Category: Quality Of Life

Tons of toys

Hundreds of kids in Manchester and Nashua got to open presents this Christmas thanks to two very successful holiday programs. The Tower of Toys in Manchester saw its biggest number of donations and recipients in its nine-year history, ultimately providing two gifts each to approximately 1,500 children, according to a press release. And the Front Door Agency in Nashua distributed gifts to nearly 500 children through its annual holiday program, which pairs families in need with “adopters,” according to a press release. This year more than 215 families were given almost $100,000 worth of toys, clothing and groceries.

Score: +2

Comment: Both organizations noted that despite the widespread financial hardships caused by the pandemic, local communities really stepped up to help those in need.

Well-deserved thank yous

Frontline health care workers at St. Joseph Hospital and Southern New Hampshire Health got a big thank-you last week, in the form of gift cards to local eateries. The United Way of Greater Nashua presented each facility with 350 gift cards that were purchased with $7,000 worth of donations from the community, according to a press release.

Score: +1

Comment: The fundraiser was ultimately a gift to small local businesses too, as the gift cards were purchased from 15 small local eateries, including Main Street Gyro, Mr. Macs and SubZero Ice Cream, according to the release.

Vaccine scams

New Hampshire Attorney General Gordon J. MacDonald issued a warning last week urging residents to be aware of potential scams related to the distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine. According to a press release, there is concern that high demand for the vaccine may create an opportunity for scammers to try to take money or personal information by saying they can provide fast access to the vaccine. Though it’s not widely available right now as doses are first being provided to health care and front line workers, the vaccine will be available to everyone at no cost regardless of insurance status, and you will never be asked for payment in any form to reserve a vaccine or for confidential personal information, including your Social Security number or bank or credit card information.

Score: -1

Comment: If you receive a call or email from anyone offering quick access to the Covid-19 vaccine in exchange for money or personal information, call the Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-888-468-4454 or email DOJ-CPB@doj.nh.gov. You can also call 2-1-1 for information about the vaccine and its availability.

Pandemic struggles

A new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which offers support for at-risk children, was recently released, identifying pandemic pain points — indicators that show families struggling with economic stability, food security, health insurance access and mental health — in all 50 states. According to a press release, Kids, Families and Covid-19: Pandemic Pain Points and the Urgent Need to Respond highlights how households with children are coping in the midst of the pandemic. In New Hampshire 15 percent of adults over the age of 18 living with children reported feeling down, depressed, or hopeless in the previous week, while 12 percent of New Hampshire families reported having slight or no confidence in paying rent or mortgage, and 10 percent reported they sometimes or often do not have enough food to eat, according to the release.

Score: -1

Comment: The report, which can be downloaded at aecf.org, also offers state-specific information about child well-being prior to the pandemic, federal and state support of families and children during the pandemic and strategies to help meet the needs of kids and families now and after the pandemic.

QOL score at the end of 2019: 93

QOL score at the end of 2020: 76

Change in QOL from 2019 to 2020: -17

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

More shelters in state’s biggest cities

The Concord Coalition to End Homelessness announced last week that it has purchased the First Congregational Church of Concord at 177 N. Main St. with CARES Act funding, and it has temporarily moved its Winter Shelter and Resource Center to the larger space. According to a message on the nonprofit’s website, this will allow the shelter to go back to being able to safely accommodate up to 40 people in the Emergency Winter Shelter and about 50 people at a time at the daytime Resource Center — the same numbers as before the pandemic. In Manchester, the Board of Aldermen has approved the use of the old police department building at 351 Chestnut St. as a temporary homeless shelter for the winter, according to a report from WMUR. The City is leasing two floors, which will be able to house 50 people, the report said. And in Nashua, the city’s Soup Kitchen and Shelter will open its new emergency shelter on Spring Street about six months earlier than the anticipated Summer 2021 completion date, according to a story in the Union Leader. The renovation project was fast-tracked because of the pandemic and the need for more space due to social distancing protocols.

Score: +1

Comment: With all three cities finding ways to create more emergency shelter space, it’s a positive step toward ensuring that all New Hampshire residents have a warm place to stay this winter.

Honoring Christa McAuliffe

A commemorative coin in honor of Christa McAuliffe that supports STEM education was unveiled last week. According to a press release, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan led the effort to create the coin to honor McAuliffe, the Concord teacher who died aboard the space shuttle Challenger in 1986. Proceeds will support science, technology, engineering and mathematics education. “Christa was driven by a passion for teaching and scientific discovery, and this … coin will help continue her legacy,” Hassan said in the release.

