Injured child returned to safety
Our family moved to Forest Park in July of 2005. We have our children enrolled in Garfield Elementary and Howard Mohr Community Center before and after school care. They play soccer, football, basketball and baseball. We have worked on our “old” new home and have worked along with the village building dept. We have received parking tickets, eaten at every restaurant on Madison Street, and yes every drinking establishment too. We have attended art festivals, Groovin’ in the Grove, and have probably partaken in every civic event that the city has had to offer. We have great neighbors and friends.
On Sunday Sept. 28 our youngest son Eric was struck by a vehicle while crossing the street. I had just returned from work 10 minutes prior when I heard my wife screaming from upstairs. I thought it was a mouse until she came running down the stairs. From that moment on our lives changed. Eric was rushed to Loyola and put immediately into ICU. The pain, confusion and fear we saw and felt is impossible to describe.
It is now nine days later. Eric has been blessed with love and support from not just family and friends but our community. The injuries he sustained were not life threatening, and with time and therapy he will heal. This past Friday Eric came home. The roller coaster of emotions still creep in but we as a family have become stronger.
This is a letter of thanks to our community. To the person who called 911 and the person who took his older brother Matthew to the park for comforting; to the paramedics and firemen who told me to keep talking to him, and the policemen who held my wife. To all the staff at Loyola Hospital for the respect, care and kindness you gave to our family; to the staff at HMCC, Bridgett where do we even begin; Garfield Elementary teachers, and all the kids that made cards, he has read every one of them. To our neighbors for feeding and cleaning and putting up with Seamus; to all the anonymous people who have offered their prayers, they have been answered. To our children, Matthew, Michael, Danielle, Sean, Patrick and Jack we love you.
We thank God that Eric is here and will be well. We thank everyone that has touched his and our family’s life!
Matt Mallers
Forest Park
The Obama train
I was very disappointed to see John Rice’s article endorsing Obama and asking for volunteers to help spread the word. Whether it appeared in the “Our View” section or Rice’s column it constitutes the Review’s endorsement of Obama. While registering voters is a good thing, I don’t see how Mr. Rice can refer to himself as “impartial registrar” if he is wearing Obama paraphernalia while doing so.
I’m tired of not being able to find impartial news sources these last few months, and now see I can’t count on the Review for such news. It’s already painful enough to read Mr. Rice’s article but when you include his dribble about his ride on the Obama train it gives me another reason not to subscribe to the Forest Park Review.
If you’re interested in supporting the other candidate, the one with real experience, you can go to www.johnmccain.com.
Matt Hegna
Forest Park
Sponsorship thanks
The Forest Park Chamber of Commerce and Development’s second annual Arts Fest sponsored by Boulevard Fine Art and Custom Framing was a huge success. Music filled the air as over 3,000 art lovers throughout the Chicagoland area browsed artist’s booths and shopped Madison Street last Saturday and Sunday.
Sponsored by Forest Park National Bank & Trust Co., the children’s area entertained both kids and adults with mural painting, interactive dancing with Flex and Pointe, the wonderful magic of Dennis Watkins, storytelling by Paul McKenna of Starship Restaurant with the Village Players, and a craft workshop with Pocket Palz artist Luisa Castellanos.
On behalf of the chamber, we’d like to thank participants, volunteers and the following sponsors and supporters for making this event a reality: Platinum sponsors, Anderson Windows, Chris Guillen Photography, West Cook YMCA, WDCB, and Whole Foods; Gold sponsors, caffe De Luca, Casa de Puros, Chicago Gallery News, Circle Theatre, Joseph J. Locke & Co, Marion Street Cheese Market, O’Sullivan’s Public House and Yelp; Arts Fest sponsors, Blue Cab, Byron’s Hot Dogs, Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore, Chiro One, Chix with Stix, Corus Bank, Deedee & Edee, Forest Foot Care, Famous Liquors, Gallery Etc., Healy’s Westside, Heels, House Red, La Maison de Bonbon, Louie’s Grill, MacDaddy, McAdam Landscaping, Neighbors Magazine, Paciugo, Pure Organization, Schauer’s Hallmark, Spotless Carwash, Sylvan Learning Center, the Forest Park Review, the Brown Cow Ice Cream Parlor, Buzz Café, Good Earth Greenhouse, the Carleton of Oak Park, Todd & Holland Tea Merchants, Trage Bros., Treehouse Boutique, Two Fish Art Glass and Walther Academy.
We’d also like to acknowledge the continued support of the village of Forest Park for this and all chamber events, as well as Jeanine Guncheon for her illustrations and caffe De Luca for the artists’ breakfast.
David Manola, Janet Todd, Chris Guillen, James Robinson, Roz Long, David Boylan
The Arts Fest Committee
