Autre Monde: Now Serving Brunch on Sundays

Berwyn's Autre Monde Cafe is back open and now serving an other worldly brunch on Sundays with a special food and cocktail menu.

Pot, Cocaine and Magic Mushrooms Seized in Bust in Berwyn

Arrest of Christopher Greer also turns up a drug, believed to be LSD, and cash.

A 27-year-old Berwyn man was charged with two counts of intent to deliver drugs. A total of 16 grams of marijuana, one gram of cocaine and 23 grams of psychedelic mushrooms were seized during a Jan. 4 raid on a Berwyn apartment by Forest Park police. Christopher L. Greer also stands accused of possession of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana as part of a continuing narcotics investigation, police said. According to police, officers went to Greer's apartment in the 1800 block of South Kenilworth Avenue and detained him and several others as they conducted a search of the apartment. Greer initially told police he had nothing illegal in his apartment, but after an officer spotted a jar of cannabis on the floor next to his bed…

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Area Communities Work Together to Create Affordable Housing Options

Effort between Bellwood, Berwyn, Forest Park, Maywood and Oak Park and was created to address the high foreclosure rates in Maywood and Bellwood.

Seven affordable homes are now for sale in Maywood and Bellwood, the West Cook County Housing Collaborative has announced. The homes, six in Bellwood and one in Maywood, will be made affordable to buyers with incomes at or below eighty percent of the area's median income. A down payment subsidy of up to $10,000 will also be provided. This program is an effort between Bellwood, Berwyn, Forest Park, Maywood and Oak Park and was created to address the high foreclosure rates in these communities. In addition, 21 homes will be available in Maywood, Bellwood and Forest Park by the end of 2013.  Call Marz Timms at  708-771-5801 for more information.

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Reel Art Debuts

Ephemera, nostalgia on display at Cory Glaberson's new Berwyn store.

Some people trade in soybean futures or work in factories. Others analyze spreadsheets or stare at laptops.   Cory Glaberson deals in pop culture. Swims in it, really.  The 54-year-old Oak Parker is about to open Reel Art, a pop culture emporium packed with toys, figurines, comics, games, soundtracks, movie posters and so much more.  "It's a lot of fun working with this material," said Glaberson. Glaberson has been collecting, and buying other people's collections, for decades. His business, Reel Art, was started in 1992 as a mail order catalog and moveable feast of ephemera from one collector's show to the next. There's also an eBay store.  Now, with the debut of the new brick-and-mortar store at 6727 W. Stanley in Berwyn, the collections…

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'The Last Waltz' to Screen at FitzGerald's

Legendary documentary will screen to honor the musical life of Levon Helm.

Ashes of laughter/the ghost is clear/Why do the best things always disappear? — The Band, "Ophelia" To honor the recently departed Levon Helm, FitzGerald's will screen The Last Waltz, Martin Scorsese's acclaimed documentary that follows The Band as they perform for the final time at San Francisco's Winterland Ballroom in 1976. The event will take place May 3 at 8 p.m. at Fitzgerald's, 6615 Roosevelt Road in Berwyn. Helm, the raspy-throated drummer and talented musician who influenced everyone from Bob Dylan to Wilco, died April 19 after a bout with cancer. He was 71. Assuming someone over at Fitzgerald's was a fan of Helm and The Band, we placed a quick call over to find out a little more. "Oh, God yeah. Big fan," said Bill Fitzgerald. "We…

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One Pledge at a Time, a Horror Comic Launches

Crowdsource funding effort for new Horrorbles comic underway at Berwyn shop.

Here's your chance to help local shop launch a new (and presumably awesome) comic series. Horrorbles, the unique cult horror store in Berwyn, is hoping to create a comic anthology "featuring stories that pay tribute to the classic EC comics like Vault of Horror and Tales from the Crypt, while keeping a decidedly modern edge that is seen in films like SAW and Trick ‘R Treat." Berwyn's very own Svengoolie (Rich Koz) is slated to author an introduction to the series and store owner John Aranza will introduce the stories. Rafael Nieves will contribute the writing; Dan Dougherty will contribute the artwork. And it appears the series will get meta — stories in the anthology will take place in and around the store, 6729 Roosevelt Road. To help …

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After Berwyn Boy's Death, Police Detail Visits to Family Home

Police visited home for "exterior blight" and unfounded meth lab call, found strong smell of "dog waste."

DNA Match Links Berwyn Man to River Forest Burglary

One year later, authorities say bloody evidence leads to arrest.

A Berwyn man has been charged in connection with a River Forest garage burglary after DNA evidence from a bloody drape linked him to the crime, authorities said. Police said 23-year-old Joe Bautista broke a garage window in the 1500 block of Clinton Place last July in an effort to steal a Trek bicycle. While the caper was successful, Bautista apparently left behind a spot of blood on a drape near the broken window, police said. That fabric sample was sent to the state police crime lab and entered into what's known as the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), and authorities said a DNA match implicated Bautista. Arrested at his Berwyn home on Tuesday, Bautista, of the 1600 block of South Euclid Avenue, later admitted his involvement, police …

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House Hunt: Open Houses in the Oak Park and River Forest Area

In the market?

Each week, Oak Park-River Forest Patch is going to highlight several local homes available for Open House viewings. This week's listings are courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gloor Realty Co. in Oak Park, (708) 524-1100

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Get Out: Radiators Farewell, Super Beer Taste Test and a Big Ballroom Dance

Looking for something to do this weekend?

Another Thursday, and you’ve got no idea what you’ll do for the weekend. Fear not. We’ve got the best bets to get your weekend started. 1. FARE THEE WELL, RADIATORS Where and when:  FitzGerald's Night Club, 6615 Roosevelt Road in Berwyn. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. 9 p.m. Why go: This will be the last time — ever — to catch the legendary New Orleans-soaked rock 'n' roll jammers in the Chicago area. Beginning Thursday, they're playing a trio of farewell shows at FitzGerald's. Price: $25. Ticket info.  2. SUPER BOWL, SUPER BEER Where and when: Whole Foods in River Forest, Thursday at 4 p.m. Why go: Enjoy "expertly paired" classic tailgating side dishes with two different beers. Patrons can vote for their favorite pairing for a chance to …

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