Pa Surveyor Summer 2017 by PSLS

Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors Newsletter The

Pennsylvania Surveyor Summer 2017

A Land Surveyor’s Look at Geodesy and Datums

By: William Henning, PLS

Because the average age of Land Surveyors in the USA is around 57, many will remember their experience with creating a datum. That’s right –two hubs driven into the ground near the edge of the road and a PK nail smacked into a power pole. Your project datum was then, as a result of intensive computations, loaded into your field book, noting that your “origin” point was 5000.000 North and 10,000.000 East and the azimuth on your project “standard parallel” was 90° (quite coincidentally due east). Your vertical datum (in the North American Damfino datum), as a result of spherical harmonics, removal of free air anomalies and reduction of a Fourier series, was found to be exactly 100.00 feet on the PK nail. Well, good things don’t last forever. With the beginning of the Acronym System, containing GIS and GPS, everything needed to fit together (GIS) and the means to do it (GPS) became ubiquitous. Now the land surveyor entered into the cob-webbed realms of geodesy and geodetic datums. Suddenly the surveyor found out that an inverse between monuments with State Plane Coordinates Continued on Page 6

Inside... Cover Feature: Geodesy & Datums President’s Message...3 NSPS Report...4 NSPS Foundation ...5 Timeless Wisdom… 9 Sustaining Firms…12 The Snake...15 PLS Foundation Firearms Raffle...16 Member News & Events...19 Conference Venue Report… 20 On the Lighter Side...22

Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors Officers Shaheed A. Smith, PLS, President Scott R. Reeser, PLS, President-Elect Mark E. Hummel, PLS, Vice President Brian Yorkiewicz, PLS, Secretary Michael D. Kreiger, PLS, Past President Brent L. Birth, PLS, NSPS Director State Directors Allegheny Heartlands Chapter Joseph P. Hood, PLS & James Mostoller, PLS

2017 Board Meeting Dates

September 22, Camp Hill, PA October 20, Harrisburg, PA December 8, Harrisburg, PA

Bucks Chapter Robert J. Snyder, PLS & Jonathan J. Tabas, PE, PLS Delaware Valley Chapter Bruce E. Lewis, PLS & Richard Shewman, PLS Harrisburg Chapter John Clark, PLS & Thomas Kimmel, PLS Laurel Highlands Chapter Joseph Allegra, PLS & Randall Myers, PLS

The PSLS board and staff extend condolences to the families of PSLS members who passed away.

Lehigh Valley Chapter Stephen D. Ombalski, PLS & Arthur A. Swallow, PLS Mid-State Chapter David Archibald, PLS & Gregory Shufran, PLS North Central Chapter K. Robert Cunningham, PLS & Charles G. Lang, PLS Northeast Chapter Glenn L. Johnson, PLS & Christopher Vincelli, PLS

Joseph P. Carr, PLS, of Naples Grove, FL passed away July 11, 2017 at the age of 86. Joe worked at Tri-State Engineers from 1967 until he retired in 1994. He was a member of the Society in the Bucks Chapter.

Northwest Chapter Ryan Courtney, PLS & Matthew Swanson, PLS Pocono Chapter Gregg A. Davis, PLS & Brian J. Zick, PLS Reading Chapter John G. Fuehrer II, PE, PLS & John M. Huck, PLS South Central Chapter Thomas E. Farcht Jr., PLS & L. Bradley Foltz, PLS Southwest Chapter Donald R. Housley Sr., PLS & Terry R. Siefers, PLS Susquehanna Chapter Mark J. Brinkash, PLS & David A. Drumheller, PLS

PSLS Mission The Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors, a statewide professional organization, exists for the purpose of supporting, improving and enhancing the profession, its members, and the practice of land surveying. To these ends, the critical work of the Society focuses on providing education, legislative involvement, enhancing the public awareness, and the promulgation of the ethics of the profession.

Donald E. Rife, PLS

The Pennsylvania Surveyor is published by the Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors (PSLS). Articles or opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of PSLS, but are published as a service to its members, the general public, and for the betterment of the surveying profession. Articles may be reprinted with due credit given. We welcome submissions via e-mail in MS Word format. Please forward to psls@psls.org or call 717.540.6811.

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President’s Pen

Investing in the Future Shaheed A. Smith, PLS s I sit to write this message, the sting of the two recent storms are A fresh in our memories. My heart goes out to the people of Texas affected by Harvey and the people of Florida reeling for the losses caused by Irma.

