01212008 - News Article - Portage law firm gaining clout - Rhame & Elwood adds county's biggest city to client list

Portage law firm gaining clout
Rhame & Elwood adds county's biggest city to client list
NWI Times
Jan 21, 2008
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/portage-law-firm-gaining-clout/article_c933836c-fb77-5190-ad38-e80fde03ac80.html
PORTAGE | When Olga Velazquez set out earlier this month for her first day as mayor, local attorney Ken Elwood was among those by her side.

Elwood, who was part of the team that helped Velazquez squeeze out a close victory over Republican challenger James Snyder, went on to accept a seat in her administration as the new city attorney. His associate, Scott McClure, was named assistant city attorney.

The appointment represented not only a change of the old guard, with the ouster of longtime City Attorney Gregg Sobkowski, but also a boost in influence for Elwood's firm, Rhame & Elwood.

As attorneys for the county's largest city, as well as the county Plan Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals, Rhame & Elwood has more firmly planted itself among the few local firms representing government entities.

What distinguishes these firms is that they don't tend to focus on just a few areas of the law, Elwood said. He said his firm brings a background not only in municipal law, but also litigation and contractual work.

The firm has represented the Portage Township trustee's office, New Chicago and Hobart, he said, in addition to 13 years of experience under the two prior administrations representing various boards in Portage city government. The firm also handles criminal defense, personal injury, family law and business cases.

A few other law firms have been retained to help handle the needs of the 12 or 13 boards in the city, Elwood said. This is nothing new, he said, and is done in part to avoid conflicts or at least the appearance of conflicts between city entities that at times can be at odds with one another.

Elwood said his appointment as city attorney was not a payback for the checks he wrote and the doors he knocked on in helping Velazquez win her seat. He said he would do it all again if he was not named city attorney.

"I'm very excited about the vision she has for the city," said Elwood, who is a longtime resident and co-owner of two new business buildings his firm built along Willowcreek Road.

He also dismissed the idea the city job is a lucrative boon for his firm. He said he receives $225 an hour in his private practice and $140 an hour for the city work.

Elwood believes he was tapped for the city job because his firm is based in Portage and can handle the diverse type of work required. He also is a friend of Velazquez and a loyal supporter of her as mayor.

"I like to be involved in government," he said.

01072008 - News Article - Federal colleagues will miss longtime leader

Federal colleagues will miss longtime leader
JOE CARLSON
NWI Times
Jan 7, 2008
nwitimes.com/news/local/federal-colleagues-will-miss-longtime-leader/article_21bf68dd-4e14-53d8-a222-48a5c4ecb6c0.html
Mark Becker, the hard-charging, gang-busting leader of the FBI's Gang Response Investigative Team, is leaving a void in the region's federal law enforcement world that won't be easy to fill, colleagues say.

"His name has been synonymous with GRIT for so long, it's hard to imagine it without him," said Brad Bookwalter, the special agent in charge of the FBI's white-collar crime squad in Merrillville. "But GRIT will go on."

Bookwalter served alongside Becker for a year on the anti-gang team and said the Wisconsin native built a reputation among fellow agents for working long hours at street level while also building relationships of trust in the community.

"He was an agent's agent," FBI spokeswoman Wendy Osborne said. "He was on the ground, knocking on doors, talking to people."

Becker has served as the supervisory agent over GRIT for all but six months of the task force's 11 years of existence. During that time, the squad conducted more than 100 raids and arrested more than 500 people who eventually were convicted, the office reports.

Becker, 50, joined FBI ranks one year out of college and kept at it. In 1987, he transferred to Northwest Indiana, where he took part in one of the region's last major organized crime investigations that resulted in indictments against 15 people from Chicago crime boss Dominick "Tootsie" Palermo's Indiana street crews.

Becker helped set up GRIT in 1996 -- when the G in GRIT stood for Gary -- and took over as supervisor of the special task force of federal, state and local agents six months after its creation.

He said the most significant cases with which he was involved probably were the takedowns of two rival street gangs, the Bronx Boys and the Renegades.

Each investigation resulted in the arrests of more than 20 gang associates, and both cases went to trial at the same time, becoming the first and second criminal cases ever to go to trial in the then-new federal courthouse in Hammond.

"It was just so ironic that two notorious gangs that had terrorized the West Side of Gary for so many years came to a conclusion simultaneously," Becker said.

The Gary Police Department issued a statement Thursday saying Becker's efforts will be greatly missed.

Although it's too soon to say if Becker's reputation for street-level involvement will follow him to Portage, Bookwalter said he would not bet against it.

"I can tell you this: I wouldn't go speeding through Portage any time soon," Bookwalter said.

01172008 - News Article - Portage mayor seat cost Olga Velazquez $106,000 - 37 elected officials fail to file annual reports

Portage mayor seat cost Olga Velazquez $106,000
37 elected officials fail to file annual reports
NWI Times
Jan 17, 2008
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/portage-mayor-seat-cost-olga-velazquez/article_01855d46-2bbc-57e7-96a2-e960f4701701.html
VALPARAISO | Portage Mayor Olga Velazquez spent $106,531 last year to edge out Republican opponent James Snyder, according to annual campaign finance reports that were due Wednesday.

Snyder raised $80,056 by comparison, with a lump sum contribution of $22,130 from the Porter County Republican Party.

Among those donating to Velazquez were the city's new law firm, Rhame and Elwood, $3,700; former city attorney Gregg Sobkowski, $980; Porter County Commissioner Bob Harper, $1,500 and his law partner, Larry Rogers, $500; and a $4,000 contribution from Velazquez herself.

The financial disclosure forms give a peek into the cost of running for local office, as well as identifying which individuals, businesses and organizations supported which candidates. The forms are available for public viewing at the county voter registration office.

A total of 37 candidates -- 19 Republicans and 18 Democrats -- failed to file their disclosure forms by Wednesday's noon deadline, said Kathy Kozuszek, Democrat representative at the voter registration office.

The county election board will likely discuss how to respond during its meeting at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at the county administration center.

Steve Charnetzky, who made a failed bid for the Democratic nomination in the Portage mayoral race, was among a small number of candidates who filed their disclosure forms at the last minute Wednesday.

His primary race cost him $25,617, according to his form.

Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas reported spending $91,386 on his re-election bid, which included a contested primary race and an unopposed run during the general election.

Porter Superior Judge David Chidester is gearing up for his re-election bid this year.

Chidester reported raising $23,280 last year, including contributions from various attorneys and labor organizations.

Michael Essany, who made a failed bid for the Valparaiso City Council, reported contributions of $467, received entirely from former Valparaiso Mayor Dave Butterfield.