Category: Quality Of Life

Entertainment is literally his middle name

Chuck E. Cheese has announced an expansion of its arcade offerings in many locations, including Salem (in the Mall at Rockingham Park, 99 Rockingham Park Blvd,) and Nashua (in the Pheasant Lane Mall, 310 DW Highway). In a June 30 announcement on its corporate website, the chain, best known for super-stimulating children’s birthday parties, wrote that it “is stepping into a new era with the launch of Chuck’s Arcade, [an] arcade concept from Chuck E. Cheese [that] combines classic games and the hottest new games alongside iconic animatronic characters.” The new arcades will be marketed toward nostalgic adults, the announcement said.

QOL score: +1 for skeeball aficionados

Comment: According to the announcement, in addition to the two new New Hampshire locations, there are Chuck’s Arcades at “malls across the country … with more locations on the horizon.” Visit chucksarcade.fun.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane?

According to a recent study by Social casino website McLuck,New Hampshire is the state with the second best chance to spot a UFO. A July 3 press release reported that the study “gathered the number of reported UFO sightings from the National UFO Reporting Center between 2020 and 2024 and calculated the number of sightings per 100,000 residents in each state. [It] also calculated the month and time of day that you’re most likely to spot a UFO.” According to the study, New Hampshire has 32.08 UFO sightings per million residents, and August is the best month to spot one. “The best time to spot a UFO in New Hampshire is 9 p.m., with 33 sightings during this time of day between 2020 to 2024,” the announcement read.

QOL score: +1 for helping to keep the NH Fisher Cats’ alter ego “Space Potatoes” relevant (the team thusly named will next play Friday, July 18, at 6:35 p.m.

Comment: The study found that Vermont had more sightings than New Hampshire, with 33 per million residents. “Despite having the fourth-highest overall number of reported sightings, Texas is the worst state for UFO sightings, with 7.01 per 100,000 residents each year.”

QOL score last week: 64

Net change: +2

QOL this week: 66

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Don’t drink it either

On Tuesday, June 24, the City of Manchester Health Department closed the public beach at Crystal Lake to swimming due to elevated levels of E. coli bacteria identified in water samples taken the previous day. The following day, Wednesday, June 25, the beach was reopened for swimming, following new water samples showing E. coli levels within acceptable limits.

QOL score: -1 because just ew for all of it

Comment: Find out about the E. coli levels in your favorite Manchester watering hole, according to results from the most recent samples, at manchesternh.gov/Departments/Health/Services/Water-Quality.

The good news is less acid rain

As reported in a June 30 online article by New Hampshire Public Radio, a recently released report by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services on the water quality of the state’s rivers and streams indicates the waterways have become less acidic. NHPR reported that the study, which examined data from 40 testing sites over the past 30 years, “found that pH levels — a measure of acidity that can be impacted by industrial processes — are improving at several sites. Of the 40 sites sampled for pH levels, 30 presented an improving trend compared to 10 years ago.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: The same report, however, included worrying data suggesting a rise in pollutants, particularly road salt, and an overall increase in the temperature of the water.

New bird!

In a June 24 blog post the New Hampshire Audubon Society announced a new “animal ambassador” at its McLane Center in Concord, “a juvenile Turkey Vulture with a curious personality and a fascinating backstory.” The vulture, which was found on the campus of the University of Connecticut at Storrs, apparently imprinted on humans as a young bird, making him unlikely to survive in the wild. His new duties with the Audubon Society will be to “help educate the public about vultures and their vital role in the ecosystem,” the blog post said.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The public is invited to visit him. See nhaudubon.org.

They can’t all be big and beautiful

New Hampshire’s 2025 legislative session wrapped up on Monday, June 30. A June 20 story by Seacoast Online (seacoastonline.com) looked at several bills this year’s lawmakers considered this session that didn’t receive much attention. “Both the proposal for a new state flag and state animated film were killed with little fanfare when they made it to the House floor,” Seacoast Online reported. “But a bid for a new state marsupial, sponsored by Sen. Donovan Fenton, D-Keene, made it almost all the way to Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s desk.” Other bills sought to repeal bans on brass knuckles and on pet squirrels. Daniel Webster did not get a dedicated state holiday, nor was a state commission established to study unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs), formerly known as UFOs, the story said.

QOL score: +1 for representative democracy

Comment: “New Hampshire lawmakers filed over 1,000 bills in the 2025 legislative session,” the Seacoast Online story read.

