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We Support Sandy Saunders
To the Editor:
As close friends and neighbors of Sandy Saunders for more than 30 years, we were astounded to read the "eye witness" charges against him set forth in such remarkable detail in your paper. We find them very hard to believe, even though we agree with Mary Arceo's letter last week that the Sheriff's Department should be presumed to be doing its job properly in responding to an eye witness complaint.
We live across the road from Sandy and we see the animals out in his fields every day, grazing and sometimes frisking about. They are a delight. The horses and goat are friendly and love a pat; the sheep seem contented in the fields; the cows nurse their young. They have always seemed to us well cared for and peaceful. Sandy works his farm constantly, and he and his helpers are over at the barn regularly, loading or unloading hay and tending to the animals.
We look forward to the pot luck dinners and square dances Sandy holds every June in his barn. We recall hundreds of people eating heartily and dancing vigorously in the barn this June an event that simply fails to square with allegations of "acrid" air and footdeep manure. Later in the fall there will be apple cider pressing, and every Christmas the local church children come to Sandy's barn for a Nativity celebration.
We in Philipstown are lucky to have at least one private working farm and working farmer in our town. Farm fields are key to our rural character, and Sandy is responsible for maintaining hundreds of acres of fields throughout the town.
We cannot comment on the condition of the animals that have been boarded at Sandy's
barn, except to say they have plenty of food, fresh air and room to exercise. We have seen the owner around frequently, caring for and playing with the horses - presumably well satisfied with the accommodations. Any of the specific ailments reported in the article would seem to be owner's business to deal with, and not Sandy's.
Farming is hard work and farming operations are not always picturesque. But from our bedroom first thing in the morning we love to hear Sandy leading his Black Angus herd from field to field, shouting "Here, Beef!" Until they were recently removed, we enjoyed the neighing and baa-ing of horses and sheep in the barn fields, and we have ushered countless big-city friends and children (including our own!) across the road to visit them.
We support Sandy Saunders and urge others who have treasured the Saunders Farm for decades to join us.
Robin and Tom Whyatt
Garrison
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