Starting Your Own Business.........pg 10 InMemoriam: Eugene DiLoreto....pg 13 The Oregon November/December 2022 A publication of the Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon
Editorials From the PLSO Chair, by Jeremy Sherer, PLS, PLSO Board Chair 2 From the PLSO Office, by Aimee McAuliffe, PLSO Executive Secretary 4 From the Publications Committee, by Tim Kent, PLS 6 Featured Articles Thoughts About Right of Entry, by Dick Bryant 8 Is It Time To Go Into the Surveying Business for Yourself?, by Bill Leslie 10 In Memoriam: Eugene DiLoreto, Co-founder of PLSO 13 Columns Member Spotlight, by Vanessa Salvia 14 Surveyors in the News, by Pat Gaylord, PLS 16 The Lost Surveyor, by Pat Gaylord, PLS 18 On the Cover Brenton Griffin took this photo at the inactive Spout Springs Ski Area in Union County, Oregon. The Oregon Surveyor is a publication of the Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon (PLSO). It is provided as a medium for the expression of individual opinions concerning topics relating to the Land Surveying profession. Address changes & business All notifications for changes of address, membership inquiries, and PLSO business correspondence should be directed to Aimee McAuliffe, PO Box 230548, Tigard, OR 97281; 503-303-1472; [email protected]. Editorial matters & contributions of material The Oregon Surveyor welcomes your articles, comments, and photos for publication. PLSO assumes no responsibility for statements expressed in this publication. Editorial matters should be directed to Vanessa Salvia, [email protected]. Advertising policy Advertising content and materials are subject to approval of the PLSO Board and LLM Publications. The publisher reserves the right to reject any advertising that simulates copy; material must be clearly marked as “Advertisement.” For advertising, contact: Ronnie Jacko, [email protected]; 503-445-2234, 800-647-1511 x2234. A publication of the Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon Executive Secretary Aimee McAuliffe PO Box 230548 Tigard, OR 97281 503-303-1472 Toll-free: 844-284-5496 [email protected] www.plso.org Published by LLM Publications 503-445-2220 • 800-647-1511 www.llmpubs.com Advertising Ronnie Jacko, [email protected] Design Jon Cannon © 2022 LLM Publications Editor Vanessa Salvia Publications Committee Tim Kent, Interim Chair Pat Gaylord Contents Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon @ORLandSurveyors The Oregon Vol. 45, No. 6 November/December 2022
2 The Oregon Surveyor | Vol. 45, No. 6 From the PLSO Chair MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR The End “The End” is a common way to end a story, but some of the best endings leave the reader with both closure and hopefulness. The last of our founders, Eugene DiLoreto, died September 8 at the age of 97 years. His and the other founders’ legacy lives in our memories and professional society. In 1959, our founding fathers saw the state of our profession and had a vision for the future. Sixty-two years later, is that vision still alive? A few months ago, a fellow surveyor and I were talking about the survey profession in general and our organization specifically, and he believed PLSO wouldn’t exist in 10 years. I have heard the same sentiment from other surveyors, to which I say, “Good.” I hope our organization doesn’t exist in 10 years, at least not as it is today. If the trends continue, our profession may end with attrition, but I don’t think that will be the case. Surveying is a useful industry, and there will always be a need. The lack of young surveyors is temporary; supply and demand will continue to make our industry financially attractive for those that have not yet decided on a career in land surveying. Our organization has challenges and with the passing of Eugene DiLoreto, it is the end of an era. There is hope for the future of our organization. I can think of no better example than our debate over the proposed rule change by OSBEELS on licensure. PLSO has debated the licensure issue for about a year and needed to provide a final response to the OSBEELS Board by September. We know that surveyors are opinionated, and some see disagreement as an attack when it should be an opportunity to learn and grow. Often people will avoid the subject or become filled with anger. For example, many have heard that religion and politics are two subjects to avoid in a conversation. These subjects tend to summon deeply held beliefs and worldviews that often lead to aggravation and anger. Yet the effects of these subjects are unavoidable. Belief becomes policy. The key to debating is actively listening by engaging with the other person. After a year of debate, our organization came as close to a consensus as I have ever experienced by voting in favor of supporting the rule changes. The year is coming to an end, and so is my Chairmanship. It has been an honor to work with our leadership and see their hard work and dedication to our organization. Our accomplishments did not come without patience and attention to the important things. We still have work to do, and I look forward to what the future brings to the Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon. In the opening lines of “A Tale of Two Cities,” Charles Dickens famously wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” As memorable as the beginning of the story is, it is the end that leaves the reader with closure and optimism. Sydney Carton’s hollow and pointless existence is transformed to one of a martyr and a vision of the sublime. His character says, “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.” Our original founders, Clair Pense, Eugene DiLoreto, and Harlan Scott have left us with a legacy, and it is up to us to decide how the end of an era will look in the future. Will it be “The End,” or will it be filled with optimism? Our next debate will be for a more excellent vision, one that should lead us beyond the mundane and routine toward that which is good, true, and beautiful in our land surveying profession. Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Chair. If you are interested in joining this team, please get in touch with our office or the Chair at 541-517-8205. Jeremy Sherer, PLS PLSO Board Chair Our original founders, Claire Pense, Eugene DiLoreto, and Harlan Scott have left us with a legacy, and it is up to us to decide how the end of an era will look in the future. Will it be “The End,” or will it be filled with optimism?
