Amid lifeguard drought, Chicago park district opens some pools

swimming pool surface Photo credit Getty Images

(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The Chicago Park District opened 37 of its pools citywide on Tuesday, after finding enough lifeguards to staff the facilities.

One of pools that opened — with temperatures well into the 90s — was at Kennedy Park near 113th and Western on the Southwest Side. Patrick Catania was one of the first in the water.

“To me, it’s totally wonderful,” he said. “In the middle of June they weren’t sure this was going to open. So, I was waiting day by day to see if I’d have somewhere to go.”

The Chicago Park District chose to open pools around the city, so that no resident is more than two miles from the nearest one. It typically operates nearly 80 pools, but many of them remain closed because of the labor shortage.

One strategy the park district used was to close portions of North Avenue and Calumet beaches. This way, fewer lifeguards were needed there and could be assigned to pools.

Of the pools that are operating, 15 are indoor and 22 are outdoor. Larger pools at Portage Park, Humboldt Park, McKinley Park and Norwood Park can accommodate more visitors.

The complete list of opened pools:

—Austin Town Hall Park, 5610 W. Lake St. in the Austin community
—Avalon Park, 1215 E. 83rd St. in the Avalon community
—Avondale Park, 3516 W. School St. in the Avondale community
—Blackhawk Park, 2318 N. Lavergne Ave. in the Belmont Cragin community
—California Park, 3843 N. California Ave. in the Irving Park community
—Carver Park, 939 E. 132nd St. in the Riverdale community
—Chase Park, 4701 n. Ashland Ave. in the Uptown community
—Davis Square, 4430 S. Marshfield Ave. in the New City community
—Douglass, 1401 S. Sacramento Ave. in the North Lawndale community
—Eckhart Park, 1330 W. Chicago Ave. in the West Town community
—Ellis Park, 3520 S. Cottage Grove Ave. in the Douglas community
—Fernwood Park, 10436 S. Wallace Ave. in the Roseland community
—Fosco Park, 1312 S. Racine Ave. in the Near West community
—Foster Park, 1440 W. 84th St. in the Auburn Gresham community
—Gompers Park, 4222 W. Foster Ave in the North Park community
—Hale Park, 6258 W. 62nd St. in the Clearing community
—Hamilton Park, 513 W. 72nd St. in the Englewood community
—Hayes Park, 2936 W. 85th St. in the Ashburn community
—Holstein Park, 2200 N. Oakley Ave. in the Logan Square community
—Homan Square Park, 3559 W. Arthington in the North Lawndale community
—Humboldt Park, 1400 N. Humboldt Blvd. in the Humboldt Park community
—Kennedy Park, 11320 S. Western Ave. in the Morgan Park community
—Lafollette Park, 1333 N. Laramie Ave. in the Austin community
—Lindblom Park, 6054 S. Damen Ave. in the West Englewood community
—Mann Park, 3035 E. 130th St. in the Hegewisch community
—McGuane Park, 2901 S. Poplar Ave. in the Bridgeport community
—McKinley Park, 2210 W. Pershing Rd. in the McKinley Park community
—Nash Community Center Park, 1833 E. 71st St. in the South Shore community
—Norwood Park, 5801 N. Natoma Ave. in the Norwood Park community
—Ogden Park, 6500 S. Racine Ave. in the West Englewood community
—Piotrowski Park, 4247 W. 31st St. in the South Lawndale community
—Portage Park, 4100 N. Long Ave. in the Portage Park community
—Pulaski Park, 1419 W. Blackhawk St. in the West Town community
—River Park, 5100 N. Francisco Ave. in the Albany Park community
—Shabbona Park, 6935 W. Addison Ave. in the Dunning community
—Taylor Park, 39 W. 47th St.in the Grand Boulevard community
—Trumbull Park, 2400 E. 105th St. in the South Deering community