Category: Quality Of Life

Quality of Life 21/07/22

Fewer violent crimes in the Queen City

Preliminary numbers show that violent crime in Manchester is down 25 percent from April of this year to the end of June. The city usually sees about a 9-percent increase in violent crime heading into the summer months, according to a press release, and the Manchester Police Department is attributing this success in part to the CompStat360 initiative, which promotes collaboration with community members and other city stakeholders to solve community problems, as well as strong collaboration with local, county, state and federal law enforcement and prosecutors. One of the top priorities has been violent crime prevention and reduction, the release said.

Score: +1

Comment: The data also shows that gun crime in Manchester has dropped 40 percent compared to 2020 and is down 20 percent when compared to the five-year average, the release said.

Tuition freeze at community colleges

The Community College System of New Hampshire will once again freeze tuition at $215 per credit, or $6,450 per year, in tuition costs for a full-time course load. According to a press release, the rate has been the same for four years, and New Hampshire’s community colleges continue to be the most affordable college options for residents. In addition, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and the Foundation for New Hampshire Community Colleges are offering one free, three-credit course in the fall semester to any member of a New Hampshire high school class of ’21.

Score: +1

Comment:Annual full-time tuition at New Hampshire’s seven community colleges costs only $150 more than it did a decade ago when the tuition rate was $210 per credit for the 2011 school year, according to the release.

Hiring challenges mean less amusement

Without enough employees to staff its regular hours, Canobie Lake Park in Salem will now be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and will close early a few days a week, according to a report from WMUR. Park officials told WMUR that while about half of the staff returns each year, new applicants are down 75 percent. The new hours of the park are Wednesday through Sunday, 10:30 a.m. until 7 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Score: -1

Comment: At least you can still get nauseatingly dizzy on the Turkish Twist five days a week.

Keeping lakes clean

The Lake Host courtesy boat inspection program is celebrating its 20th anniversary as once again its hundreds of lake hosts posted at 100 of the busiest boat ramps in the state are teaching boaters how to clean their boats to prevent the spread of invasive species. According to a press release from NH LAKES, over the past 19 years the Lake Host program has slowed the rate of spread of invasive plants, including milfoil, from lake to lake. The primary way invasive species spread is on boats that have not been thoroughly cleaned, drained and dried between voyages in different bodies of water.

Score: +1

Comment: Approximately 90 of the state’s water bodies contain infestations of invasive species that can clog boat motors and propellers, according to the release, and once they are firmly established they are nearly impossible to get rid of.

QOL score: 80
Net change: +2
QOL this week: 82

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

Quality of Life 21/07/15

Massive soap bottle in Manchester

The world’s biggest bottle of soap will make an appearance in Manchester on Saturday, July 17, part of a multi-city tour to raise awareness of the importance of hand hygiene. According to a press release, clean beauty company Soapbox will donate personal care products to communities in need during the tour. The 21-foot tall, 8.5-foot diameter, 2,500-pound metal and fiberglass bottle will be on view at Hannaford at 201 John E. Devine Dr. between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Score: +1

Comment: During the stop in Manchester, Soapbox will be donating pallets of soap to Families in Transition and hygiene kits to Webster House.

Fifty years of service

The Merrimack Rotary Club has been providing support to the community for 50 years now and celebrated its achievements earlier this month. According to a press release, even the pandemic didn’t stop the Rotary from giving back and holding its weekly meetings — 58 total, via Zoom. It donated to a whole host of organizations and projects, including thousands of masks to Meals on Wheels, the Town of Merrimack and the Merrimack School District. It also provided support to the Wasserman Park Function Hall Sound Tile Project, the Watson Park Pavilion Staining Project and the Adopt-A-Roadside Clean-Up Project, among many other local contributions, the release said.

Score: +1

Comment: “Rotarians are proud to give of their time to benefit others in the community and such service was recognized this year with the … Presidential Citation from Rotary International in honor of all our club has achieved,” R. Brian Snow, Rotary Club of Merrimack President 2020/2021, said in the release.

