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Royal Society Publishing

Parasites reduce food web robustness because they are sensitive to secondary extinction as illustrated by an invasive estuarine snail

Kevin D. Lafferty, Armand M. Kuris

A robust food web is one in which few secondary extinctions occur after removing species. We investigated how parasites affected the robustness of the Carpinteria Salt Marsh food web by conducting random species removals and a hypothetical, but plausible, species invasion. Parasites were much more likely than free-living species to suffer secondary extinctions following the removal of a free-living species from the food web. For this reason, the food web was less robust with the inclusion of parasites. Removal of the horn snail, Cerithidea californica, resulted in a disproportionate number of secondary parasite extinctions. The exotic Japanese mud snail, Batillaria attramentaria, is the ecological analogue of the native California horn snail and can completely replace it following invasion. Owing to the similarities between the two snail species, the invasion had no effect on predator–prey interactions. However, because the native snail is host for 17 host-specific parasites, and the invader is host to only one, comparison of a food web that includes parasites showed significant effects of invasion on the native community. The hypothetical invasion also significantly reduced the connectance of the web because the loss of 17 native trematode species eliminated many links.

1. Introduction

One way to measure the stability of a network, such as the Internet, is to simulate how the network responds to the addition or removal of nodes (Albert et al. 2000). For instance, in food webs, removing all of a consumer's resources will lead to its indirect extinction. Such secondary extinctions are more likely to result from the extirpation of highly connected resource species, especially prey species that have many predators (Sole & Montoya 2001; Allesina & Bodini 2004; Quince et al. 2005). Here, we ask how patterns of secondary extinction might change if we include parasites in food webs. We find that the high host specificity of parasites makes them very susceptible to extinctions of free-living species.

The Carpinteria Salt Marsh (CSM) estuary food web (Lafferty et al. 2006b) is a topological web that, similar to most other food webs, depicts links between predators and prey (87 free-living species). This food web is expandable to include 47 parasite species at CSM, making it currently the food web with the most complete inclusion of parasites. Parasites greatly increase connectance in the CSM food web (Lafferty et al. 2006a). We first compared how parasites and predators varied in their resource specialization and their subsequent sensitivity to secondary extinction. We also compared the robustness of the food web with and without parasites. Because the loss of one host species, the California horn snail, Cerithidea californica, led to a disproportionate number of secondary parasite species extinctions, we investigated a plausible scenario for the extirpation of the California horn snail from the CSM. The Japanese mud snail, Batillaria attramentaria, was inadvertently introduced before 1935 to several bays and estuaries along the Pacific coast of North America with shipments of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas (Carlton 1979; Byers 1999; Torchin et al. 2005; Miura et al. 2006). Discontinuous populations of the Japanese mud snail presently occur in estuaries from Boundary Bay, British Columbia, to Elkhorn Slough, California, overlapping with the northern range of the ecologically similar native horn snail. Where the invader and native overlap, the native has disappeared, or is declining (Carlton 1979; Byers 1999). Both snails graze on epipelic diatoms (competing exploitatively for food) and serve as the first intermediate hosts for trematodes (Martin 1972; Whitlatch & Obrebski 1980; Byers 2000; Miura et al. 2005; Torchin et al. 2005). Additionally, shared physiological requirements, direct development (Whitlatch 1972; Yamada-Behrens & Sankurathri 1977) and limited adult mobility (Sousa 1990) leave native snails few refugia in the presence of the invader (Byers 2000). Although replacement of the California horn snail by such a close ecological analogue would not be expected to have dramatic effects on the predator–prey links in an estuarine food web, it did result in the extirpation of numerous native trematode species from Elkhorn Slough, south of Santa Cruz, CA (Torchin et al. 2005). An undescribed heterophyid trematode morphospecies, Cercaria batillariae, reported from Japan successfully invaded all the West Coast populations of the Japanese mud snail, and is now well established. We compared topological properties of the CSM food web before and after a hypothetical invasion by the Japanese mud snail and a subsequent extinction of the native horn snail.

2. Material and methods

We used the CSM food web (Lafferty et al. 2006b) to examine the stability of the web with and without parasites. One indication of stability is to determine the pattern of dependencies in the network. Parasites with complex life cycles are likely to be more prone to extinction than a superficial analysis would indicate because each life stage has a potentially separate list of hosts. In other words, a parasite with a three-host life cycle would go extinct if any of the three hosts were absent, while investigation of the topological network would suggest that the parasite could persist as long as any of the three hosts were present. For this reason, we determined the ‘critical diet breadth’ of each species (species with broader diets being more buffered from secondary extinction). For free-living species, critical diet breadth was simply the number of prey species it consumed. For a parasite with a complex life cycle, each life stage has its own critical diet breadth. We determined the critical diet breadth of each parasite species as the life stage with the narrowest host range (the most specific stage in the parasite's life cycle). The extinction of the host(s) for this life stage, as opposed to other stages with a broader host range, would be most likely to lead to the secondary extinction of the parasite.

We also considered how the loss of each free-living species might lead to secondary extinctions of free-living and parasitic consumers. For instance, we removed the first free-living species, and counted the number of consumers that depended solely on it. We then replaced all species in the matrix, and removed the second free-living species. Here, and elsewhere, we did not remove detritus or carrion because we assumed these food sources would be invulnerable to extinction. We then created frequency histograms of the number of secondary extinctions (including cascading tertiary extinctions, etc.) per single primary extinction, separating parasites from free-living species.

We then measured robustness of the CSM food web to secondary extinctions. We evaluated robustness as the per cent of species that could be removed from the matrix before more than 50 per cent of the species became extinct via either direct removal or from secondary extinction (Dunne et al. 2002). We first removed species at random, then in order of their number of links. We then compared robustness for the web with only free-living species and the web with free-living and parasitic species.

To simulate a hypothetical invasion by the Japanese mud snail, we modified the CSM food web by replacing the California horn snail with the Japanese mud snail, eliminating the 17 trematode species in the California horn snail, and adding the introduced heterophyid trematode morphospecies. We note that the introduced populations of C. batillariae include three genetically recognizable species, one of which is rare (Miura et al. 2006). One of the common genetic species apparently invaded along with the snail, while the other was apparently able to invade America by dispersing with migratory birds that serve as the worm's final host (Miura et al. 2006). Unpublished genetic analyses of trematodes from C. californica also indicate the potential for several cryptic species. Because this level of taxonomy is not yet well resolved, we worked with the known, described species. However, to be certain that this did not affect the qualitative nature of our results, we ran a subsequent analysis under an assumption that would bias against the outcome that the invasion of the Japanese snail reduced trematode diversity. Here, we added to Japanese trematode diversity by including all three cryptic Japanese species but did not add cryptic native trematodes. After updating the corresponding changes in the links within the food web, we compared aspects (parasites per host and connectance) of these food webs and their subwebs before and after the invasion (and the extinction of the native snail).

