Soldiers return from Iraq, reunite with loved ones

Web Extra! Slideshow First reported 9/2/2010 6:42 p.m. Months had passed since 12-year-old Marissa Jenkins last saw her dad, a captain in the U.S. Army. So when Aaron Jenkins climbed down the escalator at O'Hare airport last Thursday - back from his one-year deployment in Iraq - Marissa jumped into his arms, never wanting to let go. Tuesday, September 07, 2010

Forest Park group addresses problem of overpopulating stray cats

It appears it's been raining cats more so than dogs in Forest Park lately. A group of concerned residents and animal lovers alike formed an organization to monitor and aid the growing feral cat population in the village - which, though too hard to actually measure, could likely number in the thousands. Tuesday, September 07, 2010

FEMA checks hit Forest Park homeowners' bank accounts

Forest Park homeowners are starting to see some money hit their bank accounts as the Federal Emergency Management Agency continues to dole out grants to partially cover expenses related to the July 23 flooding. Tuesday, September 07, 2010

Man found guilty of fatal hit-and-run in Forest Park

The man who struck and killed a Forest Park woman in a hit-and-run accident in May 2008 will face three to 14 years in prison after his sentencing on Oct. 6. Tuesday, September 07, 2010

Forest Park welcomes home troops from Iraq with party at Park

Web Extra! The village of Forest Park will host a homecoming celebration on Thursday for U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq, including a rally around 2:30 p.m. on the front grounds of the Park District on Harrison Street near the Veteran's Memorial. Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Man falls to his death after tiff over fireworks

First reported 8/24/2010 4:48 p.m. A 46-year-old man fell to his death Aug. 16 at about 2 a.m. from a rooftop deck at a Forest Park apartment building during a quarrel he was having with men from the bar next door. Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Film crew takes over Forest Park car wash

Web Extra! Slideshow First reported 8/27/2010 9:10 a.m. A little dose of Hollywood hit the village Thursday at the Harlem and Randolph Car Wash for the filming of a new, big-budget Chevy commercial. As part of an 8-day shoot at several places around Chicago, a Los Angeles production company filled the area surrounding the Forest Park car wash with all kinds of film equipment and wardrobe gear. Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Historical Society of Forest Park may get home, but who runs group?

If all goes according to plan and the Deutsche Bank donates the torched apartment building at 512 Desplaines Ave. to the village, Mayor Anthony Calderone said last week that he envisioned offering the space to the currently homeless Historical Society of Forest Park. Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Circle Theatre members are ready to bid farewell

It's only a matter of days before the curtain closes at Circle Theatre's location in Forest Park, and members of the award-winning company seem more than ready to say goodbye. Goodbye to the leaking ceilings. Goodbye to the unisex bathrooms. Goodbye to the techno music booming from the apartment upstairs. Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Children learn Japanese by immersion at Forest Park school

Web Extra! Slideshow On most week days, 6-year-old Minami Yasuda waves goodbye to her father as she walks in the door at the Montessori Language Academy at 314 Circle Ave., right across from St. John Lutheran Church. Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Federal purse opened by disaster declaration

First reported 8/20/2010 4:11 p.m. Home and business owners in Forest Park who lost property or whose buildings were damaged in recent flooding may find relief now that the federal government has declared the village, and other nearby areas, a disaster site. The designation was approved on Aug. 20. Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Bank tentatively donates fire-torn building to Forest Park

First reported 8/24/2010 4:32 p.m. The site of the alleged arson that scorched an apartment building across the street from village hall in July could become the new home to the Historical Society of Forest Park, based on a tentative deal between the village and the bank that owns the foreclosed property.   Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Forest Park post office looks for a new home

With less mail flowing through its doors, Forest Park's only post office is on the market and looking for a smaller space. A U.S. Postal Service representative said the federal agency will still maintain a retail presence somewhere in Forest Park, but as part of a cost-trimming move, the roughly 17,000 square-foot property at 417 Desplaines Ave. is listed for sale at $590,000. Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Say goodbye to Blockbuster in Forest Park

Movie buffs and sitcom enthusiasts have about a month left to shop at Forest Park's last standing video rental store. The Blockbuster at 109 Harlem Ave. was plastered last week with massive store closing signs, and according to the commercial real estate broker in charge of leasing the space, the store is expected to be out by Oct. 1. Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Company CEO stays true to Forest Park roots

Forest Park resident André Hines has a Ph.D. and runs a six-site health care organization with about 120 employees. With those credentials, some people might think that she would live in a more upscale community. She chose instead to follow her heart. Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Forest Park activists protest Crestwood nursing home

A Forest Park-based advocacy group dedicated to serving people with disabilities protested Aug. 20 against a south suburban nursing home, unhappy with how residents at the home have been treated. Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Circle Theatre primps new Oak Park spot

Maggie Paloucek of Brookfield, who is with the junior company at Circle Theatre, paints at the former Village Theater on Madison Street in Oak Park. Actors, directors and even board members helped as the Circle Theatre group from Forest Park prepares to leave its Forest Park home of almost 25 years. Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Two Forest Park residents nabbed in massive drug raid

First reported 8/13/2010 5:15 p.m. In a secret compartment under the basement floor of a house on the 1500 block of Marengo, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents last Wednesday found between $100,000 and $200,000 in cash. Also found in the single-story house were 13 guns and half an ounce of heroin. Tuesday, August 17, 2010

FEMA tours Forest Park

Early Thursday afternoon, Mayor Anthony Calderone got a call he'd hoped for but wasn't counting on - federal and state inspectors were on their way to Forest Park to check and document flood damage firsthand. Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Adding a deck might get easier in Forest Park

The zoning board of appeals, minus chairman Austin Zimmer, who was absent from Monday night's meeting, has sent the village council an ordinance easing the process by which owners of non-conforming two-flats can make simple alterations to their property. Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Teens learn police work alongside Forest Park cops

Web Extra! Slideshow Expect to see uniformed teens assisting Forest Park police officers at coming events in the village. Eight young people, ages 14 to 20, who are interested in careers in law enforcement have signed on to volunteer with Forest Park's police department. Tuesday, August 17, 2010

A dog park behind the Altenheim?

