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Cooling centers offer relief from the heat
Ceres Community Center correct color
The Ceres Community Center. - photo by Jeff Benziger

With temperatures expected to hit in the triple digits for this week and into the next, the homeless and others who can’t escape the heat on their own will be able to seek relief in a number of public places offering air conditioning.

High temperatures can pose serious dangers for those without a place to cool down. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports some of the more frequent heat-related illnesses are: sunburn, heat rash, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, and heat stroke. Rising temperatures can also lead to dehydration, heat-induced insomnia, and can make it harder to keep food from spoiling when it is being kept outdoors.

The Ceres Community Center, 2701 Fourth Street, is open as a cooling zone for the public Tuesdays through Thursdays, 1 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. and Fridays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The Ceres Library, 2250 Magnolia Street, is open Mondays through Thursdays, noon to 6 p.m.; and Fridays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The pool at Ceres High School is open for public swims Wednesday afternoons from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. through Aug. 4; and Friday afternoons from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. through Aug. 6. Cost is $2 per person. Children 12 and younger must be supervised by an adult. All participants must wear swimming suits only in the pool. Flotation devices are not allowed, however Coast Guard approved life jackets are.

In Hughson, the Hughson Community Center, 2307 Fourth Street, is available to seek refuge from the heat Mondays through Thursdays, 12 noon to 6 p.m.; and Fridays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Hughson Public Library, 2412 Third Street, Suite Hughson, is available Mondays through Thursdays, 12 noon to 6 p.m.; and Fridays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The nearby town of Empire has two ways to keep cool. The Empire Library at 98 “I” Street is open for a cool place to be Tuesdays through Thursdays, 12 noon to 6 p.m.; and Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Empire Pool at 10 “I” Street offers open swim times Tuesdays through Saturdays from 12 noon to 1:30 p.m., 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.; and 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The cost is $4 per person.

The Modesto Library at 1500 “I” Street is open as a cooling center Mondays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m; and is closed Fridays and Sundays.