Category: Quality Of Life

A look back at 1995

Girl Scouts who grew up in Goffstown in the ’90s inadvertently brought some nostalgia to the town when the Goffstown Historical Society found a time capsule that two Girl Scout troops had prepared on May 22, 1995. According to a press release, three troop leaders’ names and phone numbers were listed on top of the blue plastic bin, and one, Jo Ann Duffy, was able to be reached; she did the honors of opening the capsule on May 12. A few of the girls, now in their mid-30s, were found and were able to watch the opening via Facebook Live. Among the items were a TV Guide, Pogs, the 1994 Goffstown town report, an American Girl doll catalog, an empty box of Thin Mints and a biography created by each Girl Scout, with photos, drawings and messages to themselves in the future.

Score: +1

Comment:One of the former Girl Scouts, Kat Miller, watched the opening via Facebook and wrote, “This is amazing! We put in a Baby-Sitters Club book, and I’m a book editor now and my BOSS created that book series!”

Fake food inspectors, DMV employees

Last week the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services warned restaurants that people posing as health inspectors have been calling eateries to schedule an inspection, threatening to impose fines if they do not schedule an appointment and in at least one case demanding payment. According to a press release, health inspectors conduct inspections unannounced and would not call to schedule appointments, threaten enforcement actions or ask for money over the phone. And on Monday, the New Hampshire Office of the Attorney General issued a warning that imposters posing as employees from the Department of Motor Vehicles have been contacting consumers via text; in one scam, the message says the DMV is awarding a cash prize to the consumer for being a safe driver, and it includes a link to claim the “prize.”

Score: -1

Comment: On the bright side, it’s unlikely that anyone believed the state would be offering cash prizes for good driving.

Another year without balloons

The Annual Hot Air Balloon Rally in Pittsfield has been canceled for the second year, according to a post on the event’s Facebook page. The Suncook Valley Rotary Club announced last week that preparations for the rally typically begin early in the year, including fundraising, and with the direction of the pandemic being uncertain at that time, it was difficult to get started. At this point the club would normally be working with vendors but felt that “while our entire community is still dealing with and recovering from this public health pandemic it is not practical to request or make such commitments,” the post read.

Score: -1

Comment: “While it is sad to think about missing the Balloon Rally this summer, we plan to be back in 2022 bigger and better than ever,” the club wrote.

But the Senior Games are back!

All of the sports and events that make up the New Hampshire Senior Games will be back this year, after most were canceled in 2020, according to a press release, and registration is now open. The games are open to age groups starting at 40, all the way up to 90+. Events will start in late June with the Candlepin Bowling Tournament and end in September with a cycling event; in between there will be 18 other events and sports, including archery, cornhole, golf, pickleball, power walking, swimming, tennis and volleyball. New Hampshire athletes who finish in the top three for their sport will qualify for the 2022 National Games, scheduled for next spring in Ft. Lauderdale. Visit nhseniorgames.org.

Score: +1

Comment: Despite the disconcerting realization that QOL is actually old enough to participate in the senior games, this is happy news for any adults over 40 who have been waiting for a good reason to be active and social once again.

QOL score: 71

Net change: 0

QOL this week: 71

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

Coming soon: a theater near you!

Regal Hooksett 8, the movie theater off Interstate 93 Exit 10 in Hooksett, will reopen Friday, May 21, according to a reply from Regal Cinema’s customer relations team. The Regal Concord is also set to open May 21. Last weekend was opening weekend for Regal Newington and O’neil Cinemas in Epping; Chunky’s in Manchester, Nashua and Pelham have remained open (AMC theaters are also open, though with reduced numbers of screenings). By the time A Quiet Place Part II is released on Friday, May 28 (Memorial Day weekend), movie-goers will (hopefully) have several local screens to choose from if they choose to check out a movie. (Other area theaters in operation include Smitty’s Cinema in Tilton and the Cinemark in Salem.)

Score: +1

Comment: QOL is ready for some popcorn.

Putting out fires

A New Hampshire fire captain has won a national award for his efforts in fire prevention. One of only five Smokey Bear Award winners nationwide, Capt. Douglas Miner of the New Hampshire Forest Protection Bureau recently received the honor from the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service for “outstanding service with significant and sustained program impact in wildfire prevention,” according to a press release. In 2019, during Smokey Bear’s year-long 75th birthday celebration, Miner coordinated dozens of events in New Hampshire that featured Smokey Bear, with an estimated 12,000 people attending 61 events, the release said.

Score: +1

Comment: In his nomination of Miner, Brad Simpkins of the U.S. Forest Service (and former New Hampshire State Forester and director of the state’s Division of Forests and Lands) wrote that “Doug’s efforts, while above and beyond his normally busy ranger duties, are equal to or rival those that could be accomplished with a full-time prevention coordinator.”

Big summer expected for the Granite State

New Hampshire could have one of its busiest summer seasons in recent years, thanks to an increasing demand for travel, high vaccination rates and a wealth of outdoor recreation. According to a press release, the New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development is projecting 3.45 million visitors to the Granite State this summer, with spending reaching $1.8 billion — nearly as much as 2019’s pre-pandemic levels. To help with these efforts, the department is launching a special summer advertising campaign that highlights New Hampshire’s recreational opportunities and will target states on the East Coast, including New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and Ohio.

Score: +1

Comment: Despite the pandemic, visitation to New Hampshire was down only 14.9 percent last summer, according to the release.

A concerning uptick

As a lifelong New Hampshire resident, QOL is no stranger to ticks, but this season so far seems to be worse than usual. The sidelines of a high school baseball field have been especially ripe with ticks; not a single game has gone by without multiple spectators having to pick ticks off themselves, their bags or chairs and their dogs — the record that QOL has heard so far was one parent who found five ticks during one game. According to a publication from the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, these are likely American dog ticks, the most frequently encountered tick in New Hampshire, or the smaller, more rounded blacklegged tick, the second most common species in the state.

Score: -2

Comment: It’s hard to enjoy the great outdoors when you’re worried about ticks crawling all over you.

QOL score: 70

Net change: +1

QOL this week: 71

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

Running with goats

Last week, these two adorable goats followed QOL’s dad home from a run in Derry, staying right at his heels for about a mile until he got home, read their tags and called their owner. Alas, Bonnie and Clyde were not allowed inside, but they did enjoy some of the grass and rose bushes in the yard while they were waiting to be picked up.

Score: +1

Comment: QOL’s mom happened to be driving home and took a video capturing part of the run: picture a 6’3” man with these two little guys running to keep up with him, with “Watermelon Sugar” playing on the car radio as a soundtrack. Hilarious.

Back to the movies

Regal Cinemas in Newington and Concord and O’neil Cinemas in Epping are set to reopen this month. According to its website, Regal plans to reopen its Newington location this Friday, May 7, and its Concord location on Friday, May 21. According to the O’neil website, it is scheduled to reopen on Friday, May 7, as well. As of the morning of May 4, movies had not been finalized at O’neil, while Regal is showing movies like Godzilla vs. Kong and Mortal Kombat. Safety protocols will be in place, with limited capacities and face mask requirements.

Score: +1

Comment: There is no mention of the Hooksett location on Regal’s website, so when and whether it will reopen remains to be seen.

Intown scam

Members of Intown Concord have been targeted by a scammer for the past several weeks, according to a letter that Intown Executive Director Jessica Martin posted to members in a May 3 newsletter. “A man claiming to be Intown Concord’s Event Coordinator has been calling all over town asking for Market Days Sponsorships and verbally assaulting people. He has targeted banks, the fire department, the library, and many other businesses in the area,” Martin wrote. Intown has notified the Concord Police Department and the City, and the nonprofit apologized to any of the businesses that have had to interact with the scammer.

Score: -2

Comment:“Obviously, this is not the way Intown Concord does business,” Martin wrote. “Our all-female staff of two will never ask for cash up front for an event and we will certainly never call you on the phone and rudely demand it.”

QOL score: 70

Net change: 0

QOL this week: 70

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

Honoring forgotten soldiers

The fourth installation for Flags for Forgotten Soldiers in New Hampshire will be placed at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery in Merrimack on May 1, according to a press release. There will be 660 flags installed, representing the loss of veterans to suicide, of which there are an average of 22 each day in the U.S. The first installations were in Derry, Chester and Danville and were installed for 30 days each — 22 a day multiplied by 30 days. This larger installation will include five flags that represent the first responders lost daily, and a single flag to signify active-duty members, according to the release, and it will be left up all summer.

Score: +1, for bringing attention to a tragic problem

Comment: The public is invited to attend and assist placing the flags on Saturday May 1, at noon at Anheuser-Busch Brewery, 221 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack.

Breathing better

New Hampshire’s air quality has improved for both ozone and year-round particle pollution, according to the 2021 State of the Air report from the American Lung Association. According to a press release, New Hampshire has several counties that were ranked among the cleanest in the Boston metro area for short-term particle pollution. All five reporting counties (Belknap, Hillsborough, Rockingham, Cheshire and Grafton) maintained A grades for short-term particle pollution, and all seven of the state’s reporting counties (all of the above, plus Merrimack and Coos) either maintained or improved their grades for ozone.

Score: +1

Comment: In just the counties included in this report, more than 240,000 residents are living with lung diseases like asthma, COPD and lung cancer, as well as heart disease, making them more vulnerable to the effects of air pollution.

Manchester cleans up

The Manchester Urban Ponds Restoration Program is in the midst of its annual spring cleanup. According to a press release, the program has organized 119 cleanups since it started in 2000, and its kept tally of some fun stats: 1071 volunteers have spent approximately 3,632 hours collecting 2,431 bags of trash — which does not include illegally “dumped” items like shopping carts (99), tires (441), car batteries, construction debris and more. The value of volunteer time spent at these cleanups has amounted to over $78,000, the release said.

Score: 0 (+1 for the volunteers, -1 for the absurd number of illegally dumped items found in Manchester’s parks and ponds)

Comment: The next two cleanups are at Stevens Pond and Stevens Pond Park on Saturday, May 1, from 9 to 11 a.m., and at Nutts Pond and Precourt Park on Saturday, May 8, from 9 to 11 a.m. Cleanups will be held rain or shine and anyone is welcome. Latex gloves and plastic trash bags will be provided.

Scam alert

Last week Eversource warned its customers to watch out for scammers who are using new techniques to trick people into thinking they’re legit, including using phony caller IDs that display “Eversource” and reading from scripts that sound like they’re coming from a real company representative who is threatening to disconnect their electric or gas service because of an unpaid bill. According to a press release, Eversource will never ask for an instant payment over the phone, will not ask for prepaid debit cards and will not ask customers to meet at a “payment center” to make the payment. Anyone who thinks they might have received a scam phone call, text or email should contact local police.

Score: -1

Comment: “These scam artists sound sophisticated and are ruthless,” Eversource Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer Penni Conner said in the release. “[If you] get a call and the caller’s message doesn’t look or sound right, don’t panic and don’t pay. Remember, we will never threaten to disconnect service or demand instant payment over the phone.”

QOL score: 69

Net change: +1

QOL this week: 70

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

Scooter from scratch

A student in an engineering class at Milford High School & Applied Technology Center is helping the residents of Crestwood Center in Milford get around. According to a press release, senior Daniel Schongar has spent about a year building a mobility scooter that the school will donate to the residential long-term care facility in May. The school purchased parts for the scooter on Craigslist, and Schongar had to rebuild some of its major systems — a project that was made even more difficult because of the pandemic, which forced him to work at home and meet with his teacher only once a week during remote learning. Schonger said in the release that he was able to 3D print many of the accessories that he needed to build at home.

Score: +1

Comment: Everyone’s a winner here — the residents of Crestwood Center and Schonger, who said in the release that this project has helped prepare him for college, where he wants to study engineering and learn how to build robotic arms.

Safe space

New Hampshire has been the safest state during the pandemic, according to a study from WalletHub, which recently released rankings based on data that was available as of April 14. WalletHub, a personal finance website, compared all states and Washington, D.C., in the rates of Covid-19 transmission, positive testing, hospitalizations, deaths and number of eligible people getting vaccinated. Helping it reach the top spot was the Granite State’s vaccination rate, where it ranked No. 1, and its death rate, which was one of the lowest at No. 8. New Hampshire edged out Hawaii and Alaska, which ranked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.

Score: +1

Comment:New England as a whole fared well in this survey; Vermont, Rhode Island, Maine and Massachusetts ranked 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th, respectively, and Connecticut ranked 18th.

Watch out for wildfires…

It’s Wildfire Awareness Week in New Hampshire (April 18 to April 24), and the state is trying to raise awareness about the dangers of wildfires, which are more common here in the spring as dry grasses, leaves, pine cones and fallen branches can act as fuel. According to a press release, more than 57 percent of the state is still experiencing moderate drought conditions, and the rest of the state is classified as abnormally dry, which raises the risk of wildfires even more. New Hampshire had an average of 119 wildfires that impacted an average of 276 acres each year from 2016 to 2020, the release said.

