BILL ANALYSIS �
ACR 165
Page 1
Date of Hearing: August 18, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Bonnie Lowenthal, Chair
ACR 165 (Waldron) - As amended: August 14, 2014
SUBJECT : Memorial Highway Naming
SUMMARY : Designates a portion of State Route (SR) 76 in San
Diego County as the Joel Mendenhall Memorial Highway.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Recounts the life and accomplishments of Joel Mendenhall.
2)Designates a portion of SR 76 in San Diego County as the Joel
Mendenhall Memorial Highway.
3)Requests that the California Department of Transportation
(Caltrans) determine the cost of appropriate signs, consistent
with the signing requirements for the state highway system,
showing the special designation and, upon receiving donations
from non-state sources covering that cost, to erect those
signs.
EXISTING LAW : Assigns Caltrans the responsibility of operating
and maintaining state highways, including the installation and
maintenance of highway signs.
FISCAL EFFECT : Costs to make and erect the appropriate signs
are covered by donations.
COMMENTS : Mr. Joel Mendenhall, son of Frank and Janice
Mendenhall, was a member of the Mendenhall family whose history
dates back to the first homesteaders of Palomar Mountain area.
Mr. Mendenhall was part owner of Homegrown Cattle Company,
Homegrown Meats, My Country Club hunting ranch, and La Jolla
Butcher Shop in La Jolla, California. He was a quiet, friendly,
and resourceful man who was known as a cowboy and cattle
rancher. Mr. Mendenhall was also known for his work ethic and
willingness to help those in need. He was a rancher who was
comfortable on a horse, skilled at roping, and was good at
wielding a branding iron. Mr. Mendenhall was also a skilled
outdoorsman and devoted family man. Mr. Mendenhall died in a
tragic ranching accident on September 2, 2013 at the age of 30
and is survived by his wife Jenna and his three young daughters.
ACR 165
Page 2
This bill designates the portion of SR 76 between the junction
of County Road S6/Palomar Mountain Road and Rey River Ranch Road
as the Joel Mendenhall Memorial Highway.
In addition to this bill, SCR 87 (Anderson, 2014) seeks to name
an overlapping segment of SR 76 (from I-15 to SR 79) the Luise�o
Highway in acknowledgement of the role the Luise�o Indians
played in establishing the route. There is precedent for double
naming of highways in the area given that SR-76 between I-5 and
I-15 is currently named the San Luis Rey Mission Expressway as
well as the Oceanside Police Officer Tony Zeppetella Memorial
Highway.
SCR 87 is scheduled to be heard in the Assembly Transportation
Committee.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
California Cattlemen's Association
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Victoria Alvarez / TRANS. / (916) 319-
2093