I have been amazed to hear the stories or heroism, bravery, care and concern of the people of this great country as they have helped in many ways. It’s times like these when we can put down the swords that divide us and unite to help those who need us. And for us surveyors, events like these can certainly put into perspective the importance of the work that we do and why we do it. If you are willing and able to help, consider donating to the NSPS Disaster Relief Fund. The wonderful thing about this effort, is that it goes specifically towards surveyors in these affected areas whose businesses have suffered or been destroyed. Contact Trisha Milburn at the NSPS Office or log on to their website for more information. As I look at where we are in my term as President, it’s hard to believe its more than half over. It seems like we just got started and there was so much to do. One of the greatest lessons that I have learned this year is that while there is a lot to do, I cannot do it all myself. I am thankful for all the people who have been working hard with me to keep things moving forward. I would also like to encourage those who may not be involved with the profession to lend a hand. The adage that many hands make light work holds true in this case. I am finding that PSLS could greatly benefit if more of its membership would volunteer. We remain resolved in our efforts to get HB 1106 in law which amends the registration law and the definition of land surveying. The legislative committee with the help of Wanner Associates are working hard to see this to completion. And while we’re dealing with our share of issues and minor setbacks, we are still hopeful these are just bumps in the road. We knew that this wouldn’t be easy, but we all understand the importance it plays on our profession in the Commonwealth.

Shaheed A. Smith, PLS, 2017 PSLS President

Shaheed and Beverly welcomed a new family member this summer. Jordan Daniel Smith was born in good health on July 4, 2017. Jordan has three beautiful big sisters, who are sure to adore their baby brother. Congratulations to the Smith family on their latest addition.

Director's Report Brent L. Birth, PLS, NSPS Director of Pennsylvania Your NSPS has been working on various items since our last meeting. One as you may have read in one of my recent reports is that NSPS is no longer participating with MAPPS on a joint conference and Capitol Hill Day. So, as of this report there is no Lobby Day scheduled for NSPS in Washington DC. Our NSPS Executive Committee has been discussing as to what issues are important to our membership and at our Fall Conference in Frisco TX in October this will be one discussion item with one of the take-aways is what several issues out of a list are most important that our Federal Government needs to hear from us. As a member of the UAS committee I can say that we have been having monthly conference calls discussing and planning for various items. These items are creating an NSPS survey certification for Remote Pilots, like that of a Certified Survey Technician that has grown into a successful program. We are also setting up a program to track state and federal legislation that affects UAS. One such issue that has appeared is to allow municipalities some ability to have limited jurisdiction in their own corporate boundaries. Of course, we oppose this as there are FAA regulations that would appear to cover most issues and are continually working on updating any new regulations. In addition, the committee has its own page on the NSPS site under the “About” drop down, go to “Committee/Liaisons” and scroll across to UAS Committee which will have three drop downs of its own, UAS Meeting Notes, Committee Members, and Committee Reports. Yours truly has also volunteered to be on the UAS Legislative Sub-Committee, and Liaison to AUVSI. Many other issues are constantly being reported on and I encourage you to read the NSPS News and Views in your email box as there is a lot of information and go to the NSPS website from time to time to check out anything new and dig around. As previously mentioned the upcoming Fall Conference is being held in Frisco, Texas (a Dallas suburb) in association with the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors from October 5th through October 8th. I will have new items to report on that will be discussed at the conference. Don’t forget to keep in your prayers those surveyors, as well as others, that have been hit hard by Hurricane Harvey in Texas, and the current Hurricane Irma hitting the states of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. They will need both our financial assistance and possibly some physical assistance as they rebuild their practices. Turning angles, Brent

Keep up with National News by reading the NSPS weekly email, "News & Views".

National Society of Professional Surveyors Foundation, Inc. 5119 Pegasus Ct, Suite Q Frederick, MD 21704 Phone: 240-439-4615 * Fax: 240-439-4952

August 28, 2017 State Society Executive Directors Dear State Executive:

“HURRICANE HARVEY” TEXAS & LOUISIANA FLOODING WE NEED YOUR HELP! The news about the tremendous flooding and wind damage in Texas is virtually 24 hours a day. President Trump has declared Texas a “Disaster Area” and as I write this, has just declared Louisiana a “Disaster Area”. The torrential rains, already over 30” in many areas, with another 20” predicted, will not be over for several more days. Many surveyors, their employees and their families will be the victims of this flooding! These surveyors will lose most of their furniture, appliances and clothing and their offices to the flood waters. Some will not be located in a FEMA designated flood zone and will have no flood insurance! Others will have flood insurance on the buildings but no contents! I can tell you personally that being a flood victim is a devastating experience! I was wiped out in Super Storm Sandy. The effects of that flooding are still with me and the communities hit by that storm. There are still many abandoned homes and businesses four years after Sandy! My point is that Your Foundation needs donations! We need money to replenish our Disaster Relief Fund and satisfy the claims that will be arriving from Texas and Louisiana! Our Disaster Relief fund is there to help our fellow professionals (THAT MEANS YOU) recover from floods, storms, tornados, fires and any other natural or manmade disaster. You never know when you are going to need help. I sure didn’t! Please be as generous as possible with your donations. I know that times are still difficult in some areas but send whatever you can afford. We will gratefully accept any donation you can make! Send your donations to headquarters: National Society of Professional Surveyors Foundation, Inc. 5119 Pegasus Drive Suite Q Frederick, MD 21704 Please mark Disaster Relief on your checks and remember we are a tax deductible 501 c3 organization. Remember that the next check we send could be to one of your members! Thank you for your anticipated generosity!

