserve old buildings. For example, several old towns halls have received grants: Salem’s, built in 1738, and Wilmot’s, built in 1906, are the oldest and newest buildings to get grants, while the Mont Vernon Town Hall has received a $25,000 grant to support the restoration of its windows and sashes. Other building projects are at historic churches, like the First Church of Nashua, which got a $60,000 grant to support the restoration of its bell tower, the release said.

Score: +1

Comment: Grant recipients have to raise a minimum of $1 for each dollar provided by LCHIP, the release said, and this year’s awards will be matched by $19 million that the projects’ sponsors will raise on their own.

Winter optimism

More than 3 million visitors are expected to travel to New Hampshire and spend about $1.2 billion this winter season, the state Division of Travel and Tourism Development announced last week. According to a press release, the department will launch its winter ad campaign in January, including in Quebec and Ontario, now that the Canadian border is open to non-essential travel again. The campaign will mainly promote winter sports like skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling and snowshoeing, plus some non-outdoor activities like shopping and dining.

Score: +1

Comment: “We know the outdoor recreation assets in New Hampshire like our ski resorts and winter trail networks are among the largest drivers of our state’s economy,” Taylor Caswell, commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs, said in the release. “They bring tourists to spend a weekend but also increasingly more new residents seeking to restore their work/life balance.”

Make the most of matching donations

For every dollar raised by the New Hampshire Food Bank by the end of the year, an anonymous private foundation will match the donation, up to $100,000, potentially providing a total of $200,000 in funding. That would equate to about 400,000 meals, according to a press release. This is the seventh year in a row that this foundation has provided matching donations, which, in conjunction with public support, has resulted in more than $4 million raised and 80 million meals given to those in need.

Score: +1

Comment:The pandemic has increased the need for food assistance throughout the country, and in New Hampshire one in nine people face food insecurity, the release said. Donations can be made at nhfoodbank.org.

Unlikely elves

New Hampshire State Prison residents created more than 400 hand-drawn cards and more than 200 hand-drawn coloring books for kids at the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth this holiday season. According to a press release, Cards for Kids and Coloring Books for Kids originated through the Resident Communication Committee’s Lifer & Long-term Incarceration Subcommittee, which also made a treasure chest so CHaD staff can hand out prizes when they play games with the kids.

Score: +1

Comment: The items were recently delivered to CHaD by a state prison lieutenant.

QOL score last week: 82

Net change: +4

QOL this week: 86

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