Spring 2010 course regristration

Registration is on for Spring 2010. Please email me if you'd like to be signed up. GIS 215 - GIS Data Models - Tuesday Nights 6-9:50pm GIS 121 - Georeferencing and Mapping - M/W 8am - 9:50am. Thanks and spread the word. pkennedy@abtech.edu

WNCGIS meeting tomorrow - Wed Dec 2nd

We are combining the Nov/Dec meetings tomorrow afternoon at Asheville Brewing Company. 5pm - 7ish. Come if you can ... we'll be there.

GIS Day 2009 - 3rd Annual ABTech/UNC Asheville GIS Day Event

This year we are moving the venue downtown to the Grove Arcade at the new “RENCI at UNC Asheville Engagement Center” (116 O’Henry St.). The Engagement Center features a large VizWall for displaying many GIS products simultaneously, the immersive GeoDome, a Touch-Screen display, and other technologies. With the move to the Engagement Center, we are downscaling the event somewhat.

Instead of the mini-conference style that we have offered in years past, this will be more of a “drop-in” type of event, with displays and exhibits set-up throughout the Center. In addition to the local GIS community, we also want to really target the general public this year and introduce them to GIS. Hopefully the downtown location will help facilitate that a little better.

Finally, instead of our usual Friday before GIS Day week time, which we do in order to not interfere with other events on actual GIS Day, our event this year will be on Thursday, Nov. 12th, from 11:00am to 1:00pm.

Fall GIS classes start August 19th ...

Get signed up now -

Intro to GIS will be offered on Thursday nights and Friday mornings. There are also a couple of advanced classes being offered if you have already had Intro to GIS.

Call or email Pete Kennedy to get signed up! pkennedy(at)abtech.edu

WNCGIS gathering tonight ...

come have your favorite beer (tea or soft drink) with your local GIS colleagues ... 

DATE: June, 25th 2009  Thursday
TIME: 5:15pm until about 6:30pm
WHERE: Asheville Brewing Co., 77 Cox Avenue   
MUNCHIES: by RDI (buy your own drinks)

that's TONIGHT by the way!

Intro to GIS - Summer 10 week course at AB Tech

A-B Tech is offering 2 sections of GIS 111 - Introduction to GIS this summer. One course will be online and one course is seated an meets Tues/Thursday mornings at 8am - 10:50am.

The online course will, as always, require a very motivated and self-directed type learner. Is online right for you? Check out the A-B Tech Distance Education FAQ to answer your questions.

Classes begin May 26th and end August 4th.

This is a great opportunity to get started with the GIS Certificate at A-B Tech this summer. Once you get the Introduction to GIS class you'll be ready for the next 2 in the certificate.

Registration starts May 4th. Call or email to get signed up.

Pete Kennedy
pkennedy ( at) abtech.edu
828.254.1921 x289

A-B Tech Summer Intro to GIS classes

Get started with your GIS certificate in a short 10 week summer session. You can take GIS 111 - Introduction to GIS online or during the day in a traditional seated class. Call or email me with questions or to sign up.

Pete Kennedy
pkennedy@abtech.edu
828.254.1921 x289

Buncombe County GIS updates PIN numbers

The Parcel Identification numbers (PIN) for each parcel are generated from the State Plane Coordinates for each parcel. In the past, this has been done using State Plane NAD 27.  The county has just converted all PIN numbers to reflect the more accurate and up-to-data datum - NAD 83. All PIN numbers have been converted and are available today.  For more information - check the county website here: 

http://www.buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/gis/

ESRI Authorized Introduction to ArcGIS class

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College

Balsam Computer Technology Center

offered through Continuing Education

This course provides the foundation for becoming a successful ArcGIS user. Students learn fundamental GIS concepts and become familiar with the range of functionality available in ArcGIS. Attendance at the first class is required. Pete Kennedy, Instructor (16 hrs) No fee exemption

Those completing this course will be able to:

• Describe the structure of ArcGIS Desktop software.
• Display geographic data.
• Query a GIS database.
  
• Edit geographic data.
  
• Associate tables using joins and relates.
  
• Create maps, reports, and graphs.
  

Total Registration Fee: $450.00

Tue/Thu, Feb 24 - Mar 19, 04:00PM - 06:00PM

Course #: SEF-7448-521

To register and play for classes

http://www.abtech.edu/ce/registration/default.asp

Questions specifc to the class email Pete Kennedy at pkennedy(at) abtech.edu or call 828.254.1921 x289

GIS Day 2008

GIS Day is one week from tomorrow. Below you can get PDF's of all the activities. Remember, it is a drop-in event so come for as much or as little of it as you can.

Get the flyer here ...

Get the full schedule of events here ...

Get the list of presenters here ...

Get the GIS Day Cake Decorating Contest Information here ...

WNC GIS Gathering back on this month ...

After a few months off ... come on out!

