Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors’ Newsletter
The
Summer 2019
Pennsylvania
Surveyor Reflecting on the Past | Looking toward the future Brian T. Yorkiewicz, PLS, 2019 PSLS President As you know, PSLS has experienced changes and movement toward the future over the last two years. We have new officers, new state directors, new committee chairs, a new management company, and a new office location. We have strived to become more efficient and cost-conscious in the process. Our newsletter took a hiatus during this time, but we are now glad to be back in full swing with this important communication tool! As I mentioned in my President’s address at the January 2019 conference, it is important for the strength of our Society for members to be involved and for our committees to be active. Karl Kriegh, chair, and our membership committee have been very active in reaching out to Surveyors in Training and technicians to become associate members. We have gained many new members over the past two years through their efforts—130 to be exact! Our Membership Committee is looking toward the future and sees the importance of building membership with the younger generation. With the new datum coming out in 2022, Michael Kreiger and our Geo-Spatial Committee are coordinating the efforts to educate surveyors, township personnel, and others on the upcoming changes. Be sure to get more information and read the article in this issue by Brian Naberezny on this topic.
In the immediate future, remember that our Surveyors’ Conference is coming up January 12-15, 2020, in Hersey. Be sure to register soon to take advantage of early rates! This is a great place to earn PDHs, network with other surveyors and technicians, keep up with the latest technologies, and see the newest equipment! As we look toward the future, we build on the wisdom and history of our predecessors. There are some interesting articles for you to enjoy, learn from others, and appreciate how far we have come.
Inside this issue A Look Back in History ................ 2-3 130 Years and Gone! .................. 5-7 NSRS 2022 .................................. 8-9 50th Anniversary Events ….10, 12, 14 My Day in Court …………………….15-17
Special points of interest Sustaining Firm Supporters Trig-Star Winners 2020 Conference Information Webinar Wednesdays
A LOOK BACK INTO HISTORY…..
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Reprinted from Pennsylvania Surveyor, August 1987
Antique instruments at 2019 PSLS Conference
BOOK FOR SALE AT WWW.PSLS.ORG
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Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors Officers: Brian Yorkiewicz, PLS, President Jonathan Tabas, PE, PLS, President-Elect Amy Hopkins, PLS, Vice-President Terry, McMillen, Jr., PLS, Secretary Richard Shewman, PLS, Treasurer
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 Socety focuses on providing education legislative involvement, enhancing th public awareness, and the promulgation of the ethics of the profession.
Scott Reeser, PLS, Past President Michael Given, PLS, NSPS Director State Directors:
2019 Board Meeting Dates
Allegheny Heartlands Chapter Joseph Hood, PLS & James Mostoller, PLS Bucks Chapter
September 20, 2019, Harrisburg, PA
Robert Snyder, PLS Delaware Valley Chapter
November 22, 2019, Harrisburg , PA
Jason Bertzos, PLS & Karl Kriegh, PLS Harrisburg Chapter John Clark III , PLS & James Hartman, PLS Laurel Highlands Chapter Randall Myers, PLS
WELCOME!
Lehigh Valley Chapter Stephen Ombalski, PLS & Arthur Swallow, PLS Mid-State Chapter David Archibald, PLS & Gregory Shufran, PLS North Central Chapter K Robert Cunningham, PLS Northeast Chapter
to our 130 new members who joined while The Pennsylvania Surveyor was on hiatus.
Glenn Johnson, PLS & Christopher Vincelli, PLS Northwest Chapter Ryan Courtney, PLS & Matthew Swanson, PLS Pocono Chapter Gregg Davis, PLS & Brian Zick, PLS Reading Chapter John Fuehrer, PLS & John Huck, PLS Southwest Chapter Pete Brothers, PLS & Donald Housley, PLS Susquehanna Chapter Robert Weaver, PLS
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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 717.441.6057.
