JohnLanders:OneCitizen’sContributiontoFremont(WrittenbyJoanneLanders,July2015)

JohnLanders,bornin1930,andraisedinKansasCity,Missouri,wasstationedatTreasureIslandin1953forfourmonths,whenheservedintheNavy,duringtheKoreanWar.HelovedSanFranciscoandthewonderfulCaliforniaweather,sowhenhewasdischargedin1956,hemovedtoCalifornia.

HehadcompletedhisBachelorofScienceatRockhurstCollegeinKansasCityandoneyearofgraduateworkatSaintLouisUniversityinSaintLouis,Missouri.However,

hedecidedtobeginhis lifeinCaliforniabyearninghismaster’sdegreeinEngineeringattheUniversityofCaliforniainBerkeley.AtU.C.Berkeley,hejoinedtheGraduateClubattheNewmanClub,anorganizationthatcreatedabitofareligioushomeforCatholicStudentswhoattendedtheUniversity.JohntookavolunteerpositionarrangingspeakersfromtheUniversityandelsewherefortheGraduateStudents.HesanginthechoiratNewmanClub,andhealsojoinedtheUniversityHikingClubandspentmanyaweekendhiking,skiing,andtryingarelativelynewsportatthattime:rockclimbing.Aboutthistime,aSophomore,JoanneCarlsenwasastudentattheUniversityandwasalsoamemberoftheNewmanClubandshesanginthechoir.TheChoirDirectorurgedeveryonetogototheNewmanClub’sAnnualSemi-FormalDanceandJohninvitedJoanne.TheDancewasin1958.JohnGraduatedwithhismaster’sdegreein1959andmovedtoSacramentotoworkatAerojetGeneralCorporation.MostweekendshedrovetoBerkeleytostayinhisoldplaceonCollegeAvenueinBerkeley.In1960,whenJoannereceivedherBachelors’

Degree,theyweremarriedatJoanne’sParishChurch,SaintDavid’sinRichmond,California.JoannegotajobatSacramentoStateUniversityintheFinancialAidOfficeandJohncontinuedtoworkatAerojetforonemoreyear.InJune1961,theyeachquittheirjobsandtraveledtoEuropeforthreemonths,usingEricFrommer’sthenfamousbook,“Europeon$5aDay”.

Whentheycamebackfromtheirtravels,JohnbeganworkingatVarianAssociatesinPaloAlto.Theyrentedapartments,hadtheirfirstchildinRichmondandthenbeganlookingforahome.Fromaworkassociate,JohnheardabouttheMorrisonMeadowsdevelopmentinFremontandwhenJohn,JoanneandBaby,Paula,cametolookatthem,theydecidedimmediatelytobuyahomethatwasavailablebecausethefirstsaledidnotgothrough.So,inthefirstofSeptember1962,theLanders’movedinto4797StratfordAvenueinFremont.AttheendofDecember,theyhadtheirsecond

child,Frederick,atWashingtonTownshipHospital.In1964,theirson,Russellwasbornandin1966theiryoungestson,Waynewasborn,bothatWashingtonTownshipHospital.Johnalwayshadaninterestinrecyclingorfixingthingsthatwerebroken,ratherthanthrowingthemout.Infact,Joannesaysheseemstoenjoythechallengeofseeinghowsomethingworksandcreatingapart

orjustfindingawaytorepairit.Healsoloveshikingandtheout-of-doors.Theirchildrenweretakencampingandhikingmanytimesthroughtheirgrowing-upyearsIn1962orso,VarianAssociateshadabiglayoff.Afterthat,JohntookajobattheStanfordLinearAcceleratorinPaloAlto.However,inthesummerof1964,hewasnot

happywiththekindofworkthatIndustrialEngineersusuallygot,andhedecidedthathewouldliketotryteaching.HewasabletogetintoanInternshipProgramattheUniversityofCaliforniabecausehewouldbeascienceteacherwhichtheschoolsneededatthattime.HebecameaPhysicalScienceTeacherintheCastroValleySchoolsandtaughtfor24years,untilhisretirementin1989.

Johnbeganplayingtheclarinetandflutewhilehewasingradeschool.InHighSchoolheplayedintheschoolband.Healsoenjoyedsinging,sohebegansingingintheOaklandSymphonyChorusin1969andcontinueduntiltheOaklandSymphonywasdisbanded.Aftersingingforanumberofyears,hedustedoffhisclarinetandbeganplayingintheOhloneCollegeBand.ThenheandJoannesangintheOhloneCommunityChorusforanumberofyearsandtouredEnglandandScotlandin1989withthegroup.Inthe1970’sJohntookguitarlessons,sohe

couldplaywiththeFolkMusicGroupatSantaPaulaChurch(nowOurLadyofGuadalupeParish).HewastheleaderoftheFolkMusicGroupforabouteightyears.Sinceabout1995,hehasbeenstudyingDoumbek,FrameDrumorTarandTambourineandplayingMiddleEasternMusic.JohnandJoannehavebeenmembersofTri-CityEcologyCentersinceit

beganin1971.ThefirstgoaloftheEcologygroupwastosetuparecyclingCenter,whichitdidattheCornerofBlacowandGrimmerBoulevards.TheRecyclingCentertookbottles,cans,andnewspapers,whichwerebroughttothecenterbycarandtruckbycommunitymembers.

TheRecyclingCenterwasrunbymembersandfamiliesoftheEcologyCenterfor18years.JohnandJoanne’sfamilyworkedoneSaturdayamonthformanyyears.Additionally,sincetheLanders’familylivedveryclosetotheCenter,theywereoftentheoneswhocleanedthesiteupwhenunwantedtrashwasleftthere.TheTri-CityEcologyCenterhasbeenanimportantorganizationinFremontformanyyears.MembershavereviewedtheEnvironmentalImpactStudiesofmanyprojectsandhavewrittenletterstocouncilandhavetestifiedwhentheBoardfeltthattheprojectshouldbeimprovedordeniedaltogether.WhenitseemedthatbuildingonthehillsinFremontwasabadidea,theycampaignedto“SaveTheHills.”Theyhavedonatedabout$40,000worthofEnvironmentalandEcologicalBookstothePublicLibrary.Forthepastfewyears,theyhavebeengivingsmallgrantstoindividuals,clubsandschoolsthatneedfundingforanEnvironmentalproject.JohnhasbeenontheTri-CityEcologyBoardasTreasurersince2002.In1989,Johnwasappointedto“TheIntegratedWasteManagement”.HeservedonthatCommitteeuntil2003.TheCommitteelistenedtoproposalsandvisitedfacilitiesinseveralcitiestodecidewhotochooseforthegarbagepickupandcurbsiderecyclingprogram.In2007and2008,Johnwasappointedtoserveon“TheGreenTaskForcetostudySustainablePractices,ClimateChangeStrategiesand

EmissionofGreen-HouseGasesforanewsectionoftheGeneralPlanfortheState.JohnhasalsobeenamemberoftheLeagueofWomenVotersinFremontformanyyears.HeservedontheBoardasfacilitiesChairman.AfterJohn’sretirementfromtheCastroValleySchoolDistrict,hedidhandymanworkforfriendsandneighbors.Asofthisdate:June10,2015,JohnandJoanne

Landershavelivedintheirhomefor54years.Bothretainaninterestincommunityaffairs.