Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 102

Introduced by Senator Nguyen

(Coauthors: Senators Hall and Lara)

(Coauthor: Assembly Member O'Donnell)

January 27, 2016

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 102—Relative to the Joan Lind Van Blom Memorial Bridge.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SCR 102, as introduced, Nguyen. Joan Lind Van Blom Memorial Bridge.

This measure would designate a specified bridge on State Highway Route 1 in the City of Long Beach as the Joan Lind Van Blom Memorial Bridge. The measure would request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost for appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering that cost, to erect those signs.

Fiscal committee: yes.

WHEREAS, Joan Lind Van Blom was the first woman to win
an Olympic medal for the United States in rowing, winning a silver
medal in the single sculls at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal
and in the quadruple sculls at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los
Angeles, and was a member of the team that boycotted the 1980
Moscow Olympic Games; and

WHEREAS, Joan Lind Van Blom won 14 national titles during
her career, holds 11 world records on the indoor ergometer, and
medaled internationally as a coach in the Pan American Games;
and

WHEREAS, Joan Lind Van Blom motivated students to live
healthy and active lives; and

WHEREAS, Joan Lind Van Blom had a 35-year career, retiring
in 2012, with the Long Beach Unified School District as a physical
education teacher and curriculum leader, and was instrumental in
securing a million-dollar grant for rowing machines in each of the
school district’s nine high schools; and

WHEREAS, Joan Lind Van Blom taught educators how to teach
students to enjoy an active lifestyle and her Facebook page has
countless entries from fellow competitors, educators, and friends
sharing their appreciation for her gentle guidance over the years;
and

WHEREAS, On August 21, 2013, at the Pete Archer Rowing
Center, Joan Lind Van Blom collapsed after an indoor rowing
session and was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, the most
aggressive form of brain cancer; and

WHEREAS, While fighting the disease, she continued to be a
role model of grace and style by sharing memories with friends
and expressing gratitude to those she teamed with, taught, and
came in contact with; and

WHEREAS, Joan Lind Van Blom died the morning of Friday,
August 28, 2015; and

WHEREAS, Joan Lind Van Blom was inducted in the Wilson
High School, Long Beach State 49er, Century Club, and National
Rowing halls of fame and was declared a lifetime member of the
Long Beach Rowing Association, marking her never-ending
achievement in advocacy for the sport and healthy living; and

WHEREAS, For all her accomplishments, dedication to rowing,
and contributions to the sport’s growth, in December 2014, at the
USRowing Annual Awards Reception in Jacksonville, Florida,
Joan Lind Van Blom was named the recipient of the 2014
USRowing Ernestine Bayer Award, formerly Woman of the Year,
which recognizes outstanding contributions to women’s rowing
or to an outstanding woman in rowing; and

WHEREAS, On March 7, 2015, the Beach Crew Alumni
Association dedicated a women’s Resolute 8+ racing shell as the
Joan Lind Van Blom; and

WHEREAS, Joan Lind Van Blom is survived by her husband
of 30 years, Long Beach State 49er hall of fame member John Van
Blom; their son, John Jr.; and her sisters Loretta Madsen and Carol
Hansen; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby designates the
bridge on State Highway Route 1 south of Loynes Drive and north
of East 2nd Street, in the City of Long Beach as the Joan Lind Van
Blom Memorial Bridge; and be it further

Resolved, That the Department of Transportation is requested
to determine the cost of erecting appropriate signs, consistent with
the signing requirements for the state highway system, showing
this special designation and, upon receiving donations from
nonstate sources covering that cost, to erect those signs; and be it
further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of
this resolution to the Director of Transportation and to the author
for appropriate distribution.