Score: +1

Comment: In the release, Shaheen and Hassan thanked local inventor and engineer Dean Kamen for the efforts he contributed to making the coin a reality, and for all the work he does to help engage young people in the STEM fields.

So much snow, so little parking

After the state saw more than two feet of snow in many areas during last Thursday’s storm, clearing roads and parking lots seemed to take significantly longer than usual. Some schools that were holding in-person classes were closed both Thursday and Friday to allow for extra time for clean-up. And on Sunday, three days after the storm ended, downtown Concord still had little to no on-street parking.

Score: -1

Comment: While road crews were likely overwhelmed with the sheer amount of snow and did the best they could, local shop owners may have been a bit dismayed too — the lack of parking along Main Street in Concord, at least, certainly made it frustrating for QOL to do some last-minute Christmas shopping.

Bike repairs on the go

There’s a new way for the public to make minor repairs to their bikes in Manchester — a Fixit bike repair station in Bronstein Park, funded through a grant from the Granite State Wheelers, opened during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dec. 18. According to a press release, Queen City Bicycle Collective worked with the City of Manchester Parks and Recreation Division to implement the Fixit station, which includes basic tools and an air pump that will help bicyclists make small repairs on the go. It’s the first one in Manchester, and the QC Bike Collective plans to have more stations installed at various locations in the city.

Score: +1

Comment: QC Bike Collective’s goal is to make biking safer and more convenient for people in Manchester, according to the release.

QOL score: 73

Net change: +2

QOL this week: 75

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Light at the end of the tunnel
On Dec. 14, the first doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine arrived in New Hampshire, and on Dec. 15, Heidi Kukla, RN, a nurse at Elliot Hospital’s intensive care unit, was the first person to get the vaccine. During the press event, where several other health care workers also got the vaccine, Kukla said she volunteered to go first because she knows a lot of people have reservations about the vaccine, and she hoped to alleviate some of those concerns. The vaccine was recently approved and given Emergency Use Authorization by the Food and Drug Administration and will first be distributed to at-risk health care workers in the state. According to a press release from the Department of Health and Human Services, two doses of vaccine, administered 21 days apart, demonstrated an efficacy rate of 95 percent during initial trials. The timeline for widespread access to a Covid-19 vaccine is expected to be approximately six to 12 months.
Score: +3
Comment: “This is the beginning of that light at the end of the tunnel that we have talked about for so long,” Gov. Chris Sununu said Tuesday morning.

Sweet experience for Bearded Baking Co. owner
Auburn resident Jon Buatti’s run on Holiday Baking Championship came to an end on Dec. 7 with his elimination from the Food Network show. The owner of the Bearded Baking Co. in Manchester was one of 12 contestants selected from a pool of thousands of candidates to create the best holiday-themed desserts for judges Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman and Carla Hall. He made it to the top six before he was voted off. Shooting took place in Los Angeles over the summer; the remaining bakers will compete to win a grand prize of $25,000, and the finale will air on Food Network on Dec. 21.
Score: +1, for representing New Hampshire bakers on a national stage
Comment: “I had never been on national TV before, so I was definitely nervous,” Buatti told the Hippo last month. “The competition was super stiff, and that’s definitely in your mind when you’re out there.”

Tips for toys
A server at the Northeast Cafe in New Boston is donating $1,108 — the amount she made in tips over the course of two days — to Toys for Tots. Though the server (who wished to remain anonymous) has been making less money for months now because of limited customer capacity, she was thrilled to rake in extra tips not for herself but for kids in need.
Score: +1
Comment: Customers really stepped up to help her meet her challenge of earning at least $1,000 in tips; one, for example, left a $100 tip and another left $100 for a $23 bill.

Neighbor helping neighbor
Miracles do happen, according to a man in Bow who got some help from a neighbor during the recent snowstorm. Marc Lippmann posted on the town’s Nextdoor Digest forum that he “woke up to a miracle” after a series of unfortunate events: “Tractor chains broke as I started to clear the double black diamond slope that is my driveway. Plow couldn’t come up because three large birches were bent 180 degrees over it, completely blocking it. When I hiked down to cut them I took a bad spill … then the saw pinched in the third tree and threw the chain … and with the AFib that kicked in after the fall it took me half an hour just to limp back up the driveway,” he wrote. He woke up the next morning to a plowed and sanded driveway, thanks to Kris Reynolds (owner of On-Demand Snow Plowing), who, in the middle of the night, took it upon himself to get his own chainsaw, cut and move the trees out of the way and clear the driveway.
Score: +1
Comment: “That’s who Kris Reynolds is,” Marc wrote. “And that’s what New Hampshire is all about.”

