text:
November 10, 2010 Interview with Ken Boddie
Oregon Pythian News
June 2012
Page 10 Oregon Pythian News
Ivanhoe Supports Robotics Group FRC Teams 1432 & 4125
to see complete article with pictures go to http://www.oregonpythian.org/op/June%20issue%202012/OPN%20Spring%202012%20-%20FINAL%20(1up%20version).pdf
Ivanhoe Lodge No. 1 was the host of the Umatillla FIRST Robotics Competition team 4125 for the 2012 FIRST Robotics Competition season Kick Off. 23 students and 5 adults made the Lodge their home away from home along with FRC team 1432 starting Friday night so that they could all get up at 5 AM to drive to the Kick Off in Vancouver. (For a quick video about the event go to http://couv.com/business/robotics-future-workforce After several hours of speeches they were rewarded with finding out what this year's game would be and then given their kit of parts to start planning what their robots will look like for the competition March 9 and 10 at the Memorial Coliseum. While at Kick Off, teams 4125 and 1432 were featured in a promotional video being shot by Boeing. We'll let you know when it's completed After looking at all of the new toys, the mock up of the field, and some very informative classes, they all returned to the Ivanhoe Lodge for lunch (provided by the Knights), brainstorming, and planning. FRC Team 4125 from Umatilla is a Rookie team and will be mentored by FRC Team 1432 during the competition season and as needed for the next year. One way team 1432 mentored team 4125 was to share their Boeing mentors for planning and strategizing. After many hours of working on the planning and scheduling and reading the four inch thick rule book everyone went to bed so that they could get up and take the five hour ride back to Umatilla.(Boeing mentors Tim Berry and Ejvin Berry teaching Umatilla about planning and prioritizing) Thanks to the generosity of the Ivanhoe Lodge, 23 high school students got to participate in a program that will change their lives forever. Want to help? The Umatilla team could use some more mentors and you don't have to be an engineer to be one, just be a trust worthy adult interested in helping kids. If you're interested contact Knight Alan LohKamp, Ivanhoe Lodge (firstname.lastname@example.com) There are teams all over the state and most of them could use help with something. The Umatilla team gratefully left a Thank You card and compliments on the meals provided. Thanks Knights!
Submitted by Rebecca LohKamp
Ivanhoe FRC Team 1432 Updates & Schedule Spring has sprung and that means that the team has yard work to do. Two days after this, of course it rained, but it was nice while it lasted. FRC Team 1432 would like to thank the Knights of Pythias for their very generous donation of $1,000 to our program. Thanks to the generosity of the Knights of Pythias we should have enough money to feed our students while they work on their projects. We just did a visitation at Central Catholic and we are hopeful to be able to help them start their own team. If they can't get enough kids, we will train the ones they have, and then they will be able to start a team of their own the next year. The season is over but now they have to get the robot pretty and running for: ♦ school visitations, ♦ May 25-28—Multnomah County Fair at Oaks Park, ♦ June 9—our Open House from Noon to 6 PM, ♦ June 16—Spaghetti Feed at Reedwood Friends Church, 2901 Southeast Steele Street, Portland, OR 97202 ♦ July 12-15—Marion County Fair, Salem, Oregon. ♦ Our end of the year Awards Dinner will be August 4 at the Ivanhoe Lodge. We would love to have as many of you as can make it come to all of our events but especially our Awards Dinner and the spaghetti feed. It's only $7.50 for all you can eat spaghetti, green salad, homemade garlic bread, and dessert. For those that like to gamble we will have raffle baskets too. Hope to see soon.
The Bee
By DAVID F. ASHTON
for THE BEE April 4, 2012It's been a struggle for mentors and friends of FIRST Robotic Competition (FRC) Team 1432, known as "Mahr's Metal Beavers", to keep the robot-building club together – after being turned out of their eight-year home at Franklin High School in 2011.
In the pit area, team member William Atkinson – a senior at Cleveland High School – explained how the team's mechanics were busy testing the belts that drive the systems, and resetting a driving motor.
Franklin High's former robotics club celebrates survival, competition
Although cast out of their longtime home – Franklin High School – for reasons still unclear, mentors and students of FIRST Robotics Competition Team 1432, "Mahr's Metal Beavers", didn't quit or give up.
Instead, they say they've had a very successful year.
So enthusiastic about their club's season were they, the group hosted a banquet for team members and supporters on June 27 at their new home, the Ivanhoe Lodge, Knights of Pythias, in Lents.
After those present had dined on the three-course supper, mentor Rebecca LohKamp and team members presented a program that outlined their year's challenges, successes, and future.
"Our biggest accomplishment is that we survived," LohKamp began.
"Nobody was giving us good odds that we would make it, and we did," she added. "Franklin High School was hoping we would not make it, because if we folded, they would get to keep our grant money. Unfortunately for them, we survived." The Southeast Portland Rotary Club's Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit, volunteered to become the team's fiscal sponsor, and helped the team retain their grants and apply for new ones.
"We not only survived, we built two robots. After our 'competition robot' was shipped, we took out our second robot on public-relations outings to schools, and also a visit to the Oregon State Legislature. We are the only FRC Robotics team that has been presented before the Oregon House of Representatives.
"We competed. Not only did we compete, we also scored.
"We have a new place to meet, and we have fixed it up. There is still work to be done, but the kids have worked really hard.
"We helped start a First Robotics Team in the City of Gresham. We took them to the kickoff event, brought them back to our clubhouse, and helped them brainstorm to help them get started during their 'build season'. We didn't score well in the competition, but the Gresham team went on to the World Championship. They said it was in no small part due to us.
"We hosted a team from Mexico. It was a lot of fun and a great experience for the kids. We have developed international friendships with that team that continue; they say they are anxious to come back next year and want to be here with us."
LohKamp concluded, "And, we visited the Oregon State Legislature for a second time, with the hope of persuading the legislature to pass legislation that would allow mentors to be considered to be the same as athletic coaches. Other states do this, there's no reason why the state of Oregon can't! After all, the FIRST motto is, 'Athletics for the Mind'."
The team members also shared their goals for the 2011-2012 season. Interestingly, "winning" wasn't high on their list.
Instead, their first goal was to improve their robot design process. "Because we got kicked out of Franklin High just before the 'build season'," explained LohKamp, "We were busy moving, organizing, and trying to find tools. They look to have a more structured, focused [robot] design process [next season]."
Their second goal is to learn how to nimbly operate computer-assisted drafting software programs.
The third is to raise money. "It's expensive to do this program," LohKamp observed. "The base cost is $10,000. The nonprofit Southeast Rotary Club Foundation volunteered to be the fiscal agent for the team when Franklin High ended its association with the team, and all the previous financial grants to the team that Franklin High had tried to return were retained.
LohKamp continued, "But, this team has other expenses; every single kid on our team last year was from a family at or below the poverty level. We feed them at every single meeting – for some of the kids on this team, it's the only meal they can count on. During the summer, the program continues to meet three days a week – and we have continued providing meals for the students at these meetings, too."
Doing better in advertising and promotion was next on their list. "Our team members know that this is a program that helps change people's lives; they want people, especially kids, to know about it," explained LohKamp.
Way down their list of goals is "Do better in the competition". While they'd dearly love to travel to the world competition, LohKamp pointed out, "What makes me the proudest is that they see that 'learning' is more important than 'winning'."
Since the banquet, the team accomplished another goal: Building a graphics-dedicated computer powerful enough to run Autodesk's AutoCAD computer-aided drafting programs.
After student and sponsor awards were presented, mentor and Boeing engineer Ejvin Berry challenged the team to, over the summer, build a "Show Bot" to help them further promote the FIRST Robotics program at fairs, parades, schools, and other public events. In their lair, Mahr's Metal Beavers is currently designing that robot.
If you know a high school age student in Southeast Portland who would like to learn more about this program – or would like to help sponsor the team's activities – learn more about the club by visiting their website:www.team1432.org . They meet at Ivanhoe Lodge – Knights of Pythias, 5400 S.E. 84th Avenue at Insley Street.
NASA Headquarters, Washington
NEW MERIT BADGE In WASHINGTON –
Boy Scouts now have the opportunity to work with
NASA and other technology professionals to design,
build, and demonstrate a robot to earn the new
Robotics merit badge.NASA and BSA developed the
badge because of the wide-reaching impact of robotics
and its role in science, technology, engineering, and
math, or STEM careers. The badge is now part of the
BSA's new curriculum emphasizing STEM activities
and will help young men develop critical skills relevant
and needed in today's competitive world. The new
merit badge is one of 31 STEM-related merit badges.