To pinpoint the effects of invasion of the Japanese mud snail, we did a sensitivity analysis to observe how food-web properties would change according to different invasion scenarios in four independent variables: (i) competitive exclusion (or not) of the California horn snail, (ii) addition or non-addition of one generalist trematode, (iii) escape or lack of escape from native predators, and (iv) escape or lack of escape from native trematodes. This resulted in 16 unique outcomes each of which we simulated in a hypothetical web. The outcome that corresponded to an invasion of the Japanese mud snail to CSM was competitive exclusion of the California horn snail, addition of a generalist trematode, the lack of escape from native predators by B. attramentaria and escape from native trematodes (this outcome also corresponded to invasions of northern estuaries in the range of C. californica).

3. Results

Most parasites (64%) in the CSM web depended on a single host species at some point during their life cycle, while few predators depended on a single species (figure 1). Three trematode species were particularly sensitive to secondary extinctions because they depended on a single host species at two stages of their life cycle. A picornavirus was also dependent on the presence of two species because it is parasitic on a parasitic isopod, which has a single crab species for a host. The free-living species dependent on a single resource were either detritivores, carrion feeders or filter feeders of phytoplankton—all dietary items that aggregate many species and are very unlikely go extinct from the loss of a particular species in the food web.

Figure 1

Frequency distribution of resource specialization for predators, parasites and scavengers expressed as the number of feeding links from the CSM food web. The horizontal axis categorizes species by how many feeding links they had (a measure of diet specialization). The vertical axis is the frequency of each feeding strategy that falls with each specialization bin. The figure illustrates how most parasites (grey bars) use only one host, while most predators (black bars) feed on several. Scavengers had a greater range of specialization (detritivores, white bars). Specialization should increase the risk of secondary extinction (figure 2).

Very few free-living species suffered secondary extinctions. By contrast, it was not unusual for parasites to suffer secondary extinctions. In 18 per cent of the cases, the extinction of a free-living species led to the secondary extinction of at least one parasite species (figure 2). Most secondary extinctions were of single parasite species, although sometimes several parasites simultaneously suffered secondary extinctions. In particular, extinction of the snail C. californica led to the secondary extinction of 17 trematode species.

Figure 2

The distribution of secondary extinctions for predators (black bars) and parasites (grey bars) resulting from the primary extinction of each free-living species in the food web. Usually, free-living species were not the sole resource for a parasite or predator, so a few secondary extinctions resulted. The asterisk indicates three secondary extinctions of filter feeders following the extinction of phytoplankton. Because it is unlikely that the entire phytoplankton community would go extinct, these secondary extinctions seem unlikely. The distribution of secondary extinctions had a long right tail, indicating that the extinction of some hosts led to the extinction of one or more parasite species. The extinction of the snail C. californica led to the extinction of 17 trematode species.

Without parasites, the CSM food web was very robust to random species extinctions. Nearly half the time robustness was at its maximum value of 50 per cent. The median robustness was 49 per cent and the minimum robustness in 100 random trials was 44 per cent. The biggest decrease in robustness derived from the assumption that the phytoplankton community operated as a single species.

Adding parasites reduced the robustness of the food web (figure 3). The median robustness was 43 per cent with a maximum of 49 per cent and a minimum of 30 per cent. Declines in robustness were the greatest if the horn snail was one of the species that was removed at random. Removing species in order of their linkage density (most linked species removed first) provided results that were only slightly different from removing species at random: median robustness was 48 per cent in the free-living web and 44 per cent in the web with parasites.

Figure 3

Robustness declines after adding parasites. The higher sensitivity of parasites to secondary extinction (figure 1) reduced the robustness of the food web. The variance in robustness was high after including parasites. This resulted from the skewed distribution in the distribution of secondary extinctions among free-living species (figure 2), particularly for the horn snail, C. californica. If the horn snail was included in the primary extinctions, 17 trematode species suffered secondary extinction.

Because the California horn snail and the Japanese mud snail are ecological analogues, our conceptual introduction followed by the extinction was assumed to have no effect on the predator–prey subweb at CSM. Most food-web studies have quantified only the predator–prey subweb, and doing so gave the impression this invasion would be without consequence for CSM. The loss of 17 native trematode species and the gain of only one exotic trematode would result in an obvious net loss of biodiversity by 16 species. Because trematodes have complex life cycles, their absence would have resonated throughout the ecosystem in that many free-living species would have experienced less parasitism (Torchin et al. 2005) and to the connectance of those food webs, as well as provided substrate. Only half (274/615) of the parasite–host subweb links would have remained, resulting in a dramatic decrease in the average number of parasite species per host (figure 4). Half (480/1021) of the predator–parasite subweb links and a very few (3/172) of the parasite–parasite subweb links would be retained. In total, links in the food web would have declined by half (1262/2313).

Figure 4

Change in the average number of parasite species per host species in CSM associated with the hypothetical invasion of the Japanese mud snail. Pre-invasion data and trophic-level calculation from Lafferty et al. (2006a; light grey bars, pre-invasion; dark grey bars, post-invasion).

Directed connectance would not have changed in the predator–prey subweb (6.7%) but would have declined in the complete food web if we considered the effect on parasites (from 13 to 9%; figure 5). The sensitivity analysis indicated that this would have been due primarily to the high specificity of the native trematodes for the extirpated first intermediate host. The invasion of the Japanese trematode would have done little to make up for the loss of several native species in terms of connectance. Furthermore, including cryptic Japanese trematode species in the invaded web did not change the qualitative results.

Figure 5

Change in connectance in CSM associated with a hypothetical invasion of the Japanese mud snail. After invasion, directed connectance was unchanged if parasites were not considered. Considering parasites in the food web led to a large decline in connectance following invasion, indicating that traditional food-web studies would fail to see an effect of the Japanese mud snail on food-web properties (light grey bars, pre-invasion; dark grey bars, post-invasion).