Illegal fireworks

Illegal use of fireworks is on the rise, according to a press release from the Manchester Fire Department. After receiving numerous complaints from residents over the holiday weekend, both the Manchester Police and Fire departments issued a statement saying they expect fireworks usage to continue as the summer goes on and as such will be conducting enforcement efforts on various weekend nights throughout the season. According to the release, the joint effort is meant to be a proactive approach to remind people of the city ordinance that strictly prohibits the sale, possession or use of fireworks within the Manchester city limits.

Score: -1 for all the noise

Comment: A fire inspector and police officer will ride together from 8 p.m. to midnight on certain weekend nights to monitor fireworks usage, from now through August, the release said.

Big energy bills

New Hampshire is the 10th most energy-expensive state in the country, according to a report released last week by personal finance website WalletHub, which compared average monthly energy bills that accounted for multiple residential energy types: electricity, natural gas, motor fuel and home heating oil. The average monthly energy bill in the Granite State is $355. It ranked fourth most expensive for the price of natural gas and sixth most expensive for the price of electricity.

Score: -1

Comment: The most energy-expensive state, with an average monthly bill of $411, is Connecticut, and the least is District of Columbia, with a $217 average monthly energy bill.

QOL score: 80
Net change: 0
QOL this week: 80

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

Quality of Life 21/07/08

Fisher Cat represents

One of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats’ star pitching prospects will be heading to Tokyo to play for Team USA. According to a press release, Simeon Woods Richardson, a 20-year-old from Texas, will report to Cary, N.C., for training camp on July 16. Team USA’s first game in Tokyo will be against Israel on Friday, July 30, at 7 p.m. JST (6 a.m. EDT), followed by a game against Korea on Saturday, July 31, before games move into bracket play. Woods Richardson returned to the Fisher Cats on June 9 and held the Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox) to one run on three hits in five strong innings, according to the release, and he got the win over the Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies) on June 20, striking out a career-high nine batters in five frames.

Score: +1

Comment: It might just be worth waking up at 6 a.m. to watch Woods Richardson represent the Fisher Cats, and the USA.

Giving brings joy

Throughout May, the Greater Nashua Mental Health Center held events and activities to highlight how mental health treatment can change and save lives, and to help eradicate the stigma surrounding mental health disorders. According to a press release, one of the most heartwarming activities was a project completed by children from the center’s Child, Adolescent and Family Services department. The kids created paper flowers, some with encouraging messages on the leaves, plus handmade cards and artwork for the residents.

Score: +1

Comment: To show their gratitude, the assisted living residents sent gifts back to the children, including wind chimes and other arts and crafts items, the release said.

Help wanted

According to a recent study from LendingTree, New Hampshire ranks No. 2 for states that are most in need of workers. Forty-five percent of businesses in the state say that hiring new employees will be their biggest need in the next six months. Thirty-six percent of businesses in the Granite State said the inability to find workers is affecting their operating capacity.

Score: -1

Comment: Montana and Wisconsin are most in need of new employees, at 52 percent and 48 percent, respectively, while only 17 percent of businesses in Wyoming, which ranked last on the list, anticipate hiring new employees as their biggest need in the next 6 months, the report said.

Honoring the fallen

The New Hampshire Department for Disabled American Veterans is on a mission to raise $12,000 to complete the new Battlefield Crosses Memorial in Manchester’s Veterans Park, which the Granite State chapter hopes can be finished and dedicated on Veterans Day. According to a press release, statues honoring military personnel lost in World War II, the Vietnam War and the post-9/11 War on Terror were dedicated on Memorial Day; placing statues honoring the fallen of World War I and the Korean War will complete the memorial. Anyone who wants to show their appreciation for those who died while fighting for America can send any amount, big or small, to DAV Battlefield Cross Fund Drive, New Hampshire Disabled American Veterans, 212 Coolidge Avenue, Manchester, NH 03102.

Score: +1

Comment: According to the release, a battlefield cross is a combat rifle stuck in the soil topped by a helmet to show honor and respect for a soldier who has died in combat.

QOL score: 78
Net change: +2
QOL this week: 80

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

Quality of Life 21/07/01

Healthy state for kids

The 2021 Kids Count Data Book, released last week by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, ranks New Hampshire second in the United States for overall child well-being. According to a press release from New Futures, a nonprofit that aims to improve the health and wellness of New Hampshire residents, the national report uses data from four domains in each state: economic well-being, education, health, and family and community context. According to the report, New Hampshire ranks first in family and community context, third in overall health, fifth in education and sixth in economic well-being.