Joseph M. Dolan, PLS NSPS Foundation Chair

A Land Surveyor’s Look at Geodesy and Datums cont. by William Henning, PLS didn’t natively provide a ground distance (no wonder that traverse didn’t check so well). So it was time for surveyors to get some further education about the systems they were to use from then on. Geodesy is simply the study of the size and shape of the earth with computations of crustal motion, polar motion and the effects of gravity using terrestrial and space based techniques to produce datums of geometric coordinates and geopotential heights. Hmmm, well, OK, it’s not really too simple. Fortunately for us, we have NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey (NGS) that provides education, programs, and tools, while maintaining our National Spatial Reference System (NSRS). The NSRS is basically the database for all our national datums, national shoreline, geoid models and control monumentation. The last item can be divided into “passive” marks which are in the ground and accessed by occupying the mark, and “active “ stations which are antennas in the air accessed remotely with data either post processed or used in near real-time with wireless communication devices. In the near future, all our datum truth will rest in the phase centers of active stations!

Our national continuously operating reference station system (CORS) is the source of ultimate truth of our geometric NAD 83 datum and will be the ultimate truth of our geopotential datum in 2022. While our current national vertical datum of NAVD 88 relies on passive bench marks for truth and is promulgated through geodetic leveling from these marks*, our new vertical datum will rely on a highly accurate geoid model to enable site control to be established using the CORS remotely to around 2 cm accuracy of orthometric height! NAVD 88 has a few inherent problems, such as being biased by around a half meter relative to the equipotential gravity surface approximating world sea level and the fact that cross country leveling errors have resulted in over a meter of tilt in the zero surface. Not to be outdone, our geometric (horizontal + ellipsoid height) datum NAD 83, will also vanish into the annals of history in 2022. The main reason being the non-geocentricity of the origin. GNSS derived heights can be used to produce accuracy locally between points to 2 cm and to the vertical datum itself to around 5 cm at 95% confidence. However, geodetic leveling can produce mm level accuracy. To hear about defining a geodetic datum, a good bit about the history of our horizontal, geometric, vertical and pure gravimetric datums, tidal datums and the world wide scientific datums, datum conversion tools and all about the new datums to be rolled out in 2022, I would invite you to attend the workshop to be presented at the Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors’ 2018 Conference in Hershey, PA, January 21 – 24, 2018.

Mason-Dixon 250 in 2017 A celebration of the 250th anniversary of the end of the Mason-Dixon Line survey Oct. 13-15, 2017 Mason-Dixon Historical Park, 79 Buckeye Road, Core, W.Va. 26541, 3 miles southwest of Mount Morris, Pa. Surveyor instruction classes Historical surveying re-enactments A visit to the nearby site of the warpath crossing of the Mason-Dixon Line Dedication of the park's main trail crossing of the Mason-Dixon Line Hikes to the top of Brown's Hill and the 1883 monument set at the site of Mason and Dixon's last marker in 1767 Native American and period re-enactments and encampments funded by the West Virginia Humanities Council Speakers and presentations: Learn what the Mason-Dixon Line is all about! Learn about the nearby Deakins Line. Family-friendly festival area includes food, quality arts and crafts show, quilt show and rafe in the park's historic log cabins Music at the park's main stage, including performances by the Clay-Battelle High School band and choir Public star party on Oct. 14; explore the stars that Mason and Dixon observed MD 250 is supported by the West Virginia Surveyors Historical Society, the Mason-Dixon Line Preservation Partnership and the Dunkard Creek Watershed Association. http://md250.exploretheline.com

Timeless Wisdom Wisdom is timeless; which is why we are re-printing these two articles. The first is from Knud E. Hermansen, Ph.D, PLS, PE, Esq on Ethics from 10 years ago. The second is from Wilhelm A. Schmidt, PLS on Active Membership from 20 years ago. Both pieces are as true now as they were when they were first published.

Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers. -

Alfred Tennyson

Practical Tips to Avoid Unethical Surveying Behavior By Knud E. Hermansen, Ph.D, PLS, PE, Esq 1. Don’t take on too much work. If a practitioner has more work than the means to effectively handle the work, communications will be lax, matters completed untimely, work completed when tired, operational checks not made, corners cut, and so on. 2. Don’t handle matters that are beyond your experience, skill, education, or training. Services that are taken beyond the practitioner’s competence, besides being illegal in most states, quickly get out of hand. 3. Communicate clearly and frequently with the employer and client. Services represent a major financial decision for many clients and often involve matters that place the client under great stress. The failure to communicate clearly and frequently with an employer or client often exasperates the problem. 4. Establish a clear working arrangement with the terms evidenced in writing. Pay particular attention to matters regarding fees and special arrangements or limitations on reasonable standards. 5. Always use caution in withdrawing or terminating services before contract completion. 6. When in doubt, ask. 7. Know your client and reason for the services sought. 8. Listen to your client and what they are saying. Make the client understand you are interested in what they are saying but you can not always do what they say. 9. Write down all relevant or important information as soon as possible to avoid mistaking, misunderstanding, or forgetting the message or information. 10. Continue your education. Reprinted from the Spring 2007 issue of The Pennsylvania Surveyor Continued on page 10

Timeless Wisdom Active Membership ... by Wilhelm A. Schmidt, PLS

Continued from Page 9

aggregate or with the profession as such, other than to chastise the worst of us.

