Mascoutah Residents Find Ways to Cope With Intense Summer Heat

Mascoutah – Over the past week, Mascoutah has experienced multiple days of high humidity and temperatures in the mid-90s. With the heat index, or “real feel” temperature, rising above 100 degrees Fahrenheit on several occasions, residents have found various ways to stay cool and continue with daily life.

The Leu Civic Center is open to all and officially serves as Mascoutah’s designated cooling center. While the building offers air conditioning and shelter from the heat, it is also home to plenty of humor and activity. Director Jenna Smith emphasized both the seriousness of its purpose and the lighthearted way staff and visitors are handling the weather.

“We stay inside in the AC. We also laugh. Laughing is a must in the heat,” Smith said, adding that finding ways to keep spirits high is just as important as staying physically cool. “We chill at the Leu. It’s the city’s community center. Anyone can come and use the Leu as a heating and cooling center.”

In addition to being a cooling center, the Leu is also hosting summer camp programs indoors, something Smith described with a creative spin. “Summer camp indoors. We dive into the cool stream of science,” she said.

At the Mascoutah Post Office, employees shared their approaches to dealing with the heat. Marcella Nilles said, “We keep cool by boating, going to Kincaid Lake. Everybody likes to eat ice cream and snow cones this time of year.”

Her coworker Sarah McRoberts added, “Home and stay in the air conditioning. Home to car to work as fast as possible. I don’t mess with the heat.”

At the Mascoutah Public Library, staff and visitors alike have been making good use of the air conditioning. Library Director Joel Pikora said, “I stay in the air conditioning. We have a finished basement that stays cooler in the summer.” Susan Press added, “I go swimming, watch a movie and stay in the air conditioning.”

Librarian Ivy Cowen said the heat has driven up participation in events at the library. “”Events have been popular at the library because of the heat.”

As for how Ivy stays cool, she said, “Air conditioning, swimming and reverse hibernating. Basically, I hibernate but in the summer time.“

While most are working to stay out of the sun, Diana Schroder of Dauber Pharmacy said she handles the heat differently, stating that it doesn’t matter how hot it is, she is always cold. “Monday I was so cold (to me) I went and sat in the shipping container for 5 minutes. I’m the opposite of people saying it’s too hot. I was born to be in the heat.”

Liane Toler, assistant manager at Betty Ann Market’s deli, said the heat can be overwhelming. “It’s over-exhausting (outside) and the only way I can handle it is drink lots of water and try to stay out of the sun as much as possible. I always want to put a wet towel around my neck and get a personal AC.”

Some of the best advice came from those who work at our Herald Publications office. Linda Southard said she relies on several simple adjustments to keep her older home comfortable. “I stay indoors and keep my ceiling fans on. I have an older house so keep the drapes closed. I don’t run my dryer until it gets dark.” Stefanie Thurston keeps things even more straightforward, saying, “I just stay in the house.”

Others in the office are less fazed by the heat. Masja LaRue said, “I continue to do things as usual. My body copes.” For those who still need to be active outdoors, Courtney Dunaway offered a tested method from her more physically demanding days. “When I had a more active job I would take a bandana, get it wet, put it in the freezer, wait until it’s frozen and when it melts enough to wear I put it on and keep cool for the rest of the time,” she said. “You can tie it around your forehead or neck to keep cool. Make sure to hydrate. It is the most important part.”

Craig Norrenberns, owner of Betty Ann Market, said the warm weather may be having a mild effect on customer habits. “Yeah, I’d say ice cream sales are maybe a little bit up. For sure, people are coming in. I’d say even our hot deli food is up because people don’t want to actually turn the oven on at home, so they come in and grab a quick, you know, rotisserie chicken or something from the deli.”

Norrenberns said the store has remained comfortable since completing a remodel. “It feels great inside. We’ve got brand new air conditioning as part of our remodel, so our staff is exceptionally excited about not being super hot or cold during the seasons of change. We changed all of our stuff over to high energy-efficient equipment. We’re hoping to continue to see some of the benefits of that on our utility bill, but sometimes it’s just so hot that it has to work hard.”

In addition to work, Norrenberns said his family tries to stay cool at home. “We take advantage of our neighborhood pool a little bit. Evening swims with the kids. I’m sure the Mascoutah Pool is busy. It’s always packed.”