Here's what's happening: The Village of Croton is planning to install a commercial compressor motor that will run 24 hours a day at Kaplan's Pond—a peaceful park and fishing pond nestled at the top of Lounsbury Rd. The motor will cost taxpayers $4,000 upfront plus $9,100 every year, and run 24 hours a day, forever.

Here's what we know: Three years ago, a single resident mentioned concerns about water quality at Kaplan’s Pond. Without collecting any data or exploring alternative approaches during that 3 year period, the Village has just moved ahead with a plan to install a motorized system in this peaceful parkland.

The public still hasn’t been told what specific problem this is meant to solve—how severe the issue is, what risks it poses—and no evidence has been shared that other, less disruptive solutions were even considered.

The Village Manager indicates it was one neighbor who asked for information:

"I started having dialogue with ... a neighbor in the area." —Bryan Healy, Village Manager ↗ View in transcript

The consultant states they have no data to support their recommendation:

"I don't have several years worth of hard data to say yes, aeration is the right tool for this pond." —John Tucci, Owner, Lake Savers, LLC (an Aeration Company) ↗ View in transcript

And no water quality testing has been done:

"We can gather data and water quality data and sediment data on the pond. We've not done that." —John Tucci, Owner, Lake Savers, LLC (an Aeration Company) ↗ View in transcript

No resident in Croton asked for this motor. Many neighbors have expressed concern about potential noise and changes to the park’s character. While the proposed aeration system could offer ecological benefits, we’re asking: Could quieter, non‑industrial solutions deliver similar results at lower cost and with less disruption?

The consultant even acknowledged "I don't have several years worth of hard data to say yes, aeration is the right tool for this pond."

This is a permanent decision that will affect our community for decades. With no data collected to inform the decision.

Our community deserves a clear explanation of what problem this motor is supposed to solve. Before we can evaluate any solution, we need to understand: is there actually a problem that requires intervention?

If it turns out that algae reduction is a high-priority project, then we should start with the basics: excessive algae growth starts with source nutrients, let's look at that first.

Additionally, there are proven, beautiful, non-motorized alternatives worth exploring: natural aeration through multi-step waterfalls, or eco-friendly algae suppression using barley straw floats. These approaches could enhance our pond rather than industrialize it.

Let's reset this process and start with the fundamental questions our village leadership should have asked from the beginning:

What exactly is the problem? What are the options for addressing this problem? And what solution would work best for our entire community?

Join us in demanding a transparent, community-centered approach to caring for our pond.

What is happening to stop this?

Any motorized system would add unacceptable noise levels 24 hours a day in what is (right now, still) a peaceful setting where people come to enjoy the sounds of nature. ↗ View in transcript

Actually, no. The Duck Pond aerator system is currently not working to clear algae from the pond.

A walking survey conducted on July 21, 2025 revealed that the existing aerator system at Duck Pond is not controlling algae growth. Despite three active aerators (aka bubblers) running continuously, approximately 1/2 acre of algae coverage was observed on the 2-acre pond—with large algae blooms sitting directly next to all three aerators.

This shows that aerator systems may not be an effective solution. Installing an even larger, noisier system at Kaplan's Pond risks creating the same results while compromising the area's tranquility.

Fortunately, there are proven alternatives that work without industrial noise:

Come up for a visit! It is a beautiful park at 400 feet above sea level with a thriving ecosystem that includes:

Kaplan's Pond is named after Jacob Merrill Kaplan, a noted philanthropist who was a benefactor of the Hessian Hills School (now Temple Israel) in Croton. The pond was named in his honor in recognition of his contributions to the local community.

He was a prominent New York businessman who revived the grape juice industry by founding the National Grape Cooperative (NGC) and bolstered it, selling the Welch's Grape Juice company to the NGC worker's collective in 1956.

He started the J.M. Kaplan Fund in 1945, which supports efforts ranging from civil liberties to historic preservation to environmental causes. A longtime board chair of the New School, he helped save Carnegie Hall from the wrecker's ball and backed progressive education efforts like the Hessian Hills School in Croton.

Jacob Kaplan's life exemplified a moral compass rooted in equity, access, and the power of collective action. He rose from poverty, built his fortune through savvy and persistence in trade and finance, and turned that wealth into a force for public good. His J.M. Kaplan Fund has become a vehicle for small but catalytic investments—"seed money" for composers, conservationists, civil rights advocates, and neighborhood preservationists alike.

His philanthropy avoided pomp and embraced practicality: rescuing Carnegie Hall, preserving green space in the Bronx, funding housing for low-income families in the Hamptons, and sustaining legal aid for the politically persecuted. Kaplan supported civil liberties, public transit over highway expansion, and housing cooperatives for the elderly.

Even in old age, he walked the city he loved, investing not just funds but attention and belief in community-driven transformation. He lived by a credo of quiet, strategic generosity that helped the overlooked, protected the beautiful, and empowered the creative.

"In all seasons, it is peaceful during the day when people jog past it, fish there or take their dogs on walks and peaceful at night when they do the same thing. The only sounds are the occasional plane flying overhead, the various birds singing, the turtles scampering off their sunbathing logs, yard work being done, young lovers and neighbors chatting and an occasional car driving by. At night, heard only are the croaks of the bullfrogs and the hoots of owls. As in the past, day or night 24/7 people go there to unwind and enjoy the peace of it. Its tranquility."

Experience the natural silence of Kaplan's Pond broken only by some enthusiastic bullfrogs. This peaceful soundscape captures the sounds of nature on a cool summer evening in July.

You may have to turn the volume up to hear all the nighttime sounds.

Track of all announcements that have appeared on this site: