St. Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia Speaks to Veterans at Camp Algonquin Stand Down

This may be the last time the Veterans Stand Down sponsored by Crystal Lake's NASA Education may occur at Camp Algonquin.

It's not because yesterday's event, the fourth at Camp Algonquin, was a failure.

Just the opposite.

The over 200 veterans, many homeless, filled the camp on the Fox River.

John Blanchard, head of the sponsoring organization, which specializes in finding good paying jobs for veterans, told me that the number of men and women attending the event is doubling each time.

This is the fourth Stand Down.

McHenry County Blog has written stories about each of them:

10-4-6 Veterans Stand Down Attracts 26 Homeless Veterans

3-7-7 Veterans' Stand Down Notes

10-7-7 Camp Algonquin Stand Down for Veterans to take place October 8 and 9

10-13-7 Manzullo at Camp Algonquin Stand Down

Headlining the event Monday was State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia, a Democrat from Aurora and veteran herself.

In her sixth term, she can be seen above talking to my former legislative assistant Pete Castillo before she addressed the veterans. Pete is the area unemployed veterans' counselor of choice.

The attendees were in various stages of eating a scrumptious lunch provided for free by Pontarelli's Pizza at the corner of Route 176 and Oak Street (815-477-4040) in Crystal Lake and by Kyoto Japanese Restaurant on Route 14 in Crystal Lake, next to the Old Country Buffet.

Blanchard said that Kyoto chef Shawn Lee, a Chicago resident, got up at 5 A.M. to make his bounteous luncheon fair, which I can attest from three helpings was excellent. Mrs. Chris Lee said it was a several day effort. (Less than half of the Lee's contribution can be seen to the left.)


The Lee's so generous contribution embodied the attitude of the volunteers that helped put on the event.

And coffee came from the Downtown Crystal Lake Starbucks.

But, back to State Rep. Chapa LaVia.

She surely knows how to talk to veterans.

After telling of her support for veterans benefits, she concluded with this strong line:

“...until I have no breath left to scream, I'll be saying that.”

I was taking pictures, as usual, and didn't get a chance to write down other parts of her talk.

Chapa LaVia received a rousing reception.

Earlier she had told Castillo and me that she was pushing federal congressmen to separate benefits veterans have earned from the Defense Department budget. This former Executive Office of the President budget guy agreed.

Castillo, Rep. Chapa LaVia and her husband met at the Million Veteran March, at which Castillo and she spoke and which he was one of the veterans leading the others up the mall to the United States Capitol.

When Blanchard was introducing Rep. LaVia, he said,

“Make sure you get around to the service providers.”

“Make sure they provide service.”

After lunch, I finally got a picture of the hair stylists.

Previously, I had just found empty chairs.

From left to right, you can see

• Marie Borre of Sports Clips Salon in McHenry,


• Kristina Weingartner of Blades Salon on Randall Road in Algonquin,


• Krissy Dougherty, also of Blades, and


• Nicole Borress, a third stylist from Blades.

I also found Lockport Healing Touch practitioner Karen Johnson.

I pointed out to Johnson that you can't get from here to Lockport. She admitted that it was a two hour drive. In two hours I can be more than half way to Springfield.

Guess whose head her hands were on?

McHenry County Board member Mary Donner.

She keeps telling me that I can never take a good picture of her. This one with John Blanchard received her approval.

Shortly before three Castillo and I were standing in front of the Camp Algonquin Lodge and what should occur but a traffic jam.

A veteran was coming down the hill in a powerful motorized wheel chair with a Jesse Brown VA Medical Center bus behind him.
There were vehicles everywhere.

And, was it foggy.

But, I guess fog is better than the earlier downpour.

Published first on McHenry County Blog.

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Coming with a Title in Your Mailbox, Compliments of Jesse White

Local media haven’t quite figured out the impact that NASA Education is having in the State of Illinois. Yesterday, McHenry County Blog wrote of the transitional living quarters soon to be operational in Crystal Lake near the intersection of Virginia Street (Route 14) and McHenry Avenue.

There were articles in the Northwest and Daily Heralds about the Monday and Tuesday Stand Down at Camp Algonquin.

But this is probably the first article about the one million and a half inserts that Secretary of State Jesse White is inserting into every envelope containing a title.

It is a pitch printed by NASA (National Association of Systems Administrators) Education asking for people to donate their old cars “and put a veteran to work!”

“NASA Education has received grants from the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs and McHenry County Community Foundation to transport and repair the vehicles, and to pay for title and license plate fees. All we need is your donated vehicle!” says one side of the insert. It has two American flags, one with a female soldier and another with a soldier in a wheel chair.

The other side explains, “Who we are, What we do and How you can help.”

It explains that NASA Education is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1999 by John Blanchard, an 8-year Navy veteran who “has a passionate commitment to helping veterans in need.”

“Project Fresh Start” provides “community reintegration for U.S. veterans who are displaced, disabled or homeless. This includes free training, employment services and use of vehicles when available.”

Donations of cars, vans and pick up trucks are requested, plus cash donations to support Project Fresh Start and the Stand Down for Veterans. Office machines, electronics and manufacturing equipment is also wanted.

I asked Blanchard how he pulled this really inexpensive direct mail campaign off.

He gave the credit to Illinois Veterans Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth.

Duckworth keynoted the Stand Down last spring at Camp Algonquin. She appeared in a pre-recorded talk this year.

The web site is NASAEducation.org.

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All the images can be enlarged by clicking on them.

John Blanchard talks with two of the Stand Down volunteers--Chuck and Elaine Slack of VFW Post 5915 Carpentersville--on Tuesday at Camp Algonquin.

The reflection in the screen where Tammy Duckworth can be seen is of the Vice Chairman of the Illinois VFW.

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Jesse White and Tammy Duckworth Talk About Adding “VET” to Veterans’ Driver’s Licenses

Earlier on McHenry County Blog, I wrote about a petition campaign being conducted by Crystal Lake’s John Blanchard to urge state officials to put the word “VET” on the driver’s licenses of veterans.

Blanchard already has over 100,000 signatures on the petition, the wording of which you can see here.

Wednesday I learned that last week Secretary of State Jesse White talked to Department of Veterans Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth about the idea.

White’s Public Information Officer, David Drucker, told me,

Jesse met last week with Tammy Duckworth last week and they discussed the idea of doing that.

They do tell me that we would need to get the approval of the General Assembly.

Duckworth's press person, Jessica Woodward, confirmed the meeting:

The Secretary of State thought it was a good idea.

It was just a first meeting. It’s a possibility that that will happen.

She added, "The director did talk to John Blanchard at the Stand Down."

Duckworth was the featured speaker at the early March Stand Down sponsored by Blanchard’s National Association of Systems Administrators Educational Foundation, which hires and trains homeless veterans for good paying jobs. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it to Camp Algonquin for her talk, but did attend the second day. Blanchard also put together an earlier October Stand Down.

So, which member of the General Assembly wants to get legislation passed that would allow the Secretary of State to follow Georgia’s example?

If you look closely on the image, which is a copy of a copy of a Georgia veteran’s driver’s license with the man's identifying information removed, you can see the word “VET” in the bottom center.

Drucker reminded me that Jesse himself is a veteran himself, having served as a paratrooper with the 101st Airborne Division.

Drucker even knew how many veterans there are in Illinois:

We have 1.2 million vets in Illinois.

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State Senator Pam Althoff and State Rep. Mike Tryon talk to Crystal Lake's John Blanchard at October's Camp Algonquin Stand Down for homeless veterans.

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