4. Discussion

It is important to emphasize that the reduction in robustness caused by the inclusion of parasites did not result from parasite-induced extinctions of hosts (an outcome not possible in our topological approach). Instead, the decrease in robustness was due to the higher sensitivity of parasites to secondary extinction. This finding was only possible when considering that each life stage in a trematode life cycle has a potentially different set of hosts. Had we simply lumped all life stages, the trematodes would have appeared to have had a wide host range and to have been relatively invulnerable to secondary extinction.

Empirical studies in this system reveal more subtle dependencies of parasites on the host community. For instance, a decrease in the diversity and abundance of birds at a particular site directly decreases the diversity and abundance of trematodes using C. californica (Hechinger & Lafferty 2005). Furthermore, the trematode assemblage at a particular location depends on the assemblages of fishes and invertebrates that serve as second intermediate hosts to these trematodes. As a result, habitat degradation can reduce the diversity and abundance of trematodes in snails; conversely, habitat restoration can help recover these parasite communities (Huspeni & Lafferty 2004).

Invasion of CSM by the Japanese mud snail is a hypothetical but realistic scenario. In addition, our results probably pertain to actual extinctions because the food web of CSM overlaps substantially with estuaries where the Japanese mud snail has replaced (Elkhorn Slough) or is in the process of replacing the California horn snail (Bolinas Lagoon, Tomales Bay). Other estuaries (Padilla Bay, Boundary Bay, Willapa Bay) invaded by the Japanese mud snail are north of the range of the California horn snail (Byers 1999). In those bays, the invader did not replace an ecological analogue and presumably its invasion resulted in a net gain in the parasite fauna (Torchin et al. 2005) and in the connectance of those food webs, as well as providing substrate (shells) for other invaders (Wonham et al. 2005). For this reason, the effects of this invasion on food-web structure are highly context dependent.

Our results expand on the finding that the invasion of the Japanese mud snail reduces parasitism on various hosts in invaded estuaries (Torchin et al. 2005). Whether the topological changes we see in our hypothetical invasion translate into equally dramatic changes in energy flow through the system depends on the interaction strengths of the links lost and gained.

One possible consequence of lost parasite links relates to the ability of parasites to alter predator–prey interactions. Various trematodes from the California horn snail commonly use six species of fishes, seven crustaceans, three annelids and six molluscs as second intermediate hosts at CSM (Huspeni & Lafferty 2004). A dramatic reduction in trematode diversity could favour some free-living species over others, with invertebrates being the main beneficiaries. One of the most common trematode species, Euhaplorchis californiensis, affects the behaviour of the California killifish, Fundulus parvipinnis, predisposing the fish to predation by birds that serve as final hosts (Lafferty & Morris 1996). It seems probable that the killifish in CSM would benefit from the extinction of the native E. californiensis. The effects of other trematodes are unknown, although we suspect that some of them could also facilitate predation to final hosts. Trematode metacercariae are known to affect the behaviour of crustacean (Helluy 1983) and bivalve (Thomas & Poulin 1998) hosts in ways that increase the risk of predation. The loss of such parasites could reduce the intensity of some predator–prey interactions, leading to substantial changes in the interactive properties of the predator–prey subweb. Loss of species that are pathogenic might benefit certain bird species. However, since some trematodes facilitate predation, and may not be very pathogenic, the loss of parasites that facilitate predation by birds could be a significant cost for final host populations (Lafferty 1992).

Whether the addition of the Japanese trematodes could make up for these losses is not known at this time. Metacercariae of the Japanese trematodes use fishes but not the 16 invertebrates as second intermediate hosts. It is unclear how the exchange of several native heterophyids for a Japanese heterophyid would alter the impact of parasitism on most fishes. This would depend, in part, on if and how the Japanese trematode affects fish behaviour and fitness.

The decrease in connectance following invasion required the assumption that invasion by the Japanese snail led to a complete replacement of the native snail. This is not the rule in invasion biology, and we caution that our topological results will not apply to all invasion scenarios. If B. attramentaria did not lead to complete exclusion of the native C. californica, the increase in trematode diversity would have led to an increase in connectance. Our hypothetical invasion of B. attramentaria was one way to probe the robustness of parasites in food webs; however, other situations can also result in the absence of C. californica from salt marsh food webs. The subtropical genus Cerithidea is absent from northern latitudes. It is also intolerant of the non-tidal conditions common to small estuaries or to the low salinities present in river-mouth estuaries (K.D. Lafferty 2004, personal observations). This peculiar distribution of C. californica provides the potential to examine the robustness of many replicated food webs with and without a major parasitological component.

We suspect that parasites, on average, will be more sensitive to secondary extinction compared with free-living species. This is due to their relative propensity to specialize on one or a few host species at each life stage. Adding extinction-prone parasites to food webs, therefore, reduces the robustness of the entire web. While few will mourn the loss of parasites, this feature may make parasites excellent indicators of food-web integrity. For this system, trematode communities are excellent indicators of the abundance and diversity of final hosts (birds: Hechinger & Lafferty 2005; mammals: Lafferty & Dunham 2005) and also indicate the aspects of the second intermediate host communities (fishes and invertebrates: Hechinger et al. 2007); even being able to track degradation and recovery of estuary habitat over time (Huspeni & Lafferty 2004).

This manuscript benefited from support received from the National Science Foundation through the NIH/NSF Ecology of Infectious Disease Program (DEB-0224565). The University of California Natural Reserve System provided access to CSM. R. Hechinger and M. Torchin provided their useful comments on an earlier version of the manuscript. Any use of trade, product or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the US government.

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[rspec-users] basic noob questions

BJ Clark bj at aboutus.org
Sat Jul 25 00:45:38 EDT 2009

I don't test instantiation and then saving, I test successful and
unsuccessful creation.

By testing this concern, I don't need to worry about expectations or
mocks, I actually create the object (or not!) and then test that the
controller behaves the way I expect it to in these situations.

Its probably not important that Govtpostion receives "new". It's
important that when it receives new with the proper things, and then
saves, that it behaves a certain way. And when it doesn't receive the
proper things, it acts another way.