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4 The Oregon Surveyor | Vol. 45, No. 6 From the PLSO Office Aimee McAuliffe, PLSO Exec. Secretary Education and Experience There has been a lot of discussion about education and experience of late. At the PLSO State Board and Committee level, we have a pretty even mix of surveyors who earned their licensure by degree versus experience only. Further dissected, among those who earned their license through field experience only, there is a mix between those who had to complete 8 or 12 years in the field to qualify. No matter what pathway to licensure any of them took, all of them have worked hard to earn the designation and are successful and respected amongst their peers. They are all involved in their professional community at various time commitment and experience levels. They legitimately care about the future of Oregon’s professional surveying workforce and want to protect the rights of the public. As a director of a professional member-driven organization, there isn’t much more you could ask for (other than just plain more of it all—people, time, motivation). If you have been paying attention to chapter discussions and general community chatter, OSBEELS has asked for input over the past fewmonths from various stakeholders’ groups on proposed changes to licensure requirements. PLSO is one stakeholder group. Others include college educators, OACES, and Oregon’s land surveying exam development team. For PLSO’s purposes, we have taken part in conversations at the board level with and without OSBEELS, and each chapter representative has taken it to their chapters for their input. All feedback was provided in written form and culminated in a lengthy discussion at the State Board Meeting in Bend on September 24. Whether one thought that experience requirements should be at 9 or 12 years, I think that there is one thing that we all can agree on: PLSO can either represent our highly respected successful professionals through active partnership and communication with OSBEELS, or we can foster a poor working relationship, which would ultimately lead to being circumvented on other important decisions regarding licensure in the future. I am happy to say that your Board has served you well in their ability to discuss, compromise, prioritize, and communicate. While PLSO’s role was merely to provide feedback and guidance, in speaking with OSBEELS Administrator Jason Barbee, I know that it was all taken into account. We all look forward to the ultimate decision, which is made by OSBEELS. Jason has let me know that they will provide plenty of communication about any changes that get made, and as per usual, PLSO has invited OSBEELS to present at the conference this coming January. Speaking of the conference, our 2023 event is set for January 18–20 at the Salem Convention Center. It will most likely have a virtual aspect to it again, but it will not be every session. If you would like to give feedback on what types of sessions should be made available online, please contact our Conference Committee (contact info is on page 23 of this magazine). Nearly all programs of PLSO are member driven. This means that your voice is as valuable as anybody else’s—you just need to lend it. Obviously, it’s going to go further if you’ve timed the lending of your voice during the planning portion of things, which is right now. Once decisions have been made, it gets a little harder to react to your concerns. Feedback includes topics you want to learn more about and speakers you’d like to see. I know you all have opinions, so the time is now to share what will make you want to attend. I am happy to say that your Board has served you well in their ability to discuss, compromise, prioritize, and communicate. We all look forward to the ultimate decision, which is made by the OSBEELS State Board.
5 Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon | www.plso.org From the PLSO Office As we continue through the end of 2022, I want to acknowledge the passing of our last founding member, Eugene DiLoreto. If you didn’t get the opportunity to meet him at any of the past 63 annual member meetings, you genuinely missed out. He was funny, kind, and loved to see how PLSO grew and changed. He didn’t always agree or understand, but he respected the process and that made me respect him. Oregon land surveying is better for having him be a part of it and that is a pretty amazing legacy. On the topic of legacy, I’d like to congratulate the recipients of the PLSO Scholarships this year. All of our amazing applicants were assessed by the following criteria: 1. Academic records 2. Extra-curricular activities 3. Personal essay statements Bill Guile & L. Brian Weigart Scholarship Recipients • Abraham Barr • Austin Martin • Wyatt Keady • Chad Remstedt Sue Newstetter Scholarship Recipient • Caitlin Lien Pete Maring Scholarship Recipient • Aden Cross The 2023 scholarship and financial aid application process officially started October 1. PLSO runs all its scholarships through the Office of Student Access and Completion (OSAC). I like to tell people to try and make the early bird deadline of February 15 for two reasons. One, if you make mistakes, you get the opportunity to correct them by the final deadline of March 1. Two, if you don’t make any mistakes then you get entered into a scholarship raffle. All but the Pete Maring Scholarship is intended for those who are going into the land surveying profession. The Pete Maring Scholarship is for dependents of active PLSO members studying towards something other than land surveying. For more information, go to the PLSOwebsite at www.plso.org/PLSO-Scholarships. On a personal note, I would really like to wish you all a happy holiday season. Whether you already celebrated Diwali, enjoyed plenty of turkey for Thanksgiving, are lighting candles on your menorah for Hanukkah, dancing for Kwanzaa, or decorating a Christmas tree with heirloom ornaments, please be fully present with your friends and family. Moments are fleeting and health can change, but the people we care about, whether they are family by blood or chosen by our heart, always make everythingmoremeaningful. Take a breath, listen to the sounds of celebration around you (my Dad was the best storyteller and liked tomake people laugh), taste the food (my Mom always burns the marshmallows on the yams), gasp over the presents (my sister makes gift wrapping into artwork), and hold on to that hug a little longer (my daughter doesn’t need to know I’m smelling her hair). Cheers to all of you. plso.org “The scholarship money goes a long way. I hope to make the surveying profession proud with my dedication to excellent studies and quality work in my career. Thank you for your generosity.” – Abraham Barr, Bill Guile & L. Brian Weigart Scholarship Recipient You can support the 2023 Education & Outreach Auction in three different ways! 1 Purchase a Scholarship Raffle Ticket for $20 for a chance to win $1,000! Winner does not need to be present at the auction. Tickets are on sale at www.plso.org for $20. 3 Attend the 2023 Education & Outreach Auction on January 19, 2023, at the Salem Convention Center! 2 Donate an item to the auction. The Auction Committee is currently seeking donations for the silent and live auctions. Ideas include gift baskets, artwork, sporting events, and outdoor experiences. Contact Committee Chair Robert Hamman at [email protected].
