Walden honors Samuel E. Wright on Arbor Day

By Norma Brickner
Posted 5/4/22

To celebrate Arbor Day 2022, children from Walden Elementary and the Bruderhof Community gathered around a tree planted in James Olley Park to commemorate the late Samuel E. Wright on Thursday, April …

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Walden honors Samuel E. Wright on Arbor Day

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To celebrate Arbor Day 2022, children from Walden Elementary and the Bruderhof Community gathered around a tree planted in James Olley Park to commemorate the late Samuel E. Wright on Thursday, April 28.

Wright passed away in May of last year and is best known for co-founding the Hudson Valley Conservatory of the Arts alongside his wife, Amanda Wright in his hometown of Walden.

Wright is also famous for his role as Mufasa in the original Broadway cast of “The Lion King” and for bringing Sebastian the Crab to life in Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.” Samuel’s memory will live on in his hometown of Walden with this tree keeping his memory alive.

His wife Mandy Wright, and children Sami Wright, Keely Wright and Dee Kelly were at the event in honor their father. His family participated in throwing soil on the tree symbolizing his spirit’s return to earth, forever memorializing him.

Walden Village Trustee and former Walden Mayor, Becky Pearson shared that Wright was a “staple in our community.” He created the cultural epicenter of the community and immensely has contributed to the overall arts and cultural community in Walden.

Village of Walden Mayor John Ramos spoke a few kind words in Wright’s memory stating that “the world was a better place while he was here and he will still live in ourselves on an everyday basis-just by this hope. This [tree] will be a pinnacle of our community. It will grow strong and it will grow tall.”

Pearson stated that the celebration of Arbor Day in Walden began 16 years ago and although it has not always consisted of planting trees and memorializing a former member of the community, it has always educated young minds on the importance of Arbor Day.

Jim Presutti, Commissioner of Parks Recreation and Conservation in the Town of Newburgh then led the way along a trail in James Olley Park leading to Walden’s tree grove. Pearson then called up kids from Walden Elementary to read pieces that they wrote about the importance of Arbor Day.

One of the highlights of Presutti’s presentation was when he presented Mayor Ramos with an infant duplicate of the historic Balmville tree that was taken down in the neighboring Town of Newburgh in 2015. He also explained to the children the anatomy of a tree, how to care for them, and the importance of trees, shrubs, and other greenery in our ecosystem.

In collaboration with Mike Bliss, the Recreation Director for the Town of Montgomery, Presutti assisted the elementary school children to plant a row of infant trees. There were surrounding mature trees because Bliss visits the park occasionally with his team to plant more trees in efforts of preserving the scenic greenery of the park.

Children from the Walden Elementary school and the Bruderhof Community participated in planting infant trees with colorful trowels that had “Arbor Day 2022” written on them. Presutti is also the town appointed arborist for Montgomery, Newburgh, and Walden. He explained why an arborist or tree doctor is so important to the community. “It’s a major part of my life-Arbor day is like my Christmas and my presents are the trees,” said Presutti.