For a good number of us members of PSLS, including myself, there is no difference between being a member We don't do it, furthermore, because we are and being an active member. individualists. We work in isolation from each other. We don't even like to compete, and would just as soon We are the state and chapter officers and directors. We let someone else have a job on which we must bid. It is, plan and host the annual conference, and publish the therefore, not strange that we view an association like Pennsylvania Surveyor, We prepare the questions for the PSLS either as a self-serving club or a meddlesome the entrance exam, and oversee the scholarship fund. league- the kind of group one does not want to join, We do the legislative and public relations work, not if they would have someone like oneself as a member; just for the society, but for the profession as a whole, and for which one does not want to exert oneself, if and represent it locally and nationally. one does join. But we are the minority, no more than the proverbial This is not to say that the well-being, or at least the tip of the iceberg. reputation, of the profession is not tied to A large number of members do no more than pay their dues. A fair number attend chapter meetings and functions, even if sporadically. More members, in fact, attend the annual conference than participate in chapter activities. All too few can be enticed or cajoled to do something "for the good of the order".

individual performance. It is manifest in daily practice by serving our clients well and by being honorable and dignified in all we do; it suffers as a result of poor service and deplorable demeanor.

The well-being of the profession as a whole, however, cannot be promoted by individuals Why this disparity? Why are so many of us so inactive? acting alone. Matters concerning both the legal status and the communal stature - not to mention the financial The primary reason is that we all have lives apart from blessings- of the profession require concerted action our work and have other important things to do. We or cooperative effort. There is strength in numbers. have families and affiliations that make compelling demands on our resources, both time and money. We It follows, not just that we should join the Society for our own good, but that we should participate- and cannot do everything, and must choose. participate vigorously - in activities that benefit us all. But our priorities are sadly out of whack if we concentrate only on our work and on our personal Too many of us, however, simply do not see the benefit obligations and make no time for the profession â€“ if of an association such as the PSLS. We see only what it we do not, as the saying goes, give something back to will cost us and, perhaps not unfairly, ask what we will get in return. Our willingÂness to join and to participate it. in the activities of the association is conditioned by a We don't do it, of course, because we think the skepticism about both the benefits of belonging and profession is taken care of by the Registration Board. the efficacy of the organization. There is nothing for us to do but comply with the law itself and with the regulations of the board. The less we What makes us skeptics, it seems to me, is our immediate self-interest, our limited vision, and our hear of the law and from the board, the better. disbelieving attitude. But the Board is concerned only with individual practitioners: with granting and renewing, and We look for a payoff, but there really is no immediate occasionally suspending or revoking, our licenses, or direct gain from being active in PSLS. If anything, and imposing fines. It is not concerned with us in the

Active Membership cont. we are likely to expend more of our time and money on the PSLS than we would were we not active. The reason is that the aims of the Society are broader than our own personal concerns, and that our advancement of these aims would be suspect, were we to benefit from it personally.

All it takes on the part of each of us is a little faith. As with much else in life, the belief that participation in the activities of the PSLS is worthwhile is like a selffulfilling prophecy. One of my colleagues used to say that you get out of it what you put into it. But only on trust.

The Society can, however, benefit us generally. It can stem the flow of work out of our hands as a result of technological advancements, by providing educational opportunities, such as workshops and conferences (even espousing mandatory continuing education). It can lessen the lack of clear understanding of the tasks of the profession among some of the practitioners, and counteract blatant misrepresentations of the profession by some of its spokesmen. And it can boost the stature of the profession through public relations efforts. The gain from these efforts may not be easily measured, but it is no less real.

I can describe the believing attitude best from my own experience. For a long time, I considered the PSLS a karass - a word coined by Kurt Vonnegut to designate an association of seeming importance, but no real useful purpose. I judged the PSLS entirely on the basis of my outsider's knowledge of the local chapter. No one pressured (or pestered) me to join, but as I began to think of myself as a professional more than a tradesman, I thought it was time to join. It did not take long to realize that those active in the society, especially at the state level, have a remarkable commitment to the profession, and that this commitment is indistinguishable from action on behalf of the profession. They recognize that the profession needs attending, and they do not hesitate to provide the attention it needs.

I have argued elsewhere against a change in the name of the profession for all sorts of reasons, not the least of which is that the traditional name serves us quite well. But I cannot deny that the "horizon" of land surveying has changed. The distinction between local plane and global geodetic surveying is gradually, but surely, disappearing. The Society is able to help us bridge the gap. Vendors can provide the instrumentation, but the Society is uniquely qualified to provide the necessary perspective on our work. Answer to the puzzle on page 22

The function of the Society, of course, is to promote the profession. We might all benefit from periodically reading itsâ€™ Articles of lncorporation, and be inspired to do more - to do something! - for the profession. We might also do well to give a hand, literally and figuratively, to those who are presently active in the Society, and thereby join their ranks. Reprinted from the December 1997 Issue of The Pennsylvania Surveyor Now retired, Wilhelm A. Schmidt is the former owner of Bascom & Sieger in Allentown, PA. Mr. Schmidt began his career in Land Surveying in 1958 and was an active licensed surveyor from 1977 to 2011. He served on the PR Committee for the Society and wrote numerous articles about and for Land Surveyors for local and national publications.

