Category: Quality Of Life

Take a hike

There’s still time to register for the New Hampshire Forest Society’s 5 Hikes Challenge! Get outside and enjoy fall while challenging yourself to complete five trails and earn a hiking patch. When you register (the deadline is Saturday, Oct. 31), you can choose five hikes from an extensive list, including Buxton Simons Forest in Weare, Monson Village in Hollis/Milford, McCabe Forest in Antrim and the Merrimack River Outdoor Education & Conservation Area in Concord. According to the society’s website, registration will get you a Forest Society buff, plus paper trail maps with directions for the hikes you choose. The fee is $8 per hike (free for anyone under 18), and the goal is to complete the hikes and submit photos by Nov. 15.

Score: +1

Comment: Tag the Forest Society on Facebook (@ForestSociety) and Instagram (@ForestSociety) with #5HikesChallenge as you hit the trail, then email your five hikes selfies to [email protected] to earn an embroidered patch and a sticker. To register, visit forestsociety.org/5-hikes-challenge.

Potentially frigid, extra snowy winter on the way

With parts of northern New Hampshire getting plowable amounts of snow last weekend and a couple of frosty mornings around here, there’s no denying that winter is coming, and the Farmers’ Almanac is predicting a cold, snowy season for New Hampshire. Words that QOL was not excited to read on farmersalmanac.com: “If you love the cold of winter, you’re going to love our forecast if you live in the northern half of the country.” The Almanac also predicts a potential blizzard during the second week of February and says there’s the potential for a major storm in March too.

Score: -100 (Just kidding. It’s not that bad.)-2

Comment: QOL gets that some people love New Hampshire for its winter sports opportunities, but shoveling, driving through snowstorms and braving below-zero temps just to get groceries or gas will never be fun.

A weekend of weeding and planting wildflowers

A disabled veteran homeowner’s Manchester property has been transformed after the Boy Scouts of Hooksett Troop 292 teamed up with Hooksett-based startup Wildline Solutions to clean up her yard, which had become overgrown and unusable after 20 years of the homeowner being unable to care for it, according to a press release. Scouts, their parents and volunteers from Wildline (a self-sufficiency and sustainability consulting company, according to the release) spent last weekend clearing the property of weeds, foliage and debris, and planted wildflower seeds that will bloom in the spring — a low-maintenance alternative to a traditional lawn that will help prevent other plants and weeds from growing.

Score: +1

Comment: The homeowner, who wishes to remain anonymous, was overjoyed with the transformation, according to the release.

Praise for contact tracing efforts

As schools and the Department of Health and Human Services grapple with the complexities of contact tracing as more and more people test positive for Covid-19, QOL would like to give a shout out to the Bow School District and DHHS for how they’ve handled contact tracing. On Friday morning, the high school closed immediately after it was informed that a student had tested positive; by the end of the day, the school had called the parents of about 60 students who had come into contact with that student and very nicely explained to these stressed out parents what protocols needed to be followed. This was followed up by a phone call from DHHS two days later to reiterate the procedures and set up a daily text to check on symptoms.

Score: +1

Comment: QOL wants to thank all state, city, town and school officials who are doing the best they can to keep New Hampshire residents safe.

QOL score: 60

Net change: +1

QOL this week: 61

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

Finding hairy pine-sap

A rare plant was discovered last month by a student at the Founders Academy Public Charter School in Manchester, according to a press release. Josiah DiPietro found a group of hairy pine-sap during his Natural History of New Hampshire class, when the group was outside exploring the campus woods. It is now the fifth known location for the species, confirmed by Bill Nichols, senior ecologist/state botanist at the New Hampshire Natural Heritage Bureau Division of Forests & Lands, which tracks the species due to its rarity. Hairy pine-sap is an herbaceous perennial found in woodlands, often where oaks are present, according to the release, and southern New Hampshire is part of the plant’s northernmost limit.

Score: +1

Comment: Hairy pine-sap flowers in late August through September, and its stems are pink or red, which distinguishes it from the light brown or yellow stems of the more common yellow pine-sap, according to the release.

