California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 173

Introduced by Assembly Members Gomez and Ian Calderon

(Principal coauthor: Senator De León)

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Bigelow, Bocanegra, Bonilla, Campos, Chau, Conway, Cooley, Dickinson, Fong, Beth Gaines, Garcia, Gonzalez, Hagman, Holden, Levine, Maienschein, Medina, Mullin, Olsen, Pan, Perea, Quirk, Rendon, Rodriguez, Ting, and Williams)

(Coauthors: Senators Correa, Hernandez, Lieu, and Liu)

August 11, 2014

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 173—Relative to the Joe Gatto Memorial Highway.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

ACR 173, as introduced, Gomez. Joe Gatto Memorial Highway.

This measure would designate a specified portion of Interstate 10 between Interstate 710 and Interstate 5 in the County of Los Angeles as the Joe Gatto Memorial Highway. The measure also would request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering that cost, to erect those signs.

Fiscal committee: yes.

WHEREAS, Joseph “Joe” Gatto was born December 22, 1934,
in Pueblo, Colorado, served in the United States Army, and became
the first in his family to attend college, graduating with a bachelor’s
degree from California State University, Los Angeles; a master’s
in education from Pepperdine University; and a master’s in design
from California State University, Los Angeles; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Gatto began traveling the world in the 1960s,
visiting western Europe, Russia, Egypt, and Japan. He married in
1968 and subsequently chose to return to California, the place of
his education, with his wife and three children; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Gatto settled his family in the Silver Lake
neighborhood of Los Angeles in 1978; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Gatto exhibited an extraordinary commitment
to hard work and a dedication to his family by working three jobs
at times, teaching on Saturdays, and working night shifts at Dodger
Stadium; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Gatto, a beloved teacher full of life and with
so much talent to share, retired after over 47 years in the classroom
as an art and design teacher at the primary, secondary, and
postsecondary levels. He helped found the Los Angeles County
High School for the Arts, where he served as Dean of the Visual
Arts Department. He also taught at other educational institutions,
including Granada Hills High School; Pierce College; California
State University, Northridge; California State University, Los
Angeles; the Otis Art Institute; and the Art Center in Pasadena;
and

WHEREAS, Mr. Gatto’s work ethic and commitment to his
pupils and students were represented by his 100 percent attendance
record at school and work since he was in the fourth grade; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Gatto inspired thousands of pupils and students
with a unique philosophy on teaching. He was awarded the Bravo
Award as the California Arts Teacher of the Year in 1986; was a
recipient of the National Distinguished Teacher Award; was
honored at the White House in 1988, 1989, and 1998; received the
California and Pacific Region Art Educator of the Year award in
1990; and received a distinguished teacher award from the City
of Los Angeles in 2003; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Gatto exhibited his love for the earth and
passion for art through his hand-crafted jewelry line, Wear Art
Now. He traveled to exhibit Wear Art Now at shows and in
museums, including the Los Angeles Museum of Art, the Craft
and Folk Art Museum, and the Museum of Science and Industry;
and

WHEREAS, Mr. Gatto pursued many passions, including
cooking dinner for his family; restoring antique furniture;
photography and painting; speaking the Italian language; making
his own preserves, sausages, and liqueurs; reading; listening to
classical bluegrass music; debating politics; writing; growing his
own fruits and vegetables; and participating in his Catholic parish,
Our Mother of Good Counsel; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Gatto will be remembered nationwide as an
artist, writer, teacher, lecturer, influential member of his
community, and loving father and grandfather; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Gatto is survived by his son Mike and Mike’s
wife Danielle; his daughter Nicole and her husband Mark; his
daughter Mariann and her husband Eric; his grandchildren Damian,
Elliana, Evangelina; his former wife Isolde; his brothers Don and
Frank; and his countless cousins, admiring pupils and students,
and loving friends; and

WHEREAS, It is appropriate to honor Mr. Gatto by designating
a portion of Interstate 10 is his memory; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby designates the
portion of Interstate 10 between Interstate 710 and Interstate 5 in
the County of Los Angeles as the Joe Gatto Memorial Highway;
and be it further

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

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
of this resolution to the Director of Transportation and to the author
for appropriate distribution.