130 Years and Gone! By Donald R. Housley, PLS In the fall of 2018, I was driving down a typical country road with Public Works Department supervisor Nick and director Butch of South Fayette Township, a community that my employer represents as the township engineer. They were quite excited to be giving me a guided tour of the township road system and the new construction going on for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s Southern Beltway project, which roughly splits the line between Washington and Allegheny counties. As a Professional Land Surveyor, I was excited to see the highway construction, but more importantly, stone monuments that had been set between the counties 130 years earlier. Our trip was spurred by a story in the Summer 2018 issue of South Fayette Connect magazine, in which Andrea Iglar, as Director of Communications and Community Development for South Fayette Township, published a fascinating article about some of the history of these monuments. Public Works saw my interest and offered to provide me with a guided tour. You can visit this full township article by going to www.southfayettepa.com/countyline. A portion of the actual survey map (undated and unsealed) is included with the article, along with other photographs.
PSLS Staff
Lori Elliott, Executive Director Marcy Robey, Financial Coordinator Lauren Ramsey, CMP Conference Coordinator Shelly Dreese, Membership and Registrations Coordinator Jason Tobias, Technology Coordinator Kathy Clough, Receptionist
“I was excited to see the highway construction, but more importantly, stone monuments that had been set between the counties 130 years earlier.” During our tour, we visited three monuments. The first one—located directly at a bend in the road and adjoining a private driveway—had been severely damaged by cars and trucks accidentally striking it. The magazine article shows a picture of the cap of the monument as broken off. Despite the damage, the marker was still in place and could be deemed functional as it exists today. The second monument was the 85-year-old William Flinn Highway monument. It is unrelated to the others being discussed here because it does not serve as a county line marker. A longer description is available in the magazine article. The third monument we visited was located along the rural County Line Road, which divides Cecil Township in Washington County and South Fayette Township in Allegheny County. The marker was tucked among weeds, offset a reasonable distance from the cartway and in great condition. The monument was clearly marked with an “A” on one side representing Allegheny County,a “W” on the opposite side representing Washington County, and the year 1889 scribed into the side of the stone between the county letter designations. At this point, being very excited to see such a historical treasure, I pulled out my phone and began to photograph the find. My only concern with the condition of this monument was the fact that someone clearly had been trying to dig the monument out of the ground. A circular hole about 24 inches deep had been dug on all sides in a circular fashion.
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130 Years and Gone! cont’d.
Nick and Butch saw the look of fear on my face about the possibility of losing such a landmark, and therefore listened to my not -so-pleasant verbal comments about how, in my opinion, someone was trying to steal this important piece of history. At this point, Public Works offered to bring up a truckload of “number two’s” and literally bury the monument in stone temporarily. I say temporarily because this monument was located within the area of a major cut planned for the turnpike project and therefore needed to be moved. A brief explanation followed about how, in the world of land surveying, longevity plays a key role in boundary decisions. Nick and Butch immediately agreed to try to find a way to lend a hand and assist me with heavy equipment, labor and trucks in the proper extraction of the monument. We returned to the township building and immediately met with the township manager, who agreed to allow Public Works and myself to extract, store and eventually replace the monument to its current location once construction of the highway was completed at an elevation about 80 feet lower than it existed. The manager suggested that the monument be stored in the front yard of the municipal complex with a sign explaining to the residents what this stone represented and the township’s role in its preservation. I explained the need for two additional things on my part; first, to provide an exact surveyed location, as could be determined by today’s most modern surveying equipment, so that the replacement would be accurate. Second, I needed the permission of the turnpike to allow us to enter the right-of-way to replace the monument after construction. Fortunately, the township already had a meeting scheduled with the turnpike for the following week. Our plan was presented at that time. Much to my surprise, the turnpike informed me that they knew of the monument, and a part of their contract with the grading company was for the contractor to perform an exact survey location based upon “turnpike survey standards,” extract the stone, store it and then finally replace it. They even knew that the contractor had begun to manually dig out the monument, not realizing how deep it was in the ground, and had stopped to acquire some heavy equipment to assist. At this point, they agreed that it would be best to allow me to follow through with my plan and assured me that no further attempt would be made toward its removal.