Scouts will have access to engineering software and
work with professional mentors worldwide to earn the
"This unique partnership is another clear example of
NASA looking at new and creative ways to inspire our
youth to consider STEM careers," said Lyndon
Bridgewater, NASA aerospace engineer and lead badge
coordinator from NASA's Johnson Space Center in
Houston.The badge involved approximately 14 months
of development and input from 13 organizations and
more than 150 BSA youth members and leaders and
industry professionals from across the nation. To earn
the Robotics merit badge, a scout is required to
understand how robots move, sense the environment
and understand how to perform an operation. Scouts
will spend approximately 14 hours meeting the
requirements of the badge, during which they will
design a robot and demonstrate how it works. The BSA
anticipates more than 10,000 Robotics merit badges
will be earned the first year."While the guiding
principles of Scouting — service to others, leadership,
personal achievement, and respect for the outdoors –
will never change, we continue to adapt programs to
prepare young people for success in all areas of life,"
said BSA Chief Scout Executive Bob Mazzuca.For
more information on BSA and a full list of the
requirements to earn the badge,
http://www.boyslife.org/robotics To view the badge, visit:
Franklin High's banished robotics club flourishes at
new location
The Bee, Mar 2, 2011
About four weeks into their six-week "build season", First Robotics Competition Team 1432 – "Mahr 's Metal Beavers" – were hard at work, when we visited them on February 11th.
"It's been a hard grind, but we will be at the competition in March," said one of the team's sponsors, Rebecca LohKamp. "The Ivanhoe Lodge of Knights of Pythias has been a Godsend – we would have had to fold, if they hadn't opened their lodge to us here in Lents."
Franklin High sophomore Gabrial Guodace was elected to talk to us about this season's project.
"Counting the summer before my freshman year, this is my third season with the club," Guodace began.
The challenge in this year's competition, Guodace explained, is to build a robot that can pick up and move objects that look like inflatable pool toys. "We have to guide them onto pegs of different heights, some of them up to ten feet tall."
They hope to have better success than at their last competition. "Last year, our robot was failing. This year, we'll have only two or three things to worry about; and our manufacturing and construction seems to be going well."
About having to move out of Franklin High School, which many team members attend, to their present location in the Lents neighborhood, Guodace was sanguine. "It's a longer commute; and we had access to professional-grade tools in Franklin's shop. But, here at our new shop, everything's right here."
Mentor Alan LohKamp took a moment from his duties to update us on the club's funding situation.
"From what I understand, the Franklin High School office sent our grant check back to Intel Corporation sometime after they said they did. And apparently they didn't send it back to the originators of the check, so it probably bounced around a few desks."
This delay was problematic, LohKamp said. "We were taking money out of our pockets to buy the things we knew would be in short supply. Robotics teams all need to buy the same equipment and devices at the same time."
As of the time of our visit, LohKamp said they still hadn't received their Intel grant funds back. "They did manage to track it down, backwards from their source; I'm confident we'll get it." Shortly afterward, they did, via the Southeast Portland Rotary Club Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit which agreed to replace Franklin High as the receiver and disburser of the team's grant funds, allowing them to continue to receive grants.
About their new fiscal sponsor, the Southeast Portland Rotary Club, which meets on Monday noons at Woodstock's Our Lady of Sorrows' parish room, LohKamp had high praise. "They've been very good to us, and are helping us work things out. I look forward to a being associated with them in the future."
Rebecca said the team was also grateful to the Hankin's True Value Hardware on S.E. Hawthorne Boulevard. "They've given us $2,000 in product, to get re-established."
Asked about their chances of taking home a trophy this year, Guodac said, as we left, "Win or not, it'll be fun!"
The team's Internet website is: www.team1432.org . The regional FIRST Robotics competition this year will be on March(correction – Competition date is March 26th at the Memorial Coliseum – Its Free!) 5th and 6th at the Coliseum; it's open to the public.
January, 2011 – Vol. 105, No. 5
Robotics team survives its exit from Franklin High
By DAVID F. ASHTON
for THE BEE
THE BEE was there – as mentors, students, and volunteers hustled to load FRC Team 1432's materials out of the otherwise-disused auto repair shop at Franklin High School, when the school granted a brief opportunity to remove them on November 22. (Photo by David F. Ashton)
Robotics team survives its exit from Franklin High
By DAVID F. ASHTON
for THE BEE
As the many e-mails to THE BEE from around the world during the past month have demonstrated, those who know how FIRST Robotic Competition (FRC) teams help young people learn and gain experience in engineering, problem solving, computers, and electro-mechanics, were flabbergasted to learn that FRC Team 1432, "Mahr's Metal Beavers", had been dismissed from Portland Public Schools' (PPS) Franklin High School.
As of the time the last issue of THE BEE went to press, the club's members had been locked out of Franklin's disused auto repair shop where they had been meeting – their equipment and supplies impounded, pending an "inventory" – and their funds were being held by the school, which had been serving as their nonprofit fiscal agent.
The youthful engineers of "Mahr's Metal Beavers" – originally named to honor the Franklin High teacher who helped start their group – and their adult mentors did not despair. Instead, they chose a new motto: "Never give up, never surrender".
After we went to press, an e-mail arrived from the PPS District Office demanding that an attached letter, dated November 30, on PPS District Office letterhead, be prominently published. It is in this month's "Letters to the Editor" column, reproduced in its entirety. The letter asserts that the situation has been resolved.
We asked one of the team's founding mentors, Rebecca LohKamp, to comment on that official statement.
"It is resolved – [but] only in that the school has successfully removed us from Franklin High," LohKamp said. "And, if we don't use the $2,219.93 in our account within 12 months, they get to keep it."
Regarding the referred-to inability, "despite several attempts", for school administrators to find a staff advisor for the team, LohKamp said she questions the sincerity of the statement.
"The Principal stated that she had spoken with the teachers at a staff meeting, and that there was no need for us to contact them again," LohKamp said. "When we asked if we could personally appeal for an advisor, she refused. We found five teachers who were interested. Then, for some reason, their minds were changed."
LohKamp listed the names and dates of contacts with Franklin High teachers or staff members who initially indicated an interest – and who then backed out. We fear that publishing their names could jeopardize their employment with the school district, so we will not reveal them.
About the school's decision to go ahead and let the team pick up their tools and supplies, LohKamp said, "Yes, they did. But it took them 31 days to do so."
George A. Hubel, a parent of two youths on Team 1432, who spoke out in the previous article, told of his involvement. "After getting nowhere with PPS Cluster Administrator Lynne Shlom Ferguson, I decided we were talking to the wrong people," Hubel told THE BEE in a December 2 interview.
"As part of a November 15 conversation with Franklin's Business Manager, Steve Matthews – he essentially said 'I do what I'm told' – he suggested that I talk with the District's legal counsel."
Taking that advice, Hubel said he immediately called PPS staff attorney Jollee Patterson. "Ms. Patterson called back on November 16, listened to our grievance, and said she'd look into the matter."
An e-mail from Matthews, sent on November 17 at 2:39 pm, indicated the club's property would be returned, grants would be refunded to their grantors, and that the team's cash funds held by the school district would be available for their use for one year, said Hubel.
"I'm a little puzzled why the letter [to THE BEE] stated that the issue had been resolved on November 15," Hubel added.
The date set for the team to recover their property was Monday, November 22. "They gave us four hours, from noon until 4 pm, to clear out our things," LohKamp said.
At the appointed hour, LohKamp said, she was pleased to see that the school had sent down their IT instructor, and a former team advisor, Dennis Swofford, to supervise their departure – instead of the security guards who had originally showed up to lock them out.
"Mr. Swofford was very kind and helpful," LohKamp said. "We got everything, except one roll-around tool box and a stool we believe are ours; we're happy to get what we got." THE BEE was present to document the event in photos.
The last hurdle facing the team was the loss of grants needed to build robots to enter this season's competitions – it takes up to a year to certify an organization as a 503(c)3 entity, and only a 503(c)3 can receive these grants.
"We were within a week of losing our major grants – funds the school district had returned [to the grantors]," LohKamp said on December 8. "Then, the Southeast Portland Rotary Foundation stepped in, and agreed to be a fiscal sponsor, taking us under their umbrella."
Bill Meyer, Treasurer of the Southeast Portland Rotary Foundation, discusses with team mentor Rebecca LohKamp how the foundation would be able to step in as a nonprofit fiscal agent for Team 1432 with team mentor, during the December 6th meeting at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish Room in Woodstock. The parent Rotary Club meets there on Monday noons. (Photo by David F. Ashton)
This foundation, a 503(c)3, is affiliated with the Southeast Portland Rotary Club, but has its own Board. Current Board President Eric Norberg commented that the Rotary Club members, having assured themselves of the bona fides of the group and the soundness of its procedures, agreed to be the receiving and disbursing agent for the club until it gets its own 503(c)3 status. "The FIRST Robotics program is very important in building tomorrow's scientists – and in the meantime keeping students engrossed in their education," Norberg commented.