Dairy products for residents in need

The Rotary Clubs of Milford, Concord and Manchester, among several other clubs in New Hampshire and Vermont, recently donated $21,225 to the New Hampshire Food Bank specifically to purchase milk and other dairy products for New Hampshire residents in need, according to a press release. The Rotary Clubs collaborated with the Food Bank as well as Granite State Dairy Promotion and the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food for this effort. The Food Bank has contracted with Contoocook Creamery to bottle the milk, and Stonyfield Organic in Londonderry will provide approximately 20,000 cups of yogurt for this program with help from the Rotary Clubs’ donation.

Score: +1

Comment: Milk and dairy products are among the top requested items from the food pantries that are served by the New Hampshire Food Bank, according to the release.

Historical milestone for Nashua

Nashua’s first historical highway marker has been installed in front of the Nashua Historical Society’s Abbot-Spalding House museum, according to a press release, and the official unveiling is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17 (with a rain date of Saturday, Oct. 24, at 10 a.m.). “The Nashua Historical Society is proud to have our Abbot-Spalding House acknowledged with this marker, especially since this is the first historic marker installed in Nashua,” Beth McCarthy, Historical Society curator, said in the release. The Abbot-Spalding House was built circa 1802-1804 by Daniel Abbot, a 19th-century businessman known as “The Father of Nashua” for his leading role in reuniting the towns of Nashua and Nashville after the two split due to political conflict, according to the release.

Score: +1

Comment: There are more than 250 historical highway markers throughout the state, managed by the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources and the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, according to the press release. An interactive map showing the markers’ locations can be found at nh.gov/nhdhr.

QOL score: 57

Net change: +3

QOL this week: 60

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

Spotted lanternfly spotted

Spotted lanternflies (SLF) have been detected at a New Hampshire nursery, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food. The department and nursery personnel found the invasive insect on Sept. 3 and subsequently killed several adult SLF. They also identified SLF eggs on red maple trees that had come from Pennsylvania. The SLF typically feeds on the tree of heaven, which is prohibited for sale in the state, but it will feed on more than 70 kinds of plants. The insect is considered a risk to a variety of agricultural, ornamental and hardwood crops, according to the release.

Score: -1

Comment: There is currently no evidence of an established SLF population in the state, the release said, and public awareness and the ability to identify the insect can help keep it that way. Visit nhbugs.org/spotted-lanternfly to learn more.

Ending chronic homelessness

Harbor Care, which provides housing, health care and support to community members who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, recently announced a new goal: to end chronic homelessness in Nashua by the end of 2020. According to a press release, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently provided Harbor Care with 26 new housing vouchers. As of Sept. 22 there were 21 chronically homeless people in Nashua, meaning that Harbor Care can now house every person who meets the definition of chronically homeless (people who have been homeless for more than one year or have experienced homelessness at least four times in three years).

Score: +1

Comment: Harbor Care has also launched a fundraiser called Dignity of Home to make sure that supports are available to people after they move into their new homes. So far the campaign has raised more than $125,000 of its $200,000 goal, according to the release, and the Ending Homelessness Committee, a group of concerned citizens, recently offered to match the next $5,000 in donations.

Check your smoke detectors

The state saw its second deadliest three-month period in the past 10 years for unintentional fatal fires from March to May, according to a press release. This year there have been eight fatalities in seven home fires — and in each fire, there were no working smoke alarms, the release said. This week (Oct. 4 through Oct. 10) is National Fire Prevention Week, and State Fire Marshal Paul J. Parisi said in the release that “smoke alarms are the biggest factor when it comes to giving people time to get out alive.”

Score: -1

Comment: In New Hampshire, it is the law to have smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement. Contact your local fire department, as many in New Hampshire have free smoke alarm programs, according to the release.

Take a road trip

With foliage at its peak in southern New Hampshire, now is a great time to take a scenic drive. You can travel pretty much anywhere and find beautiful scenery, or you can set out on a more purposeful drive: the Robert Frost/Old Stagecoach Byway, which travels through Auburn, Chester, Derry, Hampstead and Atkinson. A group of people representing the five communities recently created a brochure and website for the route, which includes numerous points of interest.

