The Village of Walden election is approaching, and many are probably wondering who is hoping to sit on the board.

On top of current board members re-running, Brian Sebring and Lynn Thompson, there is also the team behind Mayor John Ramos made up of three brand new trustees: Ralph Garrison, Kristy Hall and Chris Batson.

Garrison is a Walden resident for over twenty years with parents who also still live in the area. He is also an Army veteran, Vice President of Walden Little League, and a New York State licensed insurance broker. Garrison hopes to bring an “infusion of youth and ideas,” to the village board and considers the village to be “beautiful.”

Then there’s Firefighter Captain Kristie Hall, who was raised in Walden and now raises her son there. She has volunteered at Hudson Valley St. Baldricks for sixteen years on top of being a volunteer firefighter at Walden Fire Department for the past ten years. In her professional time, she’s done plenty of administrative and human resources work. Hall is interested in bringing fresh ideas and thoughts to the village.

Chris Batson is a 13-year-long resident of Walden who currently holds the role of Director of Total Loss for Gap.He also co-chaired a task force created by the New Jersey State Attorney General’s office to fight organized crime. Batson is married and has two daughters who both graduated from Walden Elementary. Batson considers this an opportunity to give back to the community and wants to continue to make Walden a place everyone can be proud of.

Thompson is a retired nurse who moved to Walden in 1981 from Montgomery and has been serving the board since 2017 after her family suggested she run. She cares largely about engaging with village residents and continuing the process of securing grant funding for the new water and sewer plant. She hopes to keep the public well informed if re-elected.

Sebring is a lifetime resident of Walden and a Veteran who has been a part of local government for a while, having spent time on both the planning and zoning boards as well as his eight years with the village board. He is retired, but has volunteered with many local organizations. Sebring hopes to communicate with other trustees as well as tackling local village issues.

The election will take place Tuesday, March 21 at the village’s municipal building on the third floor.