Sizzling hot temperatures brought numerous Bethel residents and others into town to purchase fans, children's pools, cold drinks, sweet treats, or just to cool off and relax in the shade.
True Value Hardware store owner Bill Clifford said, "We are selling a lot of fans and I think kiddie pools will be big in the next few days." They also had a large outdoor display of colorful summer chairs for sale.
Redding resident Karen Adainshack carried her new fan and broom to her car, items she had just purchased from True Value Hardware in Bethel. She said "Well it is the first day of summer, what can we do. Better than the cold. I have horses so I have to keep them cool." She is the owner of Creature Comfort Farm. "We have to bring them in early from the pastures. You don't ride them in this heat."
Delivery workers were suffering. "I'm dying," said mail carrier Anna Murphy, about today's high heat, as she delivered mail on Chestnut Street. Murphy is a Bethel resident who has been working for the US Post Office for twenty-seven years.
When asked how he was coping with the high temperatures, UPS deliveryman Stephen Partrick of Newtown commented, "It gets you very time." He was delivering packages on Jacobs Lane in Bethel and has been with UPS for fifteen years.
"Dan's Carpentry" owner Dan Smeriglio of Roxbury was on a ladder installing siding on a home at 12 Greenwood Avenue, part of a complete exterior renovation project for a client. His comment about the hot weather was, "It's slowing us down big time. If it's not the rain, it's the heat."
Molten Java was a popular destination. Bethel resident Crystal Schewe, age twenty three, was sitting at a front porch table in the shade, reading a new book she had purchased entitled "Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin. "I liked the way the book looked and the title," she said.
Schewe eagerly talked about the main character in the book, and said, "She took a whole year of her life to live up to her full happiness potential."
The high heat did not seem to phase Schewe. She said "I've got an ice tea and I don't have air conditioning in my house, so I am not spoiling myself. It's not like I am moving."
John Battocchio and his friend Erik Frazao, both of Bethel, and both 2005 graduates of Bethel High School, were enjoying cold drinks at Molten Java. They took a break from riding their motorcycles to try and cool off.
Battocchio said, "I am out riding because it's my day off and I am hot. I enjoy the weather, the hot weather I mean." Battocchio is also a graduate of West Conn., works in their Media department, and has his own media company too, he said.
"I am out because no one is at Candlewood Lake, or I'd be there," Frazao said.
Mom Elaine Lowemalder took her daughter and a friend to Molten Java after the girls spent the earlier part of the day sitting at their "Lemonade Stand" in front of their house on Greenwood Avenue. Lowemalder said, "They are donating the money they made to the Scotty Fund. Thirty dollars."
Her daughter Erin Lowemalder, age 8, and her friend Isabella Zieman, age 9, sipped on the straws of their cold blue drinks called "Alligator Ice."
Peachwave was also a favorite gathering point. Bethel residents Sue DeCarlo and Kathy Bischoff were enjoying frozen treats as they sat on a bench out front. "We were running errands and decided to call each other and meet at Peachwave instead," DeCarlo said. "We've been friends for sixteen years," said Bischoff.
Faith Lange, age 8, a second grade student of Ellsworth Avenue Elementary School in Danbury, ate her banana and strawberry flavor treat and said "I don't know which is my favorite."
Her sister Grace Lange, age 10, said, "I don't really like it," regarding the hot day. She ate an orange creamsicle flavor treat. She is in fifth grade in the same school. "We will go in the pool later," she said.
Four handsome young men, all Bethel residents and Bethel High School 2010 graduates, were gathering beach items from several cars parked on Jacobs Lane. Andrew Ford said, "We went to Jennings Beach in Fairfield. We're going again tomorrow."
"It's quite hot," Joe Carillo said.
Billy Ramirez said, "The best part of the day was hangin' with my bros' at the beach."
"The worst part of the day was the drive to the beach." said Matt Barreto. "Joe's car has no air conditioning."
Numerous logs were stacked by the curb and chain saws were humming on Midway Drive in Bethel.
CL&P workers William Mauldin and Ashton Lott were slicing huge tree logs into smaller parts from a gigantic tree they had just cut down because it had interfered with electrical lines. It was hard to believe they accomplished this labor intensive project in such hot weather. Two workers were cutting and another two were lifting heavy logs.
Mauldin and Lott are Brookfield residents but originally from Louisiana. Regarding the hot weather, Mauldin said, "This is nothing compared to Louisiana or Texas. I lived in Louisiana for four years and worked in Texas."
Lott said, "I'm lookin' for a swim hole."
Summer officially started Wednesday evening, June 20, at 7:09 P.M. EDT.
