Bock name returns to Hanover Pk. politics as trustee candidate

The knock at Carol Bock's door came last fall.

There stood longtime Hanover Park Trustee Bob Packham, asking if he could come in for a cup of coffee. By the time he left, Bock was considering whether to follow in her late husband's footsteps.

The clincher in deciding to enter the trustee race, she said, was watching the way village board meetings were conducted.

"I was embarrassed and appalled," Bock said. "There are inexcusable outbursts and a lack of professionalism."

She said her husband Irv, who served three terms each as trustee and village president, would feel the same.

Bock aligned herself with the CommUnity Party, which includes incumbent Bill Manton and newcomer Jeffrey Bakes, who together are seeking the three trustee seats up for election on April 7. The top three campaign issues listed by each are parking, public safety and maintaining a balanced budget with low taxes.

That slate also includes Trustee Lori Kaiser for village president over incumbent Rodney Craig, and Margaret Blanford-Granbom for village clerk.

Packham himself, who narrowly lost the village president race to Craig after Irv Bock died in office in 2006, has decided not to seek re-election.

Turn to the Hanover Park Progress Party, and aside from sharing public safety as a top priority, you're likely to hear about pride, beautification and accountability. The slate features Rick Roberts, William Cannon and Ed Zimel for trustee.

Roberts, for example, said his key issue is to return pride to Hanover Park. He wants to reach out to different groups to get volunteers organized and active.

"I believe that there is so much energy and talent in Hanover Park that together we can solve any challenge that faces us," Roberts, former Hanover Park Hurricane Football president, said.

Another Progress initiative not found on the CommUnity platform is to explore wind energy as a tax savings approach, though it stops short of Craig's campaign to build a wind turbine in town.

Craig is also a member of the Progress Party slate, along with village clerk candidate Eira Corral.

Manton, who's seeking his fourth term as trustee, said CommUnity's main strength is its experience. Bakes served as trustee on the now-defunct Hanover Park Fire Protection District, as well as chairman of the village's development commission.

Despite never holding political office herself, Bock's experience comes through years of standing on the sidelines while her husband served, Manton said.

"She's got a lot of inside information and knowledge of how things operate," Manton said. "But she also brings that fresh perspective."

CommUnity's philosophy is more conservative, Manton added. Both parties call for an increase in police officers, for example, but the Progress Party wants to try and meet Chief Ron Moser's request for adequate staffing levels. CommUnity candidates suggest minimal hiring and reorganizing the department.

Cannon, of the Progress Party, said he's confident funds can be found in the existing budget for six more police officers simply by reprioritization.