Quality is not an act it is a habit. Aristotle

What stands in our way is the lack of vision on the part of too many of us. We are constantly warned that we are being overtaken by events over which we should and can have control, but are so entrenched in our work that we fail even to notice what is happening. This is said mostly in regard to the use of GPS equipment and the formation of GISs. It is no doubt true that many of us are old dogs unwilling to learn new tricks. It is also true that surveying is a conservative activity, and that changes in instrumentation have not changed procedures radically. (A resection, after all, can be done with compass and chain, a logarithmic table and a Gunter's rule!)

2017 SUSTAINING Berntsen International, Inc. Attn: Tim Klaben PO Box 8670 Madison, WI 53708-8670 P: 608-249-8549 surveymark@berntsen.com www.berntsen.com

Cove Stake & Wood Products, Inc. Attn: Brock Kreider 1434 Carryville Rd Martinsburg, PA 16662 P: 814-793-3257 covestakewood@gmail.com www.covestake.com

CivilTraining, LLC/SmartDraft

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. Attn: Shelley Speelman 369 East Park Drive Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17111 P:717-564-1121 sspeelman@hrg-inc.com www.hrg-inc.com

Keystone Aerial Surveys Attn: John Schmitt PO Box 21059 Philadelphia, PA 19114 P: 215-677-3119 jschmitt@kasurveys.com www.kasurveys.com/index.

Attn: John Cooke 5300 Wellington Branch Drive, Suite 100 Gainesville, VA 20155 P: 732-859-8353 john.cooke@civiltraining.com www.civiltraining.com

KCI Technologies, Inc. Attn: Michael Burcham 1352 Marrows Rd, Suite 100 Newark, DE 19711 P: 302-318-1086 michael.burcham@kci.com www.kci.com

FIRM MEMBERS Klein Agency, LLC Attn: Mark Amirault PO Box 219 Timonium, MD 21094 P: 410-832-7600 F: 410-832-1849 mamirault@eakagency.com www.kleinagencyllc.com

Precision Laser & Instrument Attn: Robert J. Barth 85 11th Street Ambridge, PA 15003 P: 724-266-1600 F: 724-266-8161 rjb@laserinst.com www.laserinst.com

Steckbeck Engineering & Surveying, Inc. Attn: Jason E. Chernich, PLS 279 N. Zinns Mill Road Lebanon, PA 17042 jchernich@steckbeck.net www.steckbeck.net

Nor East Mapping, Inc. Attn: Ron Henry, CP PO Box 270 Kylertown, PA 16847-0270 P: 814-345-1167 F: 814-345-1176 noreastmapping@verizon.net www.noreastmapping.com

Print-O-Stat, Inc. Attn: Kristopher Hoff 1011 West Market Street York, PA 17404 P: 717-819-4044 F: 717-846-4084 khoff@printostat.com www.printostat.com

Szalankiewicz Engineering, PC Attn: James J. Szalankiewicz Box 206 Elderton, PA 15736 P: 724-354-4852 F: 724-354-4273 sellc@windstream.net

2018 Conference Sponsorship Offer There are sponsorship opportunities for Vendors, Members and all Geospatial Professionals! In addition to the benefits listed for each sponsorship level, sponsors will receive recognition as follows: Sponsor ribbon on name badges Name on sponsor sign at event Name in spring issue of The Pennsylvania Surveyor newsletter Name and company link mentioned on PSLS website following the event r

Conference Sponsorship - $5,000

Name and logo on brochure and electronic information; Free one page ad in four issues of newsletter. Offer Expires 9/1/2017 r

Reception Sponsorship - $1,000

Signage with your company's name & logo at the sponsored event; recognition on website and newsletter; free full page ad in newsletter edition of choice. (Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall) Limit 4 Choose Monday or Tuesday Reception. Limit two sponsors per day. r

Auction/Raffle Sponsorship - $500

Recognition as a sponsor for the Tuesday evening Auction and Raffle; Name and logo on sign at Auction/ Raffle table of exhibit hall; Recognition at event and on website and newsletter; free half page ad in one issue of newsletter (Fall 2017 or Winter 2018) r

Coffee Break Sponsorship - $250

Sponsor signage at coffee breaks, recognition on website and newsletter; free half page ad in one issue of newsletter (Fall 2017 or Winter 2018) r

Foundation Sponsorship - $100

Recognition at event and on website and newsletter; free business card ad in one issue of newsletter (Fall 2017 or Winter 2018) Proceeds will be donated directly to the PLS Foundation.

Yes, sign me up!