QOL score: 67
Net change: 6
QOL this week: 73

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

First storm of the season

Last weekend we got our first real taste of what’s expected to be a cold, snowy winter (says The 2021 Farmer’s Almanac). Heavy snow and wind caused more than 100,000 power outages throughout the state, according to a report from WMUR, with some residents still in the dark as of Monday evening. The hardest-hit towns where restoration efforts took longer included Raymond, Rochester and Wakefield, and downed trees in roadways had a significant impact on crews’ abilities to restore power, according to the report.

Score: -1

Comment: At least we’re all used to being stuck at home…

All kinds of cancellations

With the increasing number of people testing positive for Covid-19 in New Hampshire, more venues and businesses are shutting down through at least the end of the year. Public places like libraries are reverting back to shutdown days; Nashua Public Library, for example, announced last week that it will close until at least Jan. 5. Many of the closures are arts venues: Capitol Center for the Arts had made the decision to close a couple weeks ago, and it’s been joined by places like Hatbox Theatre, Tupelo Music Hall and the Palace Theatre, all of which announced last week that their programs scheduled for the rest of the year have been canceled (see more about that on p. 11, where you’ll also find some virtual arts options).

Score: -2

Comment: The most wonderful time of the year? Not in 2020.

Building a Tower of Toys

The pandemic isn’t stopping the annual Tower of Toys, which is collecting unwrapped children’s toys, sports equipment, cosmetics and gift cards for children and families in need. Now through Thursday, Dec. 17, the donations will be formed into a toy-filled tower at the Atrium of the Beacon Building at 814 Elm St. in Manchester, according to a press release. On that final day of collection, there will be a socially distanced open house to view the tower, from 5 to 10 p.m. Last year, the toy drive benefited nearly 350 children, and the event’s sponsors expect there will be even more need this year.

Score: +1

Comment: With so many community events and live fundraisers being canceled, it’s great to see that local kids in need will still get gifts this year. You can drop off donations at Red Arrow Diner headquarters (or shop online and have them shipped there directly: the full address is 814 Elm St., Suite 102, Manchester, 03101) or at Alley Cat Pizza or OrangeTheory in Manchester. Families looking for assistance can send a private message requesting toys at facebook.com/toweroftoysnh.

Help is on the way

Last Saturday, the New Hampshire Veterans Home in Tilton sent out an urgent call for help due to “very serious staffing challenges” due to the pandemic. “We need more people to step up and help our veterans get through this,” Margaret LaBrecque, commandant of the NH Veterans Home, said in a press release. “This is an all-hands-on-deck response. We are shifting resources and … calling in federal resources to assist, but some positions remain to be filled.” Positions include everything from registered nurses to food service workers and recreational assistants, the release said. On Sunday, WMUR reported that there was an immediate response to that call for help; staff from state agencies will be stepping in to fill numerous non-clinical positions, while the VA is sending extra medical personnel and the National Guard is helping with testing and building maintenance.

Score: +1

Comment: There’s still plenty of opportunities to help with both clinical and non-clinical positions; the Veterans Home asks anyone interested to email their resume and contact information to helpnhvh@nh.gov.

QOL score: 68

Net change: -1

QOL this week: 67

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Local projects get Moose Plate Grant funds

The Conservation Moose Plate Grant Program has awarded $431,901 in grant funds to 21 projects aimed at protecting, restoring and enhancing the state’s natural resources. According to a press release from the New Hampshire State Conservation Committee, several local organizations received funding, including the Audubon Society of New Hampshire ($23,534 for Urban Habitat Restoration: A Community-Based Approach for Wildlife and People); the Town of Chichester Conservation Commission ($23,156 for the Valley View Conservation Area); the Five Rivers Conservation Trust in Warner ($22,000 for Pletcher Farm (a vegetable ranch) Conservation Easement); and Hillsborough County Conservation District ($14,953 Siergiewicz Lot Reclamation and Wildlife Restoration Project in Hollis).

Score: +1

Comment: To everyone driving around with a moose on their license plate, the environment thanks you!

Good news for Great Bay

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced last week that it has issued a Clean Water Act general permit for wastewater treatment plants that discharge to New Hampshire’s Great Bay estuary. According to a press release, the permit will protect water quality and the health of ecosystems in the estuary by limiting nitrogen discharges from the 13 wastewater treatment plants in 12 communities that are eligible for coverage. “Over the past decade, the state and communities around Great Bay have been asking the EPA for flexible, adaptive management to control nutrients in the estuary. This permit delivers that approach and paves a way forward that will be guided by science and community action,” Bob Scott, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services commissioner, said in the release.

