Senior Center to open cooling center Monday

ROSEBURG, Ore. – The Roseburg Senior Center will open a cooling center to offer shelter from next week’s heat wave.

Senior center officials will open the building as a cooling center at 1614 S.E. Stephens St. from 1 to 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 14, through Thursday, Aug. 17.

City officials want to thank the senior center for stepping up to fill this need. The City provided $12,500 to support the senior center’s effort to operate a cooling center this summer. However, the cooling center is not owned or operated by the City. United Community Action Network (UCAN) is providing funding for portable toilets, aka portapotties.

The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat watch with temperatures predicted to reach 107 Monday, then slowly begin falling from a high of 104 Tuesday and 102 Wednesday to 99 degrees Thursday. Overnight lows are forecast in the upper 60s.

Showers will be available outside the cooling center, which will offer indoor air conditioning, bottled water, snacks and a bag supper. Outdoor canopies will be set up for people who prefer to stay outside in the shade or if needed for people to rotate in and out. Inside, the cooling center has a 45-person capacity. Cooling centers operated at the senior center during the last two summers saw no more than 40 people visiting at any one time.

“We didn’t have that many people inside last year,” said senior center Board President Steve Lewis.

Some people leave the cooling center by about 5 p.m., when winds often start picking up along the river and begin pushing the heat out.

The City is suspending enforcement on the time-limit portions of the revised sleeping/camping regulations, aka “time, place and manner” regulations, on days the cooling center is open.

Unhoused people won’t be cited for keeping tents up outside the regular summertime 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. hours this coming Monday through Thursday, but must adhere to all other stipulations as set forth in the updated regulations.

Guests will be allowed to bring friendly pets inside. Kennels and leashes will be supplied and required. Pet owners also will be required to make more frequent trips outside with pets to protect the carpet.

The cooling center can still use donations of ice, water, soft snacks and easy-to-chew fresh fruit (bananas, etc.), batteries, razors, shampoo, deodorant, feminine hygiene products, toilet paper, sunscreen and summer clothing – including hats, socks and underwear -- for women and men.

“That would help,” Lewis said. “We are funded and got volunteers, so I think we’re good to go.”

Volunteers who’d like to help can call the senior center at 541-671-2634.