Score: +1

Comment: Visit frost-stagecoach-byway.org to find a map as well as the history of the byway.

QOL score: 57

Net change: 0

QOL this week: 57

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

Warnings about wildfires, well problems

Increasing concerns about the drought have prompted warnings from the state about both the increased potential for wildfires and for wells running dry. On Sept. 25, Gov. Chris Sununu issued a proclamation, effective immediately, that prohibits the kindling of any open fire and smoking in or near woodlands anywhere in New Hampshire due to “great concern that wildfires could unexpectedly and rapidly increase thereby endangering life and property,” according to a press release. Meanwhile, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services is asking residents to conserve water and to report any well problems to the state. As more and more residential well owners are reporting supply issues, well drillers are reporting waits greater than six weeks to get a new well drilled while others are booked until the end of the year, according to a DES press release.

Score: -2

Comment: As of Sept. 28, the entire state was in drought, with nearly 10 percent of the state elevated to D3-Extreme Drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Forecasted rainfall for this week will help some, according to a report from WMUR, but officials say that in order to bring water levels back up to normal, it will take a very wet autumn and a snowy winter.

Slow speeds

Manchester ranks 24th for midsize cities with the slowest internet speeds, according to a new study from AdvisorSmith. The company calculated the percentage of residents with access to 100 Mbps, 250 Mbps and 1 gigabit internet in thousands of U.S. cities and analyzed the data to come up with its rankings. According to the study, 0.1 percent of Manchester residents had access to 1 gigabit broadband providers, whereas in most midsize cities, an average of 27 percent of residents had access to gigabit internet providers.

Score: -1

Comment: 98.5 percent of residents had access to 100 Mbps and 250 Mbps internet, which, according to the data, is pretty average for midsize cities.

Cereal smarts

Granite United Way had to cancel its annual Day of Caring, but the nonprofit came up with a new way to help local communities instead: the Smart Start Cereal Campaign. According to a press release, from now through Oct. 16 individuals and companies can donate cereal and other non-perishable breakfast foods to help students get a “smart start.” Companies can hold cereal drives, or anyone can text guwfeeds to 41444 to donate through the Smart Start Text-to-Give Campaign.

Score: +1

Comment: “We’ve been working with local volunteers and corporate partners to ensure that even though our traditional Day of Caring may look different we are still able to provide help this fall,” said Patrick Tufts, president and CEO of Granite United Way.

QOL score: 59

Net change: -2

QOL this week: 57

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

Rising Stars of New Hampshire

The winners of the 2020 Rising Stars Awards, presented by Stay Work Play New Hampshire, were announced last week, honoring exceptional young people and the businesses that support them. The winners are:

Civic Leader of the Year: Hooksett resident Martin Toe, grassroots organizer intern for the American Friends Service Committee, and co-founder of Change for Concord

College Student of the Year: Barrington resident Juliana Good, senior at UNH

High School Student of the Year: Londonderry resident Erin Strike, senior at Londonderry High School

Intern of the Year: Auburn resident Madison Olsen, intern with Hinsdale School District

Young Entrepreneur of the Year: Manchester resident Shaquwan’Da Allen, owner of Rootz Natural Hair Shop

Young Professional of the Year: Lebanon resident Patrick Ho, Chief Resident, Clinical Instructor in Psychiatry, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, and president of the New Hampshire Psychiatric Society

Score: +1

Comment: Three finalists were selected for Coolest Company for Young Professionals: GYK Antler of Manchester, Nobis Group of Concord and Sunrise Labs of Bedford. One of these companies will be chosen as the “People’s Choice” recipient; check out each company’s virtual “Happy Hour” event, beginning Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 6 p.m., to learn more about why they should be selected as the winner. Then vote online at bit.ly/RSA2020vote.