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Being excited about this activity becoming a historical project, I began to solicit assistance from several land surveying firms in the Southwest and Laurel Valley regions to have multiple locations of the monuments performed by several unrelated surveyors and firms to assure final placement accuracy. This would
eliminate any possibility of a challenge that the location could have been flawed. All of this was reported at the PSLS Board of Directors (BOD) meeting in the late fall of 2018. The news was well received, and the entire board of state representatives present at the meeting offered assistance. We all knew this was a cost to those participating, so we agreed to wait until winter when work pressure would be reduced and there would not be an infringement or impairment on those volunteers to become fully involved. I promised to keep the PSLS BOD up to date at the meeting. Feeling pretty good about the current status of the project, I let everything rest until after the holidays. Winter came. On January 16, 2019, South Fayette Public Works revisited the monument site to prepare for the physical move, determine what equipment may be needed and figure out how to box the monument so it would not break in transport. At this point, Nick called me: “Don, you are going to be sick.” “What do you mean?” I responded. He replied, “The monument is gone” and forwarded me a picture of a hole in the ground (pictured). He was right. I was physically ill and wanted to cry. To save me a mental meltdown, I quickly determined in my mind that the contractor simply had not been conveyed the message, or the turnpike performed this service itself. The monument simply had to be stored somewhere in safekeeping! We immediately contacted turnpike officials, who reported they knew nothing but assured us they would ask all the contractors involved to try to get us an answer. After a couple of weeks, the turnpike responded, “We are sorry to report that no one knows anything about the monument, and they all have claimed they never touched it.” The turnpike recently indicated that they understand the importance of the monument and are continuing to try to ascertain its location, but so far, they have heard nothing.
To complete the removal of this monument, the use of heavy equipment would have been essential. The monument measured between 3.5 feet and 4 feet in height, about 18 inches to 2 feet square at the base and about 12 inches square at the top. This was not dug up by a passerby and tossed into the back of a pickup truck. Sadly, 130 years of history appears to be lost forever! In my opinion, this loss is due to a contractor trying to cut a corner even though the township and the PSLS were going to perform a relocation. It would not have cost a dime to anyone involved in the turnpike project. What the perpetrators of this incident failed to recognize is that the parties most harmed by this incident are the innocent current and future landowners along this boundary that had history on their side–just to save what they thought (in error) were a few dollars. If anyone reading this article has any information related to this monument and its disappearance, sharing this knowledge would be very much appreciated. Information may be submitted anonymously. This might include past survey location information from someone who surveyed this location to assist us in its proper replacement. 7
Looking to the future…..
National Spatial Reference System of 2022: What’s Your Vision?
The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) is modernizing the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) in order to address scientific, technological, and logistical issues associated with the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83) and North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88). There are too many details to discuss here but this article intends to highlight several aspects of NSRS modernization requiring your input to ensure it satisfies current and future needs of the surveying profession and the geospatial community. State Plane Coordinate System The SPCS was established in 1934 when computing technology, surveying equipment, and surveying methodology was quite different. The original purpose of
By Brian J. Naberezny, PLS, GISP the SPCS was to make connecting local surveys to the NSRS simpler. The NSRS is a geodetic system and geodetic computations can be difficult without the assistance of modern calculators, computers, and software we all benefit from. In order to simplify the computations, it is necessary to represent a three-dimensional surface (Earth) as a two-dimensional surface. Mathematically it is not feasible to do this without introducing distortion. SPCS zones were originally designed so the distortions introduced were negligible for the tools and procedures used at the time for all but the most precise surveys. To state this another way, typically it was not possible or necessary to survey to an accuracy greater than the amount of distortion introduced by the SPCS.