Hope that helps,

BJ Clark

On Jul 24, 2009, at 5:13 PM, norm wrote:

> Struggling mightily!
> Testing a controller called Govtpositions. Just focusing on testing
> the create method for the moment. I would imagine there should be two
> examples for a successful save... instantiate the model object and
> then save it, is that right?
> So just to test the model object instantiation, I have:
> describe GovtpositionsController, do
>  before do
>    Govtposition.stub!(:new).and_return(@govtposition)
>  end
>  it "should create a new govt position model" do
>    @govtposition = mock_model(Govtposition)
>    @params = {"name"=>"chief"}
>    Govtposition.should_receive(:new).with(@params).and_return
> (@govtposition)
>  end
> end
> This fails, with the reason that @govtposition is receiving an
> unexpected :save. Well I didn't intend to test save, I was planning to
> write another example for that assertion. Why can't I just test object
> creation in it's own example, must I also test saving in the same
> example? I'm clearly missing something basic!
> thanks in advance for any insight you can offer
> _______________________________________________
> rspec-users mailing list
> rspec-users at rubyforge.org
> http://rubyforge.org/mailman/listinfo/rspec-users

BJ Clark

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Under Armour Apparition II–($95)

2010 Winter Running Shoe Review

Under Armour continues to make running shoes with enveloping uppers that wrap the foot with a snug hold. These really impressed the test team. This second round of the Apparition was firm in the midsole; and although it felt like a responsive shoe, testers said the Apparition didn’t flex well with their feet. One tester was reminded of the feeling of low-cut court shoes and said that the absorption and toe push-off didn’t feel like that of a running shoe. The fit, although a little on the long side, has a high arch and is generally comfortable; and the structure guides the foot without so much motion control that it alters an efficient stride.

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Tuesday, August 27, 2013

A group in the UK called iwantgreatcare.org has been running a consumer evaluation website about doctors and hospitals.  Analogous to TripAdvisor, people can post quantitative rankings as well as qualitative comments.  It covers 100% of the NHS hospitals and over 200,000 doctors.  All information is absolutely transparent to the public, the clinicians, and the hospitals.

I can already hear the complaints:  "Our patients are sicker."  "People don't understand enough about medicine to properly judge us." "This is just going to be a complaint board."

Taking the last objection first, well, no.  It turns out that the vast majority of people are actually pleased with their medical care and use the site to send a positive, thankful message to their caregivers.  Here is a touching example:

Everybody finds the GU clinic a bit scary. It just is. For me it's a bit more than scary. I was sexually assaulted 10 years ago and find the examinations difficult after my experiences. After the assault I was examined by a male doctor... it was traumatic to say the least. Just to add insult to injury I have also had cells removed from my cervix (bear with me I am trying to build up a scenario) so I have been examined by various doctors, nurses, blah blah. The point is this. Dr [Robin] Bell is extraordinary. His approach, helpful manner and wit are second to none. I have NEVER ever felt so at 'ease' (relatively speaking) when having said examination. Having seen him twice now I can honestly say I will not see any other GU doctor unless I really have to. I was nervous the first time I went to his clinic; nervous about the examination and (wrongly so) the fact, he is of course, a man! Pah! No female has ever treated me with such tenderness. I would like to thank Dr Bell and I meant to say it today but after my last visit I called my mum (confidant and aide) and cried (for quite some time) about the fact it was ok, that a man had dealt with me and it had gone well. I cried that my fear was over; believe me the police examination was horrific. I can't recommend Dr Bell highly enough. I never ever thought I'd get the chance to conquer the fear of a male examiner... but I did and he's the best :-) Who is in control? His patient :-)

But sometimes, there are complaints.  Here's one, along with the response by the doctor, posted within 24 hours:

Saw my mother after an examination of her bowel because her GP was worried about something serious. Spent more time talking to student doctor than to my mum and kept asking me questions instead of my mum. She wears hearing aides but isn't stupid! She was still worried about her stomach pains but all he cared about saying was that it wasn't cancer. He is very professional and smart and probably very clever and not rude but he didn't address my mother's worries and talked down to us both a bit. Would ask for a different doctor next time.

Response from Mr Oliver Warren

Thanks for your feedback. I'm very sorry that you feel I didn't live up to the high standards of care I expect from myself and that we all strive for at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. I would never presume that someone who requires hearing aids is stupid, and would never wish to give the impression of talking down to a patient or a relative; it can sometimes be really difficult to get the balance right between explaining things in a way that people understand and aren't too complicated, and oversimplifying. Likewise with reassurance; many of our patients are very much focused on cancer, and ensuring they don't have it. On this occasion I read the concerns of your mother and you incorrectly. We try to ensure that the medical students are fully involved and seen as part of the team at our teaching hospital. Balancing their educational needs with the needs of patients can also sometimes be fraught with difficulty in a busy clinic. I would be delighted to organise a second opinion with a colleague if this would be of any help or benefit and am grateful for your feedback.

I don't know, but I bet the information collected here is more useful than the kind collected by Press Ganey and other such patient evaluation services.  Yes, this site suffers from a self-selection bias, but it would be difficult to know in which direction the bias acts.  As mentioned, lots of the comments are laudatory and appear to give people a chance to show gratitude.  If I were running a hospital, I would be sharing these results broadly among my staff, looking to see where trouble areas might be occurring.  As the site notes: "Quantitative and qualitative feedback for organisations, departments, wards and clinics gives real insight with data that actually allow continuous improvement and is proven to engage front-line clinical teams."  I would also celebrate the success of consistently fine reviews.

The site makes no representation that it is evaluating clinical decision-making and outcomes.  That's not the point. It collects reactions from patients in three categories:  Trust, Listening, and Recommend.  You don't have to be a genius to understand that these characterizations are going to be made anyway by patients to their families, friends, and associates.  Doesn't it make sense to hear them directly if you are running a hospital or physician practice?

Barry Carol said...

It appears to me that our medical culture is unwilling to trust patients to be fair in this context and doesn’t think what patients have to say is worth hearing or listening to. Patients may also worry about the implications of negative comments in our litigious society.

At the same time the power of lobbyists for hospitals, doctors and commercial insurers continues to successfully resist eliminating the confidentiality agreements that preclude disclosure of actual contract reimbursement rates. How the healthcare industry can think that it’s acceptable to make it impossible or nearly so to find out what anything costs before services are rendered is beyond me. With the possible exception of defense, no other industry operates this way.

Gauri Kamath @Apothecurry said...

From Twitter:

Thanks for this. This is an idea whose time has come. Of great need in India too where for-profit hospitals and doctors dominate.

Anonymous said...

Barry, I think your comment speaks to a point that is only now becoming clear to the public - the health care industry has been allowed to ignore with impunity many, many basic practices that exist in every other industry. Because we were thought to be 'different' and practitioners were revered. Time to take off the halo and bring it into line. It will take government, patients and insiders all working together to change this dangerous perception.

nonlocal MD

Anonymous said...

