When the City of Lathrop initially activated its cooling center to provide a safe place for residents to go amidst the heat wave, they had planned on keeping it open through the weekend.
Now they’re keeping it open through the end of the month.
Amidst the longest and hottest heat wave of the year city officials have decided to keep the Lathrop Generations Center open from 1 p.m. until the temperature cools down in the evening through Aug. 27 – the longest continuous period that the service has been available to the general community.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, anybody from the community that utilizes the service will be required to wear a mask and will have their temperature checked prior to admission.
According to Accuweather, 8 of the next 12 days in Lathrop will feature temperatures that eclipse the century mark – although the record-setting heat wave that pushed the mercury towards 110 degrees in some parts of the Central Valley appears to be over. The temperature is not expected to break 100 until Saturday when it is forecast for 102 degrees – the hottest in the 10-day forecast for the City of Lathrop.
But not everybody who utilizes the cooling center facility will be doing so exclusively to get out of the heat.
According to Lathrop resident Mark Jimenez, with the fires currently raging in the Diablo Range that are blanketing the Central Valley with thick smoke that obscures the sun and rains down ash, being outdoors isn’t an option for somebody like him with breathing issues.
Having a place that he can go during the hottest part of the day other than a local park, he said, is a blessing.
“I’ve never been there before, but I’m thinking about going now,” he said. “I usually find a shady spot because I can’t really afford to run my AC during the hottest part of the day, but I can’t even do that now.
“This gives me somewhere to go. That’s important.”
The Lathrop Generations Center is located at 450 Spartan Way across the street from Lathrop High School on the west side of I-5. The cooling is scheduled to be open through Aug. 27 from 1 p.m. until the temperature cools down in the evening.
For additional information about how to safe in the heat, visit www.ready.gov/heat. For additional information about the cooling center, contact the Lathrop Parks and Recreation Department at 209.942.7372.
To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.