Send your completed form to PSLS at education@psls.org, fax to (717) 540-6815, or mail to 801 East Park Drive, Suite 107, Harrisburg, PA 17111. Online form available at https://www.psls.org/conferenceinfo/

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The Snake

Reprinted with permission from SideShots

By: Earl F. Henderson, PLS

Looking back on the whole experience, from the relative safety of the emergency room, I probably would have been better off if the snake had just bitten me. You know that startling feeling you get for an instant when you first spot a snake, no matter what kind it is? That instantaneous adrenaline rush? If you have your wits about you, and can identify what kind of snake it is quickly enough, you can either hop quickly to avoid being bitten, or act like you weren’t startled at all, if the rest of your crew is around. Well I thought I was lucky that my crew wasn’t right there because I jumped back rather abruptly and quite a ways too. I’m not sure why I was so startled by this snake. I’ve seen thousands. I guess I was so into the experience I was having I was just extraordinarily surprised when he broke my euphoria. I had almost stepped on him and he was pretty startled himself and reacted. I didn’t just stop with one jump either. If my crew had been there at that moment they would have thought I had something up my pants because I took several hops to get clear and well down the slope from the snake. Now I’m not sure if you feel the same way but once I spot a snake, I want to keep it in sight for a while to make sure that I don’t have another similar encounter again in the very near future. I kept my eyes on that snake even through those leaps and once I stopped, my eyes were glued to him while I caught my breath. I was so intent on watching that snake I didn’t even see the ground bees clouding up around me or feel them starting to crawl right on up my legs. I was so dumbfounded when they started stinging me, for a couple of seconds I couldn’t seem to figure out what was happening. I guess the adrenaline hadn’t quite gotten out of my system when it finally struck me and my legs just started carrying me as fast as they could go down the slope through the woods. I haven’t even told you that we were in the middle of a 120 acre boundary traverse through beautifully wooded rolling terrain. It was the kind of job we all got into surveying originally to do. I had left the crew to continue traversing while I scouted ahead for evidence, cut line, and flagged items for them

to side shoot. I was probably about 800 feet ahead of the crew and up to this point, enjoying a transcendent surveying experience. Anyway, right about the time that I was realizing that running from the bees was not such a good idea, I tripped over some small stump or log or something and began to stumble down the slope trying in vain to regain my balance. In actuality I was running at an even faster pace and out of control. As you can possibly imagine, this didn’t really do much for calming that adrenaline rush. I somehow managed to stumble straight into a mass of green briars. I’m not talking about blackberry briars here. I’m talking about the green briars that grow bark on them and form those huge clumps and have large needles. I was freaking out by now and for the first time started to utter audible noises that I hadn’t even heard on Wild Kingdom. It scares me even now to recall the sounds that came out of my own throat. The bees were happy though. They could quit chasing and get down to real business. I was thrashing at them and in doing so was tearing myself and my clothing to pieces on the briars thinking that it was more bees. My mind was completely confused by the apparent volume of stings I was receiving and the sensation of being wrapped up in barbed wire for no known reason. As I continued to thrash I became more and more entangled in the briars and my torn clothing and so could move about less and less. As my movements were forced into slow motion my mind began to slowly focus on my situation and I finally realized my best course of action was to stop moving all together and just let the bees finish what they started. It was truly a painful decision to have to make. I had become a bloody ragged mess. The crew had heard my guttural cries and came running up in anticipation of finding me fighting off some bear or mountain lion. There is nothing quite so humiliating as finding yourself in a position where the people you have been trained to lead are so overwhelmed by the sight of you that they can Continued on page 18

PLS Foundation Gun Raffle Henry Big Boy .45 Long Colt Made from genuine brass bright brass receiver, butt plate and barrel band, straight grip American walnut stock, fully adjustable marble semibuckhorn rear white diamond insert, and brass beaded front sight. Side ejection. 20-inch octagonal barrel with 1:38 twist. Suggested retail price: $900. LEG Pointer Sporting 1000 Over/Under 20 Gauge 20-gauge, 3-inch over/under shotgun with 28-inch barrel, satin-blue finish, five choke tubes, and Turkish-walnut stock. Features a ventilated raised rib carbon steel barrel, silver receiver, single trigger, select fire with auto reset safety, brass bead front sight, 3-inch chamber, and 14inch length of pull. Suggested retail price: $704. Henry .17 HMR Lever Action Features a 20-inch octagonal barrel with blue finish, marbles semibuckhorn American walnut stock, adjustable rear sights with reversible white diamond insert, and brass bead front sight. Suggested retail price: $550. Hawken Woodsman Muzzleloader Brass furniture, double-set trigger, octagonal barrel, distinctive patch box, and select hardwood stock. Suggested retail price: $519.

Tickets for the raffle are available from your chapter directors and the PSLS office at (717) 540-6811. Cost of each raffle ticket is $10. Chances of winning are: 1 Ticket 2 Tickets 10 Tickets 20 Tickets 40 Tickets

1:1000 1:500 1:100 1:50 1:25

IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING BY PURCHASING MULTIPLE TICKETS! Winners to be selected at the 2018 PSLS Annual Conference. You do not need to be present to win! All proceeds go to the Pennsylvania Land Surveyorsâ€™ Foundation. The Foundation was formed in 1990 to promote, improve, and encourage the profession and practice of land surveying in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by creating awareness of the land surveying profession among high school students, providing financial assistance through grants and scholarships to persons pursuing an education in land surveying, providing grants and contributions to educational institutions to enhance their curriculum in surveying-related courses and providing financial assistance to persons or educational institutions for research in the area of the profession of land surveying. Use the form below to order tickets by mail.