Yes, ratings are good, but we have RATEMDS , and help for Hospitals etc...my issue is hospitals, doctors, practice groups need to really respond to patient or patient advocate concerns- when things go wrong, and the patient's family is angry, and they are pointing out the missteps, mistakes, etc.. They should take pause and try to improve - rather than just listening but not looking further to analyze what happened and how can this be avoided. Obviously, I speak from experience, missteps in hospital care are frequent , and often times result in critical illness requiring ICU , log term acute care, which all could have been avoided if early staff, such as hospitality, specialists, nurses- really examined patient, health records, symptoms, rather running with a wrong, diagnosis which was suspected by admitting ER doc- happens over and over, and when patient is old and/or fragile the recovery is long, painful- and sometimes results in death. Reviewing or rating care doesn't help or offer much in my opinion- what does is listening to patient, their family, and practicing medicine by examining patient- and delivering carefully monitored care- rather than just following orders and prior reports of suspected diagnosis- and when family members express great concern over care or status of family-LISTEN and take it seriously- bring it up to chief attending, or Nursing manager, don't just listen to concerns and do nothing. No wonder health care costs keeps going up and quality goes down- unfortunately medicine is not always practiced in a very careful, passionate manner but rather carelessly. I hate to admit this is becoming more and more the case.


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“Weekends With Carl” Mini-Poster

Below is a mini-poster I designed to display at my table at Fallcon.  It’s okay, but I’m going to try to design a better one tonight.  Something a little more upbeat.

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1. Chat with Ranulf

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I had a nice long chat with Ranulf Goss about life, the universe, and everything. I think it's absolutely wonderful that he wants to inspire people to go into independent game development here in the Philippines, and I wish him lots of luck. I'm looking forward to our Subic trip this weekend, too! =)

私たちはその猫をミミとなずけた。 We named the cat Mimi.

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2. Keeping it Personal

Categories: None — Permalink is an insightful blog post on personalizing a planner. It inspires me to do something similar with my Planner. =)

彼らは猫のように四つんばいにはった。 He crept on all fours like a cat.

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linux: the choice of a GNU generation
([email protected] put this on Tshirts in '93)

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Headlines for Saturday:

  1. Sick and happy (131 words)
  2. Lasagna (142 words)

1. Sick and happy: 14:56

Once in a blue moon I get quite sick. I think this is so far the best way I've spent such a day, though... snuggled up with a hot water bottle, wrapped in a Strawberry Shortcake blanket, watching a movie, offered tea and food and hugs at every opportunity.

As illogical as it may seem, I still do actually want to get better. I've been a little under the weather for the past week, which annoys me. But W and J are totally sweet, and I'm so grateful that if I have to be sick, it's around such wonderful people. I'm looking forward to repaying the favor and practising what they're teaching me about taking care of people who are sick.

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2. Lasagna: 20:28

We made lasagna tonight. W and J hadn't made lasagna at home before, but we managed to put together two decent versions. The first pan was a good start, although we ran out of mozzarella and had to substitute cheddar for the second pan. We also put portabello mushrooms into the second lasagna. Ahh... bliss!

I told W and J stories about how I grew up on lasagna from Almon Marina, how my parents would always bring me lasagna when I was sick or sad or just whenever, how my mom would bake lasagna for Christmas or New Year's or my birthday, how my sister regretted giving me permission to help myself to the lasagna she baked... Lasagna is one of my comfort foods, woven through my life.

Blissed out. Happy girl!

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Sacred Texts  Bible  Index  Previous  Next
Buy this Book at Amazon.com

The Complete Sayings of Jesus, by Arthur Hinds, [1927], at sacred-texts.com

A.D. 30. Age 33. Bethphage. Jerusalem.

John 11, 55-57: Matthew 21, 1-6: Mark 77, 1-11: Luke 19, 28-44.

THE Jews’ passover was nigh at hand; and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem, before the passover, to purify themselves. Jesus went before, ascending up to Jerusalem.

Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that if any man knew where Jesus were, he should shew it, that they might take him. Then they sought for him.

¶When Jesus was come to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, nigh unto Jerusalem, he sendeth forth two disciples, saying,

Go ye your way into the village over against you, in the which, as soon as ye be entered into it, straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her, * whereon yet never man sat; loose them, and bring them hither unto me.

And if any man say aught unto you, and ask you, Why do ye this? why do ye loose them? ye shall say, Because the Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them hither.

The [two] disciples went, and did as Jesus had commanded. The owners said, Why loose ye them? They answered, The Lord hath need of them. And they let them go.

They brought the ass, and the colt, and put their garments on the colt; and they set Jesus thereon.

As he went, many spread their clothes in the way; and others cut branches off the trees, and strewed them in the way.

p. 100

At the descent of the mount of Olives, the multitude began to praise God, saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of he Lord. Hosanna in the highest: peace in heaven!

Some of the Pharisees said unto Jesus, Master, rebuke thy disciples. He answered,

I tell you, that if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

¶When Jesus was come near, he beheld the city (Jerusalem), and wept over it, saying,

If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.

For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side. And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

¶When Jesus was come into Jerusalem, he taught daily in the temple. All the city was moved. The blind and the lame came to him, and he healed them.

The wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, Hosanna to the Son of David, displeased the chief priests and the scribes; and they said unto Jesus, Hearest thou what these say? He answered,

Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

And when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out. With the twelve he went unto Bethany, and lodged there.

99:* Thus Matthew. The other three narrators tell of the colt only. The interested reader will be repaid who will compare all four accounts, contrasting the characteristic Phrasings (book, chapter, and verse indicated above).