WNCGIS GATHERING
WHEN: Oct. 29th Wednesday (this week)
TIME: 5:15pm until about 6:30pm
WHERE: Asheville Brewing Co.,77 Cox Avenue
MUNCHIES: by Resource Data (buy your own drinks)

Same casual atmosphere.
Always best to walk or ride your bike. Drink responsibly.
The bus station is very close.

#1. GIS DAY at AB TECH is coming up soon! Last year was incredible. Presenters are lining up for this year. This could be one of the largest GIS events we have ever seen in WNC.

Friday, November 14th, 2008
9:00am – 2:00pm
Contact Pete Kennedy or Greg Dobson for more info.

#2. RENCI engagement centers at UNC and UNCA are organizing a statewide GIS Volunteer program. I want to hear more about this from Greg Dobson. There are a lot of GIS folks in western NC trying to find opportunities to use their talents in new and creative ways with meaningful results outside of their daily jobs. And there is a substantial public interest need in western NC for GIS support.

#3. John Wood at UNCA is looking for your hand drawn maps to study and discuss. Bring paper and pencil. Penciled maps are so much more interesting than these computer based GIS maps we have to deal with every day.

#4. Bring your own special projects to talk about. We want to hear what everyone is doing.

GIS for Real-Estate Class

Calling all students

Creative Juice is holding a competition for teams of college students who can come up with another use for an otherwise throw-away object. Get some students together and get on it! The Grand Prize is a trip to Google's Googleplex in Mountain View, California. In addition to the grand prize, there are $1000's of dollars of worth of other prizes.

Turn around time is short ... September 10th and the prize will be unveiled September 11th so there' little time to waste.

Learn more at http://www.creativejuicecompetition.com .

North Carolina Maps

Really great side from the North Carolina State Archives, North Carolina Collection, Outer Banks History Center , and Rare Book Collection, UNC-Chapel Hill. Many maps already digitized and available with hundreds more to come.

http://www.lib.unc.edu/dc/ncmaps/about.html

LizardTech and NC One Map

An integration has been done with North Carolina One Map for creating an Ortho Server for the state. I am trying to spread the word to end user groups and thought you might be interested in the data available.

Attached is the PR for their Ortho Server for the entire State http://spatialnews.geocomm.com/dailynews/2008/jul/17/news1.html

Catalogs of imagery available for viewing http://204.211.239.206/lizardtech/iserv/browse

These aerials can be brought into any open standards system via WMS and by other means, we also have an arcgis plugin for linking up to the ortho server, this can be brought into Arcmap, ArcGIS, Autocad, google, ArcIMS etc… via this link http://204.211.239.206/lizardtech/iserv/ows


Thanks to John for sharing. What a great resource.

John Ruffing
S.E. Regional ManagerLizardTech, Inc.
Phone: 206-902-2857
Cell Ph: 602-312-4259
Fax: 206-652-0880
Email: jruffing@lizardtech.comhttp://www.lizardtech.com/

gathering tonight ...

Where: Asheville Pizza Company -
When: 5:00pm until

Best pizza in town and it's 50 cents off beer and 50% off appetizers.



View Larger Map

Marshall Arts District Map

This map was made by a former student of mine and I thought I'd share it with everyone as well as plug the French Broad Fridays put on in Marshall by the Marshall Arts District.


More information can be found here: http://marshallnc.blogspot.com/

Meeting Wednesday of this month!

Greetings to all the good GIS people...

Summer is coming up fast, but before you head for the beach, be sure to join us for the next WNCGIS Gathering. We've been having a really good turnout with lots of great conversation lately, so let's have that tradition continue.

We will be meeting this Wednesday, May 28th, at the Asheville Brewing on Coxe Avenue downtown. On Wednesdays they have been doing a special where you get 50 cents off the brews and their (delicious!) appetizers are half-off, so don't fret if you're hungry after work.

Enjoy the sunshine and see you in a few days....

--->Leo Klausmann
Neil Thomas

Climate Change Lectures at AB Tech

Asheville - Buncombe Technical Community College is hosting a climate change lecture this Thursday, May 1st in Sycamore 201.

Speakers:

Jay Lawrimore
National Climatic Data Center

Jennifer Rennicks
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy

All are welcome.

WNC GIS meeting - Wednesday April 30th

Greetings to all the Good GIS People out there.....

We hope that y'all are enjoying this phenomenal Spring weather, and that you find the time to stop lounging around in the sun to join us for the upcoming WNCGIS Gathering! As posted in the previous email, it is coming up on April 30th, Wednesday, at Asheville Brewing on Coxe Ave.

Feel free to come around 5PM if you can, or drop by later on. We've had an especially sizable and entertaining crowd of folks the last few times, so let's keep up that tradition! Snacks will be provided as usual by the ever-generous Resource Data Inc., and Asheville Brewing serves more fine brews, pizza, and sides then you'll have time to try.

Wishing you the best and hoping you can join the fun,

--Leo Klausmann
WNCGIS Group List Admin

---- thanks for sending out the email to everyone Leo - I copied it verbatim to this post for anyone that stumbles onto the blog that is not on the email list.