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Cooling centers (listed here) aren’t the only way to beat the heat

HARTFORD – The heat is on! Some people are soaking up the sun at a concert and others are sticking to the indoors. The Xfinity Theatre parking lots were filled ...
Heat Wave High Temperatures

HARTFORD – The heat is on! Some people are soaking up the sun at a concert and others are sticking to the indoors.

The Xfinity Theatre parking lots were filled with excited tailgaters ready to see Darius Rucker in concert Saturday evening.

The country singer, whose lyrics say he’s “Running from the cold up in New England,” got the exact opposite with a scorcher of a day.

Concert-goers stocked up on all the essentials: water, food, other beverages and tents, to make sure they were prepared for the heat wave.

One fan said when it comes down to the weather, Connecticut residents are used to singing the same old song.

“It’s New England> Wh are you gonna do? We complain about the cold. We complain about the hot. It's the way it is,” Meriden resident Brian Vonna said.

Other people decided to stay indoors and grab ice cream.

The Lilly Pad Dairy Bar, just opened about a month ago, and was filled with people keeping cool, a sweet deal for the ice cream shop.

“It's helped definitely,” co-owner Kyle Lilly said. “We've had quite a few rushes. Today we had a few.”

The heat isn’t something to take lightly especially for children, the elderly and pets. Be sure, whatever you do, you take the proper measures to keep your loved ones safe.

With a continuing heat wave predicted, cities and towns across the state have opened designated cooling centers.

If your town isn’t listed, please note that libraries, senior centers and other public locations are good places to cool off.

Cheshire
Cheshire Public Library
104 Main Street
Hours: M-Th: 9:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.; Fri. and Sat: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Cheshire Senior Center
240 Maple Avenue
Hours: M-F: 9 a.m.  - 4 p.m. also open Sunday, July 24, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

East Hartford
South End Senior Center
70 Canterbury Street
Hours: M-F: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Raymond Library
840 Main Street
Hours: M-Th: 9 a.m. to 8  p.m.; F,Sat: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Public Safety Complex
31 School Street
24 hours per day, seven days per week

New Haven
The following locations will serve as cooling centers for seniors in New Haven and will be opened until 4:00 p.m.:
Atwater Senior Center
26 Atwater Street, New Haven

Dixwell/Newhallville Senior Center
255 Goffe Street, New Haven

East Shore Senior Center
411 Townsend Avenue, New Haven

The following locations will serve as a cooling center for the general public:
Free Public Library Main Branch
133 Elm Street;
Open Mon-Thurs 10-8, Fri & Sat 10-5

Fair Haven Branch Library
182 Grand Avenue
Open Monday and Tuesday 10-5, Thursday 12-8

Mitchel Branch Library
37 Harrison Street
Open Mon 12-8, Wed & Thurs 10-6

Stetson Branch Library
2000 Dixwell Avenue in the Dixwell Plaza
Open Mon & Tues 10-6, Wed 12-8

Courtland Seymour Wilson Branch Library
303 Washington Avenue
Open Tues 12-8, Wed & Thurs 10-6

The following public pools are open with extended summer hours: Mon-Fri from 5-8 p.m.
• Hill Regional Career High School, 140 Legion Avenue
• John Martinez School, 100 James Street on Fridays
• James Hillhouse, 480 Sherman Parkway on Fridays
• Wilbur Cross High School, 181 Mitchell Drive on Fridays

The following are city parks with splash pads which can be used for cooling off:
• South Genesee Park, located on South Genesee Street
• Cedar Hill Playground, located at View Street and Rock Streets
• Edgewood Park located, located on the corner of Chapel Street & Ella T. Grasso Blvd
• Kensington Street Park, located between Edgewood Ave & Chapel Street
• Jocelyn Square Park, located on the corner of Humphrey & East Streets
• Ann Street Park, located between Kossuth & West Streets
• Trowbridge Square Park, located at Cedar & Portsea Streets
• Galvin Park, located at Greenwich Avenue & First Street
• Lighthouse Point Park, located at 2 Lighthouse Road
• Scantlebury Park, located at Ashmum Street & Bristol Street
• Edgewood Park, located at Ella T. Grasso Blvd & Stanley Street
• Dover Beach, located on Front Street

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