Arlene Kayne is named Sparta Citizen of the Year

The Sparta Township Council on Dec. 8 honored Arlene Kayne as its Citizen of the Year.

In a proclamation given to her at the council meeting, and read by Mayor Jerard Murphy and her granddaughter, Payton Spidaletto, she was referred to as one of Sparta’s “revered senior citizens.”

“The honor is well-deserved, and she’s one of the most caring and passionate people you could ever hope to meet,” township manager William Close said.

She not only dedicated her time and effort toward making the township better, but she also raised her family, which includes her husband, Steve, and her two children, Jeffrey and Lisa, in the township. She was a registered nurse and then an EMT from 1979 until 1999. She was eventually in charge of the volunteer ambulance unit’s equipment and supply.

In 2018, she was honored with a lifetime achievement award. She’s a member of the Senior Advisory Committee and the Sparta Woman’s Club and is a liaison to Family Promise.

Since 2016, she has been a Sparta Town Hall ambassador, offering help to residents who come to town hall find the services they are seeking.

“She’s the kind of individual the community needs,” Close said. “There’s so many facets and so many ways that she’s really the heart and soul and fabric of the community in terms of just being the kind of person to make things better for others.”

She was honored by the council for “exemplifying the vital role senior citizens play in the community.”

Kayne left the meeting immediately after the proclamation was issued. She thanked the council for the honor before departing.

“She’s a person who really doesn’t like the limelight and is somewhat embarrassed to have it,” Close said. “So, tonight’s probably not only a special night for her, but probably her family, because they know what she’s given over the years and sacrifices. It’s nice for them to see her acknowledged as well.”