“The SPCS was established in 1934 when computing technology, surveying equipment, and surveying methodology was quite different.” As the reference frame underlying the State Plane Coordinate System (SPCS) is changing, SPCS zones require some redesign. Our tools and methodology have changed dramatically since the initial development of SPCS and NSRS 2022 provides an opportunity to evaluate how we deal with distortion. While there are different ways to address distortions, zone size is a critical factor. A large zone will introduce more distortion than a smaller zone. There are many reasons that a single statewide state plane coordinate zone is attractive; the most apparent being the abundance of publically available geospatial datasets that can be used to perform analysis over large areas or even the entire state. The downside is the amount of distortion a zone of this size introduces. At the other end of the spectrum, we can develop zones with very low distortion but these zones will be small and a large number required to cover the entire state. As the number of zones increases, the system becomes more complicated as there are issues with knowing the extents of a zone (which zone am I in?) and projects crossing zones. There seem to be two dominant points of view regarding distortion in a new SPCS for Pennsylvania. Some users do not care if there is a large or small amount of distortion as they believe they will need to compensate for it on most projects and their software will handle the reductions for them. These users favor the single statewide zone for its simplicity. Another set of users recognizes that some projects will require compensating for distortion but many projects can accept a certain level of distortion without the need to compensate for it. These users favor multiple zones with lower distortion but the questions that arise are what level of distortion is acceptable and how many zones are acceptable to achieve this level of distortion. In an attempt to ensure the new SPCS satisfies all stakeholder needs, NGS is allowing states to create layered zones. If states opt to have layered zones, a maximum of three layers is permitted. The first layer must be a single statewide zone. The second layer can cover an entire state but it must consist of more than one zone. The third layer cannot cover an entire state but it can consist of one or more zones. A conceptual view of zone layers is provided in Figure 1 on the next page. NGS is looking to the stakeholders in each state to decide what zone configuration works best. There are several stakeholders in Pennsylvania that must unanimously agree on an implementation. The Pennsylvania Coordinate System Law (PACSL) specifically references NAD 83 so moving to NSRS 2022 necessitates a change to this legislation as does any new zone configurations. Beyond technical details, the language
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Resources Want someone to come talk to your chapter? Contact PSLS Geospatial Committee Chair Mike Kreiger: mkreiger@hrg-inc.com NSRS Modernization General Information: https:// www.ngs.noaa.gov/ datums/newdatums/ index.shtml NSRS Modernization Webinars: https:// www.ngs.noaa.gov/ datums/newdatums/ WatchVideos.shtml Figure 1 – Layered Zone Concept requires updating as it is not consistent with current practice and documentation requirements can be better defined ensuring it is possible to “follow in the footsteps” of any data provided in SPCS. Another major issue for the PACSL is units. Upon release of NSRS 2022, NGS most likely will no longer publish coordinates in US Survey Feet. There is a recorded webinar (http://bit.ly/USSurveyFoot) that discusses the history and reasoning for no longer supporting this unit. The PACSL already defines coordinates in meters but provides a conversion factor to US Survey Feet. It is up to Pennsylvania stakeholders to decide if we remove the conversion factor and let contracts, project requirements, or commonly accepted practices dictate the conversion; switch the conversion to international feet; or maintain the U.S. Survey Foot conversion. GPS on Benchmarks The GPS on BM campaign is a citizen science effort to observe 4+ hours of dualfrequency GPS data on published benchmarks. This data allows NGS to verify its accuracy and use it to develop products used by surveyors. One product is the hybrid geoid model which transforms GPS derived ellipsoid heights to NAVD 88 orthometric heights. The current GEOID 12B model was
NGS Recorded Webinars: https://www.ngs.noaa.gov/ web/science_edu/ webinar_series/2019webinars.shtml NSRS Modernization Policy Documents: https:// www.ngs.noaa.gov/ datums/newdatums/ policy.shtml State Plane Coordinate System: https:// www.ngs.noaa.gov/SPCS/ index.shtml GPS on BM: https:// www.ngs.noaa.gov/ GPSonBM/index.shtml
derived from analyzing results on 96 benchmarks in Pennsylvania. A beta GEOID 18 model was recently released which was derived from analyzing 311 benchmarks in Pennsylvania. The large increase in data improves the model and is due largely to efforts from surveyors and coordination by PennDOT and PSLS. Special thanks goes out to those that have organized and contributed to this effort! The GEOID 18 model will be the last hybrid geoid model but that does not mean the GPS on BM campaign ends. If you are interested in vertical transformations between NAVD 88 and the new reference frame, GPS on BM is a way to improve the accuracy of the tool used to perform these transformations. Similarly if there are any important marks (geodetic or otherwise) you would like to see perpetuated in the new NSRS, GPS on BM observations are the way to ensure their inclusion. Survey As your needs and desires are a crucial part of the NSRS Modernization efforts, a detailed survey is being compiled to collect this information. Without sufficient responses there is no way to gauge the needs and desires of NSRS users. The survey will solicit your input on zone preferences, acceptable distortion, and number of zones for the new Pennsylvania State Plane Coordinate System. It is also a way to provide feedback regarding units and other changes to the Pennsylvania Coordinate System Law. Also, information regarding your needs for vertical transformation and any thoughts on perpetuation of marks will help direct efforts. Please watch your email for a link to this survey and please take the time to complete this survey.