6 The Oregon Surveyor | Vol. 45, No. 6 From the Publications Committee Tim Kent, PLS FIELDNOTES FROM THE PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE I have searched far and wide for a woody species called caribou with no luck. I have seen many caribou with antlers but never one that has scribing for a bearing tree. The General Land Office field survey notes can seem pretty mundane in their repetitiveness in describing the land being surveyed. The corner descriptions are usually complete in regards to the type of monuments established and the accessories marked. At times the apple cart is disrupted and the results can be simply confusing. This is a description of one of those times. A father and son from Wasco County, William E. and George R. Campbell, were very successful with their GLO contracts. They came from a long line of U.S. deputy surveyors. In 1899, they were awarded contract number 699, which was for the subdivision survey of T. 3 N., R. 41 E. The field work occurred during the summer of 1899 and George surveyed the majority of the section lines. In the review of the nearly 100 pages of field notes, it is apparent that they knew how to mark and describe the corner post monuments. They also knew the tree species of fir, pine, spruce, tamarack, etc. to scribe for bearing trees and were knowledgeable of the undergrowth of huckleberry, alder, willow, and meadow grass. In the mid-1990s, I was contacted by Dennis Gaylord, who was the Umatilla National Forest land surveyor stationed in Pendleton. He was told of the description in the field notes of bearing trees labeled caribou. A portion of the description for the corner of sections 10, 11, 14, and 15 can be seen in photo 1. Photo 1
7 Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon | www.plso.org From the Publications Committee The other bearing trees marked were fir trees 14 inches in diameter. According to the field notes, this corner was established by George Campbell. The section line between sections 15 and 22 was surveyed by WilliamCampbell and the one-fourth section corner was established as shown. Note that the corner post was a caribou along with one of the bearing trees. [Photo 2] The only other mention of caribou was in the resurvey along the north boundary of section 2. This was in the description at the end of the mile surveyed. [Photo 3] Dennis made a field visit to the section corner location and could find no trace of the bearing trees. It was in a heavily logged area with lots of ground disturbance. I have searched far and wide for a woody species called caribou with no luck. I have seenmany caribou with antlers but never one that has scribing for a bearing tree. Photo 2 Photo 3 How to Send Us Your Work Please email the editor Vanessa Salvia with submissions. [email protected] Your submission should be in .doc format. Please send images separately (not embedded in the document) and at the highest file size available (MB size range versus KB size range—larger sizes are encouraged). Please include the author’s name and email address or phone number for contact.
8 The Oregon Surveyor | Vol. 45, No. 6 Boise Boise River Snake River South Fork River North Fork R THOUGHTS ABOUT RIGHT OF ENTRY By Dick Bryant Brenton Griffin’s OrYSN column in the March/April issue (https:// www.associationpublications.com/ flipbook/plso/2022/MarApr/index.html, page 8) led me to reflect on what accessing people’s property was like prior to the enactment of the right of entry law in 1995. When I entered the profession, we didn’t seem to think that the possibility of being refused access to property in order to complete a survey was much of a problem. We were always careful to get permission prior to entering anyone’s property, and I remember only one time when we were refused. It happened when my partner and an employee were asked to determine a property line that was in dispute. Tom left the employee at the job site to look for corners while he went to the surveyor’s office to pull up records of survey affecting the properties. When he returned, the employee was standing out next to the street. Tom asked him what happened, and he said the neighbor lady had pulled a gun on him. I was not involved in the survey, and I can’t remember how it was resolved. I do know no one got shot. Another time I had the following encounter. We were over in the Caldwell area of Idaho doing map control along the Boise River for David Smith & Associates. He was mapping a section of the river for the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR). Our work consisted of locating photo points along the river for elevation control. Rather than pre-mark the needed points prior to flying, Dave flew the area to be mapped, then circled small areas on the aerials along the flight line where he would need an elevation. We went into the field and found points on the ground that we could identify on the photo. The identified points were marked by a pin prick on the photo. A point could be something such as the base of a power pole, the end of a center line stripe, a manhole cover, or a fence corner. We marked the point on the ground with a hub, PK, or paint along with a stake with an ID number. After a point was marked and photo ID’ed, a crew would come through and run levels over the points. Most of the points were along roads, railroads, and such, so were in some sort of right of way and easily accessible. Occasionally, the photo points would fall on private