Next: LXV. The Fig Tree Withered


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Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com

                              The Sacrificial God man
                                 Ammond Shadowcraft

             How did the Christian mythos arise? Where did it come from?
             The Christian myth is almost totally Pagan in origin. I used to
             thinkthat anythingoutside theJudeo/Christian/Moslem BeliefSystem or
         worldview was Pagan. Such is not the case.
                     Thetwomain featuresofthe CBSarethe EucharistandSacrifice of
         a God man. These two features were well known and well loved by Pagan
         mystery cults centuries before the Christian Cults integrated them
         into the Gospels.
             The Eucharist goes way back into history and is based upon the
         ritual consumption of the God man. Osiris, Dionysus, Attis and many
         others were ritually consumed. The practice dates back to prehistory
         when a human sacrifice was identified with the God (perhaps a
         Vegetative God) and was sacrificed and eaten. Over the ages human
         sacrifice was found detestable. Animals were then substituted and
         sacrificed as the ritual identifier of the God which was then followed
         by grain offerings, breads shaped into the form of the God, sometimes
         in the shapes of natural items (sun, moon, etc.).
             The mythos of the Jewish Christ integrated this practice into it's
         mysteries. There is strong reason for this. For some 200 plus years
         before the time recorded for Jesus the Greeks and their mystery cults
         invaded and changed Israel for all time. A war was instituted to
             diminish or wipeout theHellenizing influence. Partof theHellenizing
         influence was an effort to update or change the Jewish religion to
         something more applicable to the times. After the Maccabbees War the
         Hellenizing cultist were driven underground; right to the heart of the
         Jewish mystical culture. Hence the Greek influence upon the myth of

             The sacrifice of the God man (Jesus, Attis, Adonis, Osiris) was a
         well known and well loved feature also. In fact it was necessary to
         have a willing sacrifice before a Eucharist could be performed. When
         the sacrifice was not willing the legs and sometimes arms of the
         sacrifice were broken to make it look like the sacrifice was willing
         (not struggling against the sacrificers). Jesus was a willing

             Images of Attis (Tammuz/Dummuzi) were nailed or impaled upon a pine
         tree. The Jews knew this and wrote "Cursed is he who hangs upon a
         tree." A goat was substituted for a boy in sacrifice to Dionysus at
         Potniae and a hart for a virgin at Laodicea. King Athamas had been
         called upon to sacrifice his first born son by the Delphic Oracle,
         Melenloas sacrificed two children in Egypt when stayed by contrary
         winds; three Persian boys were offered up at the battle of Salamis. It
             was only inthe time of Hadrianthat the annualhuman sacrifice toZeus
        was abolished at Salamis in Cyprus. The God man Jesus was hung upon a
             tree;he was also thelamb of God.As such the sacrificeand Eucharist
       of the God man Jesus is purely Pagan in origin.

             Part of the older Pagan sacrifices was in the King sacrificing his
         only begotten son. Jesus was the only begotten son of the King of
         Israel, sacrificed to take away the sins of the world. This practice
         was overturned in the myth of Abraham and Issac when it was found
             detestable andinjurious to thetribe or kingdom.Yet the Godman Jesus
           wassacrificed in the flesh.This was done to appealto the underground
       Greek mystery cults who had much in common with the Jewish Christian
             "During centuries of this evolution, the Jewish people tasted many
             times thebitterness ofdespair and theprofound doubt denouncedby the
        last of the prophets. In periods when many went openly over to
         Hellenism, it could not be but the ancient rites of the Semitic
         race were revived, as some are declared to have been in earlier times
             oftrouble. Among therites of expiationand propitiation, nonestood
      traditionally higher than the sacrifice of the king, or the king's son.
         The Jews saw such an act performed for them, as it were, when the
         Romans under Anthony, at Herod's wish, scourged, crucified [lit. bound
         to stake], and beheaded Antigonous, the last of the Asmonean priest
         kings in 37 B.C." _Pagan_Christs_ page 44,45 by J. M. Robertson
                     ThemodeofsacrificewaspredeterminedbypreviousPagan doctrine.
         The type of sacrifice was also predetermined by Pagan doctrine. Both
         the sacrifice of the king, and the king's son were incorporated into
             the Gospel myth.The God man Jesusis both the Kingof the Jews andthe
        son of God, the king of Israel.
             As stated before the sacrifice of the king or king's son was found
         injurious to the state. Before animal and grain sacrifices, criminals
         and prisoners of war were substituted. Yet the criminal had to be
         identified with the king. This was done by putting royal robes on the
         sacrifice and parading the sacrifice around, calling it the king.

             "The number three was of mystic significance in many parts of the
         East. The Dravidians of India sacrificed three victims to the Sun-god.
             Inwestern as ineastern Asia, thenumber three wouldhave its votaries
        in respect of trinitartian concepts as well as the primary notions of
             'the heavens,the earth,and theunderworld.' Traditionally,the Syrian
        rite called for a royal victim. The substitution of a criminal for the
         king or kings son was repugnant, however, to the higher doctrine that
             thevictim be unblemished.To solve thisproblem oneof the malefactors
           was distinguished fromthe other criminalsby a ritual ofmock-crowning
       and robing in the spirit of 'sympathetic magic'. By parading him as
         king, and calling the others what indeed they were, it was possible to
         attain the semblance of a truly august sacrifice." _Pagan_Christs_, by
         J.M. Robertson page 45
             There is nothing in this mythos that did not originate in other
             "We can only conclude that the death ritual of the Christian creed
         was framed in a pagan environment and embodies some of the most
         widespread ideas of Pagan religion. the two aspects in which the
         historic Christ is typically presented to his worshipers, those of his
         infancy and death, are typically Pagan." _Pagan_Christs_ by J.M
         Roberts, page 52.

             What about the man Jesus then? Was he divine? Did he exist? Is/was

         he the Savior?
             Most, if not all, of the Christian Belief System is Pagan in
         origin.  It is indeed hard to force oneself to believe that Jesus is
         the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God when such titles were readily
         copied from Pagan doctrine. Perhaps the only item not borrowed from
         Pagan sources was the Messiah concept. That, of course, was taken from
         the Jewish hysteria of the time. In the siege of Jerusalem in 72 C.E.
             there were some18 Messiahs insideJerusalem alone. Neitherthe Godman
        Jesus nor the self proclaimed militant messiahs saved Jerusalem. Such
         was the measure of hysterical superstition upon the nation of Israel.

             "There is not a conception associated with Christ that is not
         common to some or all of the Savior cults of antiquity. The title
         Savior was given in Judaism to Yahweh; among the Greeks to Zeus,
         Heilos, Artemis, Dionysus, Hercales, the Dioscurui, Ceybele and
         Aesculapius. It is the essential conception of Osiris. So, too, Osiris
         taketh away sin, is the judge of the dead and of the last judgment.
         Dionysus, the Lord of the UnderWorld and primarily a god of feasting
         ('the Son of Man commeth eating and drinking'), comes to be conceived
         as the Soul of the World and the inspirer of chastity and self
             purification.[J. M. Robertson maybe referring toAttis here.] From
     the Mysteries of Dionysus and Isis comes the proclamation of the easy
         'yoke'. Christ not only works the Dionysiac miracle, but calls himself
         the 'true vine.'"
             "Like Christ, and like Adonis and Attis, Osiris and Dionysus also
         suffer and die and rise again. To become one with them is the mystical
         passion of their worshippers. They are all alike in that their
         mysteries give immortality. From Mithraism Christ takes the symbolic
         keys of heaven and hell and assumes the function of the virgin-born
         Saoshyant, the destroyer of the Evil One. Like Mithra, Merodach, and
         the Egyptian Khousu, he is the Mediator; like Khousu, Horus and
         Merodach, he is one of a trinity, like Horus he is grouped with a
             Divine Mother;like Khousu heis joined tothe Logos; andlike Merodach
        he is associated with the Holy Spirit, one of whose symbols is fire."

