Category Archives: Data Visualization

November One Begins National Novel Writing Month

This year’s local NaNoWriMo Kickoff event was held at Fort Vancouver Regional Library in Vancouver, Wash.

History

National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, to those in the know began humbly, fifteen years ago as “half literary marathon and half block party,” according to its founder, Chris Baty. Baty and a group of 20 friends spent a month writing novels, for no other reason than they figured novelists have a better chance of getting dates than non-novelists.

According to Vancouver coordinator, Liz Onstead, NaNoWriMo has its own ebb and flow. Here she shares the creative process of NaNoWriMos over the years.

According to Vancouver coordinator, Liz Onstead, NaNoWriMo has its own ebb and flow. Here she shares the creative process of NaNoWriMos over the years.

But the now viral event has grown exponentially. Last year, according to the NaNoWriMo website, 341,375 people earned the right to call themselves novelists by penning at least 50,000 words.

Published NaNoWriMo Novelists

This isn’t just a frivolous exercise. According to Onstead, Water for Elephants came a rough draft of NaNoWriMo author, Sarah Gruen. Lists of books published by traditional publishing houses, self-publishing / Indy publishing, and even foreign publishing can be found on the NaNoWriMo website.

Upcoming Events:

The event which takes place every November is free. To “win,” participants have to craft 50,000 words over the course of the month. To that end local volunteers, or “Municipal Liaisons” are selected by the non-profit corporation and facilitate local events. In Vancovuer this year, there will be over two dozen local events at five locations.

A newly updated (thanks to member donations) digital platform acts as proctor, forum host, and event schedule receptacle, counting participants words and communicating when and where local events occur.

According to Nancy Kelley and Liz Onstead, local volunteers, or “Municipal Liaisons” who facilitate November’s NaNoWriMo, participants have over two dozen events to plug into for support, accountability, and encouragement. NaNoWriMo provides an informative FAQ for people wanting to lurk or find out more.

A schedule of events in Vancouver, Wash. and Portland, Ore., can be found on the local NaNoWriMo website. The map below marks the sites of the month’s events.

Non-invasive Laser Treatments Speed Healing for Pets, and People

Veterinarian Steve Milner and the staff at Milner Veterinary Hospital in Oregon City, Ore. use non-invasive medical lasers to treat wounds on their companion-pet patients. In this video, Milner demonstrates the benefits on Hercules, a golden retriever who had a tumor removed and who also developed an infected callous on his elbow.

Another patient, Penny, a greyhound dog, developed a “hot spot” on her rear end. When used in conjunction with the traditional treatments of antibiotics and steroids, Dr. Milner estimates a 25% increase in Penny’s healing when also using the lasers. Milner attributes this to their healing and anti-inflammatory properties.

Non-invasive Laser Treatments Create Faster Healing for Pets from Kaley Perkins on Vimeo.

Penny’s People: Golden Bond Rescue

Penny’s owner, Jill Groves is President of the Board of Golden Bond Rescue, a non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue and adoption of golden retrievers and golden mixes. According to Groves, it is not unusual for pets to find themselves in situations where their owners are no longer able to care for them: owner deaths, divorces, job relocations, deployments, and rescues from puppy mills create a need for these pets to find new homes.

“Sadly these goldens are often neglected and need medical attention and care before we adopted them out,” Groves said, explaining why they bring all of the Golden Bond Rescue animals to Dr. Milner. Milner said he checks them for hip dysplasia, a common malady that afflicts golden retrievers. He also checks their teeth, hearts, weight, and makes certain that they are spayed or neutered before sending them back to Groves and her foster families.

Dr. Milner laughed, “There is a running joke about that,” he said. “First time foster families almost always become the adoptive families because these are the neatest dogs.”

Lasers Could Potentially Prevent Amputations for Diabetics

(Thumbnail in podcast above created by James L. Saltzer; published according to the Creative Commons 3.0 license.)

Another indication for therapeutic lasers is for the treatment of neuropathy. Estimates are that 60-70 per cent of all diabetics suffer from some level of diabetic neuropathy. In this podcast, Dr. Milner explains the physiology behind neuropathy that makes lasers a potentially inexpensive and non-invasive alternative to amputations.