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50th Anniversary Events PSLS Rafting Trip Hosted by PSLS Laurel Highlands Chapter by Amy Hopkins June 29th was a beautiful day for white water rafting on the Youghiogheny River in Ohiopyle, PA as Kevin Chapel, President of the Laurel Highlands Chapter, Bill Beitler from the Lehigh Valley Chapter, and Amy Hopkins, PSLS Vice President, and their guests can attest. Experienced river guide Dan Dascani, also a surveyor with the Laurel Highlands Chapter, inspired the utmost confidence in his crew, even though they were tossed from the raft a time or two.
Amy may have been responsible for taking Bill with her as she fought to stay in the raft, but, hey, it was survival of the fittest!
A cookout at the State Park following the rafting trip allowing everyone to dry out. Thanks to our sponsors Bowman Consultants, McMillen Engineering and Precision Laser & Instrument.
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50th Anniversary Events PSLS River Cruise Hosted by PSLS Southwest Chapter By Amy Hopkins Dinner Cruise on “The Gateway Clipper� in Pittsburgh was a grand time. We toured the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio rivers with our fellow surveyors and spouses. Thanks to PSLS President-elect, Jonathan Tabas, for traveling all they way to Pittsburgh for the event.
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50th Anniversary Events Yet to Come! Reading Chapter King George 28th Annual Golf Outing September 13, 2019 9 am Shotgun Start Chapel Hill Golf Course, 2023 Old Lancaster Pike, Reading, PA Host: Reading Chapter Contact: John Huck, jhuck@fuehrer.com, 717.488.8800
50th Anniversary Dinner Banquet Saturday, October 12th Murder Mystery theme! Holiday Inn Lansdale, 1750 Sumneytown Pike, Kulpsville, PA. Host: Del Val Chapter Contact: Richard Shewman, shewmanpls@earthlink.net , 610.223.1315
Enter the 2020 PLAT Competition to be held at the 2020 Surveyors’ Conference More details at www.psls.org 14
My Day in Court Excerpt from “Interesting People that I’ve Met While Surveying” by Eric Gladhill, PLS At C. S. Davidson, Inc [in the 1990’s and early 2000’s] we did all of the survey work for the Gettysburg National Military Park, a division of the National Park Service. It was interesting work and we did such things as a ALTA/ACSM Title Survey of the property where the National Battlefield Tower had stood (south of Gettysburg, between Baltimore Pike and Taneytown Road). This tower had become controversial because many thought that its protuberance on the battlefield was an eyesore. Many others, including me, thought that it offered a unique and special view of the battlefield that could otherwise only be seen from an aircraft. Nevertheless, it was ordered by an act of Congress to be taken down. Our survey plat became part of the eminent domain court proceedings. We also mapped the areas around the Pennsylvania Memorial, Devil’s Den and the Eisenhower Farm.
As a result of our engagement with the National Park Service in this way and because of my previous survey on the land adjacent to the Appalachian Trail on the lands of Richard Pry and others, while I was employed at Rettew, I was contacted about serving as an expert witness in Federal Court! Every surveyor prepares for the day that he will be testifying in court. Sometimes that thought is with much apprehension as it may be imagined that his day in court will be to defend his work as a result of a lawsuit against him. But sometimes that scenario is imagined with some pride, if he is to be called in as an expert witness and does not have to fear for the outcome to have possible financial burdens. In this particular case, I was being asked to prepare and appear to explain how the boundaries were determined in the survey that I had sealed.
