Note: This is the Fifth in a 10-part series of stories introducing candidates who are on the ballot for the first time in Homewood and Flossmoor village board races. There is more competition for trustee seats than usual in Homewood. In 2023, five candidates ran for four seats. This year, Homewood’s new political party, the Greener Homewood Party, has swelled the ranks to eight candidates vying for four seats. More candidate profiles will be included in our March edition.
Craig Frank said he decided to join the Greener Homewood Party slate because it seemed like a good opportunity to get involved more in the community.
Frank brings business experience and involvement in the local arts scene to the party.
He is co-owner with Laura Bruni of The Rock Shop, a downtown store that opened in late 2022. The store sells vinyl records, books, guitars, rocks, crystals and jewelry.
“Now that we’re small business owners in town, we have a vested interest” in how the village runs, he said. “We do a lot of community stuff, so this just seemed like another opportunity to be more involved.”
He’s interested in supporting local talent, which he said the community has in abundance. He’s looking for opportunities to collaborate with existing arts organizations like Trail Mix, Spotlight Performance Academy and the Homewood Arts Council to create opportunities, especially for young performers.
He characterized the strength of the Greener Homewood Party as residing in the diverse interests and experiences of its members.
But he acknowledged the young party has a big challenge in front of it, taking on a party that has been winning elections for decades.
“It’s an uphill battle. I mean, these are the heavyweight champs we’re going against,” he said. “At the very least, we’re going to raise some awareness of issues. With a little luck, we may find ourselves maybe making some changes.”