Firearms Raffle I have enclosed $ __________ for _______________ PLS Foundation Gun Raffle Tickets. (# of tickets)

Mail my tickets to: Name: ___________________________________________________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________________________________ Mail form to PSLS, 801 East Park Drive, Suite 107, Harrisburg, PA 17111

Technology Tips

* What To Do When Your Email Gets Hacked

1. Change your password.

Make it stronger, stranger and less “you.” They already know a lot about you from reading your email, social media, etc.

2. Recapture your account. If your access is blocked, follow the directions on the email site help center. Remember to change your security.

3. Report the incident to the email site. 4. Notify your contacts. Notify everyone on your contact list that you have been compromised. If they opened an email from the hacker, they may have opened a window into their computer for the hacker to peep through.

5. Scan your computer with a updated anti-virus and malware programs. Hackers can insert nasty little bugs that send them regular updates on what you are doing so they can get back in and get your stuff again and again.

6. Review your personal email settings. Check for new forwarding email addresses and if you find any delete them immediately.

7. Change passwords or security questions for other sites. So much personal information is contained in our email or accessed using it. If your bank or credit card company uses your email for ID purposes or sends you invoices or receipts via email, the hacker now has access to them also.

8. Check your email folders. Folks have a tendency to send financial or personally identifiable information to others via email and then archive the offending email in a file in their system. If so, immediately go to whatever account is identified and change the user ID and password.

9. Monitor! If the hacker in question was able to find either your Social Security number or other valuable pieces of personally identifiable information, it will become important for you to monitor your credit and various financial accounts for suspicious activity. * From " 9 Things To Do When Your Email Gets Hacked" by Adam Levin, a consumer advocate with more than 30 years experience in personal finance, privacy, real estate and government service. For more information on protecting yourself, check out his website at https://adamlevin.com/

The Snake

Continued from page 15

no longer remain standing from doubling over in laughter and you can’t even move let alone walk away. I might as well have been tied up. By the time they were able to compose themselves and begin to think about lending some assistance, the bees had finished their dirty work. The only course of action was to use the brush axes to cut away the briars. Everyone was concentrating heavily at this point so as not to cause more injuries. I had made that point quite clear I can tell you that for certain. About the time that my upper body was free of its trap, my instrument operator noticed that the briars were interlaced with poison ivy. We agreed that at this point it really didn’t make much of a difference, so the crew just kept on cutting away. By the time they were finished and I was freed from the pen, most of my cuts and scrapes had begun to clot and my clothing looked like the remains from the transformation of the Incredible Hulk. I looked like Bill Bixby left in the rags created by Lou Ferrigno. I’ve had plenty of time to reflect on those events while hiking back to the van, riding to the hospital, and being treated. I didn’t have to wait at all when we got there. The nurses took one look at me and knew I needed immediate attention. Luckily, I haven’t required too many stitches. It was mostly scratches, scrapes, and puncture wounds. Removing the broken briars from my skin has been pretty painful. My ankle is only sprained and not broken. The doctor has put me on steroids for the bee stings and poison ivy, even though the ivy hasn’t had time to show signs yet. A precautionary step he told me. On top of it all, while the nurse was cleaning me up, she managed to find and remove a few ticks. It’s not too surprising with all the blood around. Do you want to know the worst part of the whole ordeal? It was a black snake.t This article was first printed in the January, 2004 issue of Professional Surveyor Magazine (now xyHT), and more recently in Side Shots, the Newsletter of Colorado’s surveying society with permission form the author and the Society. Earl Hendersen grew up in New Castle, PA and attended Mercersburg Academy. He is currently the president of Zenith Land Surveying in Boulder, CO.

New Members

Please join us in welcoming these new members

Penn State Student Charles E Krugger

Pocono Michael Hodanich

Welcome Member news and events

Congratulations to Amy J. Hopkins who recently opened her own business Urban Terrain in Apollo, PA.

Mark your calendar!

Huck Surveying of Denver, PA has joined with Fuehrer Associates, Joint Chapter meeting Delaware Valley, Bucks, Lehigh Valley, and Ltd. in Ephrata, PA to the benefit Reading in Lansdale, PA on September 14 of clients of each firm. Education Committee meeting – September 15 in Harrisburg, PA George R. Campbell P.L.S. of Port Webinar Wednesday – September 20 Online Royal is retiring and looking Board of Directors meeting – September 22 in Camp Hill, PA forward to some well-earned Southwest Chapter meeting – September 21 in Monroeville, PA relaxation. Congrats George! The NW GIS Conference is scheduled for October 19 - 20 in Clarion, PA. For information go to: http://www.nwpagisconference. com/

For more information on upcoming events, visit the PSLS Website Calendar at: https://www.psls.org/EventsCalendar

