John A. Nejedly
Encyclopedia
John A. Nejedly was a Republican
State Senator
who represented Contra Costa County, California
from 1969 to 1980.
and went on to earn the rank of Eagle Scout
.
After high school, he attended the University of California, Berkeley
, where he received his B.S.
in Business Administration in 1935. In 1938, he purchased a parcel of hillside land in the then-unincorporated area of Walnut Creek, CA, which in 1946 would become his lifelong home. He continued with his education and received his Bachelor of Laws
from Boalt Hall (the UC Berkeley School of Law) in 1941.
From 1942 to 1946 he served with the United States Air Force
in World War II
as a Japanese language officer. He was also the lone survivor of a plane crash during the war.
While working for the City of Walnut Creek, Nejedly engineered the annexation
of the city into the East Bay Municipal Utility District
, thereby providing a more stable source of drinking water
(the city has since grown into areas that are served by the Contra Costa Water District). Nejedly was also successful in working to annex the city into the Central Contra Costa Sanitary District
, which allowed the city to close its old sewer farm and to reuse the land for what is now the eastern portion of Civic Park (at the end of Carmel Drive, near the intersection of North Broadway and Civic Drive).
for Contra Costa County, his first elected office and a position he held for the next decade.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s Nejedly helped lead attempts by the Contra Costa Park Council to create a park system in Contra Costa County. Ultimately he was a leader with local attorney Hulet Hornbeck in the successful 1964 campaign to expand the East Bay Regional Park District
to include much of the County.
In 1969, Nejedly was elected to the office of State Senator for California State Senate District 7, a seat that was made vacant by the passing of George Miller Jr. Serving Contra Costa County, he went on to hold this position for three consecutive terms, until his retirement in 1980. It was also during this time that Nejedly donated 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) of wilderness land in the Sierra Nevadas for use as a summer camp for disabled and disadvantaged children.
While in the State Senate, Nejedly gained a reputation as an environmentalist
, and served as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildlife. He took an active role in legislation related to water policy and environmental preservation, authoring or co-authoring environmental legislation that included the following:
Nejedly was also active in the area of criminal justice, and authored the Determinate Sentencing Act of 1976, which mandated fixed sentences for most crimes.
In 1972, Nejedly authored Senate Bill 25, to authorize the design and construction of the new Antioch Bridge
in Antioch, CA, which replaced a vertical lift bridge that was constructed in 1926. After its completion, the new bridge was named the "Senator John A. Nejedly Bridge" in his honor. In 1979, nearby land was acquired for the Antioch/Oakley Regional Shoreline
with the support of Nejedly, and it was Nejedly's suggestion that some of the old bridge's pillars be used for what is now a fishing pier.
Throughout the early 1980s, Nejedly fought to prevent the construction of the Peripheral Canal
, a plan that would have diverted water from Sacramento River
around the Sacramento River Delta
and onwards to southern California.
In 1988 Nejedly was co-chairman of the East Bay Regional Park District's successful campaign in favor of Measure AA, a $225 million bond which has resulted in over 30,000 acres (120 km²) being added to the District's land holdings, now totaling almost 100,000 acres (400 km²).
In the mid-1980s, Nejedly was actively involved in supporting the construction of the Contra Costa Water District's Los Vaqueros Reservoir
to provide a more reliable source of clean drinking water to portions of central and eastern Contra Costa County. The bond for this project was passed in 1988, and the dam was completed in 1994. In 2004 Nejedly was chairman of the campaign opposing CCWD's Measure N, an advisory measure asking voters for authorization of studies considering tearing down the recently completed Los Vaqueros dam and replacing it with a larger dam and reservoir.
Nejedly died on September 19, 2006, a few days after suffering a massive stroke.
In 1983, Nejedly was awarded the John Muir Conservation Award by the John Muir Memorial Association, for his efforts in protecting Mt. Diablo
.
In the early 1990s the East Bay Regional Park District dedicated the Nejedly Staging Area at the new Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline
in the retired State Senator's honor. In October 2005 a trail leading from the staging area was named in honor of Hulet Hornbeck, Nejedly's good friend and collaborator in helping to extend the East Bay Regional Park District into Contra Costa County.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
State Senator
State Senator
A state senator is a member of a state's Senate, the upper house in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a legislator in Nebraska's one house State Legislature.There are typically fewer state senators than there are members of a state's lower house...
who represented Contra Costa County, California
Contra Costa County, California
Contra Costa County is a primarily suburban county in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 1,049,025...
from 1969 to 1980.