Race and remember

The Manchester Police Athletic League has turned its annual Footrace for the Fallen into a virtual event this year, while still honoring the race’s mission of remembering heroes who were lost in the line of duty and supporting the Queen City’s at-risk youth. According to a press release, the Manchester Police Department and PAL will host a drive-through bib pickup on Saturday, Oct. 3, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the police department’s parking lot, where you’ll be able to pick up your bib (and T-shirt, if you’re one of the first 500 people to register) and will be greeted by “many friendly faces who will provide you with everything you need from remembrances and giveaways to photo opportunities,” according to the release. You can then run your 5K anywhere, any time between 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, and 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5.

Score: +1

Comment: Visit runreg.com/footrace-for-the-fallen to register; the price is $25 for adults (18+) and $20 for youth.

Animals welcome?

New Hampshire has been ranked one of the least pet-friendly states in the country in a recently released report from home security company SafeWise. The 48 contiguous states were ranked on percentage of pet-friendly apartments; pet population; pets-left-in-car laws; veterinary reporting requirement laws; tether laws; anti-cruelty laws, and animal fighting paraphernalia laws. Our neighboring states of Vermont and Maine both made the top 10 for most pet-friendly states (ranked seventh and 10th, respectively), while elsewhere in New England, Connecticut joined New Hampshire in the top 10 least friendly states, ranking 10th and ninth, respectively.

Score: -1

Comment: Only 8 percent of New Hampshire’s rentals are pet-friendly, according to the report.

QOL score: 58

Net change: +1

QOL this week: 59

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

Capital Arts Fest is a go

The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen announced in a press release on Sept. 14 that it will move ahead with its third annual Capital Arts Fest, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 26, and Sunday, Sept. 27, on South Main Street in Concord. The event will feature more than 20 craftsmen, food, and live music coordinated by the Capitol Center for the Arts. It will be held outside the League’s headquarters, across from the Cap Center, with tents spaced out up and down the street to allow for social distancing.
Score: +1

Comment: “When we surveyed our members, our first and only real concern was their health and safety, but we were overwhelmed with people who are excited to show their work and be able to do something safely in person,” Miriam Carter, executive director of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, said in the release.

Fewer people unemployed

New Hampshire saw a 1.5-percent decline in its unemployment rate from July to August, according to a Sept. 15 press release from New Hampshire Employment Security. The unemployment rate for August was 6.5 percent, an increase of 3,030 workers in the state’s labor force for a total of 737,420. “Today’s labor report shows that our approach has paid off and New Hampshire remains on track to returning to the historic economic highs we enjoyed prior to the onset of Covid-19,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in a statement following the release of the report.
Score: 0 (+1 for the positive decline, -1 for the still-high rate)

Comment: New Hampshire’s unemployment rate of 6.5 percent remains below the national average of 8.4 percent.

Granite Staters getting vaccinated

New Hampshire is the third most vaccinated state in the country in 2020, according to a new study from personal-finance website WalletHub. According to the study, the Granite State ranks third for share of adults with tetanus vaccination; ninth for share of teenagers aged 13-17 with up-to-date HPV vaccination; 10th for share of adults aged 60 and older with zoster vaccination; 11th for share of children 19-35 months old living in poverty with combined 7-vaccine series; and 13th for influenza vaccination rate in children aged 6 months to 17 years old. New Hampshire was also in the Top 15 for flu vaccination coverage rate among adults and share of civilian noninstitutionalized population without health insurance coverage.
Score: +1

Comment:According to WalletHub, 1 in 3 Americans have said they will choose not to get a Covid-19 vaccine once it is developed.

A new local celebrity

A legally owned 40-pound African serval cat named Spartacus, owned by a family in Merrimack, has gained quite a following. After the Merrimack Police Department posted Sept. 10 on its Facebook page that Spartacus had gone missing from its owners’ home, thousands of people left comments and shared the post. A follow-up post two days later announced that the cat had been found. “It was trapped near its home and is in good health,” the post read.
Score: +1

Comment: After several Facebook commenters said they want to know more about Spartacus, the cat’s owner, Dean King, posted that Spartacus is on Instagram @spartacustheserval.

QOL score: 55

Net change: +3

QOL this week: 58

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