Tag: 250605

Quality of Life 25/06/05

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.

Mayer for mayor?

The Big Story – Another Top Prospect Makes it to Fenway: Another of the Red Sox jewel prospects made it to the show when shortstop Marcelo Mayer was called up last week. But he went 6 for 30 with two doubles and 10 strikeouts in his first eight games. And if you’re wondering, he’s the first Marcelo to play in the majors.

Sports 101: Ten current teams have never won an NBA championship. Name them.

News Item – Red Sox Pitch Count: Alex Cora actually let someone reach 100-plus on the pitch count Sunday. The 112 Garrett Crochet threw let him go seven full innings with 12 K’s to, for once, keep the game away from the many arsonists in the Boston bullpen in a 3-1 win over Atlanta.

News Item – Duel of the Week. The World Series rematch began on Friday as Aaron Judge led off the game with a homer, which Shohei Ohtani matched in the bottom half of the first. Ohtani hit a second in the sixth as L.A. followed the script from their 2024 WS-clinching Game 5 comeback to go from down 5-1 to win 8-5 to open the series. It was worse on Saturday, because while Judge hit two more homers L.A. won 18-2, before the Yanks won 7-3 Sunday with the two stars not much of a factor.

News Item – Chris Sale: When he punched out Philly’s Edmundo Sosa last week the ex-Red Sox hurler became the fastest in history to reach 2,500 career strikeouts. He did it in inning 2,026 to eclipse Randy Johnson’s record 2,107.2. Pedro Martinez is the third at 2,152.2 and, if you’re wondering, all-time strikeout king Nolan Ryan is fifth at 2,286.1.

The Numbers:

.153 – after a 9-50 startthewinning percentage of the Colorado Rockies, which puts them on a pace to have a worst ever (by far) 25-137 season record.

15 – losses the Red Sox have in their 21 one-run games.

449 – pounds Tampa Bay rookie D-tackle Desmond Watson weighs, which will make him the heaviest player in NFL history if he’s on a Game 1 roster.

… Of the Week Awards

Quote of the Week – Terry Bradshaw: What the Pittsburgh Steeler Famer thinks of his former team’s beg-a-thon to get Aaron Rodgers to be their 2025 QB: “That’s a joke,” and “That guy needs to stay in California, go somewhere and chew on bark and whisper to the gods out there.”

In Case You Missed It – Tyrese Haliburton: The Indiana point guard did something no one else, not even Magic, MJ or LBJ, had ever done in Game 4 vs. New York: record the first triple double (32 points, 12 rebounds and 15 assists) in playoff history without committing a single turnover.

Random Thoughts:

While the talent and skills are obvious, I can’t warm up to the Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns because he’s soft and gets more unnecessary fouls than any player I’ve seen in my 159 years of watching the NBA.

With Stefon Diggs missing voluntary camp for the Miami boating excursion the Patriots got their first red flag from the self-centered receiver.

Anyone else know that since Chaim Bloom foolishly cheaped out on Michael Wacha after he was 11-2 for the Red Sox in 2022, he’s gone 31-12 since?

Sports 101 Answer: The 10 teams to never win an NBA title are Brooklyn, Orlando, Charlotte, Utah, Memphis, Minnesota, L.A. Clippers and Phoenix along with Indiana and Oak City, one of whom will leave the club next week.

Prediction – Oak City over Indiana in six.

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

News & Notes 25/06/05

Help for students

Granite Edvance, a nonprofit that supports New Hampshire students and their families through free career and higher education counseling and resources as well as scholarships and private student loans, has donated $100,000 to a fund at the Foundation for New Hampshire Community College students to help with short-term non-academic expenses such as food, housing, child care and transportation, according to a press release. The new donation comes in addition to an initial $80,000 donation to the Foundation’s Student Emergency Aid Fund, which has helped more than 100 students at the state’s seven community colleges, the release said. See givenhcc.org.

Get kids outside

New Hampshire Environmental Educators is offering grants of $200 to $2,000 to help with outdoor learning experiences for New Hampshire students in grades K through 12, according to nhee.org/about-us/we-nheed-to-get-outside-grant. Grants can be used for transportation costs, student fees or equipment for outdoor exploration for experiences where “students observe, explore and interact in outdoor settings,” the website said. Grants for the 2026 cycle will be accepted Sept. 15 through Nov. 20, with funds slated to be distributed in January 2026, the website said.

National Trails Day

Celebrate National Trails Day on Saturday, June 7, with a guided sculpture hike at the Andres Institute of Art (106 Route 13 in Brookline; andresinstitute.org) at 10 a.m. The hike will be approximately 2 miles, meet at the welcome center, no registration necessary, according to an Andres newsletter. Find more on National Trails Day at americanhiking.org/national-trails-day.

Stars for CMC

HCA New England Healthcare’s Catholic Medical Center in Manchester and Portsmouth Regional Hospital “have earned the top rating from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons for patient care and outcomes in bypass surgery and in a new multi-procedure category,” according to a press release from HCA New England Healthcare. Both locations were awarded a three-star rating, the release said.

Help pets

During June, the New Hampshire Department of Safety’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management will be recognizing National Pet Preparedness month with information on ways to keep pets safe posted on the division’s socials, according to a press release. Steps to keep pets safe include stocking at least three days worth of food, water and medicine for pets, finding pet-friendly places to stay in an emergency and having a friend or neighbor who can care for a pet if needed, the press release said. See ReadyNH.gov.

NAV Arts will host George Wallace, Writer in Residence at the Walt Whitman Birthplace, followed by an open mic at Bookery Manchester (844 Elm St.; bookerymht.com) on Wednesday, June 11, 5 to 7 p.m.

Tailgait Transport and Rescue will hold a plant sale on Saturday, June 7, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Burger King, 737 DW Highway in Manchester, with all proceeds going to Tailgait. See tailgaitrescue.org.

The Derry Parks & Recreation summer concert series kicks off Tuesday, June 10, at 7 p.m. at MacGregor Park (12 Boyd St. in Derry) with Pizzastock presents The Hand Me Downs. See derrynh.gov.

Spend some time with Couch, the band playing the Concerts on the Common at the Londonderry Town Common (265 Mammoth Road in Londonderry) from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 11. See concertsonthecommon.org.

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