Category: Quality Of Life

Bird feeders are more tempting than pic-a-nic baskets

As reported by WMUR in a June 21 online article, this is the time of year — late June and early June — when you are most likely to have a close encounter of the bear kind, especially among chicken-owners. In a related June 17 press release from NH Fish and Game, wildlife biologist Dan Bailey pointed out that many New Hampshire homeowners accidentally entice bears onto their property. “Despite the current abundance of natural foods,” Bailey wrote, bird feeders “represent highly tempting food to bears. Black oil sunflower seeds are higher in fat and protein than any other food a bear can find in the wild.”

QOL score: -1 for the people, the bears and the chickens involved

Comment: Experts recommend protecting poultry from bears with electric fencing. “Biologists from Fish and Game and U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services loan out over 100 electric fences each summer to protect poultry from bear damage,” the Fish and Game press release read. “The other purpose of this loan program is to demonstrate the effectiveness of the equipment to help convince poultry owners to make this investment for themselves. Shooting bears and other wildlife that are attracted to chickens is a cyclical approach rather than a long-term solution.”

The strawberries are dry

WMUR reported in a June 22 online article that the state’s ongoing drought is affecting this season’s strawberry crop. “Despite recent rain, some farmers in the Granite State are struggling with their strawberry crops this year,” the article read. One farmer was said to have reported that “the combination of dry soil and hot days is making things tough. To deal with the challenges, the farm says they are increasing their prices and relying more on their irrigation system.”

QOL score: -1

Comment: According to the National Integrated Drought Information System (drought.gov/states/new-hampshire), almost a million New Hampshire residents currently live in an area of drought.

Pollen, achoo

A June 16 online article from NHPR reports that despite thick layers of yellow pollen covering cars and outdoor furniture, this year’s pollen count is about the same as it was last year. NHPR quoted An Huynh, an allergist and clinical immunologist at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, who said that while total pollen levels are not much higher in recent years, some people with allergies are being exposed to pollen from trees and grass simultaneously. “Right now some people are just getting it much worse than other times of the year or their previous years.”

QOL score: -1

Comment: The NHPR article read, “Overall, Huynh says, pollen counts have been increasing over the last two decades by about 20 to 25 percent.” Visit dartmouth-health.org/articles/pollen-really-worse-year

QOL score last week: 48

Net change: -3

QOL this week: 45

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

June weather brings gunkier water

As reported by WMUR in a June 4 online article, several blooms of cyanobacteria have already been reported in New Hampshire lakes. The blooms are colonies of “blueish-green algae that lives in nutrient-rich water,” the WMUR article said. “It’s often bright green, foamy and really smelly. Cyanobacteria blooms tend to spread in freshwater bodies across New Hampshire during the warmer months, when there is a lot of phosphorus in the water.” Swimming in bloom-infested water is not advised and could result in a sore throat, abdominal pain or liver damage, the report said.

QOL score: -1

Comment: For a list of places where bacterial blooms have been reported recently, visit des.nh.gov/water/healthy-swimming/harmful-algal-blooms.

Some seriously ticked-off moose

NHPR reported in a June 8 online article, an upcoming study might provide some relief for the state’s moose population. “In fall,” NHPR reported, “hordes of winter ticks latch on to New Hampshire’s moose — sometimes upward of 50,000 per adult animal. Over the course of the winter, the ticks drink their fill of blood, weakening adult moose and sometimes killing calves.” A study underway by New Hampshire Fish and Game and the UNH this summer will collar moose to track their movements and test the viability of spreading their population over larger areas and reducing tick parasitism.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Because moose love to browse on young trees where logging has taken place, data from this study might lead to changes in how timber might be harvested in New Hampshire in the future, the report said. Visit colsa.unh.edu/resource/estimating-monitoring-moose-density-abundance.

This year’s top teacher

A Pinkerton Academy math teacher has been named New Hampshire’s Teacher of the Year. “Christa Powers, a math teacher at Pinkerton Academy, was named New Hampshire’s 2027 Teacher of the Year during a surprise celebration,” the New Hampshire Department of Education announced in a June 10 press release.” Powers was chosen for her creative methods of teaching math and her leadership within the school.” Her colleagues praised her dedication to her students and her passion for math, as well as her track record of mentoring new teachers.

QOL score: +1

Comment: According to a Dept. of Education webpage, “The purpose of the [Teacher of the Year] program is to select a teacher who is capable of speaking for and energizing the teaching profession and representing the positive contributions of all teachers statewide.” Visit education.nh.gov/who-we-are/commissioner/recognition-and-awards-programs/teacher-year.

Bad beer news for Granite Staters in 2045

A study from predictionist.com — a news website focused on prediction markets — reported that the average price for a case of beer might reach $38 in 2045, almost twice what it is now. The current average price is $18.54, a June 11 press release from the website stated. “The squeeze is coming from every direction: brewers paying more for aluminum, grain and shipping, plus fresh tariffs on imported materials. It all rolls down to the price at the register, and the reliably cheap case is slowly slipping away.”

