Category: Quality Of Life

We know how to holiday

According to a recent study by health and wellness website Innerbody.com, New Hampshire is one of the most festive states in the U.S. The study examined Christmas-related online searches of topics including the sales of advent calendars, inflatable lawn decorations and festive holiday clothing. “New Hampshire has risen to 9th place in the rankings, up from 10th last year,” read a Dec. 16 press release from Innerbody, “suggesting an increase in its Christmas spirit.” This contrasts with its neighbors, Vermont and Maine, which rank among the states with the lowest (or “Grinchiest”) Christmas cheer.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The study ranked West Virginia as the most festive, and the District of Columbia as the least festive. Visit innerbody.com/most-festive-state.

Girl Scouts convert bags to benches

A Mont Vernon Girl Scout troop has collected enough semi-firm plastic bags — the type you get groceries in — to be recycled into a park bench. Girl Scout Troop 59205 is a group of four cadets in seventh grade, led by Scout Leader Bobbi Billow. When the project began, the troop had 13 members who all contributed to the project for a full year and helped reach the 1,000-pound milestone. “Month after month, the residents of Mont Vernon came together and averaged 100 pounds of plastic recycled per month,” Billow posted on Facebook on Dec. 1, “an incredible achievement for a small town with a big heart.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: According to a Dec. 15 press release from Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains, Troop 59205 will donate their bench to the Mont Vernon Conservation Commission to be placed at Carleton Pond. This project was taken on as part of a challenge by Trex Recycling. Visit nextrex.com/view/programs.

New Hampshire and the Peace Corps

In a Dec. 15 press release, the Peace Corps (peacecorps.gov) announced its 2025 rankings of the top volunteer-producing states across the United States with New Hampshire ranked No. 3 among states with the highest number of Peace Corps volunteers per capita. According to the press release there are currently 36 New Hampshire residents serving worldwide. “In 2025, the nation’s capital is the largest producer of volunteers per capita with 31 volunteers, more than 4 volunteers per 100,000 citizens. Vermont took the No. 2 spot for per capita production, with 24 volunteers.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: Volunteers in the Peace Corps travel to other countries to donate their time and expertise. The Peace Corps aims “to help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served” and “to help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans,” according to its website.

QOL score: 79

Net change: +3

QOL for the end of 2025: 82

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Nobody legit asks for gift cards

The email seems authentic at first glance. It says it’s from the Director of the Allenstown Public Library. She’s writing to ask you for some technology help. She’s trying to buy some gift cards for her niece with cancer, the email tells you, and for whatever reason, she can’t seem to finalize the purchase. Could you do it for her and she’ll pay you back? Maybe you should call her for clarification. The problem is, it turns out, the Allenstown Library doesn’t even have a Director at the moment. “We’ve spent the last two days fielding phone calls about this,” one of the librarians on duty said in a phone interview.

QOL score: -1

Comment: On its website, the New Hampshire Department of Justice advises: “Use known and trusted contact information to reach out to the individual and confirm that they are not responsible for the suspicious request. Assume that any request to purchase gift cards is a scam. This is a tactic that is widely used by scammers.” Visit doj.nh.gov/news-and-media.

Make friends now or be lonely and sick later

A recent study by the University of New Hampshire suggests that building social connections earlier in life can help prevent isolation and its associated health problems in old age. According to a Dec. 4 press release from UNH, “The study found that older adults without children are more vulnerable to loneliness, but good friends helped fill that void. The researchers said the study was partially motivated by current demographic shifts like declining fertility rates and the growing number of people without children living longer.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: “Research into loneliness is important on multiple fronts,” the press release read,”including informing social programming that could help older adults. That is especially relevant in a state like New Hampshire, which has one of the oldest demographics.” Visit unh.edu/unhtoday/news.

QOL score: 79

Net change: 0

QOL this week: 79

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

A slice with oats?

According to a Dec. 4 statement by the Bedford Police Department (bedfordnhpd.org), “On Wednesday, Dec. 3, at approximately 1 a.m., Bedford Police responded to the area near Domino’s Pizza just off of Route 1 for reports of a horse that was seen walking around,” the report read. “Officers were able to quickly determine where the horse lived. Officer Jeff Drew personally walked the horse back to her residence, more than a mile away, in 20-degree weather.”

QOL score: +1 For Bedford’s successful effort to rein in crime

Comment: “Residents provided officers with hay, grain, water, and a horse lead rope until she could be safely returned, the report read.” Which raises the question: Did late-night customers happen to have those supplies with them, or did the police wake up nearby horse people?

Yay for Creepy Santa!

