Story posted Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Ex-Mayor Donates To Schools
When former Niles Mayor Nick Blase was sentenced last Friday to one year and one day in prison on federal corruption charges, he announced a gift to the next generation of Niles residents in the form of $750,000 in payments to three elementary school districts serving Niles children.
The payments came out of discussions between Judge Wayne Andersen and Blase's defense attorneys before last Friday's sentencing hearing.
The three districts, Culver School Dist. 71, East Maine School Dist. 63 and Niles-Park Ridge School Dist. 64, will receive $250,000 each.
None of the districts have received the money yet but expect checks to arrive this week.
"Sometimes it's easy to say you're sorry and sometimes those words ring hollow," said an attorney for Blase in court. "Paying $750,000 to schools covering districts in Niles $250,000 each is a rough equivalent of restitution."
Andersen said $750,000 would have been the amount of kickbacks Blase received illicitly plus interest in the last decade of his scheme to strong-arm Niles businesses to take out insurance policies with Ralph Weiner and Associates (RWA) using his influence as mayor. Prosecutors contend the scheme began in the 1970's but can only prove payoffs beginning in the mid 1990's.
In a statement in open court during his sentencing hearing last Friday, Blase said of the school donation, "I want to do what prompted me to run in the first place. I'm trying to do it with more than just words."
"We certainly appreciate the (former) mayor thinking of the schools in his attempt to make amends with the community," said East Maine Elementary School Dist. 63 Supt. Scott Clay.
The district is in need of money as the State of Illinois is $870,000 behind in making state aid payments and school officials fear they might lose an additional $2.5 million from state budget cuts in the next fiscal year.
"It's not above and beyond money, it's filling a hole," said Clay.
Dist. 71 Supt. Amy Kruppe said she was extremely grateful to receive the money and told a similar tale of late revenues from the state. The state is $100,000 behind in payments to Culver, and federal stimulus revenues that helped prop up the district's budget this year will go away in the next fiscal year, said Kruppe.
Both districts said the money was given without strings attached.
Andersen said part of the reason the districts were chosen to receive the money was that they are governmental institutions which Blase had no control as mayor.
Blase's attorneys notified Dist. 64 officials about the gift this week verbally. Dist. 64 Supt. Sally Prior requested more information in writing. A school spokeswoman said the district would have no comment until the documents could be reviewed and the gift presented to the school board at their Monday, Feb. 8 meeting.
At the request of federal prosecutors, Andersen agreed to include the gifts in Blase's sentencing order effectively making them as binding as a court fine.
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