The Catskill Chronicle

[SOUTH FALLSBURG]—The Honorable Anthony Kane and Mrs. Nancy Kane of Forestburgh are the recipients of one of Sullivan County’s highest honors—the 24^th Annual SYDA Foundation Community Service Award. The Kanes are being honored for their many contributions to the Sullivan County community over a period of nearly forty years.

Since 1986, the SYDA Foundation Board of Trustees has presented an annual award acknowledging local residents for their outstanding service to the community. The award includes a certificate of recognition and a $2,500 check.

The SYDA Foundation is the not-for-profit organization that disseminates the teachings and practices of Siddha Yoga Meditation worldwide. To learn more about the SYDA Foundation and the philanthropic work of the Siddha Yoga mission, including the PRASAD Children’s Dental Health Program, visit www.siddhayoga.org.

Among their recent contributions to the community, the Kanes recently inaugurated the annual Forestburgh 5K Run to benefit and raise public awareness about Hospice in Sullivan County. Justice Kane serves on the Board of Directors of the Hospice of Orange and Sullivan Counties and Mrs. Kane is a founding member of the Hospice Auxiliary.

Justice Kane worked in the county’s legal services program early in his career as an attorney, providing free legal counsel in civil cases to low-income residents. Known for his high ethical standards, he eventually rose through the court system to his current position as Associate Justice in the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court.

He currently serves as co-chairman of the New York State Judicial Task Force on Family Violence and is a member of the Hamilton O’Dell Law Library Board of Directors.

In addition to his many contributions to the county and state legal systems, Justice Kane served for 20 years as a volunteer firefighter with the Forestburgh Fire Company and for 10 years as organizer and conductor of a local children’s orchestra.

Mrs. Kane is now retired from teaching English in Sullivan County schools, where she taught for 28 years. Since retiring, she has served on the Board of Directors of the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance, on the Sullivan County Youth Board, and on the Forestburgh Recreation Committee.

Currently, Mrs. Kane is a member of the Sullivan County Community College Foundation Board and its Gala Fund-raising subcommittee. She is also a member of Forestburgh First and serves on the Sullivan Renaissance Steering Committee, and on the Board of Trustees of the United Methodist Church of Monticello.

“We’re very fortunate to be recognized, and…there are many people who do things quietly in the background in this community”, said Justice Kane. “We accept the award on behalf of those people.”