For Manchester residents, the holiday season hasn’t really started until Creepy Santa makes his appearance. As reported by Manchester InkLink in a Dec. 3 article, “For 35 years, the beloved iconic holiday figure has towered over the Rheume family’s Christmas tree stand on Elm Street.” The large fiberglass figure is locally famous for the disturbing expression on its face. According to the InkLink article, “On Wednesday night, Creepy Santa got his own day on the city calendar when Mayor Jay Ruais read an official Resolution declaring Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) forever more to be known as Creepy Santa Day in the city of Manchester.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: “The Creepy Santa figure was purchased by Reggie Rheaume when he started his business— it was one of only eight made in the U.S.,” the article said.

A milestone for Manchester scouting

On Wednesday, Dec. 3, Goffstown resident Zoie Hall broke new ground by becoming the first female Eagle Scout in the 55-year history of her scout troop, Troop 106 in Manchester, according to a Troop 106 press release. Only about 4 percent of Scouts attain the rank of Eagle Scout, the release said.

QOL score: +1

Comment: “For her required community service project, she portrayed leadership and organization skills in renovating the function hall at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Manchester. She also reached out to local businesses for donations and to organize eight separate fundraisers to earn over $6000 needed to fund her Eagle project,” the release said.

Thirsty trees

According to a Dec. 2 online article by New Hampshire Public Radio, this year’s lack of rainfall has affected this season’s crop of Christmas trees, but not as much as you might expect. “Experts say when the drought intensified in late summer this year, evergreens were generally in a better spot than other trees,” the NHPR story read.

QOL score: -1 for this year, but stay tuned for future tree shortages

Comment: The full effects of this year’s drought might not be felt for several years. NHPR quoted Steve Roberge, the state forester for the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension. “[Droughts] are just tough on newly planted trees,” he said. “And so there may be a lot of mortality that we see in Christmas trees planted this year.”

QOL score: 77

Net change: +2

QOL this week: 79

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Early skiing

As reported by WMUR in a Nov. 22 online article, several New Hampshire mountains opened for skiing before Thanksgiving, a full week earlier than usual. The article quoted Jennifer Karan of Cannon Mountain saying, “2019 was the last time we opened this early, so we are pretty excited. We got quite a bit of natural snow in the last week or so, a foot and a half last week.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: As of Dec. 1 five New Hampshire ski areas were open for business: Black Mountain, Bretton Woods, Cannon Mountain, Loon Mountain and Waterville Valley. For up-to-the-minute information on which resorts are open, visit skinh.com.

Howl be home for Christmas

According to a Nov. 23 online article by WMUR, “A Nottingham family is finally resting easy after their 4-year-old dog, Comet, was found nearly a month after going missing.” When Comet, named for one of Santa’s reindeer, disappeared from his family’s yard, “The family immediately launched a search, making a concerted effort to spread the word about Comet. … On Nov. 17, after nearly a month, the family got a call from Granite State Dog Recovery, saying they were able to capture Comet in a dog-friendly cage after following one of the community sighting tips.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: Clearly, life on the road was rough for Comet. According to the WMUR story, “Comet was rushed to the hospital, weighing just 32 pounds, less than half his original weight. He also had porcupine quills in his shoulder, causing him to limp.”

9-1-1 Herbivore Division

The Pelham Police Department performed an unusual rescue Friday, Nov. 28, when it helped a trapped deer escape from a mud pit. “We received a call about a ‘rein’ deer that had gotten itself stuck knee-deep in mud and couldn’t break free,” the Department posted on its Facebook page. “With the temperatures near freezing and the situation getting worse by the minute, our officers jumped into action. After a careful (and very muddy) effort, the deer was safely pulled out and sent on its way — hopefully to finish up whatever important Christmas duties it had going on.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: Find out more about the winter life of deer at wildlife.nh.gov/wildlife-and-habitat/species-occurring-nh/white-tailed-deer.

Hockey player pulls a hat trick

New Hampshire hockey player Tara Mounsey “laced up for the first ever Olympic women’s hockey gold medal game in Nagano, Japan,” reported WMUR in a Nov. 26 online article. “Her 1998 Olympic team was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009.” Last year, as the medical coordinator for the Boston Celtics, she got a ring when the team won the championship. Now she is being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on her own. WMUR reported Mounsey’s reaction to learning the news. “I kept driving, but I felt like I needed to stop the car, I was so caught off guard,” she said. “I really had to sit with it and realize it was real and how big of an honor it is.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: Mounsey’s induction ceremony will take place on Dec. 10 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Visit hhof.com/induction/induction.html.