Colors represent ratios of total population who suffer from Type I/II Diabetes per age group. The darkest layers represent the average 65% of diabetics who further suffer from the complication of neuropathy.     Sources: http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diabetes-statistics; http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html; and http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-03.pdf.     (Created by Kaley Perkins)

Colors represent ratios of total population who suffer from Type I/II Diabetes per age group. The darkest layers represent the average 65% of diabetics who further suffer from the complication of neuropathy.
Sources: http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diabetes-statistics; http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html; and http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-03.pdf.
(Created by Kaley Perkins)

The infographic to the left shows the population of the United States, color-coded by age group. The medium colored boxes represent the proportionate percentage of people per age group who have Type I/II diabetes. The darkest spots represent the average of 65% of those suffering from some sort of neuropathy.

 

Local Parents Raise Second Child with Cystic Fibrosis

Sarah and Brad Jones have a one year old named Brynlee. Brynlee has cystic fibrosis, or “CF,” a disease which renders approximately 30,000 U.S. citizens vulnerable to life-threatening respiratory and digestive issues.

Brynlee Jones has an nasogastric tube attached that runs from her back through her nose, down to her stomach. Her parents hook formula up to the tube at night so that Brynlee can get the nutrition that she needs to feed her body. According to Jones, for patients of cystic fibrosis to have the best long-term quality of life, it is critical that they develop full lung capacity and get maximum nutritional benefit while they are young.

Brynlee Jones has an nasogastric tube attached that runs from her back through her nose, down to her stomach. Her parents hook formula up to the tube at night so that Brynlee can get the nutrition that she needs to feed her body. According to Jones, for patients of cystic fibrosis to have the best long-term quality of life, it is critical that they develop full lung capacity and get maximum nutritional benefit while they are young. (Photo by: Kaley Perkins / Independent Journalist)

In addition to the respiratory treatment in the video above, the family has a protocol to support Brynlee’s digestive health. Born with a blocked intestinal tract, their daughter has struggled to get adequate nutrition from birth. A nasogastric tube or “NG tube” inserted through Brynlee’s nose carries night-time nutrition to her stomach where she is able to receive it without the work normally associated with digestion.

The digestive enzymes which accompany every meal cost $600 per month, and the respiratory treatment costs $2,500 per month.

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the national clearinghouse for information and the primary fund-raising arm of the community affected by cystic fibrosis, follows the development of new treatments. Current focus is on identifying and treating the underlying genetic mutations that cause the disease.

The foundation connects families to local support centers and resources for families struggling to find the finances that purchase the medications that keep their children breathing.

For a person to have Cystic Fibrosis, each parent needs to be a carrier of the gene mutation which creates the disease. If both parents are carriers, the child has a one in four chance of developing the disease.

For a person to have Cystic Fibrosis, each parent needs to be a carrier of the gene mutation which creates the disease. If both parents are carriers, the child has a one in four chance of developing the disease. (Created by Kaley Perkins)

For a person to get CF, each parent needs to be a carrier of the mutated gene. Of children born to those parents, one in four will develop the disease, two will be carriers themselves, and one will be unaffected.

But those odds, didn’t hold up in the case of the Jones family who have had two children affected by the disease. Three years ago, the family lost their first-born son, Conner, to the diseaase: Jones says that with Conner, instead of a single tote of medications, they had cupboards full.

Conner was seven.

Conner:

Family friend, Tricia Rodman, is part of the church body that provided critical emotional and practical support to the Jones family as Conner’s disease became more critical. In a phone conversation, Rodman told stories about the family as Conner’s time was getting short.

The family had taken a trip to Hawaii as part of the Make A Wish Foundation. Rodman asked Conner to select his favorite pictures from his trip. “He loved Transformers and Super Grover and so of course we found pictures of those,” reported Rodman. “We traced his hand, and I had him write his name on some transferable paper.”

conner_quilt

Orchestrated by family friends, Tricia Rodman, and Sonja Narvesen, this quilt displays Conner’s favorite family photos, his hand prints, and his signature. The central photo was taken during the family’s trip to Hawaii funded by the Make a Wish Foundation. (Photo used by permission from Sarah Jones.)

