As we ruminate on what 2025 will hold and say goodbye to 2024, it’s only natural that we’d look back at the year to see which of the Review’s stories resonated most with our readers.
While there’s no way for us to tell how many print readers read our articles, here are the stories that received the most page views online. The article with the most page views is last, and I include whatever insight I have from my reporting process sprinkled in.
10. Dave Novak, former park district director, dies at 73 – 3,596 views
This is the first obituary I’ve ever written. I should’ve known how difficult it was to condense the highlights of someone’s life into an article, but what made the challenge worth it were the conversations I had with those who knew and loved Dave Novak. The interviews often sparked tears – either from me or my sources – as they recounted Novak’s instrumental role in the Park District of Forest Park, its No Gloves Nationals tournament, and the countless fond memories that came with.
9. Aldi construction delayed – 3,651 views
While the article announcing that Aldi was coming to town got nearly twice as many page views, many of you were interested in reading about updates on the grocery store’s construction. Reporting this story, I learned there was a basement underneath the property, a fact that also surprised contractors and delayed Aldi’s construction.
8. 4 dead in Forest Park shooting on Blue Line train – 4,502 views
While my editor Erika Hobbs covered this breaking news story, I reported on the following press conference, when the suspect was arrested and the village’s response. This was a story that, as you might guess, was heartbreaking to write.
7. Venezuelan family builds new life in Forest Park – 4,594 views
Reporter Katrina Pham crafted this story about the Marquezes, a family who came to Chicago from Venezuela last year, and what resettling looks like for migrants amid such uncertain circumstances around housing.
6. Ed’s Way rezoned to become a 10-unit townhome – 4,613 views
I wrote this article after attending one of my first village council meetings and was honestly just as confused about the format of the meeting as I was about the intricacies of Forest Park’s zoning. Although I’d been writing for the Review for less than two weeks, I could already tell how much Forest Parkers care about their neighbors and this village.
5. Bellwood family mourns 16-year-old killed in car crash – 4,961 views
Amaris Rodriguez wrote this story after María René Gutiérrez Santos, a student at Proviso West, died in a hit-and-run accident.
Di’Vino’s five owners
4. Forest Park welcomes La Parra’s sister restaurant, Di’Vino – 5,182 views
Reporter Zoë Takaki covered the opening of one of this year’s additions to Madison Street. Although I haven’t yet had the pleasure of eating at Di’Vino, reading the menu descriptions in this article has me feeling like I should ASAP.
3. Aldi heads to Forest Park – 6,989 views
I knew this story would be one of this year’s tops when, on opening day in November, I saw the line stretch through Aldi’s large parking lot and around the block. The people love Aldi, and it shows.
2. Casa Humilde comes to Forest Park – 8,247 views
This was one of the first business profiles I wrote for the Review. Before writing here full-time, I was a freelance food reporter in Boulder, Colorado, which has an extensive homebrewing community. Drafting a story about Casa Humilde’s menu and brewery brought me right back to the glorious world of restaurant writing.
1.Two Proviso students die in car accident – 10,216 views
Another tragic headline by Amaris Rodriguez was the most read in 2024. This story covers how the community mourned Evelyn Martinez, 18, and Rose Hernandez, 18, after they died in a car crash in February.
And with that, thank you for reading the Forest Park Review this year! Each one of your page views means a lot to me, and I’m sure, to my colleagues as well. We will be back with more news for you in 2025.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to me with feedback or story ideas at jessica@forestparkreview.com.