QOL score last week: 62

Net change: +2

QOL this week: 64

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Hot hot heat

Following up on this year’s unusual rainfall, earthquakes, reduced air quality from Canadian wildfires, and even zombie moose, WMUR reported on the possibility of record-high temperatures in New Hampshire between Monday, June 23, and Wednesday, June 25. “Expect hazy, hot and humid conditions for many spots,” WMUR reported in a June 23 online weather advisory, “as temperatures climb well into the 90s. It will feel like it is near or just over 100 degrees in parts of the Merrimack Valley into southwestern New Hampshire…. In Manchester, we have not hit 100 degrees since July 22, 2011. A nearly 14-year-old streak could be broken on Tuesday. A high temperature of 100 degrees would also tie the all-time record high temperature for June in the Queen City.”

QOL score: -3 (one for each day predicated to have been blech)

Comment: In a June 23 online weather advisory, WMUR defined an extreme heat warning, which it described as “fairly uncommon in New Hampshire,” as a warning issued “when the combination of heat and humidity will make it feel like it is 105 degrees or higher for at least two hours.”

Overdue recognition

A new monument was dedicated in the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen, Thursday, June 12, memorializing the contributions of New Hampshire women in military service. As described in a June 28 press release from the Women in Service Memorial Committee, “The monument itself, an outline of the state of New Hampshire, is filled with the medallions of each of the six Armed Services on the branches of the state’s official tree, the White Birch, [and] is surrounded by a memorial planter and a reflection bench.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: As described on the monument’s webpage, an effort to memorialize the service of New Hampshire’s servicewomen has been underway since 2018. Visit nhvca.org/donate/womens-service-memorial.

That’s going to leave a mark

As reported in a June 20 online story on Manchester InkLink, a New Hampshire athlete will make his professional debut in Las Vegas this weekend as a power-slapper. Zak Lansing, a Manchester Central graduate, will compete as “a super-heavyweight at Power Slap 13 when he will take on Ro Montana, a professional wrestler who will concede more than 100 pounds to Lansing,” InkLink reported. “For those unfamiliar with power slapping as a professional sport, it is almost exactly as it would seem: Two competitors stand across from each other and take turns striking each other with an open palm to the cheek, with the intent of knocking out their opponent. Most fights are three rounds, or three slaps each, and if no one is knocked out — similar to boxing or mixed martial arts — the decision goes to a panel of judges.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: According to PowerSlap’s website, Lansing’s debut fight will be recorded for future broadcast. His opponent, Ro Montana, won the coin-toss to slap first. Visit powerslap.com.

QOL score last week: 63

Net change: -1

QOL this week: 62

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

High school students save the day

Two Manchester high school students helped save their bus driver on Thursday, May 29. As reported in a May 30 press release from the Manchester School District, “sophomores Jadiel Mota and Rajahn Carrero said that it was a pretty normal afternoon, though they recognized that [Tony] Annese, their regular bus driver, was moving slower than usual. … Annese [pulled the bus over and] told dispatchers he needed a medic, students jumped in to help.” Mota took over radio communications and let the dispatcher know the bus’ exact location. Carrero, who had training from working with Manchester Fire Department’s Junior Fire Explorers program, recognized that Annese was suffering from low blood sugar and dehydration. He got food and water from other students and helped keep Annese calm until help arrived.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Hope everybody involved has a restful summer.

The DMV doesn’t text

The New Hampshire Department of Justice Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau are warning drivers about fraudulent text messages supposedly from the Department of Motor Vehicles threatening them with fines and license suspensions. In a June 9 press release, the state Attorney General’s office was unequivocal: “This is a scam,” the press release stated. “The New Hampshire DMV does not send text messages regarding driver’s license suspensions, unpaid violations, or requests for payment. … We urge all New Hampshire residents to remain vigilant and to delete these messages immediately.”

QOL score: -1

Comment: See dmv.nh.gov.

Roads are better than you think

As reported by WMUR in a June 11 online article, New Hampshire’s state roads are in good shape, with close to 90 percent in good or fair condition. “In New Hampshire, the majority of roads that have been rated using [International Roughness Index] are in good condition. About 322 miles of roads in New Hampshire have not been rated. The latest data from 2023 to 2024 show that more than half of state roads are in good condition, and about 31 percent are fair,” the report said.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Smooth summer driving ahead.

QOL score last week: 62

Net change: +1

QOL this week: 63

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Maybe the pollen was preferable?

On June 8, the National Weather Service announced an Air Quality Alert for the state for particle pollution until 10 a.m. on June 9. “The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services is predicting unhealthy air quality in the above-mentioned counties. Sensitive individuals include children and older adults; anyone with lung disease such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis; and people who are active outdoors. Even healthy individuals may experience mild health effects and should consider limiting strenuous or prolonged outdoor activities,” the alert said. In reports last week, WMUR attributed haziness to smoke from Canadian wildfires.