Early life
John Nejedly was born in Oakland, CA in 1914 and was raised there while attending public schools. He was a member of the Boy ScoutsBoy Scouts (Boy Scouts of America)
Boy Scouting is a membership level of the Boy Scouts of America for boys and young men. It provides youth training in character, citizenship, and mental and personal fitness...
and went on to earn the rank of Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
.
After high school, he attended the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, where he received his B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Business Administration in 1935. In 1938, he purchased a parcel of hillside land in the then-unincorporated area of Walnut Creek, CA, which in 1946 would become his lifelong home. He continued with his education and received his Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
from Boalt Hall (the UC Berkeley School of Law) in 1941.
From 1942 to 1946 he served with the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as a Japanese language officer. He was also the lone survivor of a plane crash during the war.
Professional career
Nejedly became a Deputy District Attorney for Contra Costa County in 1946, and in 1948 took on the additional role as the City Attorney for the City of Walnut Creek, both roles that he held until 1958. While serving as City Attorney, he played a key role in the creation of the Little Master Plan, a land use and public improvement plan that called for the culverting of portions of Walnut, Las Trampas, and San Ramon Creeks within downtown Walnut Creek, for the purpose of flood control and commercial development. This plan, which was adopted by the City in 1956, led to the expansion of Broadway Plaza and the creation of the portion of North Broadway between Lincoln Avenue and Mt. Diablo Boulevard. A plaque commemorating the Little Master Plan can be found at the corner of Duncan Street and North Broadway, in downtown Walnut Creek.While working for the City of Walnut Creek, Nejedly engineered the annexation
Annexation
Annexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...
of the city into the East Bay Municipal Utility District
East Bay Municipal Utility District
East Bay Municipal Utility District , colloquially referred to as "East Bay Mud", provides water and sewage treatment for customers in portions of Alameda County and Contra Costa County in California, on the eastern side of San Francisco Bay, including the cities of Richmond, El Cerrito, Hercules,...
, thereby providing a more stable source of drinking water
Drinking water
Drinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...
(the city has since grown into areas that are served by the Contra Costa Water District). Nejedly was also successful in working to annex the city into the Central Contra Costa Sanitary District
Central Contra Costa Sanitary District
The Central Contra Costa Sanitary District , also called Central San, provides sanitary sewage transport and treatment for the central portion of Contra Costa County, California. The main facility is a per day treatment plant in residential Martinez, California and it provides service to approx...
, which allowed the city to close its old sewer farm and to reuse the land for what is now the eastern portion of Civic Park (at the end of Carmel Drive, near the intersection of North Broadway and Civic Drive).
Political career
In 1958, Nejedly was elected to the post of District AttorneyDistrict attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
for Contra Costa County, his first elected office and a position he held for the next decade.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s Nejedly helped lead attempts by the Contra Costa Park Council to create a park system in Contra Costa County. Ultimately he was a leader with local attorney Hulet Hornbeck in the successful 1964 campaign to expand the East Bay Regional Park District
East Bay Regional Park District
The East Bay Regional Park District is a special district operating in Alameda County and Contra Costa County, California, within the East Bay area of the San Francisco Bay Area...
to include much of the County.
In 1969, Nejedly was elected to the office of State Senator for California State Senate District 7, a seat that was made vacant by the passing of George Miller Jr. Serving Contra Costa County, he went on to hold this position for three consecutive terms, until his retirement in 1980. It was also during this time that Nejedly donated 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) of wilderness land in the Sierra Nevadas for use as a summer camp for disabled and disadvantaged children.
While in the State Senate, Nejedly gained a reputation as an environmentalist
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
, and served as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildlife. He took an active role in legislation related to water policy and environmental preservation, authoring or co-authoring environmental legislation that included the following:
- Solid Waste Management and Resource Recovery Act of 1972 (creating the Solid Waste Management Board, requiring statewide solid waste plans, and encouraging increased recycling).
- Forest Protection Act of 1973 (providing for forest resource management that "balances timber production with watershed protection, fisheries and wildlife, and recreational opportunities").
- Suisun Marsh Preservation Act of 1974 (providing for preservation of the Suisun MarshSuisun MarshLocated in northern California the Suisun Marsh is the largest brackish marsh on west coast of the United States of America. The marsh land is part of the San Francisco Bay tidal estuary, and subject to tidal ebb and flood...
). - Wilderness Act of 1974 (allowing the state legislature to designate state lands as wilderness areas and prohibit mining, logging, or road construction).
