“It’s finally summer on South Whidbey. The current heat wave is sending some people to the beaches, keeping some indoors and some complaining about lack of air conditioning. Local parks and beaches are getting more use by boaters and picnickers.Pete Friedman lives near Freeland Park and has noticed a change. We have seen an increase in the numbers of people using Freeland Park, and surprisingly more kids than usual climbing on the playground equipment and clamming at low tide, Friedman said.Betsy Friedman added, Warm weather really brings out the jet skiers on Holmes Harbor. I am very aware of them, and we have seen numbers of kayakers and canoeists launching from the park, especially in the morning and evening when the water is calm and the tides are right.County parks are generally the busiest in August.We are seeing a lot of county park usage right now. Our maintenance crews pick up more trash in August than any other time of the year, said Lee McFarland, superintendent of parks for Island County.The Island Athletic Club pool is busy as well, according to owner Steve Shapiro.The retractable roof is open all the way, and the temperature of the pool is maintained at 83 degrees during the summer and 84 in the winter, Shapiro said.Helgard Fridell of Freeland, who is an avid gardener, said she is mowing and weeding early in the morning before it gets really hot, then she spends the hottest part of the day inside.Whidbey General Emergency room has not reported any heat related medical cases, but emergency room staff recommends that people drink extra fluids and stay out of the sun during the middle of the day.Tracey Thorn, of Knox Photo in Langley, heard one of her customers complaining about the hot weather. She is using a large fan to cool down the interior of her business. Although it seems warmer than usual to many, temperatures were higher last year for the same time period. The National Weather Service in Seattle reports the average monthly temperature in August for its Central Whidbey reporting station is 71.9 degrees for the high and 50.5 for the low. So with the temperatures in the 80s on Whidbey Island this weekend, islanders are living it up while the sun shines. “
Hot weather is a surprise to islanders
"It's finally summer on South Whidbey. The current heat wave is sending some people to the beaches, keeping some indoors and some complaining about lack of air conditioning. And local parks and beaches are getting more use by boaters and picnickers. "
