Welcome Navy Families and loved ones. Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is John Spadaro (Aka Sarge). I proudly served our country for over twenty years of active duty and retired as a Sergeant First Class, U.S. I have lived in the Great Lakes Area for over 35 years. Some of you may ask, why did a kid from Brooklyn New York retire in Gurnee? Well there is a simple answer. My wife of 43 y
ears and I fell in love with this area when I was Stationed at Great Lakes/Fort Sheridan. We have seen this area change over the years for the better. I support our troops and family members the best I can. Every year I am involved with the Adopt a Sailor program. My face book can be found by searching for me [email protected] I also host a FREE Navy Moms & Dads Meet and Greet every Thursday before the P.I.R. On occasion I host one on a Wednesday when graduation is on a Thursday such as during the Christmas/New Year’s holidays. The Meet and Greet is free for all who are attending the Graduation. The meet and Greet starts at 5:00 PM and normally ends at 9:00 PM. It is more than an informal gathering. I show a short video and answer questions about the area; I also give you excellent information regarding the graduation that you won’t find anywhere else. Also I provide excellent buffet style food at my expense. The Sundance Saloon provides me the space for free. Beverages are the only thing you have to pay out of pocket. I put up a small donation box on the buffet line so I can defray cost and continue to host the meet and greet. We have a DJ for entertainment. Here are some of the questions that many parents call me or email me about. If your question is NOT found here, please feel free to call me at 847-212-0246. Question: Sarge, what is the best hotel to stay at and why? Answer: To be fair to all the hotel chains in the area, I recommend that you check reviews before booking your hotel. Being close to the base is not necessary a benefit on P.I.R. day. If you call me I would be more than glad to share comments I have heard from other families PLUS my own personal experience with the hotels in this area. Question: How do I get from the airport to my Hotel? Answer: Be very careful – City Taxi fares from O’Hare to the suburbs will cost approximate $96.00 ONE WAY
From Midway or Milwaukee, it cost $160.00 ONE WAY If you think I am exaggerating, read the Navy for Moms horror stories. However, there is a solution. I own my own Taxi service and have seven drivers on my team. Our rates to and from O’Hare are only $99.00 (PER VAN NOT PER PERSON) round trip to any hotel in North Chicago, Waukegan, or Gurnee. From Midway or Milwaukee it is only $159.00 round trip per cab. If you search on Navy for Moms for “Sarge” you will see many positive comments about me and my drivers. As an added bonus, anyone who hires us from the airport to their hotel, we provide a free ride to the P.I.R. on Friday morning. Question: Are there any good restaurants in the Area? Answer: There are a host of good restaurants in the area. At the meet and Greet I will tell you about them all. One restaurant I highly recommend is owned by a good friend of mine who is also a Viet-Nam veteran and, he and his wife Patty provide a free meal to the sailor in Uniform when he is accompanied by his guest or family. If you want to look them up on the internet here is the website: http://www.trattoriapomigliano.com PS They also cater the food we purchase for the meet and greet. Special Thanks to Olive Garden who split the cost with us when we order the food for the meet and greet. Olive Garden is located in Gurnee.