Every surveyor prepares for the day that he will be testifying in court. It was interesting and exciting for me to get the old AutoCAD drawings and start to prepare a series of exhibits to show the judge how this difficult boundary was determined. I knew that Richard Pry didn’t agree with where we placed the boundary, but we had sufficient evidence and records to mark the line partway down the hillside on the east side of South Mountain. Richard had always been told and believed that he owned to the ridgeline. That would have made sense because the ridgeline was the dividing line between Frederick and Washington Counties in Maryland. I had several meetings to prepare for the hearing with the directors from the National Park Service and with the attorneys from the Department of Justice. We also met in the field with property owners, and I showed them some of the evidence that was used to determine the location of the boundaries. The Federal employees all said that it didn’t really matter what the judge determined at the hearing, because they were going to buy the land; this was just to determine who got paid for it. So, even if the judge decided to disagree with my findings, it would not be seen as an error on my part, it would just give them a clear direction, beyond what a survey determined, to purchase and transfer the land to the USA. As more meetings occurred with property owners, I became aware that an adjoining property owner to the south of Richard Pry had hired their own expert witness, Draper Sutcliff. Mr. Sutcliff was a well-known surveyor in the area and was very involved (and charter member) of the Maryland Society of Surveyors. He had surveyed the property south of the Pry land and had also surveyed a property west of Richard Pry that was bought by Richard’s son. I also learned that they had hired their own attorney, James Demma. Mr. Demma is a well-known 15
My Day in Court—continued surveyor and attorney in Maryland. He had written a book about boundary retracement principles. He also taught seminars on a regular basis. In fact, I had recently taken a seminar that he taught on how to be an expert witness! This will be fun, I thought. I will have my first chance to use this new-found knowledge while being questioned in Federal Court by the very person who taught me these things! The one thing that stood out during that seminar was his instructions to only answer the question that is posed to you in a succinct manner. He even told us that if the question can be answered with a, “Yes” or “No”, you should answer with the appropriate word and not add any information to it until they ask you to do so. He even told a humorous story about his one appearance as an expert witness when the attorney who was questioning him asked, “Mr. Demma, what are you?” Even though he knew they wanted him to give his credentials as a licensed surveyor and attorney, he gave the following responses: “Father, husband, lover, reader, cyclist” and then stopped and asked if there were any categories in particular that the attorney wanted to know about! As I prepared for my day in Federal Court, I dressed in my best suit and tie, gathered the company’s laptop computer, which was loaded with AutoCAD software and had my drawing file all set up to display the various features that were surveyed on colored layers; I jumped in the 1996 Dodge Stratus that was assigned to me by the company, and headed toward Baltimore. The proceedings in the courtroom were quite interesting! I had never witnessed such a thing. In fact, the only time I had been in any courtroom prior to that day was at the Adams County Courthouse on a fourth-grade field trip. When it was time for me to take the witness stand the Department of Justice attorney asked if I could give my testimony from the defendants table, where I had connected a laptop to the projector for the audience and a monitor for the judge to view the AutoCAD version of the boundary survey. The actual survey, which was signed and sealed with my Maryland Property Line Surveyor stamp, was submitted as the evidence. The judge seemed to pay attention as I switched views on the drawing to show the various original stones set on the old patent lines from the early 19th century, and showed how they fit together to position the current property boundaries on the land. I don’t really know if he understood what he was seeing, but I had worked out my testimony with the attorneys working for the Federal government so that they understood exactly how the determinations of ownership were made by me. After I had completed showing everything that I needed to show, I actually sat in the witness box and answered the questions that were posed to me by the attorneys. When I was being crossexamined by Mr. James Demma, he got a wry smile on his face as he approached me. I had approached him after the seminar and asked some questions, so I couldn’t tell if perhaps he researched my name and found out that I took his course, or if perhaps he recognized me. I could see that he enjoyed this game of question and answers. As he asked me certain questions about the survey, the monuments that were set and found, I answered as simply and briefly as possible, many times just with a “Yes” or “No”. It seemed as though he might be getting a little bit perturbed by my seeming insolence, and he started to roll his eyes as he pivoted on his heel. He turned away from me and asked that I expound upon my answer and tell the court exactly what the boundary law and case history had to say about natural monuments and their importance in comparison to man-made monuments. I actually felt a bit of pride and confidence in this setting and found that 16
My Day in Court—continued with all of his questioning he was pointing out that the natural monument of the ridge line of South Mountain would hold more weight than the rebars (steel pins) that we set for property corners! I had to admit that the ridge was a natural monument and then he spun away. As he walked back to the plaintiff table, he said, “No further questions”. The Department of Justice attorney wisely asked for further examination and asked some other questions to allow me to explain that our rebar property corners were set based on the natural monuments and the direction and distance contained in the deeds of record for the properties. Draper Sutcliff took the stand and recounted his survey of the Butler property which adjoined Richard Pry’s land to the south. His testimony didn’t really refute any of my work. I didn’t quite understand what value his testimony held for the plaintiffs. The real turning point of the whole hearing was when Richard Pry and his son, Timothy took the witness stand. They told of the history of owning the land. Richard was about 65 years-old then. He testified that when he was five years-old, he rode a horse to drag logs down from the ridge line. The somewhat humorous occurrence was when Tim was on the stand and the judge offered anyone else to ask questions of the witness. Tim’s wife stood and identified herself and said that she would like to ask him some questions. I didn’t really think that was too odd. I mean, after all, the judge did invite anyone else to ask questions and he made it obvious that he meant, “anyone”. But when Tim’s wife made her request, the judge suddenly stiffened and then gave a hearty chuckle. Then the attorneys sort of snickered as if they were privy to an inside joke. I realized the humor when the judge said, “I usually don’t allow a wife to question her husband under oath, but if you can promise to only ask questions pertaining to the matter at hand, I’ll allow it”. Most of us in the courtroom nervously laughed at that statement as we began to imagine the line of questioning that some women might use on the husband while they’re under oath: “Where were you on the night that you claimed to be with your buddies shooting pool”! Mrs. Pry simply wanted Tim to bring up some facts regarding the purchase of the property and the title commitment that they had to guarantee clear title to the land. After all of the testimony, including my well-rehearsed, technical explanation of my boundary determination, the judge ruled that the two Pry families and the Butlers had rights to the land to the ridge of the mountain by adverse possession. This really did make sense in light of their testimony. It was also palatable for most parties because most of the land that they were claiming was several parcels that were vacant and title traced back to the heirs of last-known prior owners from the 19th century. The other two parcels that extended over the ridge line from Washington County was owned in title by a farmer who really wasn’t sure where his eastern boundary was located and a parcel of land that had been purchased, but never surveyed, by the State of Maryland. The DOJ attorney asked the judge for clarification by asking, “Does this ownership by adverse possession include those lands owned by the State of Maryland”? The judge said, “Yes, all of those lands adjoining what is shown as their property on the survey at hand”. This was quite unusual for anyone in the courtroom who understands one of the basic rules of adverse possession; that it cannot be claimed against any sovereign body or body politic! This would appear to me to be a landmark case and I mentioned that fact to James Demma, who at the time had a regularly featured legal article in one of the nationally-distributed surveying magazines at the time. James had offered that he would probably get around to writing an article about it sometime soon. I asked him a few times over the next couple of years, but I never did see the article.
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Be a Sponsor at our 2020 Surveyors Conference
BOOK FOR SALE AT WWW.PSLS.ORG!
2020 202020
PSLS Vice President Amy Hopkins and 16 -year-old George Washington and his Surveyor’s compass on a Jacob’s Staff in Winchester, VA.
The Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors (PSLS) wishes to congratulate the Pennsylvania winners of the 2019 Trig-Star program! 1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place
Jacob Johnston - Governor Mifflin High School Kristina Kauffman - Oley Valley High School Logan Kramer - Governor Mifflin High School
PSLS thanks Penn State Wilkes-Barre for sponsoring the competition on campus for six local high schools and Oley Valley High School for sponsoring their own competition. PSLS also thanks the teachers that donate their time in support of the Trig-Star program. The Trig-Star program contest is an annual high school mathematics competition sponsored by the National Society of Professional Surveyors based on the practical application of trigonometry. The program recognizes the best students from high schools throughout the nation. The purpose of the Trig-Star Program: To promote the study of trigonometry in high school and to promote excellence in the mastery of trigonometry by honoring the individual student who has demonstrated superior skill among classmates at the high school level. To acquaint the high school trigonometry students with the use and practical application of trigonometry in the surveying profession. To build an awareness of surveying as a profession among the mathematically skilled high school students, career guidance counselors and high school math teachers.
PSLS provided $2,200 in monetary awards to the winners and teachers participating in the 2019 TrigStar program. If interested in supporting the Trig-Star program as a sponsor, please download the form: Trig-Star Donation Form To find out more information about the Trig-Star program, please visit the NSPS website: https://trig-star.com/ or contact PSLS Director to NSPS: Michael Given, PLS
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Go to www.psls.org to register by December 20, 2019 for early-bird rates! Make sure your membership is current for even greater discounts! Memberships expire December 31, 2019. 22
CONSIDER BEING A SPONSOR Great exposure for your company! 2020 Surveyors' Conference January 12-15, 2020 Hershey Lodge, Hershey, PA REGISTER YOUR SPONSORSHIP AT WWW.PSLS.ORG
Sponsorship Opportunities Please consider being a SPONSOR of our conference this year. There are many opportunities available to you and your firm. In addition to the benefits listed for each sponsorship level, sponsors will receive recognition as follows:
Sponsor recognition on your name badge/holders Name on sponsor sign at event Name in spring issue of The Pennsylvania Surveyor newsletter Name and company link mentioned on PSLS website Preferred logo file types are jpg, pdf, png or eps and should be at least 300 dpi
Conference Sponsorship - $3,000 Name and logo on website, electronic event page, and prominent conference signage; Continuous visual promotion of sponsorship in exhibit hall. Free one page ad in four issues of newsletter. Offer Expires 12/13/2019. Lunch Sponsorship - $1,500 Lunch Signage with your company's name & logo; Full page ad in The Pennsylvania Surveyor newsletter for spring issue; Recognition as Lunch Sponsor. Limit 3. Badge Sponsorship - $1,500 Name badges with your company's name & logo; Full page ad in The Pennsylvania Surveyor newsletter for spring issue; Recognition as Badge Sponsor. Limit 1. Sunday Welcome Event 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 for spring issue. Limit 5. Coffee Break Sponsorship - $500 Sponsor signage at coffee breaks, recognition on website and newsletter; free half page ad in spring issue of newsletter.
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REMINDER! PSLS Memberships Expire December 31, 2019 Go to www.psls.org to renew.
PSLS WEBINAR WEDNESDAYS Noon to 1:00 Earn 1 PDH Register at www.psls.org October 9 “Alternate Technology Sewage Systems Available for Design and Planning in PA” Laurel Mueller, CPSS November 11 “Overview of CST Exam” FREE to PSLS members Brent Birth, PLS
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2019 PA Safety Day Thursday, September 19, 2019 Pittsburgh International Airport Allegheny County Field Maintenance Building Hangar Rd., Moon, PA 15108
Want to Learn About Your Responsibilities Under the New PA One Call Law?
#PASafetyDay19 New Law, New Rules Educational sessions Demonstrations · Equipment rodeos Exhibitors · DEP approval For more information: www.paonecall.org/SafetyDays To register online: www.paonecall.org/EVENTS
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Wish to advertise in the next Pennsylvania Surveyor? Register, pay, and submit your ad at:
www.psls.org
Contact PSLS Phone: 717.441.6057 EMAILS: Lori Elliott (PSLS Office)— psls@psls.org Brian Yorkiewicz—President@psls.org Jonathan Tabas—PresidentElect@psls.org Amy Hopkins—VicePresident@psls.org Terry McMillen—Secretary@psls.org Richard Shewman—Treasurer@psls.org Michael Given—NSPSDirector@psls.org Scott Reeser—PastPresident@psls.org Shaheed Smith—Foundation@psls.org