Lab 5: XY Data and Geocoding

Absolutely grueling few weeks!

This lab was less involved than the previous labs but required some additional effort, such as manipulating data in Excel, downloading data spatial data and creating a geocoder from US Census TIGER/LineShape files. 

The first part was a snap converting decimal-minutes-seconds (DMS) into decimal-degrees (DD) and projecting those x, y-coordinates in ArcGIS Pro. Although this task was easy I found it rather cumbersome. The need for Excel and ArcGIS Pro to convert tabular data with a spatial element to another format is overkill. Tools like ogr2ogr can easily translate this information in a single command. Converting the DMS to DD requires a few lines of python, nonetheless, the task was accomplished following the labs instructions. 

The second lab involved obtaining data from online source. An as expected some poorly formatted tabular data. I'd consider the techniques demonstrated using Excel of great quality and proved to be a quick and concise away to place the information in a normal form. 

This is quick inline-frame of the web map hosted on the UWF's ArcGIS Online Organziation Account. Not my best work but give this week it will need to do. Enjoy!

In Memory of Lloyd Lucas

This past week spent most of my time at the hosptial with my sister, spending as much time with my Uncle during his last moments on Earth.

Lloyd Robert Lucas was the oldest of five siblings, all preceding him in death. He was born in Ohio on September 2, 1932. As a young boy, he moved with his family to Kissimmee, Florida where they ran a boarding house on New York Avenue. After leaving high school, Lloyd joined the US Army for 3 years but re-enlisted in the USAF where he retired after 20 years of military service, working as an aircraft mechanic and in missile defense. He always enjoyed all things sports including his time as a pitcher playing fast-pitch softball. After retiring, he worked as a trucker and small-scale produce farmer. In 2003, he moved to High Springs to join his family. He never had children of his own but left behind his nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews, who were a treasure in his later years. He passed away peacefully on February 12, 2024. Lloyd will be laid to rest at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell.