The rainy spring weather did not deter the over 50 attendees from making their way to the Washington County Public Library in Hagerstown for the MSGIC Spring Quarterly meeting on April 19, 2017. As always, the agenda was packed. In case you missed it, here are some highlights of the day. Pat Mcloughlin, MSGIC Chair, got the morning started by unveiling the new and improved MSGIC website and placing an open call out to the MSGIC membership for participation in…
The National Capital Region’s (NCR) Transportation Planning Board (TPB) recently adopted an Equity Emphasis Areas (EEA) Map that marks a new approach by the organization to ensure equity in their Constrained Long Range Transportation Plan (CLRP). The map was a collaborative effort involving staff from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG), TPB and other local leaders. The adoption of the EEA Map is the first phase in a federally mandated Title VI analysis of the CLRP to “test for…
The MSGIC-sponsored URISA training sessions entitled ‘NG9-1-1 and the GIS Workflow’ were held on November 29th and 30th in Frederick and Crownsville, respectively. Both sessions were lively and very well attended. The Frederick session was attended by over 35 people and the Crownsville session was a full house. Sandi Martin organized the training sessions, which featured presenters Sandi Stroud (Michael Baker International), Peter Hannah (Baltimore City) and Lynda Warthen (Frederick County). These sessions were attended by a diverse group of…
In some systems we accept faults, but when it comes to safety we expect perfection. In Baltimore last month, officials met to discuss how our emergency 9-1-1 system could be upgraded along side our rapidly growing technology, in the pursuit of that ideal. Part of this includes using GIS to accurately locate a caller in need. Here is an article reporting on Maryland’s round table discussion about Next Generation 9-1-1, which took place in September. ____________________________________________ County Emergency Managers, Public Safety…
Whether you are completely new to GIS or you have been working with the software for years, ESRI is the place to go for ArcGIS training. ESRI offers training for all academic levels including new users, students, GIS managers, data editors, GIS analysts, map designers, GIS technical leads, GIS application developers, or anyone else interested in learning about GIS. The best news is that they now offer FREE TRAINING. You can sharpen your skills or learn a new skill altogether…
As it often happens on a summer afternoon, you may find yourself going for a stroll in the park just to enjoy the scenery and sunshine. As you approach the fountain, you see a group of people standing around and looking down at their phones. Though they are in a tight group, none of them are communicating with each other. Chances are you’ve just found your local Pokémon Go players. The new app sensation is modeled after earlier versions of…
If you’ve been following weather forecasts, this August is gearing up to be one of the warmest on record in Maryland. Though you may have some sunburn from your summer activities, (sunscreen is an everyday essential at this point) it’s best to appreciate summer before it’s gone. I for one would take beach traffic on my commute over dangerous icy roads any day. To remind you of cooler thoughts, here is an article about GIS being used to dispatch snow…
Given a map of your area, could you indicate where the historical family plots, churchyards, and cemeteries reside? MSGIC’s very own Ashley Samonisky could, with her comprehensive map of grave-sites in Dorchester County. After over six months of data collection in the field, she presented her findings at the Robbins Heritage Center in Cambridge this week. The project began when she was inspired by her grandmother to research her own family history. Starting with local records, and using a combination of…
The National Address Database (NAD) represents a single database containing address information for every residential and non-residential structure and interior unit, and optimally, for every point of ingress to real property. Providing accurate address data in a centralized open data portal will benefit nearly every aspect of government service, consistently improve the delivery of services, and spur innovation in the public and private sectors. Advanced technologies make the NAD possible today. The necessity for an open NAD is real and…
Chesapeake Conservancy Honors Esri for Providing GIS Software and Support Benefiting Restoration and Conservation of the Chesapeake Bay Annapolis, Md. – Last night, the Chesapeake Conservancy presented Esri with a Champions of the Chesapeake Award at the second annual Champions of the Chesapeake Awards and dinner celebration. “The Chesapeake Conservancy is pleased to honor our partner Esri; for their innovative GIS software and staff support that helps propel the Conservancy’s work in GIS mapping and precision conservation to the forefront…