Score: +1

Comment: The Great Bay estuary, which is an estuary of national significance under the EPA’s National Estuary Program, has had water quality problems for years, including algae blooms and declining eelgrass habitat — all because of excessive nitrogen discharges, according to the release.

And in even more happy nature news…

The New Hampshire Audubon has announced that its Nature Store at the McLane Center in Concord will be opening its doors for the first time since March. According to a press release, the Audubon will host a Holiday Shopping Series from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the weekends of Dec. 5 and 6, Dec. 12 and 13, and Dec. 19 and 20. “We are so excited to finally open safely to serve our community for all its nature needs and holiday shopping,” education coordinator Shelby Morelli said in the release.

Score: +1

Comment: In the past this has been a one-day shopping event, but it has been extended to six days in order to limit the number of shoppers in the building at one time, according to the release.

… but not so great news for Bambi

More people are hunting and fishing this year, with the New Hampshire Fish & Game Department processing more than 87,600 resident fishing licenses through September (35 percent more than last year) and more than 7,700 resident hunting licenses this year, which is 18 percent more than last year, according to a Nov. 25 report from NHPR.

Score: 0 (Because although this is probably unwelcome news to forest creatures, game birds and other wildlife, it’s a good thing for the state’s hunting and fishing industry.)

Comment: Despite travel restrictions and intermittent quarantining rules, New Hampshire also saw about a 20-percent increase in non-resident permits for both hunting and fishing, according to the report.

QOL score: 65

Net change: +3

QOL this week: 68

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Drought is a disaster

All of New Hampshire is now in a “drought disaster,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced last week. According to a Nov. 20 report from NHPR, the drought has gotten worse, particularly in southeastern New Hampshire, with about 30 percent of the state now in severe or extreme drought, compared to 23 percent in the previous few weeks. The rest of the state is in moderate drought, according to the release, and the conditions could last until the beginning of 2021.

Score: -2

Comment: At least the declaration from the USDA will make emergency funding available to farmers who have lost crops due to the drought, according to the report.

Happy(ish) holidays

Not being able to celebrate the holidays in our own traditional ways is going to be hard for many of us. Sure, we can appreciate the fact that maybe we don’t need to stress about making a big holiday meal, or eating Aunt Sally’s lumpy mashed potatoes or listening to debates about the recent polarizing election results. But many of us are missing out on the good stuff too: the chance to meet a new member of the family (QOL has yet to meet a nephew who was born in August), the taste of Mom’s amazing green bean casserole and the chance to catch up with friends and family we haven’t seen in months other than, perhaps, via a frustratingly glitchy Zoom session.

Score: -2

Comment:QOL agrees with taking any and all safety precautions during these holidays (check out some hints in our Q&A on p. 6), but there’s no denying that it’s kind of a bummer.

Transforming lives

As part of the launch of its annual fundraiser, the Front Door Agency in Nashua is sharing one of its success stories. Through its Transformational Housing Program for single mothers and their children, single mother Danielle and her young daughter now live in one of Front Door Agency’s affordable apartments, and she has used the program’s supportive services to improve her finances and earning potential, according to a press release. She has also earned her associate’s and bachelor’s degrees and is starting to take classes to earn her master’s. “This is not a place where things get handed to you,” Danielle said in the release. “But, if you’re motivated and truly focused on doing better for yourself and your children, you can do it.”

Score: +1

Comment: Eighty-five percent of the single mothers in Transformational Housing have participated in or graduated from an educational program, and 70 percent saw increases in benefits and income, according to the release. “We hope Danielle’s story inspires individuals, businesses and other organizations to give back in a meaningful way,” Agency CEO Maryse Wirbal said in the release.

No. 1 for economic freedom

Last week, the Fraser Institute (an independent nonpartisan research and educational organization based in Canada, according to its website) released its 2020 Economic Freedom Report, ranking New Hampshire as the No. 1 state for economic freedom, according to a press release from the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy. This is the second year in a row that the Granite State has earned that designation. The Fraser Institute’s report measures “the extent to which … the policies of individual provinces and states were supportive of economic freedom…,” according to the release. “This study reaffirms that New Hampshire remains the best state in the nation to live, work, and raise a family — and we’re just getting started,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in a statement.

Score:+1

Comment: Our New England neighbors ranked as follows: Massachusetts (18), Connecticut (25), Maine (37), Rhode Island (43) and Vermont (46).

QOL score: 67

Net change: -2

QOL this week: 65

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at news@hippopress.com.