'Stress relief' adding to woes
Therapist says she has provided massages to North Twp. workers
Post-Tribune (IN)
January 30, 2004
North Township Trustee Greg Cvitkovich told the Post-Tribune on Wednesday he knows nothing about his employees getting massages on taxpayer time.
On Thursday, the Post-Tribune found the company providing the massages, which the owner said she has done for more than a year.
Taxpayers in Whiting, Hammond, East Chicago, Munster and Highland have paid thousands of dollars for contracted massages, while paying even more to keep township employees on the clock while receiving those massages.
Pam Saladin, owner of Griffith-based Concepts In Massage, said she has been giving therapeutic massages for more than a year to township employees at the Hammond offices of Addiction and Family Care.
That company, owned by Nancy Fromm, has long been linked to East Chicago political player Robert Cantrell and is coming under the cloud of a public corruption investigation.
Cantrell, father of Lake Superior Court Judge Julie Cantrell, also is employed by the township, though many township employees say they don't know what he does at the office.
Saladin said she was approached in 2002 by one of Fromm's employees and asked about providing onsite, therapeutic massages to clients of Addiction and Family Care.
"We provide massage therapy to get the aches and pains out for the township staff," Saladin said.
"We go there every Wednesday and Thursday for a couple of hours to give massages."
Cvitkovich on Wednesday denied employees are getting massages on taxpayer time.
He did not return a call seeking comment on Thursday.
Township records show last year taxpayers paid more than $30,000 to Addiction and Family Care, with an unknown part of that paid to Saladin's firm.
Saladin said she's not on contract to the North Township Trustee or Fromm, but provides the scheduled services and is paid out of Fromm's accounts.
She wasn't aware of the federal investigation and said she doesn't know Cantrell.
"Unless we've worked on him there, I don't know, as part of the township, like we do for everybody else there," she said.
"But I have no clue who he is. I don't get involved in politics."
Township employees have said they are required to attend mandatory sessions at Fromm's agency, spending four hours there on taxpayer time.
If they don't go, they claim, their pay is docked and the township is billed anyway for their appointment.
Cvitkovich denied that Wednesday, but admitted he does require employees to go to Fromm's agency for "sensitivity training" to help them deal with the township's indigent clients.
He also acknowledged that he handed that contract to Fromm without seeking public bids.
Township board members Frank Mrvan Jr. and Richard Novak said Cvitkovich and his attorney, Anthony DeBonis, told them state law grants all contracting authority -- no matter the amount -- to Cvitkovich.
The third township board member is Pete Auksel. In a call to the Auksel home in St. Petersburg, Fla., his wife denied he's living there with her. He could not be reached for comment at his Highland home.
Sources said after two days of Post-Tribune stories detailing the federal investigation spreading into the trustee's office operations, Cvitkovich and Cantrell were seen huddled in an office talking Thursday.
Cvitkovich denied he's involved in any illegal doings and defended the employment of Cantrell, who makes $37,000 as an "inter-agency liaison."
Sources also said some township employees have been asked to sign a petition saying they see Cantrell working in the township office every day, though many are hesitating.
At least two township clients have told the Lake County Election Board that Cantrell used his position to pay them to enter East Chicago political races.
Still others say Cantrell uses the township's indigent clients to pad city voting rolls.
Last year, hundreds of fraudulent absentee votes were found to have been cast in the East Chicago mayor's race.
Many were cast by those fitting the indigent profile.
While a four-month state investigation produced just two indictments so far, U.S. Attorney Joseph Van Bokkelen last week announced he was taking the lead role in a partnership with state investigators.
Investigators have been known to be focusing not only on activities in East Chicago, but also in Schererville, where the town judge's race was also infiltrated by fraudulent votes.
While Cantrell votes in East Chicago, he has stated on county, state and federal forms that he lives in Schererville.
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