Score: +1

Comment: According to the release, New Hampshire moved from second to first in family and community context because the number of children living in single-parent families decreased from 30 percent in 2018 to 28 percent in 2019, and the number of children living in high-poverty areas dropped from 2 percent in 2018 to less than 1 percent in 2019.

Safe state for cats and dogs

For the first time, New Hampshire is a no-kill state, according to the annual pet lifesaving data recently released by Best Friends Animal Society, with no dogs or cats killed in state shelters in 2020. It’s the second state in the country (after Delaware) to reach no-kill status, the release said, with an aggregate shelter pet save rate of 92.62 percent, which factors in the approximately 10 percent of pets who enter shelters and have medical or behavioral issues that warrant humane euthansia. Of the 8,573 dogs and cats that entered New Hampshire shelters in 2020, all were saved, according to the release.

Comment: +1

Score: In 2019, only 76.47 percent of the state’s shelters were no-kill, according to the release.

American pride

The Fourth of July should be a big day in the Granite State — according to a new report from the personal-finance website WalletHub, New Hampshire is the fifth most patriotic state in the nation.

Data compiled included number of military enlistees and veterans, volunteer hours and share of adults who voted in the 2020 presidential election. According to the report, New Hampshire ranked first in civics education requirement, fourth in percentage of adults who voted in the presidential election and sixth in Peace Corps volunteers per capita.

Score: +1

Comment: New Hampshire follows Montana, Alaska, Maryland and Vermont in patriotism, according to the report.

Queen City scams

In the past couple of weeks, Manchester police have dealt with two significant scams. On June 17, they handled a report from an elderly woman who had received calls from a man who said her Social Security number had been used in a drug and money laundering crime in Texas and told her to send $25,000 to a UPS dropoff in Tampa so that they could make sure the money was kept safe, according to a press release. The woman sent the money to the address, but a Manchester detective told the store manager to hold on to the package, and it was ultimately returned to her. On June 22, Manchester police sent out an Amber Alert for a missing mother and her 4-year-old son, who were found safe in the city soon after the alert went out. Detectives believe the incident was a phone scam, where someone calls the victim and says a family member is in trouble, then demands money for the individual’s safe return, according to a press release.

Score: -2

Comment: Both of these scams ended as happily as they could have, but the police remind everyone to be wary of any suspicious calls or requests for money.

QOL score: 77
Net change: +1
QOL this week: 78

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

Quality of Life 21/06/24

Success in the sand

“empty.” Courtesy photo.

Last week’s Hampton Beach’s Sand Sculpting Classic was a success, held as scheduled (as opposed to being pushed to September, like it was last year) and with beautiful weather. The professional sculptors carved over three days, from June 17 to June 19, and voting took place and awards were given out on Saturday, June 19. According to a press release, the first-place winner was “empty” by Abe Waterman of Prince Edward Island, Canada. His sculpture featured two faces, a double-sided piece that was over 10 feet tall with connecting tears spilling from the eyes, plus a male with his head in his hands on one side and a female laying in a fetal position on the other, representing the feelings of sadness Waterman experienced from a breakup with his wife, the release said. “Nearly every piece was doubled-sided this year, which, although it wasn’t a requirement, points are always given when both sides are completed. So this was a step up,” Lisa Martineau, co-marketing director of the Hampton Beach Village District, said in the release.

Score: +1

Comment: The sculptures will remain on display through Sunday, June 27, and will be lit for night viewing.

Blood shortages at critical levels

Like the rest of New England, New Hampshire is facing a critical blood shortage in its hospitals and health care systems, and the American Red Cross of Northern New England is collaborating with state hospital associations in the region to address the need for all types of blood. According to a joint statement from the hospital associations, donating blood takes only about an hour but is a life-saving gift for someone awaiting a transfusion. “We are experiencing such significant blood shortages that many of our hospitals are down to critical levels,” Steve Ahnen, president of the New Hampshire Hospital Association, said in the statement. “We continue to collaborate with our American Red Cross partners and encourage every Granite Stater who is able to donate blood to do so soon so that we can increase blood supplies across the state.” As part of the effort to get more people to give blood, $5 Amazon gift cards are being offered to those who donate through June 30.