QOL score: 73

Net change: +4

QOL this week: 77

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Thanksgiving meals

At least eight churches, synagogues and other community groups have worked together preparing to serve a free Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, Nov. 27, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Derry. And in a Nov. 20 press release Harbor Care Health and Wellness Center of Nashua announced that a number of prominent New Hampshire politicians, including Gov. Kelly Ayotte, U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, U.S. Reps. Maggie Goodlander and Chris Pappas, and Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess, would work the buffet line serving Thanksgiving meals at its Free Thanksgiving Community Dinner on Tuesday, Nov. 25.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Speaking of getting food to the people who need it: in Bow, according to an online article by WMUR, local police officers were flagged down at the Alltown truck stop on Saturday, Nov. 15: “Officers said a truck driver flagged them down because he unexpectedly had too many chickens,” the story read. “According to police, he had around 250 whole chickens that were perfectly good to use, but he had nowhere to bring them.” WMUR reported a happy resolution, with the chickens going to the Friendly Kitchen in Concord.

Mittens and food help

Merrimack County Savings Bank is collecting new handmade or store-bought mittens, hats and scarves as part of its Annual Mitten Tree Drive, according to a press release. “For every item collected, The Merrimack will donate $2 to be distributed” to Bow Food Pantry, Friends of Forgotten Children (Concord), Henniker Food Pantry, Hopkinton Food Pantry, Hooksett Food Pantry, Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter, Shepard’s Pantry (Windham) and Twin Rivers Food Pantry (Franklin), the release said. “Winters in New Hampshire can be rough, especially for our neighbors in need,” said Linda Lorden, President of The Merrimack, in the press release. “When you make a donation to our Mitten Tree Drive, you’re not only providing warmth — you’re supporting local food pantries.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: Drop off items at any one of the bank’s nine locations, which are listed with their hours at themerrimack.com/locations, the release said.

Rabid raccoon

In a Nov. 19 Facebook post, the Nashua Division of Public Health and Community Services announced that a raccoon recently captured near Westgate Village in Nashua has tested positive for rabies. “While there’s no immediate threat to the community,” the statement read, “residents are urged to use extra caution around wildlife.” The agency advised local residents to keep pets on a leash and supervised outdoors, to never approach or feed wild animals, and to watch for animals displaying “unusual aggression, confusion, or ‘drunk-like’ movement.”

QOL score: -1

Comment: Report suspicious animal sightings to Nashua Animal Control at 594-3500. For possible exposure concerns, call 589-4500 (option 2).

QOL score: 72

Net change: +1

QOL this week: 73

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Light show

As reported by WMUR in a Nov. 12 online article, the northern lights were visible in many communities across New Hampshire last week. “News 9 received photos from viewers in Nottingham, Holderness, Merrimack, Plainfield, Danbury and Milford,” the story read. The lights, were visible farther south than usual because of “two coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, from the sun that hit the Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field at the same time. A CME can be produced by a solar flare or other intense activity on the sun,” the article read.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Find visibility forecasts at swpc.noaa.gov.

Oil be there for you

According to a Nov. 12 press release from community service organization Manchester Proud (manchesterproud.org), “Teachers and staff at Gossler Park Elementary School received a well-deserved boost of appreciation last Thursday and Friday during parent-teacher conferences, thanks to Grappone Ford’s Mobile Oil Change Service.” The Bow-based service provided free oil changes to the school’s employees while they put in an extended day meeting with parents.

QOL score: +1

Comment: “Grappone Ford generously offered their mobile oil change service as a donation event, providing service for up to ten vehicles per day and offering to return for future multi-day events to reach even more school staff,” the release said.

Adam Sander Jr.

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation has announced on its website (dot.nh.gov) that submissions are being accepted for its second annual Name A Plow Contest. “This is a unique opportunity for New Hampshire residents to engage with our snow-fighting fleet,” the announcement read. “We’re inviting you to help name a snowplow and join in the fun as our hard-working team prepares for winter storms. Each named plow will be a part of our ongoing mission to keep New Hampshire’s roads safe, clear, and ready for travel in even the toughest conditions.” To submit name suggestions, visit the NHDOT webpage and click on the “Name a Plow Contest” graphic. Submissions will be accepted until Dec. 12.

QOL score: +1

Comment: According to a Jan. 13 post on the DOT’s Instagram, last year’s contest winners were CTRL-SALT-DELETE, Tomie DePlowa, Live Free and Plow, Adam Sander, 6 Snow 3, The Big Leplowski, and Fritz Plowerbee.

Head-banging educational support

The Community College System of New Hampshire announced in a Nov. 10 press release that its trades programs have received a $50,000 grant from the heavy metal band Metallica. “The band’s All Within My Hands Foundation” the press release read, “a non-profit philanthropic organization, was created in 2017 by the members and management of Metallica that is dedicated to creating sustainable communities by supporting workforce education, the fight against hunger and other critical local services.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: This is the second year in a row that CCSNH has received this funding, the press release said. Visit allwithinmyhands.org.

QOL score last week: 68

Net change: +4

QOL this week: 72

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.