Meantime, "Mahr's Metal Beavers" is now meeting in the basement of the Knights of Pythias hall at 5400 S.E. 84th Avenue. "We've committed to be at the Oregon Regional [competition], March 24-26, 2011," reported LohKamp.
Large concerns, like Boeing, have agreed to donate registration fees, and have given in-kind donations to the former Franklin team – items such as drill bits. Platt Electric has stepped up with supplies, and other generous people and organizations have offered the loan of a Jet-16 milling machine and a lathe, and rechargeable power drills. "After hearing about our need, Nick O'Brien from Minnesota sent us a flat-screen computer monitor," smiled LohKamp. (The team owned its own computer, but the school owned the monitor.)
"When they say the school is 'proud to have offered the Robotics Team for so many years, and are proud of students' accomplishments in the team'," LohKamp commented about the letter published in this issue of THE BEE, "It's true. They repeatedly pointed to the robotics team as one of the reasons why Franklin High School should not be closed, when the PPS held the public meetings regarding the high school redesign plan."
About the experience of being ejected from Franklin, LohKamp said, "It's a hard place to be in, but it will turn out to be a blessing. The kids are learning all kinds of civic lessons they wouldn't have learned in the classroom. We're continuing our commitment to help start new FRC Teams; we're now working with a group getting started in Gresham."
During our last conversation, LohKamp asked that we share the most important facet of this story, which has yet to be told: "We've always been 'The team that shouldn't exist'. The majority of our kids' parents are unemployed or under-employed, and up to 75% of our students are on free or reduced lunches. We welcome any young person who wants to participate, and who sincerely commits to do their best."
While they haven't yet brought back gold medals from international competitions, "Our 'trophies' are seeing students grow and succeed. Some of these are young people who the school system had 'written off' as failures, or considered fated to hold a minimum-wage job. Our most recent 'crowning jewel' is a young man who was destined to go into a cleaning job. He joined our program, and because of his participation, received a full-ride scholarship – and just graduated from Portland State University."
While they're sincerely thankful for their workspace at Knights of Pythias hall – it is our own conclusion that a heated industrial space, located closer to Franklin High (where members of the team are still students), would be helpful. And, all donations are welcomed.
To learn more about FRC Team 1432, or to donate online, visit their Internet website: www.team1432.org.
Unanswered is a question we raised in our last article a month ago: Why is the Portland Public Schools "Student Responsibilities, Rights and Discipline Handbook" that broadly defines a "club" and states it must be supervised by "an adult who is approved by the Principal" – in conflict with Portland Public SchoolsAdministrative Directive "4.40.050-AD Student Clubs", which places clubs into two categories – staff supervised and approved-adult supervised?
Why must all school clubs, with the exception of "religious, political and sports clubs", have a staff supervisor? And perhaps most importantly, why are Portland Public Schools Administrative Directives so inflexible as to not permit FRC Robotics to be considered a "sports club"? After all, FRC's trademarked slogan is"The varsity sport for the mind", adding that their program "combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology".
In a city that bemoans its elevated high school dropout rates, and the lack of opportunities for young people, many people are scratching their heads, wondering why what appears to be a strict adherence to inflexible policies and procedures are trumping no-cost after-school programs that offer some of our most at-risk youngsters a second chance?
12-06-10 – New story in the Bee soon. The
school requested a rebuttal to be printed.
The S.E. Portland Rotary has saved the day with taking on our
grants and acting as fiscal oversight! More to come!
At the Rotary meeting the editor of the Bee said he was receiving contact about our story from all over the world.
Please be assured we have our stuff back – honest. They had it under lock and key for 31 days but they released it. We got everything but a large roll around red tool box to store our many hand tools in.
Clearing up the Facts and Misconceptions
Misconception: There weren't any teachers willing to be our advisor(s).
Fact: WE had at least 5 teachers willing to be our advisor but when the went to the office to sign the paper they were talked out of it.
Misconception: Unions are the problem
Fact: That although the principle of the school assured us that we could not pay a teacher to be our advisor because the union wouldn't allow it, the truth of the matter is the union disagreed with the principle on all counts.
Misconception: The School is Continuing to with hold our money.
Fact: After 31days the school has returned all of our grant money to the original granters and that the small individual donors ($5/plate dinners) money is still in the club account $2,219.93. They did make a purchase order for the three Lego League Kits for Doernbecher Children's hospital available for our use as per our request $1375.
Portland Republican Examiner
November 30th, 2010 3:11 pm PT
Peggy Bodner
Quietly over the holiday weekend, the Bee, a community newspaper covering SE Portland, reported that Franklin High School had closed the doors to the robotics club, Team 1432, aka Mahr's Metal Beavers. The club had been part of the FIRST Robotics Competition, a group formed over 20 years ago to foster interest in science and technology. Franklin states the club had to close because it did not have a faculty member on staff serving as an advisor, and no teacher volunteered to take it on. Now, the doors to the shop where the group met are locked, and they were unable to even get their robot out for an OMSI display. The group finally was able to get their robot when the principal allowed them to, but their equipment is still locked away, and funds they have raised are unavailable as well. The team says they raised $7,500, which they may never get back, and the team fears the school or the district will keep the funds.
While Franklin's business manager Steve Matthews saidthat the school will teach smaller-scale robotics courses, it does not give students the chance to learn and compete with others. The school is keeping clubs for Yu-Gi-Oh! and other anime' themes, and comics and gaming, but a club that would actually teach problem solving and scientific skills cannot be kept because a teacher can't be found to be an advisor, and therefore cannot even meet on the school's campus, despite the auto shop area's vacancy. The Portland Public Schools require a teacher supervise any student group or organization other than those that are religious, political, or sports themed. The team now meets at the Knights of Pythias, but without their resources. Hopefully local high tech companies like Intel or Nvidia will step up and help them out, since this club may have future employees for these firms. If the schools will not invest in the future, companies will have to.
Yet once again, the district has shown that education is not their top priority, and keeping kids engaged in areas that interest them is immaterial to them. Students who are interested and engaged are far more likely to stay in school and be better citizens. The increase in gang activity in the city can be tied to the cut backs in schools. Disengaged and disinterested students will find other ways to belong and have purpose.
Oddly, the Portland news outlets have been quiet about this story, save for the Bee. This story has attracted national attention, though, when MythBusters hosts Adam Savage and Grant Imahara tweeted links back to the story over the holiday. Grant has been a mentor to Bay Arearobotics teams, helping kids there discover what he grew up loving. He received an electronics engineering degree from USC and was one of the operators of the R2D2 units in the Star Wars prequel movies. Both Grant and Adam have hundreds of thousands of followers on Twitter, so many people nationally and internationally now know about the disgraceful way Franklin handled this with their students. At a time when the President is calling on the MythBusters to help with science education, it serves as another highlight of how broken our schools are to see a club canceled because no teacher wanted to step up. How 5 quirky special effects artists from San Francisco who host a fun edutainment show are supposed to save science education in America is a mystery, since they should only be supplementing what kids learn from their teachers and their parents. Yet if schools keep continuing on the path that Franklin is on, perhaps MythBusters will be all that's left.
Nov 28 – update
WOW What a Weekend!
You probably already noticed, but the youtube video got linked on fark.com – http://www.fark.com/cgi/comments.pl?IDLink=5788013 … and the bee article was linked on reddit - http://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/comments/ectvj/franklin_high_banishes_its_robotics_club_may_keep/ mythbusters posted about it on twitter, here's the actual posts, from one of the hosts of the show, then retweeted by one of the staff: http://twitter.com/donttrythis/statuses/8913648630112256 http://twitter.com/grantimahara/statuses/8916479206494208 We have received an offer to help us set up a 501-C-3 but it can't possibly be ready in time for this year. Our most pressing need at this point is borrowing someone's for this year to get our grant money before its lost.