- Surface Mining and Reclamation Act of 1975 (requiring reclamation plans to minimize environmental impacts and to give "consideration to values relating to recreation, watershed, wildlife, range and forage, and aesthetic enjoyment").
- Urban and Coastal Park Bond Act of 1976 ($280 million bond used to purchase park lands).
- Hazardous Substances Information and Training Act of 1980 (establishing an employee’s “right to know” about chemical hazards in the workplace).
- California Parklands Act of 1980 ($285 million bond used to purchase, rehabilitate, and develop park lands).
Nejedly was also active in the area of criminal justice, and authored the Determinate Sentencing Act of 1976, which mandated fixed sentences for most crimes.
In 1972, Nejedly authored Senate Bill 25, to authorize the design and construction of the new Antioch Bridge
Antioch Bridge
The Antioch Bridge crosses the San Joaquin River linking Antioch, California with Sacramento County, California. The bridge is signed as part of State Route 160. Unlike the other toll bridges in California, the Antioch bridge has only one lane going in each direction...
in Antioch, CA, which replaced a vertical lift bridge that was constructed in 1926. After its completion, the new bridge was named the "Senator John A. Nejedly Bridge" in his honor. In 1979, nearby land was acquired for the Antioch/Oakley Regional Shoreline
Antioch/Oakley Regional Shoreline
Antioch/Oakley Regional Shoreline is a regional park that is part of the East Bay Regional Parks system. It is located in Antioch, CA-External links:*...
with the support of Nejedly, and it was Nejedly's suggestion that some of the old bridge's pillars be used for what is now a fishing pier.
Post-retirement life
After his retirement from the State Senate in 1980, and until his death in 2006, Nejedly was active in many community organizations related to the environment, water policy, criminal justice, healthcare, and children's welfare.Throughout the early 1980s, Nejedly fought to prevent the construction of the Peripheral Canal
Peripheral Canal
A Peripheral Canal has been proposed to divert water from the Sacramento River, through the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta...
, a plan that would have diverted water from Sacramento River
Sacramento River
The Sacramento River is an important watercourse of Northern and Central California in the United States. The largest river in California, it rises on the eastern slopes of the Klamath Mountains, and after a journey south of over , empties into Suisun Bay, an arm of the San Francisco Bay, and...
around the Sacramento River Delta
Sacramento River Delta
The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, or California Delta, is an expansive inland river delta and estuary in northern California in the United States. The Delta is formed at the western edge of the Central Valley by the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and lies just east of...
and onwards to southern California.
In 1988 Nejedly was co-chairman of the East Bay Regional Park District's successful campaign in favor of Measure AA, a $225 million bond which has resulted in over 30,000 acres (120 km²) being added to the District's land holdings, now totaling almost 100,000 acres (400 km²).
In the mid-1980s, Nejedly was actively involved in supporting the construction of the Contra Costa Water District's Los Vaqueros Reservoir
Los Vaqueros Reservoir
The Los Vaqueros Reservoir was completed by the Contra Costa Water District in 1998 to improve the quality of drinking water for its 550,000 customers in Central and Eastern Contra Costa County in Northern California...
to provide a more reliable source of clean drinking water to portions of central and eastern Contra Costa County. The bond for this project was passed in 1988, and the dam was completed in 1994. In 2004 Nejedly was chairman of the campaign opposing CCWD's Measure N, an advisory measure asking voters for authorization of studies considering tearing down the recently completed Los Vaqueros dam and replacing it with a larger dam and reservoir.
Nejedly died on September 19, 2006, a few days after suffering a massive stroke.
Honors
In 1978, the newly completed Antioch Bridge in Antioch, CA was named the "Senator John A. Nejedly Bridge" in his honor.In 1983, Nejedly was awarded the John Muir Conservation Award by the John Muir Memorial Association, for his efforts in protecting Mt. Diablo
Mount Diablo State Park
Mount Diablo is a mountain in Contra Costa County, California in the San Francisco Bay Area, located south of Clayton and northeast of Danville. It is an isolated upthrust peak of , visible from most of the San Francisco Bay Area and much of northern California...
.
In the early 1990s the East Bay Regional Park District dedicated the Nejedly Staging Area at the new Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline
Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline
Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline is a regional park that is part of the East Bay Regional Parks system. It is located on the shores of the San Pablo Bay and stretches east from the city of Crockett, CA on the west through Port Costa, CA to Martinez, CA...
in the retired State Senator's honor. In October 2005 a trail leading from the staging area was named in honor of Hulet Hornbeck, Nejedly's good friend and collaborator in helping to extend the East Bay Regional Park District into Contra Costa County.