Score: -1

Comment: Ninety percent of wildfires in New Hampshire are caused by human behavior, according to the release. Common causes are brush fires and campfires, improper disposal of smoking materials, overheated engines and sparks emitted from machinery.

… and rabid wildlife

The‌ ‌‌Londonderry‌‌ ‌Police‌ ‌Department‌ ‌warned‌ ‌residents‌ ‌in‌ ‌a‌ ‌press‌ ‌release‌ ‌last‌ ‌week‌ ‌to‌ ‌keep‌ ‌an‌ ‌eye‌ ‌on‌ ‌their‌ ‌pets‌ ‌when‌ ‌they’re‌ ‌outdoors‌ ‌after‌ ‌a‌ ‌dog‌ ‌got‌ ‌in‌ ‌a‌ ‌fight‌ ‌with‌ ‌a ‌raccoon.‌ ‌The raccoon was euthanized and sent for testing because it showed signs of possible rabies, and testing confirmed that it was rabid.

Score: -1

Comment: The‌ ‌Department‌ ‌encourages‌ ‌pet‌ ‌owners‌ ‌to‌ ‌get‌ ‌their‌ ‌pets‌ ‌vaccinated‌ ‌as‌ ‌soon‌ ‌as‌ ‌possible.‌

QOL score: 69

Net change: 0

QOL this week: 69

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

Free fishing, hunting and more for military members

The Fallen Outdoors nonprofit is looking for New Hampshire veterans and active duty service members who like hunting, fishing, canoeing, hiking and camping to enjoy the great outdoors with free active excursions. According to a press release, Team New England, which started in 2019, has a big goal this year: to facilitate 14 to 20 fishing trips in lakes, rivers and oceans; 12 to 18 hunting trips; eight canoe trips; five overnight hikes; three snowshoe hikes; and three family barbecues. These excursions are designed to provide veterans and service members with an outlet from life stressors to help prevent veteran suicide, according to the release, and staff are all volunteers who are active or former military service members.

Score: +1

Comment: Anyone who is interested in attending a free outdoor trip can find events on The Fallen Outdoors East Coast community page on Facebook; one upcoming local trip is a day of fishing, leaving from Hampton, on May 20. The trip is limited to 30 veterans; email [email protected] to reserve a spot.

One man’s trash isn’t always another’s treasure

If you’ve got bags of outgrown clothes or gently used household items that you’re planning to donate, Goodwill will be happy to take them — as long as you’re not just dropping off your trash. According to a recent report from WMUR, Goodwill Northern New England has seen an increase in unusable donations, things like a birdhouse with no roof and a ceiling fan with three blades that is supposed to have six. It costs the organization money to get rid of all that trash, the report said, more than $1 million for each of the last two years, which is money that could otherwise go to the workforce programs that Goodwill funds.

Score: -1

Comment: According to the report, Goodwill welcomes clothes, shoes, books and dishes that are in decent condition.

Speech earns local student a national scholarship

A local student was a top finisher in the national Voice of Democracy scholarship program. According to a press release, Central High School junior Matthew Blair was named the third place national winner and the recipient of the $10,000 scholarship award, which is given out by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Blair was sponsored by the Queen City Memorial VFW Post and entered the oratorical competition.

Score: +1

Comment: “This speech really was inspired by my grandfather, his story and the love for America that he instilled in me,” Blair said in the release. “I am so proud that I could represent Manchester Central High School, the city of Manchester and the state of New Hampshire at this competition.”

First Day of Caring in 2021 a success

Over the course of six hours on April 7, about 20 volunteers packaged 15,000 shelf-stable meals to help stock southern New Hampshire food pantries. The percentage of people who miss a meal in a day has increased by more than 200 percent since the start of the pandemic, according to a press release from the United Way of Greater Nashua, which is why the nonprofit focused on replenishing food supplies for its first Day of Caring event.

Score: +1

Comment: This was the first of five events planned for The United Way of Greater Nashua’s 2021 Days of Caring. The next is the annual Community Baby Shower in July, the release said.

QOL score: 67

Net change: +2

QOL this week: 69

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