Front Page – The Bee
December 2010 Portland, Oregon Vol.105,NO. 4 http://www.readthebee.com/
Franklin High banishes its robotics club; may keep its cash By DAVID F. ASHTONfor THE BEE
Current members of the first Portland area high school robotics club – chartered as "Team 1432" by FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) – ponder the club's future as they sit with their only asset – last year's robot – in the dank basement of an aging fraternal organization's clubhouse in the Lents neighborhood. For seven years, members of "Mahr's Metal Beavers" (for Peter Mahr, long time Franklin High teacher and department head), the club's brand name, were proud to say they were from Franklin High School. But now, going into their eighth year, the students and volunteer mentors
find themselves physically locked out of the disused auto repair shop they once called home, in the bowels of the Inner Southeast high school. The now ex-Franklin Team 1432 struggles to compete in competitions in a national and international arena. It has even mentored teams at Benson High and Cleveland High, as reported in THE BEEin an April 2010 story. FIRST Robotics Competition, founded by prolific inventor Dean Kamen in 1989 "to inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology", has by now spread to 44 countries, with 150,000 participating students. FRC's slogan, "The varsity sport for the mind", sums up the program – which "combines the excitement of sport, with the rigors of science and technology", according to the organization. To be recognized as an official Franklin High club, it must have a "staff advisor" – a person they've lacked since their last advisor chose to resign the volunteer assignment, in favor of helping to teach in the school's Oregon MESA Program. After repeated requests, not one of Franklin High's approximately 100 staff or administrative staff would step up, reported one of Team 1432's main mentors, Rebecca LohKamp. "We found ourselves standing outside the auto shop waiting to get in on October 21st," LohKamp says. "Three times previously, Principal Shay James refused to let us have our robot for the OMSI display on October 23. Finally, James allowed us to remove the robot only. All of our computers, parts, and tools are still locked in the auto shop." Asked if issues have come up that would cause hard feelings between the club and the school's administration, LohKamp said, "In all the years we've been there, a Principal has never come to see us. When we've talked to her in the past, she always seemed pleasant." Although we called and requested to meet with Principal James, or at least talk with her on the telephone, she did not respond. Instead, Franklin High's Business Manager, Steve Matthews, returned our call. Matthews said that the school has chosen to have classes that teach smaller-scale robotics. These classes would give opportunity to have more kids involved, he said, and to be a classroom activity, presented as an academic course. We asked why Franklin High couldn't host both a robotics club and the Portland State University-based outreach program "Oregon MESA". "We can't do both," Matthews responded, "because we don't have a teacher who can commit the time required – to be involved in the [FRC] competitions and the club." Matthews added that the school favors offering the MESA coursework. "We have a teacher, Ms. Merritt Dalton, who is certified in that discipline. Assisting her with the course is the former robotic club advisor, Dennis Swofford." In the Portland Public Schools "Student Responsibilities, Rights and Discipline Handbook", given to Franklin High students when school began this year – under the section "Clubs, Student Participation" – defines a "club", and states that clubs must be supervised by "an adult who is approved by the Principal …" THE BEE asked why the current volunteer mentors, Allen and Rebecca LohKamp – adults vetted by other youth group organizations – didn't qualify, under these rules. Matthews referred to Portland Public Schools Administrative Directive "4.40.050-AD, Student Clubs", that defines school clubs as "… recognized student groups or organizations that may be curricular or non-curricular." Matthews then quoted from Section I, Subpart 5, "Supervision of student clubs" which states: "… All clubs with the exception of religious, political, and sports clubs must have a staff supervisor." Because the robotics club is not a religious, a political, or apparently even considered a sports club, it must have a staff supervisor under PPS rules, and if such a person isn't available, it can no longer meet at, or be affiliated with, Franklin High School, Matthews contended. As of this writing, no one at the school, or at the Portland School District offices, has been able to have clarify the glaring discrepancy between the PPS Administrative Directive and the Student Handbook. "The 'staff supervisor' doesn't have to do anything for the club," LohKamp told THE BEE in frustration. "We do our own fundraising, and have eleven club mentors, most of whom are professional engineers, working with us." About the club's parts, computers, and tools, Franklin's Matthews to us that they have been secured, pending an inventory. "I sent out an e-mail asking about it today, November 8." As of this writing, however, the inventory has yet to be done. But that's not the only problem the high school is causing its former club. Further frustrating the efforts of the club is the inaccessibility of its funds. "The last printout from the school I saw shows they are holding $7,500, funds dedicated to 'Team 1432'," LohKamp added. "Now they claim the money that we raised was given to the school, and might now belong to the school district." George A. Hubel, a parent of two youthful members of Team 1432, told THE BEE, "My reaction to all this is complete and utter frustration. All I want them to do is to negotiate with us, and find a solution." Franklin High's unused auto shop is an ideal location, Hubel observed. "Building a robot requires a large industrial space. And, since most of these kids attend Franklin, it means they don't have to travel to attend club meetings." But, after a meeting with Portland Public Schools cluster administrator Lynne Shlom Ferguson, Hubel said, "I went in hoping we could find a solution; I came away in disbelief. The response was, essentially, that things are the way they are – and the issue is closed." About the club's resources, Hubel commented, "There it all sits, under lock and key. It's bad enough that they've 'stolen' a month of meetings, so far, from the kids. And, you don't go around stealing children's money! They've all but threatened to take the club's money; it's a filthy tactic. Instead of adults coming up with a reasonable solution, we feel threatened by the school, and the district." Hubel said, in the broader prospective, he's "dismayed" that the school district wants to "throw away" a proven program that encourages kids to stay in school, to graduate, and to pursue further engineering education. "Unlike classroom studies, this kind of program promotes a 'spark of excitement' in kids to learn math and science." While not a spokesman for the other parents, Hubel said he thinks they'd agree with his three demands: "Negotiate with us fairly; release our property; and, pledge to return the money." In their new meeting space, the Knights of Pythias Hall, LohKamp brought the meeting of Mahr's Metal Beavers to order on November 9. Instead of bemoaning their apparent fate, the group turned its attention toward creating a business plan to move forward. Goals listed by the students included finding a way of getting tools and supplies so they can compete this year. One of them suggested, "I think finding a way to meet at Franklin, our school, would also be a good goal." Will the winner be education – or bureaucracy? Time will tell. Team update November 22 - We were able to get all of our stuff except one three drawer roll around tool box. We were sorry to lose it but considering we got everything else we weren't going to fight about it. Pretty crowded in the basement now but after 3 days of organizing we should be able to walk around. We still need to replace the equipment that we had access to at the school (lathe, milling machine, band saw, drill press, and grinder, and find a place to put it.
The Bee, Mar 2, 2010
Robotics kids at Franklin ready for competition
Editor, At Franklin High School in Southeast Portland, a team of aspiring young engineers and scientists jump into action each evening at the call, "Students, man your robot". A team of 18 youngsters between the ages of 14-18 respond by
checking parts and systems on a robot they hope will earn them acceptance for trip to Atlanta, Georgia, for the "FIRST Robotics World's Competition", and ultimately lead to advanced academics. The team, commonly known as "Mahr's Metal Beavers", is officially FRC Team 1432, and will be competing with 60 other teams from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and California. The team received a package of robot building materials on January 9, and had only until February 23rd, just six weeks, to complete the assignment. The "Autodesk Oregon Regional Competition" will be on March 5-6 at Memorial Coliseum in Portland. The Franklin robot weighs 120 pounds, and can kick a soccer ball 54 feet into a goal, defend its own goal, cross 18-inch high field berms, and raise itself on a bar six-and-one-half feet above the ground. The project offers a "true learning experience for under-served youngsters in Southeast Portland, and the Franklin area in particular," according to Rebecca LohKamp, team mentor. In building a robot, students are required to use applied math and physics, learn to use tools, develop basic computer skills and become adept at coping with challenges needed for higher education or obtaining a better job. During the first 15 seconds of competition the robot must operate autonomously, without human handlers. After that the students operate their robots remotely. The Mahr's Metal Beavers team was founded in 2003 by Peter Mahr, head of the industrial arts program at Franklin High. The first team involved five male students. This year's team includes 15 young men and three young women students. Nationally, FIRST Robotics students have the opportunity to win scholarship awards of more than $12 million this year alone. I hope BEE readers will go to the Coliseum on March 5 and 6 to see them compete! Doug Porter, via e-mail


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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Verizon Wireless VZ, -1.12% said late Wednesday afternoon that it plans to begin selling the new BlackBerry Z10 smartphone in the U.S. on March 28 -- about a week after rival AT&T will launch the device. Verizon VZ, -1.12% said it will begin taking pre-orders for the new smartphone on Thursday, March 14. The carrier will offer a white version of the device that will be exclusive to its network. BlackBerry BBRY, +0.10% shares were last trading up more than 5% in late-afternoon trades after the company announced that an unnamed customer placed an order for 1 million BlackBerry 10 devices, not specifying how many were the Z10 and how many were for the yet-to-be-launched Q10 device that features a QWERTY physical keyboard.
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yea yea happy.. easter whatever ok, ive listend to all you shizz now its time to make more. Kapeish? kaposh. get started NOW!! GO!!
( Btw happy birfday ^ -^ )
1/29/13 Geoplex responds:
^.^ thanks
Probably won't have another song for a while though (will try to make something for next week) because I'm starting year 12 tomorrow.


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|Great for occasional use
Reviewed by: Chris Horry on 7/18/2011
This set contains just about everything you need for occasional use, and is fantastic as an emergency item. It will open just about any US lock you will encounter. It's also excellent for a beginner's lockpicking set. It has a few problems, for one it could have used a half hook pick as well as the one that comes with it is not really suitable for most padlocks. The other issue with the picks is they're very flexible so bend quite easily (they bend back as well, and after extensive use they do not appear to have weakened). Also, the tension wrench is a little too skinny for many applications so keep an extra one handy.