             "In fundamentals, therefore, Christism is but paganism reshaped. It
         is only the economic and doctrinal evolution of the system--the first
             determined byJewish practice andRoman environment, the secondby
         Greek thought--that constitutesnew phenomena in religious history."
      _Pagan__Christs_ by J.M. Robertson pages 52,53

             No religion develops in a vacuum. All religions are influenced not
         only by it's predecessors but by the contemporaries of the time also.
         Such is the nature of Christism yesterday and today.

             Now about Jesus the man, did he exist? I think not. All the
         teaching of Jesus can be attributed to other sources and grafted over
         the Gospel myth. Nothing he said was substantially different in any way
         from previous sayings. Jesus was not a man but a contrived myth.

             "The Christian myth grew by absorbing details from pagan cults. The
         birth story is similar to many nativity myths in the pagan world. The
         Christ had to have a Virgin for a mother. Like the image of the
             child-godin the cultof Dionysus, hewas pictured inswaddling clothes
        in a basket manger. He was born in a stable like Horus--the stable
         temple of the Virgin Goddess, Isis, Queen of Heaven. Again , like
         Dionysus, he turned water into wine, like Aesculapius, he raised men
         from the dead and gave sight to the blind; and like Attis and Adonis,
         he is mourned and rejoiced over by women. His resurrection took place,
         like that of Mithra, from a rock tomb."
             The man Jesus did not exist. There are however sources that speak
         of others seeing him. These were secondhand sources. No direct
             observations were made. Atone time oranother we haveall had avision
        of Deity in our minds. Such is the sight of Jesus, a mental image.
             What of the Gospels then? They are passion plays designed to be
         read or acted out in front of an audience. Passion plays were a common
         feature of pagan religion. Looking at the Gospels themselves one finds
             a choppilywritten, scene byscene, display of thelife of theGod man.
         Only the important aspects of his life are described. The minor events
         and influences of the life of Jesus are not recorded, which leaves one
         to think that the Gospels are indeed a play.

             "When we turn from the reputed teaching of Jesus to the story of
         his career, the presumption is that it has a factual basis is so
             slenderas to benegligible. The Churchfound it sodifficult to settle
           the date ofits alleged founder's birththat the Christian erawas made
         to begin someyears before the year which chronologistslatter inferred
      on the strength of other documents. The nativity was placed at the
         winter solstice, thus coinciding with the birthday of the Sun-god. And
         the date for the crucifixion was made to vary from year to year to
         conform to the astronomical principle which fixed the Jewish Passover.
         [The Passover is moon based, an already familiar pagan method of
             cyclic, monthly dating.]In between thebirth anddeath of Jesus,there
           is analmost total absence ofinformation except about thebrief period
       of his ministry. Of his life between the ages of twelve and thirty we
         know nothing. There are not even any myths. It is impossible to
         establish with any accuracy the duration of the ministry from the
         Gospels. According to the tradition it lasted one year, which suggests
         that it was either based on the formula 'the acceptable year of the
         Lord', or on the myth of the Sun-god." _Pagan_Christs_ by J.M.
         Robertson, page 68

Next: Gnosticism


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Sacred Texts  Sagas and Legends  Celtic  Index  Previous  Next

Owen Goes a-Wooing

OWEN, one of the men-servants at Nannau, was going to see his sweetheart, who was a milkmaid at Dol y Clochydd. The night was very dark, and Owen lost his way. After wandering about for some time he fell into Llyn Cynnwch. He could not swim, and the water closed over him, and he sank down, down, down. As he descended his brain began to clear, and he found that the process of sinking was by no means as unpleasant as might have been expected. He breathed as freely as on land, and the further he went the clearer became the water. At last he alighted on a level spot at the bottom of the lake. He was surprised to find a beautiful country, with green fields and flowery hedges and leafy trees. Presently a short, fat old man came to him and asked him where he had come from. Owen explained how he had fallen into the lake on his way to see Siwsi, his sweetheart. "You are welcome," said the short, fat old man, and he conducted him to a beautiful mansion where there was a large company assembled, amusing themselves with all kinds of merriment and frolicking.

After he had been there for about an hour or two he went to the short, fat old man and said to him, "Would you be so kind, sir, as to show me the way to Dol y Clochydd? I am late as it is, and I am afraid Siwsi will give me up and go to bed unless I turn up soon." His host tried to induce him to stay, but Owen was anxious to go, and at last his petition was granted. The short, fat old man took him along a level path, which led right underneath the hearthstone of Dol y Clochydd. The stone lifted itself up when Owen came to it, and he found himself in the kitchen. Siwsi was sitting by the fire weeping for him. She was terribly frightened when she saw him, and he had much difficulty in proving to her that he was not a ghost, for instead of being an hour or two late, as he had imagined, he had been missing for over a month.

Next: The Fairy Reward


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Categorized | Community, Page 1

Celebrating Earth Day All Year Long

Posted on 10 April 2013

Brian Halweil and Kim Tetrault. (a. hinkle photo).

Brian Halweil and Kim Tetrault. (a. hinkle photo).

By Annette Hinkle

Earth Day is April 22 – and has been since its founding in 1970.

But there are 364 other days of the year and any number of ways to protect the environment. So this past Monday, the League of Women Voters of the Hamptons hosted “Beyond Earth Day: What You Can Do Now,” a panel discussion to explore a few of them.

Taking part in the discussion at Rogers Memorial Library in Southampton were Scott Chaskey of the Peconic Land Trust’s Quail Hill Farm, Barbara Shinn of Shinn Estate Vineyards on the North Fork, Brian Halweil, editor of Edible East End and Kim Tetrault of Cornell Cooperative Extension.

For Halweil, who has been involved in researching food issues and farming methods around the world, inspiration came long ago in the form of an ecologist who once said “food is the single biggest way in which we touch the planet.”

