FRESNO (KMJ) — Cooling centers across the valley are opening to help the public deal with the rising temperatures.
The times listed below are only valid when the local authorities have announced that the temperature is high enough to put them into use. They’re not open permanently.
MADERA COUNTY
In the City of Madera, the Pan Am Community Center at 703 E Sherwood Way will be open between 8am and 8pm, and the city’s other site, The Frank Bergon Senior Center, will be available between 8am and 2.30pm.
In the City of Chowchilla, the Chowchilla Senior Center will be operational between 9am and 1pm, Monday to Friday.
In Madera County there are five centers open to help keep residents out of the sun’s heat:
- Coarsegold Community Center at 35540 Highway 41, Coarsegold. Open Monday to Friday 10am until 1pm.
- Yosemite Lakes Park Clubhouse at 30250 Yosemite Springs Parkway, Coarsegold. Open all week 8am until 8pm.
- Sierra Senior Center at 49111 Cinder Lane, Oakhurst. Open Monday to Friday from 9am until 2pm, and the first three Saturdays of the month from 9am until 4pm.
- Grace Community Church, 56442 Road 200, North Fork. Open Monday to Friday from 10am until 1pm.
- Rancho Hills Senior Center, 37739 Berkshire Drive, Madera, Open Monday to Friday from 9am until 1pm.
For more information on locations, residents of the city of Madera are advised to contact City Administration at (559) 661-5400 during regular business hours or the Madera Police Department at (559) 675-4200 after regular business hours.
For more information on locations, residents of the City of Chowchilla are advised to contact City Community Relations Office at (559) 665-8615 ext 110 during regular business hours or the Chowchilla Police Department at (559) 665-8655 after regular business hours.
Information about county locations can be sourced calling the Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services at (559) 675-7770.
“Sounds like pretty much all summer”, says Madera County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Bill Ward. “As long as the temperatures stay up sounds like they’ll be open on those times indicated”.
TULARE COUNTY
In Visalia, the Transit Center at 425 E. Oak Avenue will be serving as their cooling center.
“For those individuals that don’t have transportation easily available, all of the bus routes will eventually lead to the transit center”, explains the city’s Allison Lambert.
For further information, residents are recommended to contact the Visalia Fire Department at (559) 713-4244.
Public libraries in Alpaugh, Orosi, Dinuba, Earlimart, Exeter, Ivanhoe, Lindsay, Porterville, Springville, Strathmore, Three Rivers, Tipton, Tulare, Woodlake, and Visalia are all acting as cooling centers and will be operational during regular hours.
There are more locations available in Tulare County as well:
- Cutler-Orosi Family Education Center, 40802 Road 128, Cutler. Open Monday to Friday from 8am until 5pm.
- Farmersville Council Chamber, 909 W. Visalia Road, Farmersville. Open 8am until 5pm.
- Pixley Community Room, 161 N. Pine, Pixley. Open Monday to Sunday 12pm until 8pm.
- Porterville Heritage Center, 256 E. Orange Avenue, Porterville. Open Monday to Friday 8am until 5.30pm.
- Porterville Transit Center, 61 W. Oak Avenue. Open Monday to Friday 6am until 10pm, Saturday 8am until 10pm, and Sunday 1pm until 5pm.
- Santa Fe Depot, 280 N. 4th Street, Porterville. Open Monday to Friday 8am until 5pm.
- Woodlake City Hall, 350 N. Valencia Boulevard. Open Monday to Friday 8am until 4pm.
FRESNO COUNTY
In the City of Fresno, there are five cooling centers available:
- Ted C. Wills Community Center, 770 N. San Pablo.
- Frank H. Ball Neighborhood Center, 760 Mayor.
- Mosqueda Community Center, 4670 E. Butler.
- Pinedale Community Center, 7170 N. San Pablo.
- Romain Neighborhood Park, 745 N. First.
“When the temperature [forecast] rises above 105 degrees, we open up the cooling centers for the public between the hours of noon and 8pm”, details the city’s Mark Standriff.
The City of Fresno has announced that because the forecast predicts high temperatures for the rest of the week, their cooling centers will remain open until Sunday June 5th.
MERCED COUNTY
In Merced County, if one city gets above that 105 forecast limit then all the county’s cooling centers will be open. Therefore, if Atwater’s temperatures are predicted above 105 degrees, then those in Livingston and Los Banos will be open too.
The locations below are those that have been confirmed to KMJ as active cooling centers:
- Atwater Community Center, 760 E. Bellevue, Atwater – from 8am until 6pm
- City/County Building, 1546 Golden Gate Ave, Dos Palos – from 8am until 8pm.
- County Library, 205 Sixth St, Gustine – during normal library hours
- Community Center, 645 7th St, Los Banos – between 8am and 5pm
- Police Department Lobby, 1446 C St., Livingston – between 1pm and 8 pm
- Civic Center, 678 W 18th St., Merced – between 3pm and 8pm.
Additionally, a number of Merced County libraries will also be acting as cooling centers as well during their normal opening hours.
