Tag: 260521

Quality of Life 26/05/21

Fewer ODs

As reported by WMUR in a May 14 online article, new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show a decrease in deaths from drug overdoses nationwide. “In New Hampshire,” WMUR reported, “the CDC reported fewer than 270 overdose deaths in 2025, down roughly 5% from 2024. Despite the decline, officials said new substances continue to emerge, with 23 new drugs already identified in 2026.”

QOL score: +2

Comment:“Overdose deaths fell about 14% nationwide last year,” WMUR reported. “It marks the third consecutive year of declines, the longest stretch in decades. The biggest contributor has been a drop in overdoses involving fentanyl”

State college tuition may go up

As reported by the Portsmouth Herald in a May 15, online article, “Tuition bills across the University System of New Hampshire are proposed to increase for a second straight academic year following six years of frozen in-state fees.” There is a proposed 2.5 percent increase in undergraduate in-state tuition at the University of New Hampshire.

QOL score: -1

Comment: The University System of New Hampshire’s board of trustees will finalize the 2026-2027 tuition rates for UNH, Keene State College and Plymouth State University in June. Tuition at UNH “would jump to $16,304 for the 2026-2027 academic year, if the new rates are approved, an increase of about 2.5%. Out-of-state undergraduates would pay $37,996 for the year, also about a 2.5% increase,” the Herald reported. “Granite Staters attending UNH presently pay $15,908 per year for in-state tuition, compared to $37,070 for out-of-state students.”

Test scores are not encouraging

WMUR reported in a May 14 online article that “students nationwide are facing what researchers describe as a decade-long learning recession as test scores continue to decline. According to a recent report using data from the Education Scorecard and The Educational Opportunity Project, students across the country, including in New Hampshire, are performing worse academically than they were 10 years ago.” The article quoted Dartmouth College economics professor Doug Staiger, one of the report’s authors. ““From 2019 to 2022, students in New Hampshire, on average, lost about two-thirds of a grade level,” Staiger said. “That’s a lot.”

QOL score: -1

Comment: WMUR quoted professor Staiger, who said, “the decline began before the Covid-19 pandemic, though the pandemic accelerated the trend. While math scores have started to recover, reading scores continue to lag behind.” Chronic absenteeism and the rise of social media also probably play a role, he was quoted as saying.

QOL score last week: 51

Net change: 0

QOL this week: 51

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Sox still scuffling along

The Big Story – Baseball at the Quarter Turn: It has not been pretty for your Boston Red Sox. They’ve been getting killed for their weak offense, no power and lack of spending, leading an enterprising pilot to fly over Fenway one day pulling a banner behind begging the owners to sell the team. Other than that, the start’s been great.

Sports 101: Name the three second basemen to hit 300 career homers.

News Item – Patriots Schedule Out: For those outraged at the toughness of the Pats’ 2026 schedule: What did you expect? They got the easy one last year because they finished last twice in a row. Now they get the first-place schedule. That happened annually for 20 years, so what’s the big deal?

News Item – Rumor Mill: For those still whining about losing Raffy Devers: after hitting .207 with two homers and 11 RBI in April word is SF is having buyer’s remorse over his declining production vs. his massive contract. And while the numbers jumped to .240-5-18 by mid-May they are hardly game-changing. So with the record at just 15-24 whispers are growing that the West Coast G-Men are about to dump payroll with Raffy headed out the door again.

News Item – Red Sox at Quarter Turn:

Good: WithCeddanne Rafaela hitting .281 with four homers and 20 RBI it appears he’s taken the next step. Plus new starters Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez have been solid, as have surprising young’n Connelly Early and Payton Tolle.

Bad: They were 17-23, 11 out. In 2025 it was 18-22 and they still won 89 games.

Ugly: Jarren Duran, Trevor Story, Marcelo Mayer and Caleb Durbin all hit under .200 as the Sox scored MLB’s second-fewest runs.

Injured List: Think Red Sox owner John Henry is down on his knees looking upward and saying please don’t be another Chris Sale? As the next lefty Henry gave big bucks to after the $150 million Sale fiasco was Garrett Crochet. He’s on the DL with inflammation in his left shoulder after pitching a career most 203 innings last year. Hmmm.

Noteworthy baseball things after 40 games:

NL Central: Every team was playing over .500 baseball, from the 27-15 first-place Cubs to last-place Cincy at 21-20.

Billion-Dollar Dodgers: Tied with Padres at 24-16 instead of running away with everything with their pricey team. The Sox had a second-worst 31 homers and 161 runs scored in 45 games.Worst in homers was Milwaukee’s 27, but they’re ninth in runs with 209 and were 24-17 while the Sox were 17-23. Milwaukee has just the 20th-highest payroll at $127 million. Boston is 12th at $197 million, while the team with the worst record after, the 15-25 Mets, has baseball’s highest at $335 million.

Free Agents That Got Away:

Pete Alonso — 8 homers, 22 RBI, .306 avg.

Alex Bregman — 3 homers, 13 RBI, .233 avg.

Xander Bogaerts — 7 homers, 22 RBI, .267 avg.

The Numbers:

11 – percent increase in fouls during NBA playoffs vs. the regular season.

16 – astonishingly few pitches thrown by Zack Wheeler to get the first nine Red Sox batters ou in Philly’s 2-1 win last week. According to published reports it’s the least needed to do that since 2000.

