Glen Cove Struggles to Beat Heat

With temperatures expected to flirt with, or even surpass, daily records, June is shaping up to look more like July or August and local residents are having to find ways to anticipate an early arrival of the dog days this year.

Principal concerns are for the elderly and the young. 

“We are pulling our plans off the shelf to have the Senior Center be used as a cooling center if and when the need approaches,” said Mayor Ralph Suozzi. “We’re revisiting plans from last year to open the center if and when we need it and then sending out the communications about that. Also, we’re examining what resources may be needed to maintain the site should we have a power outage or if the heat wave becomes problematic for individuals in our community, especially our seniors.”

on Glen Street is a cool haven on a hot day: “Our center and our buses are air-conditioned,” said Joanne Senecal, the center’s site manager. “And we encourage people to come in and get out of the heat. We’ve also purchased extra fans for people who don’t have them or can’t afford them.”

There is also emergency information for dealing with the heat, placed on all the tables at the center; tips including: drinking plenty of fluids, wearing light clothing, not overexerting, eating more fruits and vegetables, promptly refrigerating meat and dairy products. 

As for the children? 

“We encourage them not to play too hard in this weather, so they don’t get too dehydrated,” said Wendy Jansen, the nurse at on Dosoris Lane. “We have to remind them to rest and drink fluids and some times just to come in and sit down.” 

Outdoor laborers say they are feeling the extreme heat.

“It feels like we’re making the jump from winter right into summer,” said Michael Giovaniello, who along with his father, Michael senior, run a landscaping business.  “There seems like no time to get used to the change in the weather. We go right from long-sleeved shirts to wiping down with wet rags, drinking water and taking necessary breaks.” 

Between weekly lawn servicing, residents say ongoing maintenance is neccessary to upkeep their properties this summer. 

“We are selling more garden hoses, lawn sprinklers, those things related to the weather,” said proprietor Doug Goldstein of on Glen Street. “People have to be attentive and keep their lawns well watered, so all their efforts at keeping a nice lawn are not wasted. We’re also selling more fans and air-conditioner filters which are important to assuring your A/C is functioning at maximum efficiency.”

The situation is similar at on Forest Avenue: “We’re selling sprinklers and garden hoses like crazy,” said manager Nick Loudovikos. “We’re also selling lawn chairs, umbrellas and small pools, those things to keep the kids and pets cool.”