Category: Quality Of Life

Hope in the face of homelessness

The Front Door Agency, a nonprofit that helps local families avoid and overcome homelessness, has kicked off its annual fundraiser, which last year helped 950 people in Greater Nashua, according to a press release. One of those people was Angela, a single mother from Nashua who had been involved in a series of unhealthy relationships and lost her full-time job, though even with her job she couldn’t afford rent. According to a New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority report, the cost to rent a two-bedroom unit in Hillsborough County is more than $1,600 per month, up 28 percent since 2016. “My daughter and I were literally facing homelessness,” Angela said in the release. “I’m motivated and educated. I could not believe it was happening to us.” After moving into one of the agency’s properties dedicated to single moms and their kids, Angela worked with a case manager to create financial goals. She is now working for a Fortune 500 company and makes enough to pay her bills and save money, her credit score is up, and she will leave Front Door Agency with the ability to afford market rent.

Score: +1

Comment: You can make donations at frontdooragency.org/giving.

That turkey’s gonna cost you

Enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner, because it’s going to be more expensive than last year’s. According to a report from WMUR, experts are saying lack of food isn’t an issue; it’s inflation that’s driving things up. The Farm Bureau reported that the average cost of a Thanksgiving meal for 10 people this year is $53.31, a 14 percent jump from last year. And the centerpiece of the meal is a big part of that; the average cost for a 16-pound turkey is almost $24, up 24 percent from last year, according to the report. Workforce shortage and disruptions to the supply chain are contributing to that increase, New Hampshire grocers told WMUR.

Score: -1

Comment:John Dumais, president of the New Hampshire Grocers Association, told WMUR that grocers would be “able to provide everything the consumer needs in one form or another.”

Beware of holiday scams

AARP NH State Director Todd Fahey is warning consumers about calls related to holiday scams, saying that “the gift-giving process … brings a plethora of opportunities for scammers to enrich themselves.” According to a press release, these opportunities can include online shopping scams, scams involving the draining of gift cards, and package and shipping scams. An AARP survey showed some of the risky behaviors of shoppers: For example, 69 percent of Americans will use their debit cards this season, but credit cards and digital wallets are safer when shopping online. Sixty percent will buy gift cards off the rack, which is a known target for scammers, according to the release.

Score: -1

Comment: “This holiday season, serve your holiday cheer with a side of skepticism to help stay safe from increasingly sophisticated scammers,” Fahey said in the release.

Tiny home appeal

New Hampshire is the 6th best state in the country to have a tiny home, according to IPX 1030, a Fidelity National Financial Company. The rankings are based on tiny home cost, cost of living, median income, park land coverage, annual average temperature as well as tiny home legality and regulations in every state. The Granite State has the 4th lowest cost of tiny homes, with the average being $34,950, according to the report.

Score: +1

Comment: Though homes in top-ranking Georgia and Texas are more expensive ($43,819 and $48,120, respectively), those states’ average daily temps (62.3 and 66 degrees) are likely more appealing than New Hampshire’s average of 44.5 degrees; QOL would imagine that living in such a small space makes being able to go outside a key factor.

QOL score: 77

Net change: 0

QOL this week: 77

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

Granite State’s great outdoors

New Hampshire’s outdoor recreation sector created $2.2 billion in economic activity in 2020, making it among the Top 10 states in the nation with the highest value added to the state’s gross domestic product (2.6 percent), according to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs. Though non-traditional outdoor activities like amusement parks, water parks and festivals were negatively impacted by the pandemic, more conventional outdoor activities like camping, boating, fishing and RVing either increased or stayed the same: boating/fishing increased by 41 percent, bicycling by 14 percent, RVing by 9 percent and OHRVing by 5 percent.

Score: +1

Comment: New Hampshire’s outdoor recreation industry employed more than 26,500 people in 2020, according to the release.

A new challenge to staying connected

New Hampshire residents who rely on 3G service could find themselves disconnected come 2022, as cell carriers shut down the old network to make way for higher-speed, more reliable 5G service, according to a report from WMUR. By the end of 2022 all 3G service will be obsolete, so people with older cell phones and tablets should check with their carriers to find out when they plan to stop 3G service.