20 – “thank you very much Chaim Bloom” MLB-leading homer total (including two last week at Fenway) by Kyle Schwarber, who the power-poor Red Sox let walk 207 homers ago after 2021.

Sports 101 Answer: The 300-homer second basemen are Jeff Kent (354), Robinson Cano (335) and Rogers Hornsby (301).

Final Thought –RIP Award – Ted Turner: The CNN founder and Atlanta Braves manager for one game died last week at 87. His run as Braves owner produced 14 straight NL East titles, five NL pennants and a 1995 World Series title. He also owned the Atlanta Hawks, skippered the 1977 America Cup winning sailing team and founded the Goodwill Games. All while eventually revolutionizing cable TV and USA viewing habits. And he still had time to marry Jane Fonda.

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

News & Notes 26/05/21

Memorial Day

It’s a weekend of Memorial Day parades and celebrations. Here are a few:

• The Amherst Memorial Day Parade takes place Friday, May 22, with a 5:30 p.m. start time in the Amherst Village Green, according to the Wreaths Across Amherst Facebook page.

• Hooksett’s Memorial Day Parade will be held Sunday, May 24, at noon at Lambert’s Park, according to a post on the Town of Hooksett’s Facebook page.

• The Memorial Day events in Epping will begin with a 21-gun salute and wreath-laying at four cemeteries starting at 7 a.m., followed by a parade beginning at 9 a.m. at the American Legion, 232 Calef Highway, and then a ceremony at Plumer Park, according to a post on the Epping American Legion Post 51 Facebook page.

• The Memorial Day Paradein Concord will start at 9 a.m. at the Christ the King Church on Thorndike Street, travel left onto Park Street, then left onto North State Street and another left onto Capitol Street to end at City Plaza, with a brief ceremony, according to concordnh.gov.

• The Brookline Memorial Day Ceremony will take place Monday, May 25, at 9:30 a.m. in front of Town Hall on Main Street hosted by the Brookline American Legion Post 74, according to brooklinenh.gov.

• The Memorial Day Parade in Milford takes place on Monday, May 25, at 10 a.m. beginning in the West Street Cemetery and traveling on Elm Street to the Milford Oval and then to the VFW, according to milford.nh.gov/news.

• The Derry Memorial Day Parade & Remembrance will take place on Monday, May 25, at 10:30 a.m. in Hoods Commons followed by a gathering at MacGregor Park at 11 a.m. for remembrance ceremony, speakers and music and a flag raising at noon, according to a post on the Derry Fire Department Facebook page.

• Nashua’s Memorial Day Parade will take place down Main Street on Monday, May 25, at 10:30 a.m., according to a press release.

• The Memorial Day Ceremony & Parade in Salem will begin at 10:30 a.m. with a short ceremony at Pine Grove Cemetery followed by a parade to Salem Common, where the ceremony will continue, according to salemnh.gov.

• A Memorial Day Parade & Remembrance Ceremony in Londonderry will take place Monday, May 25, at 11 a.m. at Robert Lincoln Way, traveling to Glenwood Cemetery and returning to the Town Common for a ceremony, according to londonderrynh.gov.

• The Manchester Veterans Council will hold its Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 25, at 2 p.m. on Elm Street from Bridge Street to Central Street, according to a press release. “Following the parade, the Council will dedicate the Gulf Wars and War on Terror Monument in Veterans Park,” the release said.

Celebration poster

The Manchester Arts Commission is looking for artists and graphic designers to participate in a poster contest to celebrate the city’s 180th anniversary and the country’s 250th anniversary, according to an item in the MEDO Minute newsletter from the City of Manchester Economic Development Office. Submissions are due May 31. See facebook.com/CityOfManchesterNHEconomicDevelopment for a post with all the submission details.

Brookford Farm, 250 West Road in Canterbury, 742-4084, is running a plant sale daily in May, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., according to an email from the farm. A farm visit also offers an opportunity to visit the animals in the barnyard and sample local products, the email said. See brookfordfarm.com.

The Pierce Brigade will feature “Saving the General’s House,” a presentation by Trish Jackson (chapter regent of the DAR Molly Stark Chapter) about the efforts to save the boyhood home of General John Stark on Wednesday, May 27, at 2 p.m. at the Pierce Manse, 14 Horseshoe Pond Lane in Concord, according to a press release. The Pierce Manse, the home of Franklin Pierce (the only U.S. president to come from New Hampshire), will open for the season on Thursday, May 28, with tours Thursdays, through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., through Oct. 24, the release said. See piercemanse.org.

The “Paws & Claws” art show will take place Thursday, May 28, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Sullivan Framing, 15 N. Amherst Road in Bedford, to raise funds for the Animal Rescue League of NH. Purchase a $125 6-inch by 6-inch original painting and 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to the League, according to sullivanframing.com and rescueleague.org. Complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres will be provided by Copper Door, the Rescue League website said.

The Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St. in Manchester, will host Art for Vets Community Day on Saturday, May 23, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for veterans, active service members and their families, featuring refreshments, a drop-in art activity and museum tours, according to an email from the Currier. At 1 p.m., “all museum visitors are welcome to attend a free auditorium Art Talk with sculptors participating in the 2026 Nashua International Sculpture Symposium,” the email said. See currier.org for details.

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