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Reviewed by: John F. on 5/16/2010
When I first got this pick I was very excited and it impressed me a lot. I used it for a few days on and off picking various locks but found that the steel used in the picks is softer than others and it makes it easy to bend. This wouldn�t be a major problem if when you return all the picks to their housing they would fit, which sadly you have to struggle with it to get them in. All in all this is a great portable set but this is not for heavy handed people or heavy use. It�s an emergency set plain and simple. If you do buy it (which you should - it corners the market for portable emergency picks) buy extra replacement picks, at least one full set. The tension tool is OK at best and nothing to brag about, it seems to be better than the one found on the Dyno Kwik Pick and $50 pen set and overall is better than the $50 set and is a tie with the Kwik Pick.
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November 12th, 2009
The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers. So says a character in Shakespeare's Henry VI. Okay, maybe not all of them. Maybe not the ones who are helping our universities muddle though campus complaints and the growing culture of accusations and counter charges. More to this point coming up….
I just returned from the annual Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS) conference in Halifax. Deans and administrative staff and graduate students involved in graduate studies gather together annually in some Canadian city to discuss relevant matters, socialize, and network. No matter how good the sessions, the best parts of these events are always the socializing/networking opportunities, where with a glass of decent plonk in hand we get to catch up with colleagues, compare campus notes, and welcome the doe-eyed newbies.
This year was deemed on balance to be a highly successful conference. I wasn't able to attend last year, but I am still hearing complaints about the Edmonton venue, the quality of the sessions, and so on. This year the conference hotel was located right down by the waterfront on the renovated historic properties section of Halifax, impressing the U.S. visitors muchly. It even snowed one morning, shocking the cowboy boots right off the observers from Huston, Texas. I could have done without the flurries myself, but if it's good for tourism, sure, I can put up with some white stuff for a day or two.
The best sessions are those that appeal to universal problems and challenges, naturally, not just to, say, the concerns of the province of Alberta or Quebec. A particularly lively plenary focused on recent court decisions following from appeals, usually by graduate students and usually about some perceived or real slight, violation of due process, or unfair practice. A very articulate and well organized Diane Kelly, Legal Counsel at Queen's University, offered some fascinating summaries of recent case studies, all sobering examples of what can happen when bad things happen to good people—and vice versa. Kelly is one of those lawyers I'd like to keep, not kill.
Deans, staff, and students –we are all in one way or another familiar with the cases she raised, in duplicate or in variation, and the more assistance we can get about how best to deal with them, resolve them, and avoid escalation of these situations the better we will be. None of us is really trained to deal with what often turn out to be densely litigious matters. We are often learning on the fly, full of good intentions but often not equipped with much more than a wing and a prayer. It occurred to me we might someday evolve a nation-wide panel of investigators, through CAGS, to look into the most serious allegations on some of our campus, especially those involving misconduct or fraud or discrimination. On the one hand, I hope it won't come to that; on the other, I worry about our increasing incapacity to be arm's length enough to deal with these problems on our own campuses. The model would be the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), which has its own procedures for investigating campus-based matters, where and when necessary.
One recurring observation of this plenary is that the courts in Canada tend to refer many cases back to the campus institutions. When the charges are deemed to be of an academic nature, and rely on the judgment of scholars and the determinations of experts in the fields, then the courts don't want anything to do with them. Before hiring a lawyer, complainants should heed this precedent and save their time and money. I argued in Halifax for a nation-wide database or web resource age we could all search to find out just what these precedents say. I could probably get by with a little help from my friends across the country, if only I knew what they were all doing.
The legal session was probably the one that appealed to everyone at once. But I often wondered what our graduate students in attendance were thinking about so many of the discussions that really didn't involve them directly, discussions about provincial quality assurance (yawn) or the tri-agency updates (zzzzzz). Notable, too, was the relatively small number of grad students in attendance. I am proud to boast that Memorial always fully funds at least one student for a CAGS conference, but may other schools don't, which is a shame, and I would say even a sign of neglect. I recall CAGS conferences where the students comprised about a third of those in attendance. Not these days. Is it expense? Shrinking travel budgets? Indifference? Next year I will be encouraging more graduate student participation. Students, as always, keep us on our toes, and help to focus the agenda on what really matters.
Next year's meetings are in Toronto, which generally means higher participation across the board. It's costly to fly anywhere in this country, but until prices are really prohibitive we don't want every conference to be held in Toronto—just some of the time, thank you very much. I do admit I am looking forward to hearing those Texans accounts of riding up to the top of the CN Tower.
Dr. Noreen Golfman is Professor of English and Dean of Graduate Studies. Her post secondary education included study at McGill, University of Alberta, and University of Western Ontario. She has been teaching and writing in the areas of Canadian literature and film studies for most of her career. She is the president of the Canadian Federation of Humanities and Social Sciences, founding director of the annual St. John's International Women's Film Festival, and director of the MUN Cinema Series. Dr. Golfman's blog 'Postcards From the Edge' will be updated every Thursday.


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WTG with the potty training today!
Hugs Bridget!
We've completely fallen off the potty learning wagon the last few weeks. I like the idea of a rewards chart - maybe just the thing to help Mia get back on track.
Two things from Bill Maher on Saturday....he said that the US is currently ranked 10th in the world in social mobility....In other words we rank 10th in American Dream
Warren Buffet testified in congress that he didn't understand why he paid only 17% in taxes.....and yet his secretary making 60K a year paid in 30%.
Josh got up at 5, and we usually start the day by watching something (so I can try to wake up, LOL) and Xanadu was on when I turned the tv on. Josh said "Let's watch the ladies dancing for a while." Help me...
I think he thinks Olivia Newton-John is Lady Gaga because he said "It's that lady you like to listen to" and I can't figure out who else he'd be thinking of...but I can't think of when he's seen Lady Gaga, either.
I'm back We had a wonderful trip, but Cedar Point in Ohio is much, much too big. You really have to hike between the rides, and the really good ones had 1.5/2 hour waits to ride them. Ridiculous! They had a little kiddie section, which Rich kept Conner at, but they had awesome little kiddie rides that I knew Conner would love all throughout the park. There's no way he could have walked back and forth amongst them though...they were spread out as much as 2 miles!
Bridget--one of my friends posted this on their facebook and I thought of your friend with the husband who was causing problems a little while ago. Did anything ever happen with that?
"A true friend is not one that will lie to you about something to keep you as a friend, but one that will tell you the truth even if it means your friendship is over."
I don't know what is going on with my friend. The last time I spoke to her, she made it clear she wasn't up for talking about any of it. Now we've been playing phone tag for weeks.
I confess that I am obsessing over my weight gain this pregnancy. My body looks terrible and I hate it. I NEED to excersize and just cannot muster up the motivation or time to do it.
I walked a lot throughout my pregnancy with Conner, but I still gained a lot. I'm sure I was very close to 200 lbs...but I didn't really worry about it. I tried to eat healthier, but if I felt like chocolate I ate chocolate.
I gained 65 pounds with this last pregnancy. I was gaining weight even before the positive pregnancy test. And yes, I was not happy with my body but I was feeling nauseated pretty much all the time and the only thing that helped was eating--particularly carbs.
I have lost all but 15 pounds and I'm still losing, so I'm feeling much better about everything. All of my co-workers told me you can't bounce back after the third pregnancy, but I'm being really good and losing weight faster than I did with the twins. That being said, I still have that extra weight in a few key places (including you-know-where).
Lydia, I am afraid of not bouncing back. Aside from a few years right after high school when I ate out every single meal and got chubby, I've always been in great physical condition. Even when I partied almost every night I still worked out every day. And I worked out during both of my previous pregnancies and had really easy labors with both of them. I always credited the fact that I stayed in good shape but who knows, really.
Now I just feel like I'm getting big fast and it's not like my belly is just growing. I have an all around muffin top. The kicker is that I know I'm the only one who has any control over it, yet I just keep eating. I'm totally ravenous when I sit down to a meal and I don't even feel hungry until the plate is in front of me.
To use one of my favorite quotes from my brother's boyfriend, something I could say after every meal... "I think I just ate my feelings" I love that.
Oh my god you guys, I don't know if I should laugh or be disturbed...
I had a serious talk with Josh about death last night--it all started because he said he wants a hamster, and I told him when we don't have our kitties anymore we can think about getting a hamster. It turned into a discussion about death and what it means when things die. He seemed to get it (and I tried to impress upon him that our kitties probably would not die for quite some time yet).
So just now he looked up at me and said hopefully,
"Are any of our kitties dead yet?"
Bridget, sweetie, try not to worry. You're not only dealing with being pregnant, but grief from the loss of your mother. I have no doubt you'll be able to burn off the extra weight when the time comes. It's not like you're one of those child care providers that sits on the couch watching soaps all day. Plus you'll have a newborn to take care of. You eat healthy as a general rule...I really think you'll find it easier than you imagine to lose weight again.
