Baker and Thompson yearn to be trustees again

By Jared Castañeda
Posted 1/29/25

The Village of Walden will host a huge election this March, featuring a two-year term for the mayor, a four-year term for a justice, and three two-year terms for the board of trustees. Cheryl Baker …

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Baker and Thompson yearn to be trustees again

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The Village of Walden will host a huge election this March, featuring a two-year term for the mayor, a four-year term for a justice, and three two-year terms for the board of trustees. Cheryl Baker and Lynn Thompson, two active village volunteers and former trustees, recently announced that they will be running for seats on the board, hoping to bring their skill sets back to the board and improve the village through government.

Cheryl Baker
Baker originally lived in Plattekill before moving to Walden in 2005. She later graduated from Valley Central High School and obtained a degree in law and psychology from Marist College. Following graduation, Baker worked as a dispatcher for the American Automobile Association and Nebrasky Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling, and as a paralegal for a few law firms, managing paperwork and administrative responsibilities.

As a 20-year resident, Baker adores Walden and especially appreciates the community’s camaraderie and volunteerism, the latter which she considers a rare quality in the country.

“One of my favorite things about Walden is the community spirit that we have. There’s no shortage of opportunities or the amount of people to work with in the community,” Baker said. “Volunteerism is very down across the board in the country, and it’s very to get people to step up. Walden is a unique anomaly in that we have the exact opposite here, which is wonderful to see and one of the things I love.”

Since joining the community, Baker has devoted herself to volunteer work, adamant about improving the village however she can. She delivered test kits to town and village residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, helped individuals struggling with addiction through Hope Not Handcuffs, worked with the Walden VBA committee to establish Hometown Heroes Banners on Main Street, and revived the Walden Business Council with help from several local store owners. Baker also assists the Walden Community Council with events like Harvest Fest and the dog parade contest, and she enjoys cheering up residents with her service dog, Tilly.

In the village government, Baker served as a trustee for 18 months between 2020 and 2021; during her tenure, she and the board worked together to establish the village’s ambulance district. After receiving encouragement from several residents, Baker decided to run for trustee this year and feels she could bring a lot to the board with her teamwork, communication skills, and open-minded approach. If elected, she wants to further support local business, improve the village’s infrastructure, and revitalize the Main Street corridor with trees and other amenities.

“I have a proven ability to work with a diverse group of people. I’ve been able to communicate well while maintaining my composure. I listen to community concerns and bring those forward, and I’m open-minded,” Baker said. “One initiative I want to tackle is bringing trees back to our Main Street corridor. There are many proven studies about their environmental and positive impacts, on top of enhancing Main Street.”

Lynn Thompson
Thompson originally grew up in the Town of Montgomery and moved to Walden in 1981 after marrying her husband. She graduated from Valley Central High School and studied nursing at SUNY Orange. Thompson dedicated her career to nursing, working one year with Veterans Affairs and 30 years at the former Horton Hospital in Middletown until retiring in 2012.

Besides nursing, Thompson served on Walden’s board of trustees between 2017 and 2023. While on the board, she and her fellow trustees facilitated the fluoride removal from the village’s water storage, joined the Wallkill River Watershed Alliance, and completed the Anita Vandermark Community Center in James Olley Park. She was also a crucial player in the State Climate Smart Initiative, helping the village accomplish many of the program’s goals, replacing streetlights with energy-efficient LEDs, and establishing an EV charging station in the Orchard Street parking lot. In the Town of Montgomery, Thompson is a member of the community garden committee, and she previously served as a liaison for the Josephine-Louise Public Library and as a member of the town’s Conservation Advisory Council.

Outside of government, Thompson is a passionate member of the Walden Community Council, helping the group host popular events like Harvest Fest, Christmas in the Square, and several vendor fairs. She also collaborates with the village’s recreation department to beautify the village’s entrances and parks, carefully choosing and planting perennials that would enhance the village’s entrances and parks. Thompson greatly enjoys the community spirit, describing residents as “friendly and neighborly,” and she appreciated the village’s previous status as a hotspot for various food, shops and services.

To further increase her outreach efforts, Thompson will run in this year’s trustee election to secure a seat on the board once more. She seeks to bring her research, teamwork, and engagement to the board, qualities that she feels have been lacking in recent meetings. She wants to push the board to get more involved in the Wallkill River Watershed Alliance, address infrastructure like sidewalks and sewer, and brainstorm creative solutions for funding projects beyond just applying for grants.

“I want to see a lot more engagement during meetings, I haven’t seen the level of engagement that we should be receiving,” Thompson said. “I also think we need to find more creative ways of funding village projects, we shouldn’t just rely on grants.”