property, so permission to enter had to be obtained. A case of the latter comes to mind. A point we needed happened to fall in a rancher’s field near the river. I drove to the residence, but found no one home. I got their name off the mailbox, and that evening I looked up the owner’s name in the phone book and gave them a call. This was before cell phones, so most everyone had a landline and a name in the phone book. The gentleman of the house answered the phone, and I proceeded to tell him the reason for the call. The following dialog took place: (Me) We are doing a survey, and I would like to get access to your property. (He) What is it for? (Me) It is for some mapping along the river. (He) Who are you working for? (Me) David Smith, a mapping firm from Portland. (He) Who is he working for? (Me) He is under contract with the BOR. That was when it hit the fan. The guy really began to unload on me, and I thought perhaps I might have to seek out another location for my photo point. He proceeded to tell me what he thought of the BOR. It seems the river had been slowly eroding his property over the years, and he had been after them to do something about it but to no avail. I don’t recall how long I had to endure his wrath, but I was finally able to explain to him that I was just a poor surveyor trying to do a job. He finally calmed down, and said I guess it would be alright to come out and do what needed to be done. I told him what kind of vehicle I was driving and that I would be out the next morning. When I entered the property, I saw that the drive to his field went right by the house. I felt it prudent to stop and announce my arrival, discuss ground rules, gate closures and such. I knocked on the door and his wife answered. She knew of my purpose, but chose to go through the same tirade I was subjected to the night before. I listened with compassion, and was then able to proceed. My route out to the field caused me to pass where the rancher and a hand were standing by a corral. Again, I stopped, and again I got a full load of what it was like to deal with the Bureau. By the time I was able Featured Article
9 Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon | www.plso.org Featured Article to proceed and get what I needed, we were pretty good buddies, since I was in full sympathy with his situation. Other incidents come to mind. Toward the end of my career, I worked on a crew that was tasked to collect as-built information on the power grid for a major electric company here in central Oregon. The contract called for recording and mapping all of their distribution systems. This included all of their overhead lines such as poles, wire, phasing, transformers, switches, and fuses. It even included getting the serial number from the meter at the house. This meant going onto every customer’s property to reach the meter. It also required crossing private property if that was where the power line happened to go. Not all of the lines were along a road. Information about each item had to be recorded and a map created showing where that item was located. We asked for some sort of authorization from the power company that would allow us this access. Like whether they had easements. Perhaps letters notifying customers what we would be doing and why. Identifying decals or such on our vehicles would have helped. All these suggestions were ignored and we were pretty much left on our own when it came to dealing with the property owners. As expected, we had numerous questions from customers as to what and why we were on their property. One time I drove up to a residence and told the lady that I needed to get the ID number off of her meter. About that time her husband drove up and began to question my presence. I told him I was a surveyor and my purpose for being there. When I mentioned “surveyor,” he became suspicious and asked if I was really there to do a survey on his neighbor’s property. I assured him that I was not. He told me that if I had been he would have run my, at that time, skinny butt right off his property. Apparently, he and his neighbor didn’t get along. I didn’t wait around long enough to find out what their beef was. Another time I had to go behind a lady’s house to get to her meter. She was out on her deck sunning herself. Luckily, she was fully clothed, but not happy about my intrusion. Several other times I was questioned as to my intentions. If it was apparent that they were overly suspicious, I would give the person our office number, and let them know that they could call for verification. Some did. On this job, I was never denied access, but at times things were tense and it was a real pain to put up with the hassle. Door hangers would have been of no help as we were probably hitting up to a dozen houses a day in built-up areas. Leaving a door hanger and having to go back the next day was not an option. It was an interesting job, at times frustrating, and so a good one with which to close out a satisfying career. Dick Bryant was featured as our Member Spotlight in the November / December 2021 Oregon Surveyor (https://www.associationpublications. com/flipbook/plso/2021/NovDec/index.html, page 8). He celebrated 50 (+1) years of licensure on September 22, 2021. Dick was licensed as Oregon Registered Professional Land Surveyor #920 in July 1970. He was voted PLSO Surveyor of the Year and was awarded Life Membership in 2004. In 1967, he and Tom McCullough formed McCullough, Bryant, and Associates.