Score: -1

Comment: According to the WMUR report, there are some medical devices and in-vehicle data services that still depend on the 3G network, too, and services like OnStar are contacting customers about plans to update its software to keep people connected.

Community caring

Students of the Granite State Independent Living programs in Manchester, Nashua, Concord and Littleton are giving back to their communities all month long, according to a press release. Granite State Independent Living helps underserved students with disabilities transition from high school to the workforce or a post-secondary education. Now some of those students are reaching out to help others; locally, Manchester students are writing thank-you notes to health care workers, Nashua students will volunteer at the Nashua Soup Kitchen and make Christmas ornaments for a local nursing home, and Concord students will prepare Thanksgiving dinners for the homeless.

Score: +1

Comment: “Our students are remarkable and we are deeply touched to see their youthful enthusiasm for various community projects all around the state,” Deborah Ritcey, CEO of GSIL, said in the release. “It’s a great way to showcase the kindness and generosity of these young people.”

Even easier travel options at MHT

Prefer to fly nonstop, and from Manchester, not Boston? Manchester-Boston Regional Airport has launched two more nonstop routes on Spirit Airlines, to Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers and Tampa International Airport, joining its nonstop routes to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, according to a press release. This also adds more options for passengers who want to fly internationally, as they can connect in Florida to destinations like Colombia, Jamaica, Mexico and Costa Rica. Spirit started flying out of MHT this year, the first new airline at the airport in 17 years.

Score: +1

Comment: “Time and time again, our passengers are showing us that they prefer to fly out of MHT, even to connect internationally,” Airport Director Ted Kitchens said in the press release. “It’s exciting to see Spirit expanding to two more Florida destinations from MHT.”

QOL score: 75

Net change: +2

QOL this week: 77

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

Badges battle it out

The first Inferno of the Badges, a fundraiser and fitness challenge that will have police, fire, corrections and military personnel compete for a title and to help a good cause, is looking for more teams to make the inaugural event a success. Teams of five will perform CrossFit-type exercises, and the one with the best time gets to choose the charity that the event’s proceeds will be donated to. The Inferno is a community effort: CrossFit of New Hampshire and the Manchester Police Department have helped organize it, McIntyre is providing its facilities for free, McHugh Funeral Home in Manchester is a sponsor, and Messy Mike’s Barbecue from Derry is providing free lunch to competitors and volunteers.

Score: +1

Comment: Though this first Inferno of the Badges, happening Nov. 17, is just for police, fire, corrections and military personnel, if it’s successful it will become an annual event that the public will be invited to watch, according to Bibiana Rummler of McHugh Funeral Home.

Something fishy

Elevated levels of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) have been detected in fish tissue samples in five lakes, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. There are now new and more restrictive fish consumption limits for those lakes: Beaver Lake in Derry, Robinson Pond in Hudson, Horseshoe Pond in Merrimack, Canobie Lake in Salem and Cobbetts Pond in Windham. According to the release, the mercury-based statewide guideline of fish consumption for most freshwater fish is one meal per month for young children and pregnant woman and four per month for adults and children 7 years old or older; in comparison, many of the recommended guidelines for fish consumption in these lakes are more restrictive. The levels of PFOS in Robinson and Horseshoe ponds, for example, are high enough that kids younger than 7 should not eat any amount of any freshwater fish taken from those water bodies.

Score: -1

Comment: NHDES pointed out in the release that there is no known risk to catching and handling these fish, so catch-and-release fishing is not impacted.

Three more cases of Jamestown Canyon virus

Three adults have tested positive for Jamestown Canyon virus, a viral infection transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. The adults are from Loudon, Pittsfield and Rumney, and they are the second, third and fourth detections of the virus in the state this season. According to the release, the adults from Rumney and Pittsfield were hospitalized with neurological symptoms but are now recovering at home, and the person from Loudon was not hospitalized and is in good health.

Score: -1

Comment: “It is important to remember the season of mosquitos is longer than just the summer months. Mosquitos can continue to transmit infections like Jamestown Canyon Virus until there is a mosquito-killing hard frost,” Dr. Benjamin Chan, New Hampshire State Epidemiologist, said in the release.