Score: -2

Comment: To make an appointment to donate blood, or to find out how to host a blood drive, visit redcross.org and enter your zip code.

Community healing

Anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one is invited to a free community event on Sunday, June 27, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester. Organized by Friends of Aine, a nonprofit organization providing bereavement support services to grieving children, teens and families, “Gathering in Remembrance: Sharing Grief. Honoring Love. Inspiring Hope.” is a chance for the community to join together to pay tribute to those they have lost. According to a press release, it will feature a remembrance tribute with inspirational guest speakers, community support, a butterfly release, kids activities and light refreshments, including free hot dog meals for children under 18. The event is free, but registration is encouraged at friendsofaine.com, where all registered participants will have the opportunity to submit the name and photo of their loved one for display on the stadium’s jumbotron and for inclusion in the tribute portion of the event, the release said.

Score: +1

Comment:“Gathering in Remembrance will offer attendees the opportunity to remove the isolation of grief — no matter when or how their loved ones passed away,” Christine Phillips, co-founder of Friends of Aine, said in the release.

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].

Quality of Life 21/06/17

Thank you, Laura

Laura Knoy wrapped up more than 25 years of hosting NHPR’s call-in show The Exchange last Thursday, June 10, and talked about her time on air with Peter Biello, regular host of the show’s Friday Weekly News Round-up, on The Exchange on June 14. (NHPR announced earlier in the month that The Exchange will end production in June, with Morning Edition then running from 6 to 10 a.m.) Over the years, Knoy interviewed presidential candidates, a variety of authors, local politicians and activists, experts in all fields and the occasional Hippo writer. She expertly helmed this statewide platform and she and the show will be missed.

Score: + a zillion for all the great conversations, -3 for the hole in the New Hampshire media landscape

Comments: As many callers said on the June 14 show: thank you, Laura — and the team at The Exchange.

NH gave

In 24 hours, more than 13,000 Granite Staters donated $3.7 million to 584 nonprofits during NH Gives, an online fundraising event created by the New Hampshire Center for Nonprofits, according to a press release. From 5 p.m. on June 8 to 5 p.m. on June 9, donors gave enough to break last year’s record of $3.37 million (which was also a record-breaking amount, more than had been raised in the previous four years combined). Matching funds helped up the totals; the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and its donors contributed $460,000 in matching funds, while individual donors around the state contributed more than $1 million in matching funds for specific organizations.

Score: +1

Comment: Manchester Moves, a volunteer organization working to connect Manchester to the rest of the state via rail trails and greenways, was the top online fundraiser, raising just over $57,000 in 24 hours and winning an additional $1,000 “Power of Many” prize in recognition, while The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire had the highest number of contributions.

A kid helping kids

A 9-year-old girl from Windham has shaved her head and raised thousands of dollars to help kids with cancer. According to a June 13 report from WMUR, Vivian Meyer wanted to get her head shaved because three of her grandparents died from cancer and one of her former teachers shaved her head after losing her son to cancer. The original goal was to raise $500 through “Buzz Off for Kids with Cancer,” and the third-grader ended up raising more than $3,000.

Score: +1

Comment: “The premise of honoring these people that passed away and really helping people today that are fighting this disease, for a 9-year-old, they have all these other things in their mind, [so] to really focus on that is … amazing,” Vivian’s mother, Jennifer Meyer, said in the report.

Eighth best state to live in

Millions of people moved last year, many influenced by the pandemic, according to personal-finance website WalletHub, which released its report on 2021’s Best States to Live In on June 15. New Hampshire landed at No. 8 in the rankings, which compared the 50 states using data like housing costs, education rate and income growth. New Hampshire has the lowest percentage of its population in poverty, is 6th in home ownership rate and 8th in having the fewest adults in fair or poor health. It also ranked 14th for percentage of the population that is insured, 16th for average weekly work hours, and 21st for housing costs.

Score: +1

Comment: According to the report, the Top 3 states to live in are New Jersey, Massachusetts and New York (though if you’re looking for affordability, the Northeast may not be your preferred home; those states ranked 49th, 45th and 47th, respectively, while New Hampshire ranked 40th).

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].

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