Potential Conference Venue Survey Results

By: Brian J. Naberezny, PLS, GISP

The PSLS Education Committee is in the process of evaluating potential venues for the annual conference and as part of the process asked members to provide their input. A survey was advertised in the July 24th and July 31st PSLS Weekly asking members to provide their zip code, rank the likelihood they would attend the five venues being considered, and rank several items related to venue amenities and conference offerings. Overall 101 responses were received accounting for 15% of the PSLS Weekly subscription list. The geographic distribution of respondents was representative of the PSLS membership and past conference attendance. Potential Venues Blair County Convention Center Hershey Lodge Kalahari Resorts and Convention Center Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center Seven Springs Mountain Resort

Geographic Distribution of Respondents Respondent zip code was used to geocode their location as well as determine drive times to each venue. Using the venue rankings and drive times a preferred drive time was computed for each respondent, the resulting average preferred drive time of 2 Hours and 15 Minutes +/- 45 Minutes was computed. This average preferred drive time was used to create service areas for each venue which are simply how far you The PSLS Education Committee would like to thank all those who responded to the Conference Venue Survey. Your opinions and input are crucial to the committees decision making process.

can drive in any direction from a location given a specified drive time or distance. These service areas were used to determine how many PSLS members each venue services. Venues were ranked according to their weighted average where a high ranking receives a higher weight than a lower ranking item. Respondents indicated their preferred venue was Service Areas for Hershey Lodge and Convention Center the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center (15.4) followed by the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center (13.8). The three remaining venues all ranked considerably lower but about even with each other (10.1-10.5). The Hershey Lodge and Convention Center service area contains the highest density of PSLS members followed closely by Kalahari Resorts and Convention Center. The Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center contains the most PSLS members in its service area but at a lower density. Venue amenities and conference offerings were also ranked according to their weighted averages. Venue amenities ranked in order of respondent preference were the ability to park vehicle and not leave the venue for the duration of the conference (23.3), comfortable classrooms (18.1), comfortable overnight accommodations (14.8), audio/video capabilities of classrooms (11.6), and cost of overnight accommodations (11.3). Preference for conference offerings were a large selection of educational topics (24.1), quality education sessions (20.1), maximizing the number of PDH (14.9), meeting with vendors (13.1), and opportunities for socializing/ networking (9.2). Rarely do data and analysis point to a single definitive solution. There are pros and cons to every venue and the Education Committee will be reviewing the results of this survey and analysis as it evaluates these potential venues for future annual conferences. If you completed the survey, we appreciate you taking the time to help ensure the annual conference meets the needs of PSLS members and the surveying profession in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Location-Allocation Analysis Minimizing Travel Time

On the Lighter Side... Crypto-quote

Maybe Virginia really is for lovers...

This crypto-quote is a basic substitution cipher, meaning that the letters of the alphabet are being represented by other letters. Solution on page 2 “DP D FALDR HDY’P WYVXBLYUL YLOLA LYEP, PQ DXPQ RKLAL WP YQR ELVWYWRL VWYDXWRN, YQ LYE, RQ D FALDR PBAOLN; WR ABYP DXQYF VQA ULYRBAWLP…” - UXLOLXDYE DMML

Word Find All of the words on this list are directly from the ACSM book ‘Definitions of Surveying and Associated Terms'. Once you have found all of the words on the list, the remaining letters will spell out a quote.

This is a picture of a drill hole in a concrete boardwalk in Virginia. It was shared by Charles Foster who says the surveyor must had had some spare time at this location.

The Summer of 2017 officially ends on September 22. I’m going to miss it.

Backsight Balk Bandwidth Barleycorn Barometer Base Station Baseline

Batture Bearing Bedrock Benchmark Binary Block

Boundary Bounds Breakline Buffer Bulkhead Byroad

Phrase answer found on page 11

PSLS welcomes your pictures and stories! Keep them coming! Have something to share? Send it to laurie@psls.org

ASE End of Summer Safety tip The vacations are over, the kids are back in school and cooler evenings have begun. Take advantage of the lull to prepare your vehicle for the winter ahead, advise the pros and the nonprofit National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). Breakdowns, never convenient, can be dangerous in cold weather for both work and family vehicles. Now is a great time to check your vehicle for wear and tear items that may need attention. • Tires (Don’t forget the spare!) • Wipers • Battery • Lights • Cooling system (Antifreeze) • Emergency Kit (According to ASE, the kit should contain: Gloves, boots, blankets, flares, a small shovel, sand or kitty litter, tire chains, a flashlight, and a cell phone. Put a few “high-energy” snacks in your glove box.) The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) was founded in 1972 as a non-profit, independent organization dedicated to improving the quality of automotive service and repair through the voluntary testing and certification of automotive technicians

Just for Fun Just for Fun. The first person who emails psls@psls.org with a caption for this photo wins a $10 gift card. Captions will be published in the next issue of the PA Surveyor. Spring 2017 Issue Eric Gladhill of the South Central Chapter won a $10 Gift Card with his caption of the Spring Issue of Just for Fun. "“Okay, let’s go get coffee and let this sit here and collect data for another 30 minutes”. Congrats!

Summer 2017 Photo

Thomas Farcht, also of the South Central Chapter gets Honorable Mention for his caption, “Craigslist Curb Alert: Free to first responder!”

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