QOL score: -1

Comment: That projected price will actually be fairly modest, predictionist.com reported. “The standouts are clear. Alaska is on course to blow past $69 a case, with Wyoming close behind near $59, while Illinois, South Carolina and New York stay cheapest at about $34.New Hampshire looks comparatively protected in that spread,”

QOL score last week: 48

Net change: 0

QOL this week: 48

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

The high cost of child care

A June 2 report by the New Hampshire Financial Policy Institute confirmed what parents have been very well aware of already: child care is expensive. “The average price of child care in New Hampshire in 2025 remains high for Granite State families,” the report stated. “The average price of care for an infant and toddler in center-based care was $16,462 and $15,262, respectively, in 2025. For home-based care, the 2025 average price was $12,017 for an infant and $11,732 for a toddler.” For a married couple with two children under 5, the report read, child care costs could easily amount to 25 percent of household income. For a single parent, it might eat up 61 percent of income.

QOL score: -1

Comment: The NHFPI report stated that the cost of child care in the state has grown quickly. “From 2017 to 2025, the average enrollment price of center-based care and home-based care increased 32% and 30%, respectively,” it read. “The largest increase in tuition prices during this period was 33% for toddlers and 4-year-olds in center-based care, as well as for 4-year-olds in home-based care. These increases in tuition prices outpaced inflation during the same period.” Visit nhfpi.org/blog.

New art in Nashua

For Nashua, one of the benefits of hosting the Nashua International Sculpture Symposium each spring is receiving new public sculptures each year. “This is the 19th year of our symposium,” said Sculpture Symposium president Gail Moriarty in a telephone interview with The Hippo. “There are four new sculptures this year, for a total of 60.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: Visit nashuasculpturesymposium.org for a map to all the sculptures as well as a photo of each sculpture and a bit about the artist and the work.

NH is OK

In honor of 603 Day, the New Hampshire Financial Policy Institute released a report on June 2 listing five reasons to be optimistic about the state’s future. (1) Housing price increases are slowing. A little. In some places. “From 2024 to 2025, the statewide median price increased by 3.9 percent, the smallest annual gain since 2016,” the report read. (2) Drug-related deaths have declined. By 33.4 percent over the past 10 years, and 10.8 percent between 2024 and 2025. (3) Projected first-year enrollment at UNH has increased. By just over 4 percent this year. (4) Child poverty was cut in half during Covid. “While child poverty has since rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, prior declines underscore the importance of governmental assistance during the pandemic,” the report read. And finally, (5), our roads and bridges have improved. “In 2025, 53% of State-owned [roads] rated as Good and only about 1% of roads were rated as Very Poor, “ the report stated.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Visit nhfpi.org/blog for more context and nuance.

QOL score last week: 47

Net change: +1

QOL this week: 48

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

It only seems soggy

As reported by WMUR in a May 21 online article, “The latest update from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows a sharply divided water situation across New Hampshire,” the story read. Despite a very green spring, “about 75% of New Hampshire remains in drought conditions, largely due to dry weather that began last summer and a prolonged lack of groundwater recharge.” Water from this spring’s rain has been absorbed by growing vegetation, so, although there is a lot of healthy vegetation, very little water has seeped deep into the groundwater.

QOL score: -1

Comment: Many residents are not well positioned to deal with droughts that may occur later this year, WMUR reported. “54% of the wells in the state’s groundwater monitoring network remain below normal levels for this time of year, according to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.”

Ice cream-cation

In a May 21 press release the State Division of Travel and Tourism announced that it “expects visitation and spending for New Hampshire’s 2026 summer travel season to remain consistent with last summer’s, with an estimated 4.8 million visitors generating approximately $2.6 billion in visitor spending statewide.” The press release said that a key part of the State’s tourism strategy this year will be the New Hampshire Ice Cream Trail, a list of 69 ice cream stands across the state. “New Hampshire farms are known not only for producing healthy, delicious food but also for turning agriculture into memorable experiences through agritourism activities like the Ice Cream Trail,” said Josh Marshall, Assistant Commissioner, New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food. There is an interactive website that lets you look at the stops on this year’s Ice Cream Trail and filter the results alphabetically, by region, by town, and by amenities available. Visit visitnh.gov/things-to-do/food-drink/ice-cream-trail.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Enthusiasts who fill out an Ice Cream Passport with visits to at least two official stops in each region of the state and 55 stops in total can mail their passports in to the Department of Tourism at the end of the season for bragging rights and a commemorative T-shirt.

Potty drama

In a May 28 online article Nashua InkLink reported a new development in Nashua’s City Hall Plaza ongoing portable toilet predicament. “Clean Restroom Rentals — the company contracted to maintain the porta-potty on City Hall Plaza — notified the city last week that they are no longer able to maintain it due to its current state and ‘constant abuse,’ according to Administrative Service Director Tim Cummings,” the article read. “Cummings told the Committee on Infrastructure Wednesday night that some ‘behaviors and activities’ are making it problematic for them to keep up with the management of it, which includes the pumping and disposal of waste.” The story said that according to Nashua Police, issues around the porta-potty over the past two months have included “people congregating in the area of the porta-potty, alleged drug use, and people sleeping in the unit at night.” There have also been issues of trash and needle caps being disposed of in the unit, the article said.