I confess DH was here for our last visit. Said goodbye this morning. It will be a long time before I see him again.
My laptop crashed and is in the shop. I think I killed the graphics card. And it's my last week off work. So, no husband and my last bit of free time, with no computer to be in denial from. APA from my phone barely works. Wish my pc had crashed next week - not looking forward to work for many reasons but at least I'm mentally occupied.
Kate, that is funny!
Last edited by Gwenn; 08-04-2010 at 11:20 AM.
Me (40) DH (47) & furbabies * m/c 7/08 4/12 11/12
Yay for gay marriage rights!!!
(I gotta get a word in before these posts are deleted. )
Oh by the way, Iceland allowed gay marriage (as opposed to civil unions) a few weeks back and no one batted an eyelid. Even our Prime Minister is a lesbian, now married. How awesome is that?
In other news, Mia is so close to being weaned, at 2.5 years old. Not exactly child-led, but it's been gentle and gradual and she seems ok with it.
Pregnancy is so weird.
All I want to eat are the garden fresh tomatos that are piling up in my kitchen. I'm usually not a huge tomato eater but I crave them now.
But of course they are giving me heartburn and canker sores. Ah, joy.
Why can't I crave something bland and soothing?
There are a LOT of angry status updates on facebook today regarding prop h8. I am more than fine with people's conflicting opinions, and their rights to express them. But I get annoyed when they think all the prop 8 stuff is a sign that Jesus will be coming back soon. So I guess I am only kind of tolerant or differing opinions.
p.s. I'm totally scared that the mods are going to close this thread if we don't quit with the prop 8 talk.
I will just say this about the prop 8 discussion issue and then I'm done. I noticed a post in the christian forum asking to refrain from debating homosexuality as religious debates can become heated. Have not seen that request/warning elsewhere. I think the idea is just to head that off before it starts. Hope my saying that much isn't a problem.
Me (40) DH (47) & furbabies * m/c 7/08 4/12 11/12
double post
Last edited by Gwenn; 08-04-2010 at 08:54 PM.
Me (40) DH (47) & furbabies * m/c 7/08 4/12 11/12


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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Do not want.
There were complains in WotLK regarding Arthas' omnipresence in every zone, which lead to some lack of epicness when we finally get to face him. Blizzard promised they won't do this for Cataclysm.
But lo and behold. We get to see Deathwing every damn time we have to login. By the time I get to face him, I'd probably just go: "Oh, it's you again >.>"
By the way, some of the login screen concepts (photos of which are found in MMO-Champion) are way better than this one. (see: http://media.mmo-champion.com/images/news/2010/october/b2k10_artpanel_07.jpg)
Personally, I wanted the login screens to be randomly generated and give a view of the Old Azeroth (pre-Shattering) just so the game can still use the old files.
Arthas' presence was not the major issue, it was the cartoony-supervillain "I could kill you, but I'll let you live until next time" thing that devalued him.
Deathwing, on the other hand, shows up in maybe two quests that I've seen in the Beta (outside of the ones in Badlands, which don't count). The only other in-game appearances he makes are random occurrences when he shows up in a zone and kills everybody inside it. You get an achievement for being killed by him in this manner.


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2010-11-24 / Front Page
MPK Village installs new Trustee Tina Schiaffino
Posted Wed., Nov. 24- Saying that she exemplified the principles that are important to the Village of Massapequa Park, Mayor James Altadonna announced the appointment of Tina Schiaffino as the Village's newest Trustee. With her daughter holding the Bible , Schiaffino took the oath of office Mon., Nov.
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Japan-Relief event collects $11,000 | Letters | May 20
We would like to thank everyone involved with our Japan-Relief Sale: the Wildflowers and other volunteers, donors, buyers, sponsors, Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District, BIJAC.
The Bainbridge Island Review's excellent feature by Connie Mears, also contributed to our success.
We took in more than $11,000 and we strengthened a part of our community while doing it.
Michiko Sackett,
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text: Peller Estates Winery Our winery is a special place, where Winemaker Katie Dickieson and Winery Chef and personality Jason Parsons work together to create Canada's most innovative wine and food experiences. It's a place where people come to awaken the palate with by celebrating and learning about the many nuances of wine: growing and tasting, pairing and serving, buying and cellaring. Open daily from 10 am to 9 pm, we look forward to welcoming you to the Peller Estates Winery. Peller Estates Tasting & Wine Experiences Visitors to the winery can choose from a rich variety of Winery Experiences. From tasting out in the vineyard to learning the art of pairing wine and food – at Peller Estates, there is something to suit every taste, many of which are offered to Wine Club Members complimentary or at a reduced charge. Peller Estates Winery Restaurant Awarded the highest Zagat rating 'Extraordinary', Peller Estates Winery Restaurant offers sweeping vineyard views, and sumptuous wine and food pairings created by Winery Chef and CityLine personality Jason Parsons that evolve with the changing seasons. The warm ambiance makes it easy to relax and enjoy life's simple pleasures. This is especially true for our Wine Club Members who receive a complimentary tasting of our featured wines.


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Boston, MAUSA 02108
February 19, 2012
No answer yet
No introduction yet
Told you I'll find you ;) We had a great time...see you around.
Hi Mr. Moore,
Welcome to our group where I hope we can all grow into new and exciting experiences in helping people in all walks of life, I look forward to meeting with you and the group as we enlarge and become stronger in this endeavor together. Please if you have any suggestion, concerns or ideas, please feel free to send them my way to be considered. If you know of anyone who might be interested in joining our group please invite them also, and once again, Welcome!!!!!!
Hi Mike, i just signed up tonight and its nice to see other new members. I look forward to meeting you.
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Clinical Grand Rounds in Oral Medicine
Faculty of the UW School of Dentistry Department of Oral Medicine
Friday, November 15, 2013
University of Washington
South Campus Center
Room 316
Seattle, Washington 98195
Grand Rounds:
University of Washington
Health Sciences Center
Oral Medicine Clinical Services
Seattle, Washington 98195
This course is designed for dentists, hygienists, and dental assistants.
Download Course Application Form
Register Online (available until two days before the course).
Registration and Continental Breakfast: 8:00am – 8:30am
Course: 8:30am – 4:30pm
Until November 13 (after, $10 more)
$287/Current Dental Alumni Member
CREDITS: 7 hours
* This course is eligible for a 10% tuition discount if you are a current member of the UW Dental Alumni Association.
*** Limited Attendance: This course is limited to 40 participants.
Course Description
This course will consist of update information regarding diagnosis and treatment of patients with mucosal lesions, orofacial pain conditions, and other oro-systemic disorders followed by clinical grand rounds with live patients and discussion of the diagnosis and management options for each of the patients seen by the group in the clinical setting.
Course Objectives
As a result of attending this course, you will:
- Describe the general diagnostic approach to a patient with orofacial pain.
- Demonstrate the general diagnostic approach to a patient with oral lesions.
- Identify and describe initial management of orofacial disorders.
Faculty of the UW School of Dentistry Department of Oral Medicine
The University of Washington is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider.
ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry.
The University of Washington is a member of the Association for Continuing Dental Education.
University of Washington designates this activity for 7 continuing education credits.


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Yolanda #3 (6 February 1952)
Adolfo Mariño Ruiz was born in Tampico. He studied art and architecture and drew his first comics and cartoons in 1935 for Mujeres y Deportes (sports cartoons) and Paquito ('Charros del Bajío'). In the following year, he was present in Paquín with 'El Charro Negro', which was later continued in Chamaco. He eventually began a collaboration with Pepín and worked for publishers like La Prensa, Novedades, Novaro, Promotora K and Editor-Mex. He also self-published his own title, Libro Mensuel. In the 1960s he worked for Edar.


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Connect the Dots
July 14, 2011 9:15am
Just saw your post, private eye. I hadn't weighed in on this article because I've been busy being disgusted by the latest waste of taxpayer dollars by the city. Sorry to inform you that you are mistaken. I am neither small town girl or Taylor, but would like to meet them some day. Regarding your comments about hating people or institutions, you are wring there as well. Hatred is an evil weakness, one that I do not care to fall victim to.
I keep personal away from professional. I have no qualms about the school district, in fact I think they were dealt a bad hand when the city failed to meet their debt obligation to the isd. Regarding the principal, yes, I believe her to be unprofessional and inept. The mayor, however, is intelligent enough to have pulled the wool over folks eyes when first elected, but has proven himself to be unethical, and if you haven't realized, put us in debt over this civic center while he parties away our general fund. Dr. Vinson is great, and I wish him the best in his new venture. And finally, I welcome our new superintendent with open arms. Haven't met him, and I hope he holds the city to their obligations. I do find it funny that their fellow democrats at the federal level scream that the sky will fall if the US fails to meet their debt obligation, but they did it here and nobody has screamed about that.