Letter a scam

A consumer alert has been issued by the Attorney General’s Office after scammers sent a fraudulent letter purporting to be from the Office to a New Hampshire resident. According to a press release, it appears to be issued on Attorney General’s Office official letterhead and has a forged signature from the New Hampshire’s Deputy Attorney General. It claims the recipient’s identity has been used in connection with a purchase through an online retailer and warns that any of the accounts linked with the resident’s Social Security number will be shut down.

Score: -1

Comment: The resident called the number in the letter and was asked to buy gift cards from a local retailer and send photos of the gift card numbers, and to send cash through the mail with personal identifying information, the release said.

QOL score: 77

Net change: -2

QOL this week: 75

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

Three cheers for the Chicken Tenders!

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats will become the Manchester Chicken Tenders for one game at Delta Dental Stadium during the 2022 baseball season. According to a press release, it’s a tribute to Manchester’s culinary history: The chicken tender was invented by the Puritan Restaurant in 1974. The temporary jerseys will read “Manchester Chicken Tenders Est. 1974,” while the hats will feature either The Classic Chicken Tender, the Buffalo Chicken Tender or the Coconut Chicken Tender — and it’ll be the fans who decide. Pre-sale orders of all three versions of the baseball hat are available now at nhfishercats.com, and the one that gets the most sales will be worn by the team for the game (date to be determined).

Score: +1

Comment: QOL thinks a massive amount of Puritan chicken tenders and vats of dipping sauces should be available at the concessions during this game.

Third safest state in the country

Last week, personal-finance website WalletHub released its report on 2021’s Safest States in America, and the Granite State came in 3rd, thanks to several key factors. According to the report, New Hampshire has the fewest murders and non-negligent manslaughters per capita and the fewest fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 full-time workers, as well as the second lowest number of assaults per capita, the 5th lowest number of fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel, and the 8th lowest loss amounts from climate disasters per capita.

Score: +1

Comment:New Hampshire was edged out by two neighbors: Vermont, which ranked No. 1, and Maine.

An early start to giving

Because of ongoing supply chain issues, Tower of Toys is getting an early start in collecting unwrapped children’s toys, sports equipment, art supplies, cosmetics, movie certificates and gift cards to benefit children and families in need. According to a press release, this will be the 10th Tower of Toys, where donations are formed into a toy-filled tower at the Atrium of the Beacon Building at 814 Elm St. in Manchester. Toys are being accepted now through Thursday, Dec. 16, for toy distribution on Dec. 18 and Dec. 19. According to the release, the Tower of Toys collected 2,500 presents, $1,400 in gift cards, and $15,600 in monetary donations (used to purchase additional gifts) for 1,500 children.

Score: +1

Comment: Donations can be brought to Red Arrow Diner Corporate Headquarters (814 Elm St.), or you can order gifts online and ship them directly to 814 Elm St., Suite 102, Manchester, 03101. Online monetary donations are welcomed to help sponsors purchase gifts for all age groups; visit facebook.com/toweroftoysnh or redarrowdiner.com for a PayPal link and online QR code.

QOL score: 74

Net change: +3

QOL this week: 77

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

Gas grumbles

It’s been eight years since gas prices were this high; on Oct. 25, 2013, the average price of a gallon of gas in New Hampshire was $3.33, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey. This year on Oct. 25, the average price was $3.29 per gallon, up 8 cents from last week, 25 cents from last month, and $1.26 from this time last year.

Score: -2

Comment: On Oct. 25, there was a 46-cent difference between highest and lowest prices per gallon in the state, according to GasBuddy, with the cheapest station at $3.08 per gallon and the most expensive at $3.54 per gallon.

And the weather’s not great either…

If we’re going to complain about gas prices, we might as well complain about the weather too! After a pretty decent stretch of warmer fall weather, the past few days have been a reality check, with temps dropping, snow coating roads in northern New Hampshire and a Nor’easter bringing inches of rain to southern New Hampshire.

Score: 0

Comment: At least it’s not snowing in this part of the state yet, and we should make it past Halloween without seeing the white stuff. It’s been years, but QOL has vivid memories of trick-or-treating in the snow, so it’s always a win to get past that date without it.

Mixed economic bag for older adults

New Hampshire tied with Utah for second place in a recent MagnifyMoney study that looked at which states offer a better financial environment for retirement. The two states have a poverty rate of 6.2 percent for the 65 and older population and came in just behind Vermont, whose poverty rate is 6.1 percent. But when looking at other key factors that play into retirement-age economic conditions, including home ownership rate and rate of adults with retirement income, New Hampshire was on middle ground, coming in at No. 30.