10 The Oregon Surveyor | Vol. 45, No. 6 IS IT TIME TO GO INTO THE SURVEYING BUSINESS FOR YOURSELF? A Checklist Before You Take the Plunge By Bill Leslie Featured Article You love surveying, and you’ve got some experience under your belt. You’d like to be your own boss, and you think you’re about ready to launch your new business. You’ve got a good business plan, you’ve done the research, and you’ve found the right home for your business. Think you’re ready to launch? Not so fast. Before you make the leap, work through this list of seven issues that are often overlooked by entrepreneurs, sometimes with tragic results. 1. A love of surveying doesn’t necessarily equate to being in business for yourself. As your business develops, you will find that you will be spending less and less time doing surveying in the field. A general rule is that a company owner’s “span of control” staff goes down by 20% with each employee that is hired. Planning on a team of four employees? 4 employees X 20% = 80%. That means that you may have just 20% of your time to be a surveyor. The rest of your time will be spent managing the business. This is just a general guideline, but by the time you have six or seven employees, chances are you will be spending all of your time directing your team. Make sure that your dreams of being on your own in business will mean doing what you most want to do. 2. Are you ready for long days? Entrepreneurs dream of being their own boss. They dream of riches and personal freedom. Dreams can come true, but wealth and freedom usually come after years, or even decades, of hard work. In the meantime, as a small business owner, you won’t be subject to a minimum wage, you won’t get paid time and a half after 40 hours, and your day won’t end at 5 pm. You’ll arrive before the doors open to customers, you will work through lunch, and you’ll still be at your desk long after the doors are locked and everyone else has gone home. If there is a plumbing leak at 2 am, guess who gets the call? Thinking about buying a country club membership? Keep thinking. You probably won’t have time to swing a club for a while. 3. Do you have what it takes? Not every entrepreneur has the skills to run a business. Are you great with sales, but weak on accounting? Maybe you love programming, but don’t like managing employees. You don’t have to do everything, but if you don’t, you’d better know who will do the things you don’t want to do. Make a list of the skills and aptitudes that will be required by your new business and do a frank assessment of your skills. Someone will need to do tasks like accounting, legal, computers, and human resources. You don’t have to have those people on your payroll, but identify who they are, and build the cost of their services into your budget. And don’t go into a new business thinking that you won’t mind doing something that you’ve always hated, or that you don’t have the skills to handle. If you hate accounting now, you’ll still hate it when you have to do it. A love of surveying doesn’t necessarily equate to being in business for yourself. Make sure that your dreams of being on your own in business will mean doing what you most want to do.
11 Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon | www.plso.org Featured Article 4. Are you considering a partner? The right partner can compensate for your weaknesses and complement your strengths. But is that person right for your startup? Are they equally committed to the business? An imbalance in financial commitment, an unwillingness to work long days, or an inability to defer a financial return can create stress between partners. Is your partner willing to work hard? As hard as you? Keep in mind that adding the title “shareholder” can ruin a relationship. Have you agreed on who will be in charge? Do you and your partner share the same vision for where the business will be in two years? Have you added a partner only because you were short of cash? That can be a big mistake. If you need a partner, find the right person. But if you need money, borrow it, whether from a friend or a bank. Don’t mix up the need for cash with the need for a partner. And don’t give equity to a partner who won’t be working. Better to pay higher interest than give equity solely because you are undercapitalized. 5. How will people find out about you? Will you advertise? The importance of getting the word out about your business is often underestimated, or even ignored. Your business may become an overnight sensation, but don’t count on it. Your customers won’t know about you unless you tell them. There was a time when a business didn’t need an internet presence, but no longer. Whether you’re a food cart operator, you sell electronics, or you are a surveyor, you need a digital presence. Plan on a website and a presence on Twitter, Facebook, Yelp, and LinkedIn, at a minimum. If you can’t manage all of these platforms, find someone who can do it for you. It’s not expensive, and it’s not optional. 6. Is your back office ready? Get your legal and accounting affairs in order before you launch. That continues
12 The Oregon Surveyor | Vol. 45, No. 6 Featured Article continued means a computerized accounting system and a signed LLC agreement or articles of incorporation. Once your doors open, you’ll be too busy to create an LLC, and six months from now is too late to start doing accounting. Too often a business is launched without heeding this step, and the owner ends up regretting it—due to a fight with a partner, or due to the sudden appearance of the IRS. 7. How deep are your pockets? Even if you do everything else right, there’s a good chance that you’ll trip over the single most common mistake: underestimating how much cash you need to make a go of your new business. If your business takes off, it will absorb huge amounts of cash—in surveying equipment, office equipment, and in receivables. This could trigger an unexpected home equity loan, or often, the collapse of your business. Your employees won’t wait an extra month to get paid. Look hard at your business forecasts, and then play “what if.” What if your business takes four months longer to take off? What if your business grows twice as fast as expected? If you aren’t sure about your answers to any of these seven questions, review themwith an experienced business associate whom you trust. Being unprepared for any of these challenges can prove fatal to your new business. How did you do? Have you covered everything on this list? If so, then go for it! Bill Leslie is a writer and business consultant who specializes in family-owned business. He was CFO of Gresham Toyota for more than 20 years. He has written about accounting, law, genealogy, hunting, history, business management, World War II, and other topics for a variety of magazines and newspapers. He and his wife Kristi have lived in Sandy, Oregon, for more than 30 years. Are you ready for long days? Entrepreneurs dream of being their own boss. They dream of riches and personal freedom. Dreams can come true, but wealth and freedom usually come after years, or even decades, of hard work.