Hope you don't get paid for your private eye services, because you're not a very effective investigators.
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Dinner in Portland--ANY place I choose...
- s
- SharpCheese May 20, 2011 09:36 PM
Hello! I am preparing to be a missionary to Italy for the next year (and potentially the rest of my life) and my family is throwing me a going away party so I can see everyone before I go. The dinner will be at any restaurant in Portland that I choose...and I have no clue (I live in Washington and have not had the privilege of enjoying Portland's culinary scene).
I am open to all recommendations, but I eat mostly vegetarian (will eat salmon, turkey, and halibut) and love when things are local, organic, and made from scratch.
There is a new restaurant called Natural Selection on Alberta- it's vegetarian and has gotten great reviews
If someone was treating me...I would want to go to Castagna, but that may not be for everyone
Ned Ludd or Toro Bravo/ Tasty and Sons ...perhaps Autentica, you might miss Mexican food in Italy...
1752 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214
Toro Bravo
120 NE Russell St Ste A, Portland, OR 97212
Ned Ludd
3925 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Portland, OR 97212
re: cheeseisheaven
I just checked out the Castagna menu (we are coming to Portland soon) and, ummm, I think I know what you mean when you wrote "...but that may not be for everyone." I think (used to think) I had a very adventurous palate, but, check out this dessert that was on Castagna's dessert menu tonight "Beets soaked in rye whiskey, malted ice cream, sorrel and bavarian malt." That is, quite frankly, disgusting.
1752 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214
re: wrldtrvl
I haven't had that desert, but if it's like many of their dishes, the listed ingredients are entirely transformed by the time they hit your plate -- one desert we did have had sunchokes somehow turned into sweet, chewy toffee-like candies.
re: grapesgrapes
I have a hard time imagining the use of sorrel with any of the other ingredients in that dish. At some point, I wonder what is the point--If the ingredient is so transformed, why bother?? Guess I am more into pure, intense, flavors. Come to think of it, I probably like fewer flavors but a variety of textures....
Natural Selections is excellent, but not very big and may not be enjoyed by any family/friends who just MUST eat meat with every meal. Castagna and Autentica may not be the most veg friendly options. Ned Ludd, Toro Bravo or Tasty and Sons would all make excellent choices, with lots of variety and space to accomodate everyone. Wildwood is excellent, as is Genoa, although that is a set 6-course menu, and may not really suit the occasion.
I would also look at Clyde Common and Andina.
Finally, although it's not quite as trendy as some of those places, the Farm is consistently excellent, vegetarian and pescatarian (and usually a meat dish on the specials), local and sustainable, good drinks, and if you nab the patio on a warm day, I couldn't imagine a nicer place in Portland to spend time with family
Clyde Common
1014 SW Stark St, Portland, OR 97205
Andina Restaurant
1314 NW Glisan, Portland, OR 97209
1752 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214
Toro Bravo
120 NE Russell St Ste A, Portland, OR 97212
Ned Ludd
3925 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Portland, OR 97212
So...do you know the Galloways?
Honestly, I doubt that there is no one place in Portland that will "send you off well." I fed our wonderful American friends who returned to visit from Florence over these last 7 years and I watched how their tastes changed. They liked very little when they returned towards the end...other than... big breakfasts and ethnic food (Thai, Mexican, Vietnamese, etc.)
You may be best heading to Fat City Cafe, Esparza, Pok Pok or Pho Von than trying to eat something like turkey or halibut.
Good luck!
Pok Pok
3226 SE Division St, Portland, OR
Fat City Cafe
7820 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, OR 97219
re: Starlag
I don't know the Galloways, but I don't go to Italy until September...so maybe I will meet them?!?! I am definitely a fan of ethnic food from many regions ...I actually think I will have a lot of trouble adjusting to the food in Italy because I don't really care for pasta and I don't eat pork!
Thanks for all the recommendations, I will investigate them all and let you know what I pick! Keep the suggestions coming if you all have more!
re: lilhellie
We were recently in Portland for 8 nights and enjoyed meals at : Gruner, Little Bird, Harborside @ the Mirana, Portland City Grill, Oba Meriwether's (love the ambiance here and their Osso Buco) and Gracie's @ the Hotel Deluxe. There are many wonderful places to dine in Portland, let me know if you have any questions about any of the places I have mentioned, also check UrbanSpoon where I have reviews with photos. :)
2601 NW Vaughn Street, Portland, OR 97210
555 NW 12th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
Portland City Grill
111 SW 5th Ave Ste 3000, Portland, OR 97204
re: syrahgirl
Thanks syrahgirl! There are too many wonderful places to dine in Portland...I'm having a hard time choosing! Of the places you mentioned (or others if you should think of something else), would you say there is one or two that would be best suited for a group of 15 whose budgets are quite small? My mom did say I could choose ANY place I wanted...and then reminded me that most people in the family are on tight budgets, which is a not-so-subtle way of saying "choose frugally." This is tough because I want fresh, local, organic, etc. and that comes with a premium.
What place or places would be the most budget friendly and still suit my tastes? Thanks so much!
re: SharpCheese
Ooh, that makes it quite a bit harder. Is your party in June? That is Dining Month, where a lot of excellent restaurants offer $25 3-course meals: http://www.opentable.com/promo.aspx?m...
re: jpc8015
I second the Screen Door suggestion -- it's good, has lots of vegetarian and non-vegetarian choices, isn't very expensive, and can seat large parties.
re: grapesgrapes
I know, this makes it harder for me too! Unfortunately, the party is in August...so I miss the awesome dining month opportunity! As for Screen Door, the vegetarian specials look amazing and I know I would love it...but I'm not sure how the rest of the group would feel about southern food. I'm definitely going to keep it on the list and check the menu in August.
Thanks for the suggestions, feel free to keep them coming!
re: SharpCheese
OK, with this change in budget, it definitely becomes more difficult.
But I think Tabla would be awesome. They have vegetarian options (and with notice, can even be more accommodating), make some of the best pasta in town and always have a 3-course/$28 dinner deal (all the time) which allows you to choose from everything on the menu (some things with extra-special ingredients might have a few dollars up-charge).
They have a private room which can seat around 12, have a great and reasonable wine list by bottle, glass, and taste and good cocktails (if there are imbibers among you), and really, the food there is top-notch - Anthony Cafiero is a great chef.
If you don't want 3 courses, many combos of 2 courses there will run you closer to the $20 mark. This is definitely the upscale choice.
I love Screen Door, and though I am a true omnivore, I love that fresh organics menu and almost always do a "Screen Door Plate" where I pick a salad off the local organics menu and have mac and cheese (some of the best in town, maybe THE best for the baked in the oven with a cheesy crust variety) and usually go with the fried catfish (occasionally a pork chop)...usually get 2 meals out of the $13.95 they charge for it. They also do great savory bread puddings (usually on the local organics menu) and desserts. Good pick by the poster who originally suggested it.
Another fun thing, if your family is into it, is doing a big meal at a Chinese dining hall restaurant like Ocean City. The owner, Lisa, does speak English (many of the staff, not so much ;o) and can help you set up a really nice meal for you and your family. Price will be reasonable as long as you don't order things like whole crabs and things with sharks' fins in 'em. Don't know if your family digs this kind of thing, though.
Very inexpensive (very reasonable prices, large portions)and with good pasta and salads and a few other choices, this is not a fancy place and it won't stop you in your tracks, but it is a solid choice, Justa Pasta:
I get you are going to Italy, but this is more Italian-American food. While maybe not what you want right before you leave, it is a great choice if your family wants to give you an "Italian" send-off.
There is no finer 'Que in Portland than Podnah's Pit, IMO. It is Texas style (it's about the meat and the smoke, not the sauce which only is on the side) and delicious. And there ain't no way you are gonna find better in Italy...I'm willing to go out on a limb there. ;o) Meat and two sides run under $15...brisket and ribs are especially good choices.
Ocean City Restaurant
3016 SE 82nd Ave, Portland, OR 97266
re: jpc8015
Word. Best biscuits and grits in town, IMO.
re: jpc8015
I am salivating just thinking about it... Haven't been for breakfast since the move, gotta get over there soon.
re: SharpCheese
Podnah's and Screen Door are closed Mondays, the other places mentioned are open.
And SharpCheese, it's never as easy as you think it is going to be! ;o)
Also, I don't remember if anyone suggested Country Cat, but they are open on Mondays and their food is good:


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Franklin Covey Co., the Salt Lake City-based time-management and seminar company, has reported higher revenue and earnings for the first quarter of its 2013 fiscal year.
The company, said its sales for the quarter ended Dec. 1, 2012 increased 11 percent to $44.1 million compared with $39.5 million in the first quarter of the prior year.
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Net income improved by $1.2 million to $2.9 million, or 15 cents per share, a 74 percent increase compared with sthe $1.7 million, or 9 cents per share earned in the first quarter of fiscal 2012.
