Three Villagers Beat the Heat Wave

Kathy Pagartanis stopped at the Starbucks in East Setauket on Tuesday for a cold bottle of water and some chilled yogurt on her way to the mall for some shopping with her daughter. Her original plan was for the beach, but she quickly abandoned that idea.

"It still wasn't going to be cool enough," Pagartanis said. "We're definitely choosing to be inside today."

Retail stores were some of the coolest spots in town on a day where temperatures hit 104 degrees in the Three Village area, according to Weather.com.

At Ace Hardware in East Setauket, manager Laura Blake keeps the store between 72 and 75 degrees, and said customers appreciate the temperature.

To keep their own homes cool, Blake tells customers to keep the blinds and curtains shut during the day to keep out the sun.

"Make sure your windows are sealed, like you do in the winter, so the cool air's not going to get out," Blake said.

Her store sells several models of fans and misters, including a handheld mister she bought especially for the day her niece graduated from Ward Melville High School.

"You pump it up and squirt yourself," Blake said. "It really worked."

Across town, Jessica Schoettl, Alexandra Kellerman, and Thomas Kellerman cooled off in the Kellerman family pool. Schoettl, 14, said she doesn't mind the heat at all.

"I like going to the beach and the pool," she said. "I don't like being stuck inside."

The heat only bothers Alexandra Kellerman, 10, when she's playing sports.

"When I'm playing lacrosse games, it affects how fast I run," she said.

Thomas Kellerman, 14, prefers cooler weather.

"I don't really enjoy being cooked up all the time," he said.

Their mother, Christine Kellerman, knew the heat wave would have a price tag.

"All the bills go up, but I don't think you recognize it in the bills until three months later," she said. "But to me, as long as you're comfortable in your house and when you're sleeping, it's worth it."