The following letter was published in this week’s issue of the Gazette.

To the Editor,
I have tried for over a year to have Croton’s current Board of Trustees recognize two individuals for their contributions to the village. There has been no action. The only responses during that time came from Brian Pugh, Ian Murtaugh and Sherry Horowitz.

I’m sorry but I don’t understand the difficulty in “reaching consensus” on this. Is it because the board members keep switching every couple of months? Even with the personnel changes the board has managed to name the meeting room, the trails, and a street, pretty much in the blink of an eye. Honoring Dr. Greg Schmidt requires no real discussion after the years of service he has provided to the village in both his public and private capacity.

Similarly, Anne Kennedy created the Croton Caring Committee, and without her there would be no Croton Caring. I strongly disagree with the Mayor’s assertion that if the Caring Committee wants to recognize her, it’s their job.

Recognizing the contributions of an individual resident to our community as a whole, which Anne Kennedy absolutely deserves, is the job of this board. Since 1981 the Caring Committee has not simply helped Croton residents in need, it has let the members of our community know that even in hard times, there are neighbors who care. I think that is something worthy of recognition.

I have made three or four attempts to have these people recognized. It’s been over a year and there has been no forward progress. Please do your job. Do the right thing.

These two individuals gave almost 70 years of service to the village. Dr. Schmidt as a trustee, mayor, rotarian, and the force behind 31 years of Summerfest. Anne Kennedy founded the Caring Committee and put her heart into it for over thirty years.

The lack of action is startling and disheartening. Not everything has to be about politics, especially not in a small community like Croton. Sometimes we recognize people for the decades of service that have left Croton a better place.

Bob Anderson