Conner had wanted a puppy whom he named Grover, in honor of the Sesame Street character. During one of Conner’s last visits to Doernbecher’s hospital, his parents and some family friends launched “Operation Grover,” according to Rodman, where they snuck the puppy up into Conner’s hospital room. Rodman spoke with joint sadness and fondness for the Jones family and the dedicated group that surrounded them in their darkest hours.

Rodman recounts the day when Conner passed away at home. “After Conner had passed, Grover was just beside himself. He could tell that something was wrong. I took Grover into Conner’s room and I laid him on Conner’s chest,” Rodman said. She was moved by how the puppy immediately calmed down and lay still.

“He was protecting his boy,” Rodman said, with a voice broken up by tears.

Mom Sarah is hopeful for Brynlee’s prognosis. She says her two unaffected boys, Hunter and Bradyn, don’t treat their sister differently until she gets sick and they become very concerned. You can read her family’s journey and see more pictures of the Jones children on her blog.

For more information about cystic fibrosis or to donate, visit www.cff.org.

Note: Special thanks to Tricia Rodman for correcting some details that I got wrong in my initial writing of this article. An update on 10/17/2013 reflects this correction of the details “Operation Grover” and the situation surrounding Conner’s passing.

 

Bob’s Red Mill Leads in Gluten Free Baking

Every morning starts early at Bob’s Red Mill as bakers on staggered shifts arrive to prepare the store’s baked goods in preparation for the store’s retail customers.

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BOB’S RED MILL, MILWAUKIE, ORE. (August 23, 2013)
Bright and early outside Bob’s Red Mill as the bakers begin arriving.
2013 © by Kaley Perkins (Kaley Perkins / Independent Journalist)

First to hit the ovens are the muffins and scones, next the wheat bread.

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BOB’S RED MILL, MILWAUKIE, ORE. (August 23, 2013)
Buttermilk getting poured into what will soon be the proof sponge for the day’s wheat bread loaves.
2013 © by Kaley Perkins (Kaley Perkins / Independent Journalist)

Soon the gluten-free baker arrives. She gets a recipe for a new cookie that the bakery staff is working to create to be produced in bulk for Costco.

BOB'S RED MILL, MILWAUKIE, OREGON (August 23, 2013) Baked goods, gluten free and regular hit the ovens while the bread sponge is proofing. 2013 © by Kaley Perkins (Kaley Perkins / Independent Journalist)

BOB’S RED MILL, MILWAUKIE, ORE. (August 23, 2013)
Baked goods, gluten free and regular, hit the ovens while the bread sponge is proofing.
2013 © by Kaley Perkins (Kaley Perkins / Independent Journalist)

More staff, more noise, more recipes, and soon the kitchen is a hum of bodies, the clanking of pans, the shutting of ovens, and the whir of mixers.

Kasie Rapp is orchestrator of the activity. As the director of the kitchen, Rapp explains why she insists that all hires have culinary experience and have worked in kitchens. The process of creating recipes for Bob’s Red Mill is collaborative, Rapp explains, and she needs her team to be able to trouble shoot issues that may arise with flavor, texture, and chemistry.

Studies indicate that 1 in 133 people has celiac disease, an auto-immune disorder in which the gluten in certain grains causes havoc on the lining of the small intestine and, if left untreated, can cause a number of other ailments.

Finding combinations of ingredients that create tasty baked goods without gluten-containing products can be a challenge. Rapp explains the products that her kitchen team uses as they create gluten free and vegan recipes.

To provide leadership in the local area, the company holds gluten-free cooking classes and continually tests new combinations of ingredients to make the most satisfying gluten-free products.

BOB'S RED MILL, MILWAUKIE, OREGON (August 23, 2013) Bakery case and deli inside the retail store at Bob's Red Mill 2013 © by Kaley Perkins (Kaley Perkins / Independent Journalist)

BOB’S RED MILL, MILWAUKIE, OREGON (August 23, 2013)
Bakery case and deli inside the retail store at Bob’s Red Mill
2013 © by Kaley Perkins (Kaley Perkins / Independent Journalist)

The company’s kitchen, Rapp explains, is not currently gluten free. They make wheat free products, meaning no wheat ingredients are included in their gluten free products, but because they are made on equipment shared by wheat products and because of the open environment, they cannot guarantee 100% lack of contamination. To solve this, they are currently expanding their kitchen facility to have a dedicated gluten-free section.

“Super exciting. We have been waiting for this for a long time,” says Rapp about the renovations. “We’re going to have a separate kitchen, separate mixers, oven, proofbox, everything, so that we can be a certified gluten free instead of just wheat free kitchen.”

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BOB’S RED MILL, MILWAUKIE, OREGON (Oct, 2013)
Kasie Rapp, director of the kitchen at Bob’s Red Mill.
2013 © by Kaley Perkins (Kaley Perkins / Independent Journalist)

Renovations are predicted to be finished in late fall of 2013. Classes will resume after the remodel is complete.

Bob’s Red Mill’s outreach program is progressive. In addition to sourcing and providing over 400 non-GMO products and heirloom quality whole grains throughout the United States and the globe, they host the annual Spar for the Spurtle contest where they reach out to home cooks around the nation and bring attention to another gluten free product: oatmeal. The annual winner wins a trip to represent the company in Scotland for the chance to win the Golden Spurtle.

Bob and Charlee Moore, founders of the now employee-owned company, donate food to local foodbanks, open their facility to factory tours, and have donated $25 million to Oregon Health Science University in Portland, Ore. for the launch of the OHSU nutrition institute.

Products from Bob’s Red Mill can be found at most chain grocery stores but can also be purchased directly from the store’s website.

BOB'S RED MILL, MILWAUKIE, OREGON (August 23, 2013) Gluten free product section at Bob's Red Mill retail store. 2013 © by Kaley Perkins (Kaley Perkins / Independent Journalist)

BOB’S RED MILL, MILWAUKIE, OREGON (August 23, 2013)
Gluten free product section at Bob’s Red Mill retail store.
2013 © by Kaley Perkins (Kaley Perkins / Independent Journalist)

Longview Students Storm STEMFest in Vancouver

Longview CTE Students Storm STEMFest in Vancouver from Kaley Perkins on Vimeo.

Sue Edmunson and Sharon McElroy, two high school teachers from R. A. Long High School in Longview, Wash. brought 30 students from their business classes to Vancouver on Friday, Sept. 20 to participate in this year’s STEMFest. Both women teach CTE, or career and technology education, a subject that prepares students for the technological expectations that their future employers will place on them. McElroy’s students are from her “Microsoft IT Academy” class and Edmunson’s are in the heavily technology-dependent “Pre-Press Desktop Publishing” class.

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math.

Projections by the U.S. Department of Commerce and Washington STEM Center 2010 paint a picture of job growth in STEM careers that coincide with a shortage of workers with the skills to fill them. Edmunson wants to fix that and with a background in building bridges between students and the workforce, she is doing just that.

Edmunson writes, “I read statistics somewhere that if you can get a kid actually onto a college campus (6) times in their high school career, they will most likely choose college after high school.” Edmunson and McElroy signed up their students for STEMFest 2013.

First stop on the tour was at Clark College where student ambassadors in STEM disciplines led the high schoolers around campus, talking about their school experiences and the benefits of Clark College. Audreyana Foster, who studies aerospace and mechanical engineering at Clark, pointed out that her class sizes are small and that her advisors are proactive advocates of her success.

STEMFest is a multi-day, community-wide event. Mary Brown from Southwest Washington’s Workforce Development Council (“SWWDC”) is champion and coordinator of the event. She met with Edmunson (“Mizz Ed”) and the yearbook students at Vancouver’s community newspaper, The Columbian.

There, students heard from Rachel Rose about the nature of work in an independent and locally-owned paper. After showing students printing plates and mock ups of the four color print process, Rose led them on a facility tour where she explained the process of turning metal plates into printed newspapers.

John Hill, Interactive Editor,  directs The Columbian’s digital news division. Hill talked with students about the workflow of reporters in a digital age and let the students know what kind of technology skills they would need to have to be able to work in a newspaper.

Though the event is now over, the interactive map below contains the locations, dates, and times of STEMFest 2013 events. Drag the hand to reposition the map for maximum viewing.


View STEMFest 2013 Activities in a larger map