Ballard Landmark residents Sara Throop and Bob Schwalbe are all smiles in the Landmark's air-conditioned lobby during this week's record-breaking heat.
Senior citizens are one of the groups most vulnerable to heat. And, with tempatures reaching an all-time high of 103 degrees July 29 and expected to hit the high-90s today, Seattle’s heat wave is in full effect.
“I’ve never seen heat like this before,” Ballard Manor resident Arline Carnagie said. “And, I’ve lived in Washington all my life.”
Ballard’s retirement living facilities are doing what they can to make sure their residents stay cool and comfortable.
Ballard Landmark staff are encouraging its residents to come out of their rooms, only some of which are equipped with air conditioning, and spend time in the air-conditioned common rooms.
Landmark resident Sara Throop said she was glad to escape her room, where two fans aren’t doing much to combat the heat, and watch a Mariners game and movies in the common areas.
Bob Schwalbe, another Landmark resident, said the Landmark is the best place for senior citizens during the heat wave.
“The whole staff has been very protective of the residents,” he said. “This is great as far as I’m concerned.”
It’s not only at the Landmark where residents are forsaking their rooms for the cooler common areas.
“It’s hotter than heck in the rooms,” Carnagie said. “I’ve got about five fans I think.”
Instead, Carnagie has been spending her time alternating between the Ballard Manor’s dining room and TV room on the air-conditioned first floor while hoping the cool weather returns soon.
For neighborhood residents not lucky enough to have air conditioning available, the Ballard Public Library has been one of the popular places to cool off.
When asked if the air-conditioned library had been busier than usual during the record-breaking heat, librarian Pamela LaBorde responded with an exclamation of “Holy moly.”
LaBorde said every chair in the library was taken up during Wednesday’s heat, and the library opened up its conference room so additional people could cool off.
Some of the library’s crowds were the result of overflow from Queen Anne and Fremont, where the non-air-conditioned libraries were closed due to excessive internal temperatures.