13 Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon | www.plso.org In Memoriam In Memoriam Eugene DiLoreto, Co-founder of PLSO Eugene DiLoreto passed on September 8, 2022. He was born October 23, 1925, in Bandon, Oregon. He was 96 years old and had his family at his side. Eugene, or Gene, as he was known, was one of PLSO’s three founders along with Clair Pense and Harlan Scott. Gene was born in Bandon toAngelo andMaryDiLoreto. He had one sister, Rose Angela. In 1930 the family moved to southeast Portland where Gene resided for the rest of his life. After high school Gene enlisted in the Navy, then enrolled at Willamette University in Portland with the intention of studying mathematics. It was here that he met the woman who would become his wife, Florence Polster. They wed April 15, 1950 and raised five boys. In 1949, Gene began work for the Multnomah County Road Department, where he would work for the next 34 years. Initially hired as an inspector, Gene progressed in his career to surveyor and in 1961, a civil engineer, where his first project was the design of Marine Drive. It was in 1959 that Gene, together with Pense and Scott, formed the Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon, before it became incorporated in 1960. Read more about the inception of PLSO on the website at www.plso.org/inception. Gene founded a small surveying firm, which designed many of the subdivisions in the Damascus, Oregon, area. He also provided surveying jobs for three sons, who went on to obtain civil engineering degrees from Oregon State. The other two sons obtained architecture degrees from the University of Oregon. Gene is survived by his wife, Florence; his five sons and their wives; his 14 grandchildren; and his six great-grandchildren. The family suggests donations in his memory be made to St. Anthony’s of Padua Catholic Parish, 3720 SE 79th Ave, Portland, OR 97206, or Catholic Charities. An online guest book can be found at www.oregonlive.com/obits. Gene, left, at the PLSO Conference in 2013. Pat Gaylord recognizing Gene at the 55th Annual Conference. Jerry Maris, left, past state Chair, and Gene at the 2011 PLSO Conference.
14 The Oregon Surveyor | Vol. 45, No. 6 Member Spotlight By Vanessa Salvia At the time John Lucey and I spoke on the phone, he was doing construction staking on the property where a new home is planned near Bend. Lucey’s office, Axis Mapping and Surveying Company, is in Bend, where he and his family have lived since 2003. Lucey says he loves the profession of surveying and can’t imagine doing any other job now, but he didn’t start out with that career in mind. Lucey earned a Bachelor of Science in geology at the College of William and Mary in Virginia, and then he worked with the National Science Foundation for two years doing geophysical mapping of a meteorite impact crater under the Chesapeake Bay. “I got out of school and thought I would be a geologist,” he says. “I didn’t even know that surveying was actually a profession.” In 1997, he lived in Mammoth Lakes, California, and while looking for work, happened to stumble on a position for an entry level surveyor. He checked it out, and discovered that he didn’t need to knowmuch more than how to run the equipment, which he already knew from the mapping experience he had. He didn’t know how to use the HP 48 graphing calculator, but he figured it out. “That’s how I became a surveyor and I’ve been doing it ever since,” he says. “My whole reason for wanting to be a geologist was because I wanted a job where I could work outside and have adventures. But once I realized that surveying was a job, I realized it’s actually a lot more interesting to be a surveyor than a field geologist, or a professional geologist, because surveyors get to go to a lot more places and have a lot more adventures.” Lucey is licensed to survey in Oregon, Washington, and California and has had work-related adventures from the Mexican border to the North Slope of Alaska, and across the country from the East Coast to the West Coast. Once Lucey discovered surveying, it quickly became more than a job. He appreciates the history aspect and the puzzle- solving aspect. “You can go out on a 38,000-acre ranch and help them determine the boundary of that ranch that hasn’t been surveyed since 1872, and find the stones that the original surveyors laid out 150 years ago while pulling chains over mountains,” he says. “We go in with our GPS and find stones set within two feet of where I would expect them to be. It’s mind-blowing.” Lucey wants to generate publicity and interest for the surveying profession as a John K. Lucey, PLSO Axis Mapping and Surveying Company www.axismapping.com Most of the surveyors I know became surveyors because their dad or their granddad was a surveyor. This is a great job to have, and it’s a job that a lot of people would be interested in if we got the word out and exposed young people to it.
15 Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon | www.plso.org Member Spotlight whole and get new people excited about how exciting the profession can actually be. Of course, how to do that is the big question. But Lucey is becoming more involved with the PLSO’s Education & Outreach Committee with the goal of figuring that out. Many people just happen to “fall into” the profession of surveying because they discover it while they are working at something else. “You don’t hear about surveyors on TV, you don’t hear about them on the radio,” he says. “Most of the surveyors I know became surveyors because their dad or their granddad was a surveyor so they knew about it. This is a great job to have, and it’s a job that a lot of people would be interested in if we got the word out and exposed young people to it.” Lucey’s goal is to figure out how to put surveying front and center and make it more visible. That could mean more school visits, improved signage on vehicles or on job sites, and increased opportunities for mentorship. Perhaps there are opportunities to turn surveying-related skills into a game that young people can do in school to earn prizes. Imagine: teaching kids to use a compass and taking them outside to use a compass and map to find something hidden. “That’s how we look for these old corners,” Lucey says. “It could be as easy as a surveyor going into a school and saying, ‘Hey, we’ve got these things hidden out here. I’m going to show you how to use a compass and how to measure the length of your stride, and then you’ll go and find this treasure.’” Lucey says surveying is like “a big Easter egg hunt,” and it’s something that kids can appreciate and enjoy with the right introduction. He has been a surveyor for 25 years, but is more interested in being involved in the greater surveying community now because he feels it has reached a critical stage where some sort of action is needed. “As surveyors we spend a lot of time in the woods by ourselves, not in front of groups of people, unfortunately!” he says, which means that many people don’t ever get to see surveyors at work. The profession is at a critical stage in part because the problem of not enough incoming surveyors was recognized 10, 15, or even more years ago, but not much has changed. “I’d like to say, ‘Let’s all get involved in this and see how many classrooms we can reach in a year,’ just letting people know what we’re all about,” he says. “I think, if we do that for five or 10 years, I think you’d have enough surveyors that you wouldn’t have to worry about the future of the profession.” My whole reason for wanting to be a geologist was because I wanted a job where I could work outside and have adventures. But once I realized that surveying was a job, I realized it’s actually a lot more interesting to be a surveyor than a field geologist, or a professional geologist, because surveyors get to go to a lot more places and have a lot more adventures.
