F O R E S T PA R K
ForestParkReview.com Vol. 109, No. 3
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REVIEW
Special section inside PAGE 10
Winter 2026
Education and
Enrichment
Guide
local schools | early learning | tutoring programs
JANUARY 21, 2026
@ForestParkReview @FP_Review
Local Pee Wee cheer team wins big at Nationals
Park district awarded $600K grant
Proviso communities celebrate first-ever first-place finish
Matching state OSLAD grant will help fund renovations to the turf field and main playground; construction to start in the fall By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
PROVIDED
The Memorial Park Spartans Pee Wee 3rd Degree Cheer Team celebrates their 1st Place win. By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Contributing Reporter
The Memorial Park Spartans Pee Wee 3rd Degree Cheer Team completed its undefeated season by winning 1st Place National Champion honors at the Pop
Warner National Cheer and Dance Championships this past December. This was a first in Memorial Park Spartans Cheer team’s over 60 year history. “It was a great experience,” said head coach Nicole Early. “It was blood, sweat and tears to get there. The girls came into
the season and knew what they wanted. They knew that they wanted to take Nationals…and they knew it was going to be a long road to get there.” The large level 3 team serves girls from
The Park District of Forest Park is one step closer to updating the turf field and main playground on Harrison Street. On Jan. 14, the park district announced it was awarded a $600,000 grant from the State of Illinois’ Open Space Land Acquisition and Development program. The matching grant will help fund the construction of a new turf field, main park playground, and the surrounding area — including an outdoor classroom area, pavement games, game tables, a putting green, rain garden, landscaping and interpretive signage, all of which is required in order to receive the grant.
See PROVISO CHEER on page 9
See OSLAD on page 14
Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
A look back in time: News from Harlem, January 1899
Tom Holmes: Football fans and the emotional roller coaster
Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
PAGE 16
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IN Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 THIS ISSUE Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15