Could Forest Park become a two dog-park town? Yes, at least temporarily, if members of the village's recreation board have their way. Last week, members of the recreation board discussed using a part of the village-owned land behind the Altenheim retirement community as a second dog park. Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Sales-tax holiday good for chain stores on Roosevelt

The first Illinois state sales-tax holiday, a 10-day reprieve that ended Sunday, brought shoppers to the big chain stores on Roosevelt Road, but no noticeable difference in shopping traffic among the small, independent shops on Madison Street. Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Big splash in Forest Park

Web Extra! Slideshow  As temperatures continue to soar, residents come by the thousands to the Aquatic Center on Harrison Street. Tuesday, August 17, 2010

A new editor for the Forest Park Review

We experimented. We've concluded the experiment didn't work as hoped. So, now, the Forest Park Review is going back to the tried-and-true model: a single editor and reporter focused exclusively on Forest Park. Tuesday, August 17, 2010

$60 million needed for Forest Park sewers, say Gillian and Calderone

Last week, state and federal damage-assessment teams were inspecting homes and businesses in five northwestern Illinois counties. This week, inspectors from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration are in Chicago's western suburbs, going through neighborhoods in Cook and DuPage counties. Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Wet summer buckles Elgin Avenue tree in Forest Park

First reported 8/4/2010 5:25 p.m. A 60-plus-year-old tree in a back yard on Elgin Avenue lasted through the 75 mph winds that, back in June, snapped some nearby trees just above the roots. But at 9 a.m. last Wednesday morning, during light rain and relatively light wind, the top of the tall boxelder split. The part that fell landed on the homeowner's car and on his next-door neighbor's garage. Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Amid West Nile worries, Forest Park sprayed for mosquitoes

First reported 8/5/2010 4:46 p.m. Thursday night, orange and white trucks with flashing yellow lights drove through Forest Park spraying a foggy mist from the back of their beds. That fog is what the Des Plaines Valley Mosquito Abatement District has determined is needed now as a precaution against West Nile virus. Tuesday, August 10, 2010

No bids for Roos demolition in Forest Park

No one's raising their hand to tear down the Roos building. When park board members gathered recently to open bids on the demolition of 7329 Harrison, they found there weren't any. Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Attendance, revenues on the rise at Forest Park's mega pool

It's been a great summer for hanging out at a pool. And in Forest Park - where the park district's crown jewel has two flume slides, two drop slides, two diving boards, a playground with sand, and a spray ground - hot weather has meant big crowds at the Aquatic Center, better known as "the pool." Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Riveredge Hospital getting new owner

The company that owns Riveredge Hospital is expected to get a new corporate parent this year. The 210-bed psychiatric hospital at 8311 Roosevelt Road is owned by Tennessee-based Psychiatric Solutions Inc. In mid May, Pennsylvania-based Universal Health Services, another giant in the hospital industry, announced that it would be acquiring Psychiatric Solutions Inc. in a $3 billon transaction. Tuesday, August 10, 2010

People who define Forest Park

Two lifelong Forest Park residents and a beloved parish priest were honored by the village at the council meeting Monday night. Andy Collis and Dorothy Calderone Tricoci were told that the streets they live on would be named after them. Father Frank Grady, who just retired after 22 years at St. Bernardine Catholic Church, was presented a certificate of appreciation by the mayor. Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Flash lights up No Glove tournament in Forest Park

Web Extra! Slideshow With a huge crowd turnout, plenty of food and beer, cool tournament souvenirs and pleasant weather, the Park District of Forest Park's 42nd annual 16-inch No Glove National Softball Tournament hit another home run this summer. Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Forest Park flood damage forms due Aug. 16

To keep residents updated about the latest efforts to deal with losses because of flooding, the Village of Forest Park continues to tap into ways of communicating that it hadn't before used so widely. Tuesday, August 03, 2010

The annual ice cream eating contest in Forest Park

Web Extra! Slideshow At Brown Cow Ice Cream Parlor on Monday night, it was time again for gulping down scoops from a trough. Sweet-toothed teams of three raced to see who could hoof down seven pounds of varying flavors of ice cream topped with whipped cream, cherries and sprinkles. Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Saying good-bye to Father Grady

Web Extra! Slideshow When Fr. Frank Grady stood at the altar at the 10:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday, he led worship at St. Bernardine Catholic Church for the last time. His superior has directed Grady, who is 72, to move to the order's retirement facility in Rhode Island. Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Judge dismisses developer's civil rights lawsuit against Forest Park

A federal judge has quickly dismissed a civil rights lawsuit filed against the Village of Forest Park three weeks ago by embattled restaurateur and developer Robert Marani. Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Straight from the jukebox

Web Extra! Slideshow On a steamy Sunday afternoon, an affable Peter Gianakopoulos presides over The Old School Records, answering questions and sharing music anecdotes. Missing from his side this afternoon are shop regulars Jodi, his wife and business partner, who is pregnant with their second child. Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Overnight parking ban is back, but blanket passes available

The overnight parking ban on village streets - which was lifted until last Saturday, July 31, to allow residents to use their garages for storage as they were cleaning - is now back on. Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Need added help with damaged items?

Call village hall at 708-366-2323 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. At any other time, call the police department's non-emergency number: 708-366-2425. Tuesday, August 03, 2010