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ForestParkReview.com Vol. 109, No. 2
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REVIEW JANUARY 14, 2026
Remembering Ernie Baumann PAGE 4
@ForestParkReview @FP_Review
Parkway Dispensary closes
It’s uncertain whether the Madison Street shop will reopen after a year in business By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
Forest Park’s first dispensary, Parkway Dispensary, opened in September 2024 at 7432 Madison St. Just over a year later, Parkway shut its doors in November and put up a sign saying the business was closed due to technical difficulties. It hasn’t reopened since. Parkway did not respond to a request for comment by time of publication. According to Google, Parkway Dispensary is temporarily closed and ordering options for the Forest Park location have been removed from the Parkway website. Steve Glinke, head of the village’s building department, said he has reached out to dispensary ownership after they put the sign up, but hasn’t heard back. Parkway Dispensary is a part of the 1937 Group, a company that grows cannabis and distributes it to more than 170 dispensaries across the state. The 1937 Group opened its first dispensary in 2023 in Tilton, Illinois to sell its own products. The Forest Park Parkway Dispensary was the company’s second location. There’s also a Parkway Dispensary in Fox Lake. Parkway Dispensary still has three active business licenses in the state, according to the State of Illinois data portal. Parkway Dispensary bought the building at 7432 Madison St. from Martin Sorice, who owned the property when Doc Ryan’s was there. He also operates multiple bars in town. After Doc Ryan’s closed in March 2023, a different dispensary was set to buy the building, but pulled out of the deal that same month. According to Glinke, Mint Cannabis, located at the corner of Roosevelt and Harlem, has been cleared by the village to open for business. With Parkway Dispensary closed, Mint Cannabis will be Forest Park’s second dispensary. Bloc Dispensary opened at 7216 Circle Ave. in June.
Swing Away Sports Club to open on Madison Street Forest Park owners hope to start offering darts and simulated golf this month By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
Ever wish you could work on your golf game in the dead of winter? This year, you’ll be able to at Swing Away Sports Club. At 7247 Madison St., Swing Away Sports Club is expected to open in January to offer darts and simulated golf lessons, leagues and rentals. The space is designed for those who want to learn how to play golf or darts, people who hope to perfect their game, and those who just want to have a good time with their friends. “We really want it to be a neighborhood place that people feel comfortable at,” said Lance Pruett, who owns Swing Away with his wife, Jill Williamson — the majority owner and a veteran. “I hope that it will be a place that feels like a club. You come here, you do your golf, you do your darts, and you see the same people from week to week. It feels like it’s something that belongs to them.” Forest Park residents Pruett and Williamson deSUSAN MCKELVEY
IN Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 THIS ISSUE Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
See SWING AWAY on page 6
A look back in time:
Alan Brouilette:
A letter from home
The Bears are back
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