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KSLS has received a report of stolen equipment:

GeoMax GPS - GMZENITH 25, Serial # GMZ286406, along with a tripod and battery.  

This robot was stolen on March 28, 2018, in the Hutchinson, Kansas area.

Please contact Duncan Durr, 620-663-9613 with any information.

NSPS maintains a registry of stolen equipment on their website at http://www.nsps.us.com/?page=StolenEquipment.

Add your stolen equipment to the NSPS list by emailing details to trisha.milburn@nsps.us.com. 

Condolences on the passing of two friends of KSLS:

Steve Lopata, honorary life member of KSLS, passed away on Monday, March 5, in Little Rock, AR, after an extended illness.  Steve and his wife Fran Lopata, were responsible, through a generous donation from the Lopata Foundation, for funding the retrieval and digitization of the original GLO plate and notes from the National Archives.  This grant, under the direction of Fran's son Cameron Howell, PS, provided KSLS the means to assist all surveyors working in the State of Kansas to access necessary information at a nominal cost, and provided the beginnings of the KSLS Charitable Foundation.  Over the years, the sale of GLO discs has supported many activities of the Foundation, including funding scholarships for surveying education.  Condolences may be sent to Mrs. Lopata at 13000 Riverside Drive, Little Rock, AR, 72212, or to Cameron and his wife, Zoe, via email at:  kssurvey@earthlink.net. 

Caspar, Hubert Jr. of Kincaid, passed away on February 26, 2018.Hubert (Hub or Butch) was born to Hubert and Agnes Caspar, of Junction City, Kansas, on July 26, 1936. He graduated from Junction City High School in 1954. Hub received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Geology from Kansas State University in 1959. Hubert worked as a Bridge Designer for MODOT from 1959 to 1961. In 1961, he opened his own design firm, Hubert Caspar Jr. Engineers & Architects, in Junction City. After selling his firm in 1977, he went to work in the oil & gas industry from 1979 to 1989, in Chanute, Kansas. From 1989 to 1995, he was Director of Public Works for Miami County, Kansas. From 1995 to 1997, he raised Angus cattle in the Paola, Kansas area. In 1997, he moved to Anderson County, Kansas as the County Engineer from 1997 to 2004. Concurrently, he was also the Coffey County, Kansas Engineer from 1999 to 2006, retiring in 2006. Hub served as the Neosho County, Kansas Engineer during retirement in 2007. In retirement, he farmed, did oil and gas consulting work and reviewed land surveys. He was a licensed Professional Engineer and a licensed Surveyor. Hub served on the Board of Directors of the Geary Community Hospital, Junction City, for 11 years from 1966 to 1977 as Chairman and testified before the United States Congress on rural health care. Hub served on the Kansas State Board of Engineering Examiners from 1969 to 1977. He was on the Board of Licensed Professional Engineers and Surveyors serving as Chairman in 1972 and 1973, and as Secretary in 1971 and 1974. Hubert was one of the moving forces for the establishment of the Kansas State Board of Technical Professions. He served on the National Council of Engineering Examiners; helped establish the Fort Riley Post of the Society of American Military Engineers, serving as President and on the Board of Directors; and helped establish the Hillsdale Water Quality Project and served as Chairman from 1990 to 1995. On November 14, 1964, he married Ruth Ann Collins, having known her since age six. The marriage was blessed with three children: twins, Fritz and Vance (deceased), and a daughter, Ann Gunn. He was preceded in death by: his wife Ruth Ann; and infant son. Survivors include: son, Fritz Caspar, of Parker, Kansas; and daughter, Ann Boehm and her husband Steve, of Paola. Burial was in Wreford Cemetery, in Geary County, Kansas, next to his wife and infant son. There was a private family service. Memorial contributions may be made to: Prairie Paws Animal Shelter, c/o Hub Caspar Memorial, 3173 Highway 68, Ottawa, KS 66067. As published in the Miami County Republic.

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The Northeast Chapter Seminar will take place on March 23rd, at the Kansas State Museum of History in Topeka, KS.  Earn up to 6 pdhs.  Bill Haverkamp will be presenting Kansas Minimum Standards, plus there will be a round-table discussion on County Survey Review, and a presentation on the Kansas Regional Coordinate System (Low Distortion Projection).  Click Here for the flyer and registration form.  Deadline for early-bird rates is March 9.

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Save the Dates for the 2018 Annual Meeting and Conference - October 18 & 19

This year's conference is sponsored by the Southeast Chapter of KSLS, and will be held at the Lamplighter Inn, Pittsburg, KS.  Our Featured Speaker will be Dr. Richard Elgin. Join us for business meetings, fundraisers and an opportunity to earn professional development hours. Watch the KSLS website for more information.

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Browser Compatibility Changes

The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council is requiring that our website and membership management program provider retire version 1.0 of an encryption method called TLS.  If you are using an older browser, not supporting version 1.2, you may not be able to make payments by credit card on our site.  Recommended browsers include Google Chrome version 38 or higher, Internet Explorer version 11 or higher, Microsoft Edge any version, Firefox 27 or higher, Safari Desktop version 7 or higher, Safari Mobile version 5 or higher, or Opera version 50 or higher. If you experience any difficulty making payments by credit card, try upgrading your browser to one of the suggested versions.

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2018 Renewals are Overdue and the Grace Period is Ending Soon

If you haven't renewed for 2018, you are in danger of losing your access to these emails, and all the benefits of being a member of KSLS.  Please login to your account today and renew.  Any member account not renewed by the end of the month will be closed and removed from our mailing lists.  Please join us in making KSLS a strong and vibrant society, supporting and promoting land surveying in Kansas.

In recognition of National Surveyors Week, NSPS recommends that everyone participate in GPS on Bench Marks.  There will be a webinar tomorrow sponsored by NGS.  Please sign up to learn more.

NGS encourages its partners to perform GPS on Bench Marks for National Surveyors Week (March 18–24, 2018). This webinar will discuss recommendations for marks to observe that will help improve GEOID18 (a new hybrid geoid model to replace GEOID12B) and the transformation tools that will be developed with the new datums in 2022.  

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2501544372792206337

Watch your email for more information on what KSLS will be doing with GPS on Bench Marks and other activities for National Surveyors Week.

The Northeast Chapter has released its flyer and registration form for the Seminar taking place on March 23rd, at the Kansas State Museum of History in Topeka, KS.  Earn up to 6 pdhs.  Bill Haverkamp will be presenting Kansas Minimum Standards. There will also be a round-table discussion on County Survey Review, and a presentation on the Kansas Regional Coordinate System (Low Distortion Projection).  Click Here for the flyer and registration form.  Deadline for early-bird rates is March 9.

KSLS has received a report of stolen equipment:

GeoMax Zoom 90R, Serial Number 953030.  

This robot was stolen on February 1, 2018 at W. 9^th Street & Wyoming, Kansas City, Missouri. 

Please contact Rick Gard, Taliaferro & Browne, 816-283-3456, ext. 200, with any information.

NSPS maintains a registry of stolen equipment on their website at http://www.nsps.us.com/?page=StolenEquipment.

Add your stolen equipment to the NSPS list by emailing details to trisha.milburn@nsps.us.com. 

Next Tuesday, February 6, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform ("OGR") of the U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to mark-up (vote in committee),  H.R. 1339, the Freedom from Government Competition Act

NSPS has historically been in strong support of this bill and included it in its Hill visits during Lobby Day on several occasions.

This mark-up is a major victory for NSPS. It is the first BIG step in getting the bill passed.

NSPS members should contact members of the U.S. Houses of Representatives from their state who are members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. To look up members of this committee, click here.  To lookup who is your member of Congress (Home and office may be different), click here and use your zip code.

Here are points to make in a telephone call or email:

• Please vote "Yes" on H.R. 1339, the Freedom From Government Competition Act, in the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee next Tuesday, February 6.

• A positive public-private partnership model is needed so that there are clearly defined roles and responsibilities to provide synergy between the public and private sectors in the Federal level, and particularly with regard to surveying, mapping and geospatial activities. 

• Federal agencies should be utilizing private sector geospatial firms to the maximum extent practical, not duplicating or directly competing against them.

• The federal government has a total of more than 1.2 million employees who are involved in performing commercially available activities, with several thousand in surveying, mapping and geospatial services. Many of these activities that can be found in the "Yellow Pages" from private companies, including small business, on Main Street USA. Numerous government studies have identified surveying, mapping and other "geospatial" activities as prime examples of commercial activities in which the federal government competes with and duplicates the private sector.

• There is a need and role for government in surveying, mapping, and geospatial activities. Federal agencies (such as National Geodetic Survey - NGS) provide critical services and data access for use by the private sector to support their daily operations, and the private sector provides data to agencies to enhance government data sets. This collaborative relationship should continue, allowing agencies to focus on inherently governmental activities such as establishing and enforcing standards and specifications, development of requirements, coordination, and administering contracts, while the qualified, competent, and capable surveying and mapping private sector should provide commercial activities (including data acquisition, processing, applications, and value added services).

• The "Freedom from Government Competition Act" (H.R. 1339) will codify the "Yellow Pages" test, applied by Mayors and Governors, both Democrat and Republican, that says if you can find private sector firms in the Yellow Pages providing products or services that the government is also providing, then the service should be subject to market competition to break up the government monopoly and prove a better value to the taxpayer. This bill will not only make government smaller and more efficient, but can save more than $27 billion annually and improve the quality of services.

• Please vote "Yes" on H.R. 1339, the Freedom From Government Competition Act, in the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee next Tuesday, February 6. 

Remember, this is targeted - NSPS members should communicate with members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform  - ONLY, not other members of the House, not the Senate, for now.

 

 

NewsFlash - January 22, 2018

Stolen Equipment:

KSLS has received a report of a stolen Leica TS12 west of Wichita, around Maize yesterday.  The serial number for this Robotic Total Station is #271522.  If you encounter this equipment, please contact Patrick Feist at 316-393-7713.

Help Wanted:

Affinis Corp. has just posted a job advertisement for the position of Land Surveyor II.  For more information, go to ksls.com/Help-Wanted.

Volunteers Needed:

TPA Convention: The KSLS Charitable Foundation will be hosting a booth at the TPA Convention, April 13 - 14, at Century II in Wichita.  Ernie Cantu, PS, will be speaking about careers in Land Surveying in one of the Convention Workshops.  This event has a very relaxed atmosphere, where you will have an opportunity to share information about land surveying with students and their parents, answering their questions about the profession and explaining why Surveying might be an excellent career choice for them.  Contact Evelyn Cable to sign up to help out.

Society of Women Engineers Expo:  The South Central Chapter is seeking volunteers for this Expo on Saturday, March 10.  Contact Mark Savoy, 316-265-0005  for more information.

NE Chapter March Seminar:

The NE Chapter March Seminar is coming up on March 23.  Topics will include the Kansas Minimum Standards and presentations on Survey and Plat Review by local reviewers in Shawnee County and surrounding counties.  

Section Lines Deadline:

The deadline for articles, pictures, news, etc., for Section Lines is February 1st.  Please send your contributions to Evelyn Cable.

Support the KSLS Charitable Foundation when you shop at Amazon.  Click smile.amazon.com/ch/61-1563408 to go to the Amazon Smile website.  All purchases will result in a donation to the KSLS Charitable Foundation.  

NSPS 2018 MAP/PLAT DESIGN COMPETITION - Application Deadline April 30, 2018 at 5:00 p.m.  Click Here for more information and an application form.

CENTRAL KANSAS SURVEYING AND MAPPING - has two job opportunities available.  For more information, and to check out all the job listings  click here.

WELCOME TO OUR NEW CORPORATE SPONSOR - OLSSON ASSOCIATES.  Sponsorships are available for your company.  Sponsors will have a business card ad posted on the KSLS website homepage, and additional advertising periodically throughout the year.  Includes one "Member" KSLS membership.

NSPS SUSTAINING MEMBERSHIPS AVAILABLE - Click Here for an application to become a Sustaining Member of NSPS.  Membership benefits include a 15% discount on advertising in the News and Views newsletter, NSPS Radio Show appearances with Curt Sumner, complimentary job announcements on the NSPS website, and more.

SALINA SEMINAR SERIES - January 11 - 13, 2018 at Webster Conference Center.  OPUS registration will close on January 2nd or when the class size limit is reached.  First Aid/CPR/Safety also has a size limit, so get your registration in before it is full.  Click Here to Register.

Support us when you shop on Black Friday. Go to smile.amazon.com/ch/61-1563408 and Amazon donates to KSLS Charitable Foundation.

 

NSPS 2018 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM ANNOUNCED 

Each year, the National Society of Professional Surveyors Foundation conducts a scholarship program which offers over $30,000 in scholarships funded by a variety of individuals, companies, and organizations to encourage and support college education in geospatial sciences. These scholarships are a great opportunity for college students in surveying, mapping, geographic information systems, and geodetic science programs. The application deadline is Jan. 15, 2018.   Click Here for more information and an application.

HELP WANTED

Check out our job listings page by Clicking Here.  

• CES Group, Inc., is looking for a Land Survey Crew Member
  
• Westwood Professional Services, Inc., is seeking a Survey Crew Chief
• City of Topeka is advertising for a Manager of Survey, Design and Right of Way Acquisition

WEBSITE UPDATES

MEMBERSHIP CARDS ARE NOW AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE

Sign into your membership account at www.ksls.com, then click on "View Profile" at the top right corner of the page.  Your membership card will be displayed directly under "Membership Details."  The card can be downloaded to your phone or computer as an image, or you can print it out on card stock and trim it down for keeping in your wallet.  Print a new one in January when you renew your membership.

MORE WAYS TO ADD PHOTOS TO OUR WEBSITE

Would you like to share your photos with the surveying community?  Now you have two ways to add them to our website.

1.  Sign into your membership account at www.ksls.com, then click on "View Profile."  Just above "Membership Details" is a link for Member Photo Albums.  Click on the link, then upload your photos.  These photos are only seen by members who search your name in the directory and scroll to the bottom of your page.
2.  Go to the "Members" tab on our website and click on "Member Photos."  You can upload photos here and put captions on them.  These photos can be seen by anyone who visits our website.

THE KSLS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION IS ON FACEBOOK

Like us on Facebook @KSLSCF.  

#GivingTuesday:  Make a donation on Tuesday, November 28th, beginning at 9:00 a.m. Central Time, and your donation will be matched by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.  Watch your inbox for details.