Cooling centers offer heatwave relief

Ed Waxman, 79, feels that during the recent heat wave the power of his air conditioner in his Flushing home has somehow been diminished. The other night his television went out for an hour during another unscheduled power outage.
However, during the day, Waxman ventures over to the Self Help Clearview Senior Center in Bayside, where he reports he has no problems with electricity.
&#8220Here, it's always been right for us,” said Waxman, in between games of pool.
The Self Help Clearview Senior Center is just one of many city-designated cooling centers in Queens that has given refuge to seniors as the temperatures have pushed into the mid-to-high 90's and even triple digits during this record-breaking heat wave. Erin Brennan, the director there, has said there have been 20 to 30 more seniors each day on average, and many new faces.
&#8220More people stay longer [recently],” she said, adding, &#8220We have members who used to come one or two days a week, who now come every day. … We've been giving out bottled water and water in pitchers so they stay hydrated.”
Brennan has also noticed that there are new members who may have just stopped in to escape the heat, then noticed the free meals, the card games and activities ranging from exercise classes, computer and dance instruction, and arts & crafts workshops, who decided to join.
&#8220I remember when my parents were this age, they always just sat at home,” said Rebecca Grossman, 86, of Whitestone. &#8220It's a godsend.”
Over at the Builders for Family and Youth Bayside Senior Center on the Horace Harding Expressway, seniors remained cool until closing. Unfortunately, many sweat through their clothes on their commute home. Normally open until just 4 p.m., the senior center, which has seen a 10 percent increase in member attendance during the recent temperature surge, stayed open until 11 p.m. on several occasions due to increased demand, offering extra free meals and activities.
If not for these senior centers residents would have to &#8220stay in the house near air conditioning, and some people don't even have air conditioning,” said Doris Polansky, 69, of Bayside who spends much of her day ballroom dancing or doing the Argentinean tango at the center. &#8220It's boring to stay by yourself. It's nice having a place like this to go.”