16 The Oregon Surveyor | Vol. 45, No. 6 By Pat Gaylord, PLS Surveyors in the News Surveyors were much in the news during development in the Pacific Northwest. Through the archives of the University of Oregon Library, this column revisits and celebrates some of those stories of our profession. The Reporter McMinnville, Oregon December 27, 1863 An article in the Daily East Oregonian Newspaper in 1907 published a glowing description by the National Parks of the newly released survey map of Yosemite National Park. A cash payment or money order in the amount of 10 cents and you could have one of your own! HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! LAND SURVEY To preserve the established corners of the public land surveys and to reestablish those that have been destroyed, is becoming more and more a vexed question. There seems to be but few corners that are able to withstand the ravages of time, accident, or design. The neglect of the land owners of California to keep up their original comers until so many of them have been destroyed, is causing an endless amount of trouble and litigation. Local Surveyors fail to give satisfaction and they have petitioned Congress to have a resurvey made by United States Deputy Surveyors under the direction of the Surveyor General of that State, but Congress has refused, and it is well that they have, for no Surveyor, clothed with any kind of authority, or with any kind of instruments can reestablish corners with any degree of accuracy or satisfaction to the owners of the land, if many of the corners are missing, for the reason that the original lines and corners were probably not established with the strict
17 Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon | www.plso.org Surveyors in the News professional care that would be required or practiced by a resurvey. The Surveyors General of the several States and the Commissioner of the General Land Office at Washington from their increasing number of letters received from Local and County Surveyors, have been greatly taxed to answer all the problems submitted to them; so much so that the Department of the Interior has issued a pamphlet for the government of County and local Surveyors in the reestablishment of lost corners. It gives a synopsis of all the acts of Congress, relating to the public survey, then says: “From the foregoing legislation it is evident: 1. That the boundaries of the public lands established and returned by the duly appointed Government Surveyors when approved by the Surveyors General and accepted by the Government are unchangeable. 2. That original township section and quarter section corners established by the Government Surveyors, must stand as the true corners which they were intended to represent whether the comers be in place or not. The Commissioner then gives specific instructions, how to establish correction, township, section, quarter section and meander corners, but it is entirely silent in regard to donation claim boundaries and corners, but we suppose of course that the same general rule would apply to Claims Surveys as to section township lines. He has well said that “the variation of the needle, as noted, is not to be implicitly relied upon, since the observations for variation are in many instances crude and rough and at best afford but an approximation in such work.’’ The pamphlet is published merely as nil opinion and not law and says: “No definate rule can be laid down as to what shall be sufficient evidence in reestablishing boundary and corners and much must be left to the skill, fidelity, and good judgement of the Surveyor in the performance of his work; when this fails to give satisfaction, resource must be had to the courts. The Surveyor Generals receive many letters in relation to the settlement of disputed lines that are entirely foreign to the duties of their office, and they give an opinion or answer merely from courtesy, which often imposes quite a burden without any compensation. The services of an expert at finding lost corners and all the evidences relating thereto, seems to be the only way out of the difficulty, outside of the courts. The original evidences of the public land surveys in the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Kansas have been turned over to the State authorities and some of the legislatures have passed laws requiring land owners to have their comers re-established, and then give rules for the work, or the lines as held shall govern; but until our legislature takes the matter in hand it will be well for land owners to keep the corners that they have.
