[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10181]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    PAYING TRIBUTE TO SHIRLEY KOBRAN

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                        HON. MAURICE D. HINCHEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 6, 2006

  Mr. HINCHEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the achievements of 
my friend and constituent, Shirley Kobran. For more than four decades, 
Shirley has been an active resident of Ulster County, New York where 
she has dedicated much of her time to serving her community in various 
manners. Most notably, Shirley committed much of her energy over the 
years to environmental protection programs and served as the catalyst 
for several important local initiatives. I'm proud to join the Ulster 
County Jewish Federation in honoring Shirley for her lifetime 
achievement and service to the communities of Ulster County.
  Upon her arrival to Ulster County from the Bronx, Shirley quickly 
became active in various community service organizations. It was in her 
capacity as editor of the League of Women Voters' monthly newspaper 
that she featured environmental articles prominently on the front page 
and began to organize the League around relevant environmental matters. 
On Earth Day in 1970, Shirley, along with her League colleagues, 
founded the Environmental Task Force of Ulster County. One of the most 
notable public policy initiatives to emerge from the Task Force was a 
broad-based recycling program that laid the groundwork for the county's 
current recycling program. Shirley later became the first chairperson 
of the Ulster County Environmental Council where she brought attention 
to the environmental concerns surrounding the generation of nuclear 
power and oversaw the organization of various environmental fairs.
  Shirley went on to serve on the Ulster County Resource Recovery 
Agency where she formalized a recycling program that continues to exist 
in the county. She oversaw significant expansion of the Resource 
Recovery Agency and its recycling program, including the construction 
of the agency's first sorting facility.
  In addition to these notable endeavors, Shirley has been deeply 
involved with the Ulster County Jewish Federation and many of its 
programs that support the community. She volunteers regularly at her 
synagogue, Ahavath Israel, and participates in many community service 
programs including the Federation's Book Rescue Program and Project 
Hope.
  Mr. Speaker, I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with 
Shirley Kobran for more than thirty years. She has been a friend and a 
valued adviser and we have worked closely on many issues of importance 
to the residents of Ulster County. Her work on behalf of environmental 
issues and her community is inspiring and commendable. It is with great 
pleasure that I join the Ulster County Jewish Federation in recognizing 
her outstanding contributions and achievements.

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