Residents Seek Relief From Heat by Heading to Pool

With temperatures reaching the mid 90s for the fourth straight day on Wednesday, residents searched for different ways to cool off.

Among the most popular public locations to seek relief from the early summer heat wave has been Treadwell Park. While the tennis courts, soccer fields and basketball court remained mostly empty due to the heat, the pool has been packed with families, kids and campers.

"The pool has been a lot more crowded than normal over the past few days," said Emily Silveira, a lifeguard at Treadwell Pool. "People enjoy coming to the pool when it's this hot outside because the water cools them down and it feels refreshing."

But although the pool water may feel refreshing, it's still important for everyone to stay hydrated by drinking a lot of water throughout the day, she said.

"Drinking a lot of fluids is very important on a day like this," Silveira said. "Being in the water isn't enough to prevent dehydration. Although it may feel like the body is being cooled down, the pool water doesn't help hydrate the body."

Doreen Blaine and her daughter were among the large group of people at Treadwell pool Wednesday afternoon.

"Going to the pool is a nice way to cool off while still being outside," said Blaine, while watching her daughter swim. "Another thing that the kids love to do on a hot day like this is run through the sprinklers and play with water guns, but as parents it's important to remind them to keep drinking water."

While Treadwell Pool was packed, Eichler's Cove and Marina in Sandy Hook was bare in comparison.

"Usually there are a lot more people here," said Nico Saraceni, a lifeguard at Eichler's beach. "I think it might be a little too hot today for people to be lying out on the beach or out on their boats. It's a nice day to spend inside an air-conditioned house."

Earlier Wednesday, the health district made sure residents had access to an air-conditioned room by opening the library at the Reed Intermediate School to the public, calling it a "Center for Cooling."

"We opened the library because it gives residents another public place to go and cool down," said Donna Colbert, the Director of Heath. "It's pretty centrally located so it's pretty easy for everyone to get to, and because of the air conditioning it's very cool inside.

Depending on the weather Thursday, the health district will decide whether to open the library again as a cooling center. If it does open, the hours will be from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.