QOL score: -1

Comment: Nashua InkLink quoted Alderman Patricia Klee, who has looked into how other cities deal with this sort of issue. “San Francisco has porta-potties throughout their entire city that self-wash and so on. Nobody will stay in them for any length of time because they will be locked in there and ‘chemicaled’, Klee said.”

QOL score last week: 48

Net change: -1

QOL this week: 47

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Hey! Their feelings are tender, too!

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats occasionally play under two other names during home games: the Manchester Chicken Tenders (to celebrate Manchester’s reputation as the “Chicken Tender Capital of America”) and the New Hampshire Space Potatoes (celebrating New Hampshire’s special history of UFO reports). In an open letter to the team on May 12, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine asked the team “to retire your Manchester Chicken Tenders identity and stop Tender Tuesdays, both of which promote unhealthy fried chicken.” The letter went on to explain that “eating 300 grams of poultry — about six typical chicken tenders — per week has also been found to increase the risk of gastrointestinal cancer and death from all causes.”

QOL score: -1 because, we know, docs, but hands off our tendies (meanwhile, chicken tender fans can head to instagram.com/tendertownies to check out the 2026 Chicken Tender Passport challenge and contest going on until July 21 at participating Manchester restaurants)

Comment: In a May 20 email to the Hippo, Fisher Cats General Manager Taylor Fisher wrote: “We are aware of the press release from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. The Chicken Tenders is an alternate identity meant to capture the fun, quirky nature of Minor League Baseball, an experience we’re proud to create for our fans no matter what we’re playing as. We’re equally proud of the local history the identity is based on, paying homage to Manchester’s Puritan Backroom Restaurant, where the chicken tenders were invented in 1974, a legacy our community understands and celebrates.”

Spring can be hard on a person’s lungs

Last week was a rough week for air quality. In a May 19 online article, NHPR reported that the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services had issued a Code Orange alert “in anticipation of unhealthy ground-level ozone in Rockingham County,” adding, “The air quality alert also covers parts of the state that are higher than 2,000 feet in elevation.” Additionally, a May 22 forecast on accuweather.com predicted levels of airborne tree pollen between “high” and “very high” for the following week in the Manchester area.

QOL score: -2

Comment: According to the NHPR article, “a ‘code orange’ is an alert issued when air pollution levels are considered unhealthy for children and older adults, anyone with lung disease, and people who are active outdoors. Experts recommend people take precautions by limiting outdoor exertion.” AccuWeather.com advised pollen-sensitive breathers, “During peak season for tree pollen, keep your windows and doors closed, especially on windy days. Avoid outdoor activities in the early morning, and be sure to shower and change clothes after coming indoors. Taking allergy medication can also help alleviate symptoms.”

QOL score last week: 51

Net change: -3

QOL this week: 48

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Fewer ODs

As reported by WMUR in a May 14 online article, new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show a decrease in deaths from drug overdoses nationwide. “In New Hampshire,” WMUR reported, “the CDC reported fewer than 270 overdose deaths in 2025, down roughly 5% from 2024. Despite the decline, officials said new substances continue to emerge, with 23 new drugs already identified in 2026.”

QOL score: +2

Comment:“Overdose deaths fell about 14% nationwide last year,” WMUR reported. “It marks the third consecutive year of declines, the longest stretch in decades. The biggest contributor has been a drop in overdoses involving fentanyl”

State college tuition may go up

As reported by the Portsmouth Herald in a May 15, online article, “Tuition bills across the University System of New Hampshire are proposed to increase for a second straight academic year following six years of frozen in-state fees.” There is a proposed 2.5 percent increase in undergraduate in-state tuition at the University of New Hampshire.

QOL score: -1

Comment: The University System of New Hampshire’s board of trustees will finalize the 2026-2027 tuition rates for UNH, Keene State College and Plymouth State University in June. Tuition at UNH “would jump to $16,304 for the 2026-2027 academic year, if the new rates are approved, an increase of about 2.5%. Out-of-state undergraduates would pay $37,996 for the year, also about a 2.5% increase,” the Herald reported. “Granite Staters attending UNH presently pay $15,908 per year for in-state tuition, compared to $37,070 for out-of-state students.”

Test scores are not encouraging

WMUR reported in a May 14 online article that “students nationwide are facing what researchers describe as a decade-long learning recession as test scores continue to decline. According to a recent report using data from the Education Scorecard and The Educational Opportunity Project, students across the country, including in New Hampshire, are performing worse academically than they were 10 years ago.” The article quoted Dartmouth College economics professor Doug Staiger, one of the report’s authors. ““From 2019 to 2022, students in New Hampshire, on average, lost about two-thirds of a grade level,” Staiger said. “That’s a lot.”

QOL score: -1

Comment: WMUR quoted professor Staiger, who said, “the decline began before the Covid-19 pandemic, though the pandemic accelerated the trend. While math scores have started to recover, reading scores continue to lag behind.” Chronic absenteeism and the rise of social media also probably play a role, he was quoted as saying.

QOL score last week: 51

Net change: 0

QOL this week: 51

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.