"The strength of our momentum and the size of our booking pipeline over the past several years strongly underscore our expectation of continue growth in revenue, profitability and cash flow from operations in fiscal 2013 and beyond," Bob Whitman, chairman and CEO, said in a statement announcing the company's latest financial results.
Whitman noted that revenue increased in all of the company's major sales channels.
Franklin Covey reported that its balance sheet and liquidity position remained strong through the first quarter. The company had $7.3 million in cash and cash equivalents on hand. Net working capital increased to $30.1 million compared with $27.5 million on Aug. 31, 2012. And, the company had no borrowings on its line of credit facility at the end of the quarter.
Copyright 2014 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Disneyland doesn't have anything on a Rio Tinto Alcan aluminum smelter. Tourism in the small British Columbia town of Kitimat dropped 28 percent, with only 2,811 guests signing in at the visitor information center from June 1 to Aug. 31 compared with 3,908 in the same period last year, a decline that tourism director Cheryl Dawson described as "shocking."
Electric car maker Tesla Motors Inc. has announced plans to build a $250-million manufacturing facility in California's Silicon Valley.
A status hearing has been delayed until October for a trader accused in an alleged kickback scheme involving sales of aluminum belonging to General Motors Corp., Detroit.
The deadly bridge collapse on Interstate-35W in Minneapolis last August has led to another victory for an alternative material in bridge construction concrete.
Steel shipments by distributors in the United States and Canada declined at double-digit rates in August compared with a year ago as economic uncertainty reduced orders to the minimum amounts required, while aluminum shipments also fell sharply, the Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI), Rolling Meadows, Ill., said Wednesday.
Auto parts supplier Federal-Mogul Corp. plans to slash some 4,000 jobs—about 8 percent of its global work force—in response to the auto market downturn.
Cleveland-Cliffs Inc., Cleveland, has chosen a site near Orr, Minn., to construct a $15-million 100,000-square-foot biofuel manufacturing facility.
Britain's GKN Plc will boost its aerospace manufacturing role, along with its involvement in composite structures, with the acquisition of the Filton, England, facility of Airbus SAS.
Three former employees at auto parts supplier Metaldyne Corp. have pleaded guilty to charges related to alleged selling of trade secrets to a Chinese competitor, according to federal prosecutors.
Milwaukee Wire Products, a direct supplier of engineered components and assemblies to the automotive industry, has changed its name and ventured for the first time into China to try to reach the Asian nation's growing demand for automotive supplies.
The Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) has joined forces with the National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA) to strengthen industry advocacy efforts for small and medium-sized manufacturers.
Allegheny Technologies Inc. (ATI) isn't looking for its titanium and other high-value metals businesses to help spur a resurgence in the company's earnings until 2010, its top executive indicated this week.
Shares in Fording Canadian Coal Trust tumbled for the second consecutive day Tuesday as speculation intensified that its $14-billion takeover by Teck Cominco Ltd. might be in jeopardy because of the unfolding U.S. credit crisis.
U.S. industrial output tumbled 1.1 percent in August, led by a huge drop in automobile production, according to the latest government data.
Investment bank Lehman Brothers Inc. was suspended from trading on the London Metal Exchange's electronic trading platform Monday as traders sought to assess the extent of the company's exposure to the commodities market following its shock bankruptcy filing.
The European Parliament has voted in favor of the European Commission's proposal on emissions trading in a move that has drawn a mixed response from steel industry association Eurofer.
The U.S. trade deficit widened more than expected in July, according to federal data.
A selection of Severstal OAO's top executives descended on London last week, shoring up investor confidence during a turbulent time for Russian companies, market sources told Melting Pot. Alexei Mordashov, chief executive officer of the Cherepovets-based steelmaker, and several of his top managers met representatives of the London investment community. "They are very bullish, saying steel prices are very strong. It's done them good because they are here and prepared to discuss the issues," said one analyst who attended the presentation. Prime Minister Putin's attacks on rival steelmaker OAO Mechel and Russia's military conflict with neighboring Georgia over South Ossetia mean confidence has dipped in the Russian economy over the summer. The meeting with investors was arranged before the Mechel case and the trouble in South Ossetia broke out, but Severstal sources say it was timely. The value of Severstal's global depository receipts on the London Stock Exchange dropped from $28.05 on May 16 to as low as $13.09 last week.
Due to technical problems, subscribers may not have received the Sept. 11 issue of AMM. The issue is available for download at http//amm.com/.
The prospects for a large-scale bailout of the nation's automakers took a significant step forward this week when it won support from key Department of Energy officials, as well as backing from House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.).
The National Mining Association (NMA) has selected its new leader from within, electing mining association attorney Harold P. Quinn as president and chief executive officer.
Are you stocking more inventory today than 18 months ago?
We actually don't know who his investors are. At the point when we are ready, we will investigate further. There are just so many things to handle and there are a lot of items to be considered with the project."
-- Charles C. Mitchell, Barstow city manager


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The successful augmented packaging by ExtelUbleam 07/03/2013
Innovator in the sector of automatic gates and video entry systems, especially with its LOONA range with a design elaborated for women, Extel has been one of the pioneers in the use of the bleam. Its objective: give a digital dimension to its packaging to strengthen the dialogue with the customers.
The device
Extel uses the bleam to improve customer information directly on the packaging. For each of its three ranges (entry system, gate automatism and telesurveillance), a branded Extel bleam has been integrated on the packaging and brochures for DIY superstore customers.
The campaign began in April 2012. To facilitate the scan the bleam has been integrated on the front of the packaging to avoid too many handlings. To accompany the uninitiated an informative text block gives the main instructions to follow. By flashing the bleam, the customers have access to all the ranges of products, informations, product file card, instructions but more importantly presentation and product installation videos on Youtube. The content has been made to measure and answers well to the mobility issues.
According to Jean Pascal Gisquet, Extel marketing and purchase director, this device has immediate impacts:
An increase of our brand image, clearly. We are today « at the cutting edge » and we especially offer a complementary service to our clients. The presentation and installation videos on our Youtube channel are from now on well knowed and appreciated by our clients since they easily have access to it by scanning this famous sticker (bleam). The feedbacks were very positive. In fact, it was even a demand from our clients for some time, to have access to that kind of service. (see the complete interview).
To go further in the analysis, Extel used the tracking platform Bleam Manager to follow in real-time the deployment of its packaging through the scans. Beyond the quantitative aspects (630 scans end of Decembre 2012), the tracking tool shows a different seasonality between the products (holidays effect on the DIY product and reverse on the technological products). The technological products mainly aimed at smartphones owners and geeks were scanned twice more than other products.
The second point concerns the related content. The catalog, adapted to mobile format, represents a rich in content. Nevertheless it is better to target one information at once to not lose the customer. The bleam can lead to a product file card (the scanned product). It can also presents accessories related to the product which are not sold in the DIY superstores. Thus, the device increases the basket of the customer through the e-commerce website (store-to-web). A rich content, such as the interactive catalog will rather intended to be used on tablet in the point of sale to enhance the sellers role.
The bleam offers a new way to consider the creation and use of packaging and answers to economic and environmental issues. The packaging becomes interactive and augmented: it gives the right information at the good moment and in a reduced time to reassure the customers and accompany them to the buying act.
The areas of development for Extel pioneer in using the bleam: use the bleam as a visual shortcut (pictogram) to support material for sales such as tutorial video, instructions but also the purchase of accessories related to the product.
Finally, a direct and secure relationship between the brand and the customer…


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Grand Central Terminal
MTA Proposes Metro North Line To Penn Station
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is proposing to extend Metro-North Railroad's New Haven line to Penn Station in Manhattan to ease crowding and provide access to Manhattan's West Side as part of […]
MTA Considering Metro-North Extension
Metro-North Railroad, which now serves Grand Central Terminal, is looking to extend the commuter line to Penn Station.
Metro North Suspends Service Due To New York Explosion
NEW YORK (AP)/CBS Connecticut – The Fire Department says there's a major emergency response in East Harlem. The FDNY says it has received a report of a possible explosion and building collapse around Park Avenue […]
Full Service To Resume On Crippled Metro North New Haven Line
The Metropolitan Transit Authority says full service will be restored to a crippled line of the nation's second-largest commuter railroad.
Senators Want NYC-Conn. Rail Power Failure Probe
Federal and state authorities should investigate the utility and transportation authority responsible for running the nation's second-busiest railroad following a power failure that has disrupted service for tens of thousands of commuters in New York and Connecticut, two U.S. senators said Sunday.
Power Problems Delay Metro North Into New York
NEW YORK (AP) _ Connecticut commuters headed into New York City can expect significant rail and highway delays. Metro-North Railroad said that service is extremely limited on the New Haven line between Stamford and Grand […]