By Pat Gaylord, PLS Lost surveyor The
19 Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon | www.plso.org As I write this newest installment of the Lost Surveyor, the last of the 100-degree days hasn’t even faded into memory. However, by the time you are reading this, Christmas Eve will be right around the corner. Like any good survey story, Christmas can be full of controversy. Christmas Valley, Oregon, may be best known for the discovery of the Fort Rock Sandals which were radiocarbon dated at more than 10,000 years old. The sandals were discovered perfectly preserved at Fort Rock Cave by University of Oregon archaeologist Luther Cressman in 1938. They are the oldest known footwear in the world. Why is Christmas Valley controversial? And does it actually have to do with Christmas? Question continues Fort Rock Cemetery. Photo by Pat Gaylord. The Lost Surveyor
20 The natural and geologic history of the area is a part of Oregon’s rich landscape and is well worth further exploration if you’ve never visited. Within just a short distance from Christmas Valley you can visit Fort Rock, Crack in the Ground, Hole in the Ground, and Big Hole in the Ground, the Lost Forest Research Natural Area, the Four Craters Lava Field, and the Christmas Valley Sand Dunes. The sand dunes are very popular with four-wheel drive enthusiasts. Another great opportunity for exploring is the Fort Rock Homestead Village Museum which consists of furnished settler’s cabins preserved from destruction and moved to their current location near Fort Rock. While Christmas Valley is known for its geologic and continued natural history, there is also an underlying history of controversy. Christmas Valley, or Christmas Lake Valley as it was originally named, grew out of early exploration and the promise of free land. The Christmas Valley Properties website contains a comprehensive history of the area written by Melany Tupper, which begins with exploration by surveyor and explorer John Charles Fremont and continues through surveys by John Meldrum. As the controversy in this story builds, it’s important to note that the sixth edition of the Oregon Geographic Names Book disputes Fremont’s discovery of Christmas Lake and states the lake Fremont actually named is many miles from this location and in fact Fremont was never in Christmas Lake Valley. This claim by the book is based on the 1863 map of the Warner Valley issued by the Surveyor General of Oregon which depicts the lake that Fremont actually named. The Christmas name is also disputed as to how it came into being. Some speculate that early fur trading explorers may have named it. Another theory is that “Christmas” is a morphed version of an early settler family name in the valley which was “Chrisman” or sometimes spelled “Christman.” Aside from the origin of the name, numerous controversies persisted in the valley as Oregon developed. In the early 1900s, thousands of sheep were killed in range wars that spanned Christmas Lake Map. Photo from the General Land Office (GLO) archives. The Oregon Surveyor | Vol. 45, No. 6 The Lost Surveyor
21 from Prineville to Christmas Valley. In just one raid by five masked men, nearly 3,000 sheep were killed over disputed range. The controversy in Christmas Valley includes Hollywood movies, environmental contamination, and more. In the 1960s, a corrupt developer arrived. The rocky history of M. Penn Phillips and his development company promised a big future for the area which centered around a grand lodge, airstrip, golf course, rodeo grounds and, of course, a lake. It’s too much to tell here, but none of the development dreams were realized. All of this, from the surveyors to the developers, is not where the real controversy of this story lies. As I mentioned at the beginning, you’re probably reading this just before Christmas Eve. Christmas Christmas Valley Map. Photo from the Bureau of Land Management. The natural and geologic history of the area is a part of Oregon’s rich landscape and is well worth further exploration if you’ve never visited. Within just a short distance from Christmas Valley you can visit Fort Rock, Crack in the Ground, Hole in the Ground, and Big Hole in the Ground. continues Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon | www.plso.org The Lost Surveyor
22 Eve has been the subject of one particularly good story for as long as any of us can remember. One with quiet creatures, stockings hung with care, visions of sugar plums, and of course tiny reindeer hooves on the roof. You know the one! First published on December 23, 1823, “Twas the Night Before Christmas” is one of the best-known poems of the Christmas season. Credit for the poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” was long attributed to Clement Clarke Moore. The verse was later renamed to its current title. When it was first published in The Troy Sentinel in Troy, New York, in 1823 it was published anonymously. Therein lies the controversy. Oddly enough, Moore became wealthy as a land developer, but he was best known as a writer and scholar. Moore was known to publish work anonymously. As one example, he had anonymously published a Federalist pamphlet in 1804 the same way. The poem was first published in a book and credited to Moore in 1837 and Moore eventually published it in his own work in 1844. However, a long debate has encircled this writing and through extensive writing analysis, Professor Donald Foster of Vassar College, believes another New Yorker is the more likely author. Foster’s continued writer was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, and resided there until his death. He wrote a long poem entitled “Account of a Visit from St Nicholas.” This poem counted “Twas the night before Christmas” as its first line. It wasn’t until 1859 that Major Henry Livingston Jr.’s family began to dispute Moore’s claim to what they believed to be their father’s poem. Through many years of back and forth controversy over manuscripts, writing, linguistics, and statistical analysis, plus depositions and searches for documents, the search for the true author continued. MacDonald P. Jackson, who is an Emeritus Professor of English at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, has spent his career studying the authorship of this poem. His book published in 2016, Who Wrote The Night Before Christmas?: Analyzing the Clement Clarke Moore vs. Henry Livingston Question, concludes that, “Every test applied thus far aligns more closely with Livingston’s verse than with Moore’s.” [Wikipedia: Livingston] While the controversy may continue, the current authoritative analysis conducted by Foster and Jackson means that Livingston, THE SURVEYOR, is the most likely author of the classic poem we all know In the early 1900s, thousands of sheep were killed in range wars that spanned from Prineville to Christmas Valley. In just one raid by five masked men, nearly 3,000 sheep were killed over disputed range. The controversy in Christmas Valley includes Hollywood movies, environmental contamination, and more. and love. We began this year learning of the surveying history of the song “Auld Lang Syne’’ and we end the year with “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” and both are attributed to our “Lost Surveyor” surveying peers of old. As Paul Harvey said on his radio show, now you know... the rest of the story. Happy Christmas to all and to all good surveying! References • Great Basin Sandals | Museum of Natural and Cultural History (uoregon.edu) • Fort Rock Valley Historical Society (fortrockoregon.com) • Full Town History | Christmas Valley Properties (christmasvalleyproperty.com) • Christmas Valley, Oregon - Wikipedia • Oregon Geographic Names, Sixth Edition • Major Henry Livingston, Jr. | Poetry Foundation (poetryfoundation.org/poets/henry-livingston) • Henry Livingston Jr. - Wikipedia • Clement Clarke Moore - Wikipedia The Lost Surveyor The Oregon Surveyor | Vol. 45, No. 6
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