“How we decide to grow and eat has a massive impact on the landscape,” said Halweil. “Agriculture is responsible for 33 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions. Agriculture consumes 75 percent of the fresh water on the planet.”

Halweil noted the mission of Edible East End is to celebrate the local food and drink community by telling the stories of the farmers, winemakers, fishers and food producers who using environmentally sensitive methods, thereby inspiring people to support the community and those businesses.

“Personal responsibility alone isn’t enough,” added Halweil. “There needs to be broader social and political changes to support the effort. School food a good example. It’s one thing for parents to teach about healthy shopping and eating, but the schools need to support that effort as well. It’s a complement between personal and societal responsibility.”

For Barbara Shinn, changing the world on a local scale has come through the success she and husband David Page have experienced through farming their 20-acre vineyard holistically by developing a sustainable wine growing program.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of wine growing on Long Island, but Shinn notes it’s only in the last 10 years that any dynamic change has occurred in the way in which local vintners approach the process.

“When David and I first planted the vines 13 years ago, none of my fellow growers knew what sustainable wine growing was,” she said. “No offense to Cornell [Cooperative Extension] at all, they were providing us with a recipe of what to spray when. But when David and I planted our vines, we decided we were going to figure out how to do this as organically as possible.”

“We were following our gut and coming up with creative solutions and farming by our heart,” she added. “We didn’t know if what we were doing was right.”

In the end, instinct won out over status quo, and by 2004, Shinn noted she and Page knew what they were doing and knew they could farm their vineyard in a totally different way.

“We knew how to feed vines organically, take care of insects and weeds organically,” she said. “We never made a bad decision and never failed — which means it can be done.”

While Kim Tetrault admits he has no talent for growing anything on land, the bays of the East End are another matter. Head of the Southold Project in Aquaculture Training (SPAT), Tetrault oversees a shellfish growing club on the North Fork in which 250 members contribute 15,000 volunteer hours each year.

“People seem to like oysters and scallops these days,” said Tetrault who recalled how the program began years ago when someone came to him at the shellfish hatchery he was running for Cornell and asked if it was possible to grow oysters off his dock.

“I gave him a cup of baby oysters. He came back five months later with an oyster that was completely edible,” said Tetrault. “I was shocked. I thought I have to do this for more people. Six months later I started the SPAT program.”

“Growing food is a noble cause – whether on land or in the sea — and something we all want to do.”

As a result of their love of the process, Tetrault noted that every day is Earth Day for his SPAT members.

“When we were all teens, we were tree huggers and freaks,” he added. “We were the people who said ‘We’re going to do this.’ People said, ‘You can do that but you won’t make any money.’”

“Now there’s a movement to get our planet back and I’ m feeling really optimistic,” he added. “If you want to grow an oyster – grow the product and you get to eat it. But learning the process teaches you about the planet.”

For Scott Chaskey, who has been farming Quail Hill CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) for more than 20 years, a major reason for celebration this Earth Day is the sheer number of young people now getting involved in organic farming.

“It’s wonderful to be a part of that movement,” said Chaskey. “A promising piece for me was a recent NOFA [Northeast Organic Farming Association] conference. There were 1,400 people there and 60 to 70 percent were in their 20s.”

“We’ve been experimenting for 24 years finding techniques to improve the health of the soil and to reach as many people as possible with the message we’re all here to share,” he said. “Now when fifth graders come to the farm and you ask what does locavore means, hands go up.”

“I don’t know how many school gardens have popped up — but that’s a beautiful thing.”

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Demolition Ok’d For Meighan’s Cottage

Posted on 21 July 2011

By Claire Walla

Anthony Petrello is one step closer to developing his beachfront land.
Last Friday, July 15 the Sagaponack Architectural and Historic Review Board (AHRB) voted in favor of an application submitted by the Texas businessman to demolish the small cottage now resting on the grounds of the nine-acre parcel he purchased from the White family in 1998. The property deed was formally transferred to his name last year.
The board voted four to one, with one absentee: Tom White. AHRB Chairwoman Ann Sandford was the lone voice of dissent, but not because she believed the building necessarily needed to be preserved on the existing site. In fact, she said she agreed with other board members that the building’s history and current condition do not actually make it historically significant.
“I voted against [the existing application for demolition] because there was another version of the [application] that allowed for an option for a third party to work with the Petrellos so that if they came up with a mutually agreed upon plan they could move the cottage to another location,” Sanford explained in an interview.
“From my perspective, a lot of people had done research; they had gotten a hold of some families [who had lived in the cottage],” she continued. “I felt that it would benefit the community to leave that option open.”
At a public hearing on June 24, the AHRB heard from several Sagaponack residents who appealed for the preservation of the building, claiming it to be a piece of Sagaponack’s history.
The 585-square-foot building on Petrello’s property is known as “Meighan’s Cottage,” and until Petrello bought the property on which it sits, “Meighan’s” was one of six small structures that had been rented out every summer for decades. (The other five are still owned by the White family). It is also thought to be the oldest, having been built in the late 1930s.
A report submitted to the AHRB that summarizes the history of the cottage highlights the fact that these cottages are the last of their kind in the village. Similar sentiments were expressed in letters submitted to the board by Sagaponack resident Bruce Kaplan, and Robert Brewer, whose father began renting a cottage from John White Sr. in 1935.
“I believe these camps are of historical interest as they show how the Sagaponack beach transitioned from raw farmland to the built-up, very high-end beach homes that exist today,” Brewer wrote. “The Meighan Camp and the other five White camps, which have been preserved, are nearly the only ones still in existence. They are a piece of Sagaponack history which deserves recognition.”
The AHRB first heard from Petrello’s lawyer, Nica Strunk, and his architect, Lisa Zaloga, at the public hearing June 28. Both Strunk and Zaloga impressed upon the board several aspects of the building’s history that they said should prevent it from being considered worthy of historic preservation. Most notably, Strunk said historic preservationist Alison Cornish had already declared the cottage “noncontributing” and thus ineligible for preservation.
In a resolution adopted last week, the board indicated it was “unable to identify how the subject of the cottage contains any distinctive architectural features of historic value or how this cottage is in any manner distinctive.”
At a meeting on August 19, the AHRB will address a building plan for the property.

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One Response to “Demolition Ok’d For Meighan’s Cottage”

  1. DHG says:

    That’s rough – old place with personality. But all buildings fall eventually anyways.

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