How St. Charles Veterans Center makes a difference: National VFW awards post for community service
For decades, a VFW Post or American Legion Post in your community meant World War I and II veterans had a place to meet in a hall big enough to host community events and create photo displays of members past and present.
As part of that, a vision among residents became too simplified: The VFW was a place for old veterans to get a drink at the bar and exchange war stories.
If that’s anywhere near close to what people may think, let’s set the record straight by using St. Charles VFW Post 5036’s recent national recognition for its community service as the key example.
The St. Charles Veterans Center at 311 N. Second St., where the VFW, American Legion Post 342, AMVETS Post 503 and Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 693 all conduct their meetings and business, serves as the command post of sorts for extensive community outreach.
It did not go unnoticed by the National VFW, which awarded St. Charles Post 5036 with a 2024 National Community Service Award, citing the post as one of the tops in the state.
Lynn W. Rolf III, director of programs for the National VFW, recently sent a letter to St. Charles Post commander Jack Erwin, stating, “Your community service total impact is figured by the money spent to host and organize community service events, plus total hours all volunteers participated, plus the mileage for all volunteers.”
In other words, veterans associated with St. Charles Post 5036 do many things — and they get around. Because of that, the national organization will send a community service street sign to the post and list it in the National VFW magazine.
Most importantly, what does this recognition mean beyond getting past the old vision of a VFW being a place to hang out and drink? What does it mean beyond the fact that Korean War, Vietnam War, Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are now part of the membership?
“The honor is basically a reflection of the things we do all year long,” said post commander Erwin, who has had three post-9/11 deployments and is a retired Army National Guard Commander.
Erwin acknowledges the VFW continues to be a place to help veterans keep in touch with other veterans, creating connections that evolve into all sorts of aid. They visit veterans in care centers weekly, provide meals to those at the VA Hines Health Care network, provide wheelchairs for vets who need them, and find local free dental services.
Beyond that, the list of community interactions outside the St. Charles Veterans Center is staggering. It includes providing paddleboat river cruises on the Fox for veterans, various interactions, programs and awards in the schools, supporting Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts programs, various activities and participation in Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Constitution Day and Armed Service Day events.
In addition, the post actively promotes the Honor Flight program for veterans to visit the War Memorial in Washington, D.C.
The VFW sponsors girls’ softball and boys’ baseball teams in St. Charles to show that it understands how to connect with youngsters.
In a continued push to honor Vietnam veterans, the organizations at the St. Charles Veterans Center were recently part of a dedication, aided by the efforts of Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, to rename the east side St. Charles Post Office as the Veterans of the Vietnam War Memorial Post Office.
The St. Charles VFW transformed when it sold its former post building and land on North Third Street in 2013 so it could become a city parking lot. The $800,000 from that deal and all of the veteran organizations helping with rent by meeting at one site in the new center have fueled more investment in community events.
As for that old vision, some might have wondered what goes on at a VFW Post.
“We don’t have a bar, we don’t have gambling or smoking,” Erwin said. “It’s basically a meeting hall and kitchenette, and people can rent it out for small receptions or meetings.”
Erwin said his post wasn’t expecting national recognition because “it was for just doing what we do.”
But he also realizes it can go a long way to educate others on what local veterans are doing.
“It is nice to be recognized for our main focus of serving the community and our veterans,” he noted.
And then, almost as if it were simply part of the DNA of local veterans, Erwin mentioned the newest mission. “We are heading down to Aurora for a Habitat for Humanity project. It’s very rewarding to be part of that, especially when the home is for a veteran.”
Help for LaFox station users:
A couple of projects that should please the users of the LaFox Metra station west of the Tri-Cities are moving along.
Both relate to Bunker Road, one being an extension of that road, the other being the construction of a roundabout at Keslinger and Bunker that was talked about six years ago. Still, plans seemed to have been forgotten or stuffed in a drawer.
That’s not the case, reader Randy Harris of Campton Hills informs me. Harris had an email exchange with project manager Jennifer O’Connell, chief of design for the Kane County Transportation Department.
The Bunker Road extension will pass through the viaduct beneath the Union Pacific West line tracks at the LaFox station and merge into LaFox Road farther north.
“This will reduce the traffic at the grade-level crossing in LaFox village and relieve a lot of the traffic leaving the LaFox station parking lot at the Bunker/Keslinger intersection,” Harris noted.
O’Connell confirmed the projects are back on the front burner.
She said ComEd will relocate utility poles soon to prepare for the Bunker Road extension project. The transportation department starts the roadway project at the end of October, with tree removal continuing through the winter.
“Construction of the roadway extension and roundabout will occur through 2025, with some work that will finish during the summer of 2026,” O’Connell said.
A Chianti’s comeback:
Those who have missed Chianti’s in downtown Geneva since it closed a couple of years ago will soon be able to enjoy the Italian restaurant’s offerings through a different location and business model.
Chianti’s has a planned reopening for next week at 321 Stevens St., Suite N, in Geneva.
It will operate as a carryout and catering business. On its Facebook page, Chianti’s is touting it as creating “a unique retail space where you can buy your favorites ahead of time for meal prep and special occasions.”
For those unfamiliar with the retail strip along Stevens Street, it is the home of Penrose Brewing and various other businesses like a yoga center, builder and roofing services, and Geneva Playhouse 38.
When Chianti owner Daniel Paprzyca announced the Third Street location was closing, he hinted at possibly providing Chianti food differently in the future. This is what he had in mind all along.
A Mediterranean menu choice:
When Chipotle closed its Geneva location at 1441 S. Randall Road and opened up a Batavia site, it left that small retail strip off Bent Tree Drive with far less activity.
Owners of a new eatery called the Pita Zone Mediterranean Grill plan to open this month as work appears on a fast track. The Pita Zone is listed as being under the management of White Bread Inc.
Pita Zone currently has a Bolingbrook location open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
Making new friends:
I’ve written about this organization in the past, mainly because its mission is so easy to grasp: “To make friends and enjoy life.”
What could be finer? The best way to find out is to attend the Fox Valley Newcomers and Neighbors Club new member expo from 10 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 7, in the Carnegie Room of the St. Charles Public Library.
Initially started as a way for new residents to get to know the area and its people better, it has morphed into a place to build friendships. Most, but not all, members are retired and looking to get out and do things.
The organization's menu includes monthly luncheons, card games, special events, book clubs, and golf groups.
Information about fees and activities can be obtained by calling membership co-chair John Glenn at 630-330-7843, or visiting the website at foxvalleynewcomers.com.
I’ll take this “Horizon”:
Before you read my assessment of “Horizon,” the latest Kevin Costner Western epic that flopped at the box office, you should know that most of my books are from that part of American history — “taming” the West from the mid-to-late 1800s.
For that reason, I could relate to this movie. It’s right in my wheelhouse regarding the types of characters I have read about. It was long, but most of my favorite movies — “Dancing with Wolves,” “The Godfather,” “Ben-Hur” and “Spartacus” — have been.
“Horizon” isn’t a favorite yet because Costner has other chapters of this coming, depending on if he feels he can move on without as many moviegoers as he had hoped, being anxious for the next film.
It’s a tough, violent movie set in tough, violent times. It has many moving parts, so you don’t get too enamored with any specific character, but that could happen in future chapters.
It was a trip into the Old West, and I was a willing follower on that wagon train almost every time.
dheun@sbcglobal.net