Do You Need a Pool to Stay Cool? Tell Us How You Beat the Heat

With plenty of parks and miles of trails, Mokena has some great outdoor areas where you can enjoy a beautiful summer day.

When the heat gets to be too much, though, options start to dwindle if you're looking for a place to cool down, but still stay outside. A lawn sprinkler? A shady tree? Where can you retreat from the heat?

In the past, the community swimming pool was one of the signature experiences of summer. But Mokena—and the Lincoln-Way area, for that matter—doesn't have an outdoor public pool. Initially, it might appear that the lack of a public pool was because so many residents had their own private above- and below-ground pools. But that didn't seem like a powerful enough reason to keep the Lincoln-Way area pool-less.

Frankfort Township used to operate a public pool near the on U.S. Route 30, according to Frankfort Village Administrator Jerry Ducay. However, it closed about six years ago after the township found it too costly to run, he said, adding that during its time, the pool had a strong following.

"When you operate a pool, you have to operate it at full strength every day," Ducay said, explaining why pools can be such a financial drain. "You can't call in more people once you see that you've got a big crowd. You have to be at full staff all the time."

So, with no public outdoor option: What are your pool alternatives?

Share your suggestions in the comments section and take our poll that asks if you would be OK spending money on a community pool.

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