QOL score: -1

Comment: Find up to date air quality information at the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Prediction website www4.des.state.nh.us/airdata.

At least it’s a dry heat, though, right?

Unexpectedly heavy rains over the past two weeks led to flash flood warnings in Cheshire, Hillsborough, Merrimack and Belknap counties. In a June 7 online weather update, WMUR warned readers, “Drivers who encounter flooded roadways need to turn around. Never drive through a flooded roadway as it is hard to tell how deep the water is in flash flooding situations.” This followed reports the previous week of roads being washed out and eroded from another storm system. On May 31, WMUR reported that Route 47 in Francestown was closed due to flooding, and quoted Francestown Fire Chief Larry Kullren, who said that due to the rain damage, parts of Second New Hampshire Turnpike North had started to erode. “We were anticipating some heavy rains this afternoon, but we were not anticipating flooded roads and washouts,” he said.

QOL score: -1

Comment: According to U.S. Climate Data (usclimatedata.com), the state normally receives an average of 4.11 inches of precipitation in June. In a June 9 online article, WMUR reported that between Friday, June 6, and Saturday, June 7, “more than 5 inches of rainfall fell in Bradford. Rainfall totals between 1.5 and 3 inches were observed in Hopkinton, Weare, Hanover and Roxbury.”

At least things will dry out by the weekend, right?

As reported by New Hampshire Public Radio, the weather across the state has been rainy for the last 13 weekends in a row. In a June 6 online article, NHPR reported that “after an unusually wet May — in fact, this May was the third wettest in New Hampshire’s history, according to AccuWeather — this weekend marks an equally wet start to summer.”

QOL score: -1

Comment: On the plus side, NHPR reported, “All that rain will help keep temperatures down, especially in comparison to last year’s intense heat. In 2024, New Hampshire — and the entire country — registered its hottest summer on record. This year’s increased precipitation, combined with predicted cold fronts, means heat waves will most likely not last long or hit record breaking numbers, [Paul Pastelok, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather] said.”

QOL score: 65

Net change: -3

QOL this week: 62

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Animal news, part 1

The state’s moose population is under siege by winter ticks, according to a New Hampshire Bulletin article from May 29. The story by William Skipworth reported that a warming climate has nurtured an increased population of winter ticks, which have been having “a huge impact on the area’s moose,” the story read. The article quoted Eric Orff, a New Hampshire-based wildlife biologist: “They [the moose] basically become zombies and die.” Unlike other varieties of ticks, the story explained, winter ticks find a moose, deer or other animals around November and extract their blood for the entirety of winter, with hundreds or thousands of ticks often latching onto a host.

QOL score: -1

Comment: The New Hampshire Bulletin article said New Hampshire Fish and Game estimates indicate that the state’s moose population peaked in the late 1990s around 7,000 to 8,000 moose and has declined to “roughly 3,000 to 4,000.”

Animal news, part 2

The Loon Preservation Committee’s (183 Lees Mill Road, Moultonborough, 476-5666, loon.org) Loon Cams are up and running for the season. In a May 26 statement, the Committee announced that two cameras are broadcasting from loon nesting sites somewhere in the Lakes Region. There is no nest visible on Loon Cam 1 yet, but a mated pair has been spotted visiting the nesting raft regularly and been seen mating several times over the past two weeks. Another pair has laid two eggs on Loon Cam 2 and is brooding them. Visit loon.org/looncam.

QOL score: +1

Comment: According to the Loon Preservation Committee, “The male and female loons take turns incubating, and nest exchanges happen several times each day and can last minutes or much longer.”

Feeling shaky

As reported by WMUR in a May 25 online article, Greenland was not exactly slammed, but gently nudged, by a 1.6 magnitude earthquake. “The earthquake epicenter was 1.9 miles south-southeast of Greenland and happened around 1:45 p.m. The earthquake was about 4 miles deep, according to the USGS,” WMUR reported.

QOL score: -1 (-1.6)

Comment: “Earthquakes in the Granite State are typically minor, though there have been other memorable ones,” the WMUR article reported. “

Communicating better at the airport

According to a May 29 Nashua InkLink story, Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT) has announced an “expanded partnership with Aira, a video remote interpreting app, to now offer free access to Aira ASL (American Sign Language) for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. The airport already offers Aira Explorer for the blind and low-vision community.” Deaf and hard-of-hearing passengers can download a free smartphone app that will connect with a professional sign language interpreter, using the phone’s camera and speaker, the story said.

QOL score: +1

Comment: According to the InkLink story, MHT is the fourth airport in the country to make the Aira ASL service available to passengers.

QOL score last week: 65

Net change: 0

QOL this week: 65

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.