Senior center offers heat relief

It was about 100 degrees outside the Mount Si Senior Center Wednesday afternoon, July 29, but inside, it was in the comfortable 70s.

A group of women made the best of the center’s air conditioning, running a two-hour game of dominoes.

The center doubled as a cooling shelter last week to give overheated locals a respite.

“It’s 92 at my house right now,” said North Bend resident Edna Turnbull. “I can’t get myself too warm.”

Turnbull stayed home during record temperatures on Tuesday, July 28, but found herself feeling ill that night. Temperatures cleared a record 96 degrees on Tuesday, and only fell to 69 degrees that evening, offering little remedy before the next day’s searing heat.

It’s been hot in the Valley plenty before, but “not like this. Ever,” said North Bend resident Loyal Smith, who cooled off and chatted with Fall City resident Karen Peterson.

“This is horrible,” Peterson said.

“That wind is coming out of eastern Washington,” commented Smith. “Hot, hot!”

Stay cool

It’s vital that seniors stay cool during hot weather, Senior Center Director Ruth Tolmassoff said. People should watch for signs of heat stoke or heat exhaustion, and avoid exertion in hot weather.

“We all need to be drinking more water,” she said.

The center isn’t putting a price tag on running the cooling shelter,

“We’re trying to be a community resource. Allowing people to come is part of what we would consider our responsibility as good citizens,” Tolmassoff said.