GROWING COMMUNITY WEDNESDAY JOURNAL, INC.
ForestParkReview.com
Vol. 101, No. 11
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F O R E S T PA R K
REVIEW MARCH 14, 2018
A new bus for Harlem Avenue?
PAGE 4
Anti-video gamers question ethics of electoral board PAGE 6
@FP_Review @ForestParkReview
A fighter by nature
Forest Park native goes pro in MMA By NONA TEPPER Staff Reporter
After years of playing professional football, Pierre Walters has stepped off the gridiron and into the metal cage to test his skills as a mixed-martial artist. He competed in his first professional match against former Olympic fighter James Shorter on Feb. 3. Walters, 31, of Forest Park, tooled him. Then he ran to the hospital to say good-
bye to his dying mother Geraldine, who passed from bone cancer on Feb. 5. “I’m on a mission, it’s as simple as that,” Walters said. “I lost something dear to me, and it was all my fault. I lost my passion.” Since his successful debut and the death of his mother, Walters has been recuperating, spending time with his family, practicing yoga and reflecting on his future. The death of his mother has inspired him to further his laser focus on his dream of becoming the first professional footballer-turnedSee MMA on page 11
‘Rowdy funerals’ a growing problem in western suburbs County to established task force to address chaotic processions By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER and NONA TEPPER Staff Reporter
ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer
BALLER: Former NFL star turned MMA pro, Pierre Walters poses at Victory Martial Arts gym in Forest Park.
A good neighbor has your back.
Chicago’s gang-violence problem has spread to the funeral processions and burials of slain gang members, and both law enforcement and elected officials are working to curb the trend. The processions, which often be-
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gin in Chicago and travel through the western suburbs to cemeteries in the village of Hillside, are described by police as chaotic scenes, where gang members drive erratically, hang out of car windows, threaten other motorists and, at times, discharge firearms. Police in Oak Park, Forest Park, Hillside and elsewhere are frequently alerted by Chicago police and funeral home directors when the so-called “rowdy funerals” are likely to take place. But cops and village officials say the turbulent funerals are becoming more common. See FUNERALS on page 9
Meaghan Good, Agent 7601 Madison Street Forest Park, IL 60130 Bus: 708-366-3779 meaghan.good.w32j@statefarm.com