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Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon | www.plso.org
Greg Crites, PLS
Great Memories
I
t wouldn’t be a big stretch to say that this issue of
The
Oregon Surveyor
is really a memorial to two surveyors
who recently crossed the great river, leaving behind a
great legacy. Both of them were career-long friends and
contributing members of the surveying community. They
wore big moccasins and made long strides on our behalf.
I will miss them both.
Sue Newstetter, well, what can I say? There are very few of
us within the PLSO who weren’t touched by her, fell under
her shadow and came to admire her drive, enthusiasm and
yes passion for our profession. Passionate people are the
ones who get things done and Sue was a shining example
of accomplishment. I feel honored to have served on the
Board with her and to have sharpened my skills through
her acumen. Pat Gaylord has written a brief though highly
informative article about Sue in his “Lost Surveyor” column,
(
see page 18
), so I don’t need to reiterate her accomplish
ments but I encourage you to read it, if for no other reason
than to come to know her better. All I will say is this: I used
to bowhunt around Mt. Vernon, Sue’s home, for many
years. I have many vivid memories of my experiences there
while learning about Wapiti, but I noticed something had
changed when I arrived in Mt. Vernon the morning of Sue’s
memorial service/celebration. I thought to myself, this is
where Sue lived! The town took on a special meaning in
that context because Sue chose it
for her home, and knowing Sue,
that’s saying something. The elk that
populate the hills around there are
now just a wee bit of frosting on the cake of that place.
Bob Taylor had much to say about the Final Point
ceremony for Layne Caswell (
see page 16
). I was happy to
see that both Bob and I share a long list of memories about
Layne. I also greatly enjoyed the photographs of the event
supplied by Al Hertel, Gene DiLoretto and John Thatcher.
Recognizing all the folks I knew in them was a testament
to how tightly intertwined many of our professional paths
have been over the years, all owing to our “active”
participation in the PLSO. If I have one regret, it’s that both
Sue’s memorial gathering and Layne’s Final Point ceremony
fell on the same day, so I had to choose. I figured since Sue’s
potlatch was so far away, I needed to make the trip to be
certain that the PLSO was well represented. That was a
needless concern. I hadn’t figured on how many lives Sue
had positively affected, even clear over there in Mt. Vernon.
Yes, Joel, the “frozen tundra” east of the Cascades.
I challenge every reader of this magazine to see the
legacies left by Layne and Sue as your motivation for
change. I’ve spent much of this year writing editorials in
this magazine regarding the importance of mentoring, the
value of membership and the
satisfaction that comes with
giving back to this profession
we all love. Every one of you
knows who Layne and Sue
were because of their passion
for land surveying. Do you
want to be remembered? Their
lives are a clear road map of
how to accomplish that! Open
the door, turn the key, start
the engine and, if you haven’t
already done so, set your own
course to leave your mark.
There are few careers that
offer such an incredible
opportunity.
◉
The views expressed herein are mine
and mine alone and in no way should be
construed as representing ANY opinions
shared by our membership or a stance on
political issues by this organization.
FROM THE EDITOR
Attendees at Layne Caswell’s Final Point ceremony on June 27, 2015.
