Welcome to this week's edition of the POB eNews ...

In 2004, my family and I took an extended field trip to Europe to test out our newly learned French language skills and get some hands-on history lessons.

We happened to be in Paris during the 60th anniversary of D-Day, or Jour J, so, home-school nerds that we were (and still are), we high-tailed it up to the coast to check out the events and remembrances.

What followed are some of my most poignant memories of our three-week trip, including images of the many aged veterans along with the numerous French re-enactors dressed in period clothing and riding around in left-behind American WWII military vehicles. 

While many people are familiar with the historic images of the beach landings, perhaps less known to the general public is the vital work performed by UK Admiralty Hydrographic Office surveyors who produced the initial surveys used in Operation Overlord's planning and execution. These brave surveyors covertly collected the information necessary to produce detailed maps of the beaches, sea obstacles, town plans and German military placements. And over the course of two short years, the hydrographic office went on to produce more than 170 million maps.

For more information on military surveyors of yesterday and today, visit the Defence Surveyors' Association. For reprints of the actual maps, check out the book " Maps of the D-Day Landing Beaches" published by the UK Hydrographic Office.

Wendy Lyons
eNews editor

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The June issue is online! This month's lineup features:

Full Enclosure by Randy Miller PLS, CFedS
Water has always been an important resource for Utah County. Located south of Salt Lake City, near Utah Lake, the region was once dominated by agriculture. As early as 1865, groups of farmers and private investors began forming the first irrigation districts to harness water from the Provo, Weber and Duchesne rivers and convey it through canals to the fertile farmland in the valley and outlying areas. ...

Surveying to New Heights by Elise Latham
Land surveyors, not surprisingly, have a particular affinity for the land. They like to walk it, touch it, see it and physically control the survey instruments used to measure it. That's why the trusted survey tools for many are hands-on instruments like total stations and GPS receivers. ...

The Many Layers of Tasmania by Karen Richardson
When tourists and locals pull on their hiking boots to trek through Tasmania's picturesque landscape, they often take a trusty companion along to guide them--a topographic map created by TASMAP, the Tasmanian government agency responsible for supplying accurate, up-to-date maps describing the mountain peaks, caves and beaches of Australia's only island state. ...

Finding a Firm Footing by Mary Jo Wagner
The significance of Port Arthur, Texas, is not lost on most professionals in the petroleum industry. Indeed, the Port Arthur Refinery (PAR), owned and operated by Houston-based Motiva Enterprises, is credited with ushering in the country's modern-day oil industry and giving corporate life to some of today's largest petroleum companies. ...

Technology Prohttp://www.pobonline.com A New Platform for 3D by Kirk Edwards
Thirty-seven miles from Salvador on the northeast coast of Brazil, more than 250,000 barrels per day of gasoline, propane, kerosene and other fuels are processed at the Landulpho Alves Refinery (RLAM)--the "Giant of Bahia." An operational unit of Petrobras that was originally constructed in 1949, the refinery is now undergoing a $1.3 billion expansion. ...

Web Exclusive: My Survey Truck
Check out the 11 My Survey Truck entries to see how your survey vehicle stacks up -- all in the interest of having some competitive fun, of course.

Capitol Gains: Defining your business. by John M. Palatiello
Have you ever gone to the bank for a loan and been asked for your business plan? Have you ever struggled when attempting to tell the bank what your firm's market share is?

Safety Sense: Field vehicle safety. by Ronald E. Koons
If you have to drive to a jobsite, the best way to start a safe day's work is to make sure your vehicle is in good condition and has the proper equipment and storage.

From the Ground Up: Capturing the tides. by Mark E. Meade, PE, PLS, CP
A few years ago, it was fairly uncommon for me to undertake projects with a requirement for tide- coordinated acquisition. This situation has changed. 

Traversing the Law: Florida's illegal standards. by Jeffery N. Lucas, PLS, Esq.
The term "illegal" is defined as "against or not authorized by law."[1] Based on this definition, Florida's surveying standards are illegal.

The latest specs on electronic lasers, laser sensors and grade lasers are at your fingertips in  June's product survey.

The 2008 Surveying & Mapping Industry Software and Equipment CLEAReports indicate fewer plans to purchase CAD and data collector software, data collector controllers, tripods, and robotic total stations in 2009.

Learn more about future purchase intentions, highly desired brands, and software/equipment trends by contacting Sima Patel at patels@clearseasresearch.com or 248.786.1626.

What marketing tool does your firm find most effective?