Score: 0 (because low poverty is good, but ranking 30th for states where older adults are best positioned for retirement is nothing to brag about)

Comment: The “housing cost burdened” rate brought the state’s overall rating down, landing in 6th in that category with a rate of 36.2 percent (compared to top state West Virginia’s housing cost burdened rate of 17.4 percent).

Tuberculosis at Concord High

Concord School District Superintendent Kathleen Murphy sent out a notice to the school community on Oct. 13 saying that the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services had identified a positive, active case of tuberculosis, which is an airborne infectious disease, at Concord High School. According to the notice, the district held an online community meeting the following day to provide information and answer questions. Infectious disease control experts said during the meeting that the case of tuberculosis is a “likely low risk event,” according to an Oct. 15 report from the Concord Monitor.

Score: -1

Comment:Since 2011, there have been 123 documented cases of tuberculosis in New Hampshire, 18 of which were reported in Merrimack County, according to the Monitor.

QOL score: 77

Net change: -3

QOL this week: 74

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

Your call cannot be completed as dialed

Don’t forget to dial 603 when you’re making a local call — after Oct. 24 it will be mandatory, and calls that are dialed without the area code won’t go through. The new requirement is in preparation for next July’s national rollout of the 988 National Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Lifeline, which will replace the current number: 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255). Starting next July, people will be able to dial 988 and reach the lifeline, but all 35 states that have 988 exchanges are required to switch to 10-digit dialing. In New Hampshire, 988 is an exchange in Portsmouth.

QOL Score: -1 (because QOL will definitely forget to update all of QOL’s contacts’ numbers before Sunday)

Comments: Of course, QOL does recognize that it’s an effort worth making if it means people can reach 988 services when they need it. Meanwhile, since all New Hampshire numbers still have a 603 area code, Hippo won’t be adding them to phone numbers in the paper. Consider it implied.

A baseball Marvel

Minor League Baseball has a new three-year partnership with Marvel Entertainment, creating an event series that will take place in Minor League ballparks — including Delta Dental Stadium, home of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats — starting in 2022. According to a press release, 96 Minor League teams will participate in the series, called “Marvel’s Defenders of the Diamond” during the next three baseball seasons. All teams will host at least one Marvel Super Hero themed game each year, wearing special-edition Marvel-branded jerseys during the game with other Marvel-themed activities and promotions taking place throughout the game, the release said.

Score: +1

Comment: Marvel will also create a Marvel’s Defenders of the Diamond comic book for fans that will be distributed in ballparks like Delta Dental Stadium, according to the release.

Holiday event cancellations starting already

Last week, the Nashua North vs. Nashua South Turkey Bowl was canceled “after thoughtful consideration,” according to a press release. There will be no Wednesday night or Thursday morning game this Thanksgiving. According to the release, the cancellation was made after the Nashua Holiday Stroll was canceled, and as Covid numbers have continued to rise in the Nashua community.

Score: -1

Comment: “Putting our students, staff, and their families in an atmosphere where many spectators may have traveled from other parts of the country to attend the game while visiting family in Nashua seems like a needless risk,” the release said. “We want everyone to remain safe and healthy during their holiday season and into the winter athletic season.”

Addressing the mental health crisis

The state is in the process of buying Hampstead Hospital, an effort to provide better mental health services in New Hampshire. NAMI New Hampshire praised the planned purchase in a press release, saying it was “a significant step forward in addressing the current mental health crisis, which has hit youth and young adults especially hard during the pandemic.” According to NAMI, New Hampshire youth and young adults are reporting significant increases in stress, anxiety and depression since the start of the pandemic, and the number of youth who need inpatient mental health services has more than tripled since then.

Score: 0 (-1 for the dire need, +1 for the efforts the state is taking to address that need)

Comment: On Oct. 13, there were 18 youth staying in emergency rooms around the state while they awaited inpatient admission, according to the release from NAMI. “The process of holding a young person in an emergency room, with minimal treatment, is traumatizing for youth and their families,” NAMI wrote.

QOL score: 78

Net change: -1

QOL this week: 77

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