By:Melissa O'Hara
Valley Stream copes with the heat
Record-breaking temperatures that reached 104 Thursday had folks looking for shady places and cool things to do.
"The weather is making everyone cranky," said Pat Gallo at the Valley Stream Pool last week, "but my children wanted to cool off so that's why we're here at the pool."
Also catching the cool at the pool, Gilda Delisle spoke from the shade. "The only place it's comfortable is in the pool or under the canopy. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here."
Still dripping with the refreshing water, Ralph Polverino said, "swimming is the only way to go. My whole family is here with me."
Enjoying her French fries, and happy to be cool for the afternoon, four-year-old Alyssa Meltzer said, "I've been swimming with my brothers, Max and David, and we've been playing in the water."
Liana Vulaj was at the pool last week everyday 'til closing. "We're pretending we're on vacation. We've pretty just been swimming, and there's just no other place to be."
Folks at the Henry Waldinger Library beat the heat with less splashy pursuits.
Reading in the air conditioned sanctuary from sizzle, John Lepor said, "I'm here cause it's cool in here. I haven't been doing anything strenuous; just staying where it's cool."
Teaching her grandson to read, Celia Lewinski said, "This is a place to go to be out of the house and still be cool."
"For the few days it happens over the summer, I don't mind it," said Burton Farber heading toward the library. "I try not to dwell on it, and I drink a lot of liquids."
Helen Madara, an employee at Granado Appliance Center on Merrick Rd., was asked if the temperatures has had an affect on sales. "Oh, my heavens, yes. There's definitely been an increase in air conditioner sales with this heat."
Mary Dortz at Morris Discount Store on Rockaway Ave. said that "so many people have been coming in looking for fans. We've been selling a lot more of them than usual."
Lauren DeVito at Itgen's Ice Cream Parlor said, "We've had a lot of people come in during the day, but most of the people are coming in at night and eating ice cream."
LIPA spokesperson Michael Lowndes said, "Of course there's been a huge jump [in the use of electricity], which is attributed to air conditioners. We were close to setting the record for mass wattage usage. We were in a Stage One [heat emergency]. That's an entry level, and it can go higher. It's a heightened state of awareness."
During a Stage One alert, large companies in Nassau that have joined an energy conservation partnership with LIPA must cut down on their public power use. "By companies doing that, it makes a huge difference. It eliminates non-essential use ... that in turn allows citizens to use their air conditioners," Lowndes said.
"During the first day of the heat [Tuesday], it was a critical conservation day," the LIPA spokesperson said, meaning the public isn't supposed to use dishwashers and washing machines until after the work day's over.
For the following two days, as temperatures soared, he said, the public wasn't supposed to use these appliances at all.
"We almost beat the record of 4,590 megawatts that was used July 4, 1999," said Lowndes.