• Print advertisements in phone books and local newspapers
• Direct mail/marketing letters
• E-marketing through online list management services
• Web sites and online advertising
• Personal networking and referrals

Take a moment to vote at www.pobonline.com.  

GPS for Land Surveyors, Third Edition

A perfect working guidebook for surveyors, mappers, geographers, planners, managers, GIS practitioners, civil engineers, environmental engineers, consultants, regulators, and students. This book is written by land surveyors for land surveyors. From fundamental theory to practical application, the book covers GPS without excess pages of complicated math, yet it is not over simplified. This user-friendly manual gives you all the tools to understand and use GPS techniques in everyday practice. In a concise format, this book teaches the basics of GPS technology, common hardware, surveying methods, survey design, planning and observation, and much more!

Retail Price: $89.85  Follow this link to purchase. Visit AECstore.com to view all of our products for the surveying industry. 

After the Killing Fields
Coulas, who was staying at his parents' home outside Combermere, is a land surveyor who has worked on international aid and development projects in several countries that have undergone major trauma, be it political upheaval, war or natural disaster.

Production company at work on second film
The faith-based film company was launched by Monroe land surveyor Rodney Ray in fall 2008, producing the six-minute short film "Mumbai Baby" with a crew of nine and a cast of two.

Rice farmers appeal injunction, try to stop pipeline project 
After being granted the power of eminent domain, Denbury Green Pipeline-Texas sought and received a permanent injunction earlier this year that stopped Texas Rice Land Partners from delaying construction of a pipeline.

Big Land Dispute in Winona County
It's a border battle that's been going on for years. Back in 1975 Winona County made major errors when drawing property lines.

To read the latest Surveying in the Headlines, click here.

UAA Department of Geomatics Hires New Faculty, Expands Fourfold
The University of Alaska Anchorage Department of Geomatics recently hired three new faculty members, growing its number of professors from one to four. The new faculty will join the UAA family in fall 2009.

Woolpert Receives ACEC National Finalist Excellence Award Recognition
Woolpert, a nationally ranked geospatial, design and engineering firm, was selected as a national finalist for the firm's involvement with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to develop airport survey/GIS standards.

THSOA Donates $5,000 to Local Houston School
The Hydrographic Society of America donated $5,000 to Holbrook Elementary in the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD district on May 21, 2009 in order to help further education in the Math & Science Department.

Topcon Makes Initial Purchase of Italian Software, Hardware Company
Topcon Positioning Systems (TPS) has purchased a significant ownership interest of Destura, s.r.l, a software and hardware technology company located in Concordia Sulla Secchia, Modena, Italy.

CLICK for more Industry News.

Topcon GRS-1 and GeoAge FASTXchange
The Topcon GRS-1 features a dual-frequency GNSS receiver, Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system, high-speed processor, digital camera and integrated cellular modem.

National Disaster Reconstruction (NDR) Expo & Conference
June 17-18, New Orleans

The NDR Expo & Conference features 75 exhibitors and more than 30 sessions covering a range of disaster-related topics, including prevention, remediation, restoration, and rebuilding. Session topics include:

• FEMA's Change in Direction Under New Leadership: What This Means for Private Disaster Contractors
• How Disaster Response Professionals Can Secure Government Contracts
• Opportunities for Contractors in the Gulf Coast Rebuilding Efforts
• After the Disaster - Incompetence and Fraud: The Importance of Using Experts
• Facilitating Economic Recovery: Enhancing Insurance Cash Flow
• The Disaster Experience
• Satellite Communications Throughout the Four Stages of Emergency Management

To register or get information on the NDR Expo & Conference, visit www.ndrexpo.com, call 770-645-0046, or email jumouton@imagotradeshows.com.

Joke of the Week: The Guillotine

Three men are sentenced to death for various crimes against a mythical and oppressive state. One is a priest, another is a drunkard and the third is an engineer.

The first to face the executioner is the priest. When asked if he wanted to lie face down or face up on the guillotine, he said, "I'll lie face up! I have nothing to fear. The Lord is on my side!"  ...

Problem of the Week: Surveying Instruments and Procedures: Definitions

Which of the following statements is true of plane surveying?

A. Plan surveying disregards the curvature of the earth.
B. As the size of the area increases, the accuracy and precision of the plane surveying decreases.
C. The term plane surveying is reserved for surveys whose results are expressed in state plane coordinates.
D. Both A and B are true.

CLICK to access the rest of this week's Fun & Games.