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Mount Diablo surveying anniversary
Land surveyors, historians, and members of the public gathered at the summit of Mount Diablo earlier this month to commemorate 175 years since the mountain was put on the map as the initial point for the mapping grid that would go on to cover most of California and define the establishment of property lines.
“The Initial Point atop Mount Diablo was set in 1851 by Col. Leander Ransom of the U.S General Land Office and became the reference point for mapping property during the Gold Rush era and continues to serve as the basis for property surveys throughout most of Northern California and all of Nevada,” organizers from the Mount Diablo Surveyors Historical Society wrote in a press release earlier this year.
While the Mount Diablo Initial Point was set in stone on July 18, 1851, when Col. Leander from the U.S. General’s Land office chiseled a hole in the rock at the mountain’s summit and erected a flag pole, surveyor historians are emphasizing the importance of commemorating the significance of the site that was rediscovered less than two decades ago, in 2008.
In addition to the Mount Diablo Surveyors Historical Society, this year’s anniversary event was sponsored by Mount Diablo State Park and the Mount Diablo Interpretive Association.
Although the event had been threatened by the nearby Morgan Fire that ignited on July 17, the event was able to proceed as planned as firefighters made quick progress on containing the blaze.
“The event was a big success, despite the brief ‘fire scare’ the night before,” said John Pettley, a longtime local surveyor who spearheaded the rediscovery of the initial point in 2008. “We had I think over 200 people show up including lots of land surveyors and members of the public.”
Four star rating for SRRMC
San Ramon Regional Medical Center officials are celebrating the hospital’s recent four star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
“Achieving a 4-Star CMS rating is a testament to our team’s focus on quality, patient safety, clinical excellence, and delivering the best possible experience for our patients and their families,” SRRMC CEO Rob Anderson said in a press release July 20.
Hospitals are rated under the CMS system based on 40 measures across five categories, with the rating system aimed at summarizing those metrics for patients evaluating and comparing hospital performances.
“We are proud of our team members and medical staff whose commitment to excellence made this recognition possible,” Anderson said. “We remain focused on continuous improvement and providing quality patient-centered care to our community.”
Animal welfare town hall
Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) is set for a town hall discussion in Walnut Creek next week centered on animal welfare alongside Joybound People and Pets CEO Susan Lee Vick.
DeSaulnier is set to provide an update on his work in the house aimed at protecting animals locally and globally.
“One of the best parts of coming home after a busy week on Capitol Hill is getting to see my dog, North,” DeSaulnier said. “Pets enrich our lives and caring for them is a responsibility I and so many of my fellow animal lovers take seriously.”
The event is set for Monday (Aug. 3) from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Registration is available here.
San Ramon student at National Youth Science Camp
Dougherty Valley High School junior Saisha Pal is among the two delegates selected to represent the state at this year’s National Youth Science Camp.
“I want to learn how I can do work that matters. Work that contributes to helping solve problems like youth mental health, scientific research, and innovating solutions to help make life better for others,” Pal said in an announcement from state superintendent Tony Thurmond’s office July 16.
The annual science camp from the National Youth Science Academy aims “to bring together top students from nine Western Hemisphere countries” for lectures, workshops, and outdoor activities related to science, technology, engineering, art, and math.
Pal and San Bernardino County student Elena Zhang are currently in camp’s final days. It runs from July 11 through Friday (Aug. 1) in West Virginia and Washington, D.C.
“These two accomplished students are rising leaders in California’s STEAM technology and industry as young researchers and as community leaders,” Thurmond said in this month’s press release. “I am confident they will continue innovating solutions to improve the health and safety of all California communities.”
