By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
The temperatures have been hot and the humidity sweltering to start the Wood County Fair. But ask most fairgoers how they cope, the almost universal response is, “Hydrate. Hydrate. Hydrate.”
Laura Schultes, a registered nurse at Wood County Hospital, agreed.
Drinking plenty of water is the best option for dealing with the heat. “Not caffeinated beverages or energy drinks because those are diuretics,” and do the opposite of hydration, she said.
There were a few people who stopped by the hospital booth under the grandstand while she was there who were “overheated and really sweaty,” she said. Her quick solution was to send them to the Sensory Room in the Administration Building to sit down and cool down.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, heat-related illnesses include heat rash, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, which is considered a medical emergency. Heat can also worsen cardiovascular, respiratory, kidney and cerebrovascular diseases, as well as diabetes-related conditions.
On Tuesday, Schultes also recommended that people who needed to hydrate stop by the Free Tent on Senior Day where the Wood County Committee on Aging was generous with the free bottled water they were handing out. Hundreds of seniors were on the grounds throughout the day, primarily during the WCCOA’s events in the Free Tent.
In addition to having access to free water for the day, seniors sat under the tent and enjoyed the music, camaraderie, lunch and the opportunity to see the animals in the barns, the entries in the Fine Arts and Home and Garden buildings, the businesses and organizations under the grandstand and across the grounds and to find some cool, refreshing food and drinks.
Gordon Bowman, of Pemberville, found a perfect spot to cool off. He checked out the Quilt Show, something he tries to do every year. Bowman, who owned The Forks Restaurant in Pemberville for 15 years, enjoys the variety of quilts on display and the air conditioning of the Pratt Pavilion’s meeting room, where the quilts were displayed. He also carried some extra bottles of water in a tote.
Bill and Mary Henning also found some comfort in the air-conditioned Pavilion. While his wife was checking out the quilt show, Bill added a little fan power to his cooling regime. With a free water bottle on his lap and a free fan he created his own breeze before heading back out into the heat.
Steve and Mary Ann Strayer brought their own water bottles to keep filled as necessary as they visited the fair from Toledo. They were keeping everyone hydrated in their party, which included their grandkids, daughter Melissa Bettinger, son Eric Strayer, and Elizabeth Bostdorff, Bowling Green native and Wood County 4-H alumna, who introduced them to the Wood County Fair.
The water bottle fillers that are placed in various locations across the fairgrounds, including the Pratt Pavilion, Administration Building and Junior Fair Building, were an appreciated addition this year. The Wood County Fair was one of the organizations that was approved for water bottle filling stations, provided by a grant to the Wood County Health Department.
While visiting the Junior Fair Building, which is one of the coolest spots on the fairgrounds, Steve Strayer said he appreciated the coolness but questioned if it only made it worst to walk back outside into the heat.
Ashley Bodi, who has a booth under the grandstand, had an unexpected tip. “Definitely, drink plenty of water, but I also carry a pack of baby wipes with me that I use to wipe my face. That cools me down right away,” she said.
At the Wood County Health Department table, they also suggested wearing hats, sunscreen and light, protective clothing like cotton or linen.
Wood County Health Commissioner Ben Robison, who was helping at the Senior Day tent on Tuesday, said the worst part of this type of heat is the cumulative effect. He had recently returned from a conference in Texas where research was presented about the longer-term effects of intense heat.
The body’s reaction is compounded after four days of being in intense heat, so it’s important to pay attention even after the heat has subsided. It’s especially critical for older adults and children.
A parent of a 4-H rabbit exhibitor came prepared during judging in the open-air and slightly stifling show arena. Armed with an insulated steel cup and two bottles of water, he sat down ready for the long haul until rabbit judging was done. His saving grace was the ability to hop on the pool once he returned home.
Fairgoers’ saving grace might be a reprieve from the intense heat as early as tomorrow.
