In light of East Lansing's Centennial Celebration, a panel of former East Lansing mayors discussed the city's past achievements and growth during the last 40 years Sunday at Hannah Community Center.
"It's just reliving pleasant old memories," said George Griffiths, mayor from 1975-79, at the 819 Abbott Road location. "I enjoyed learning from former and subsequent colleagues. The subsequent ones can learn from what has happened before."
The former mayors reflected on a range of issues, including East Lansing politics, smoking bans, housing and business developments, youth riots of the early '70s and the city's progress in race relations.
East Lansing Mayor Sam Singh, who joined the panel of former mayors, said there's a commonality of all the issues.
Listing off the need for city and university cooperation, growth, parks and recreation and development, Singh said many of the city's mayors have faced the same challenges.
During the panel, Singh expressed his appreciation for East Lansing's cultural and international diversity.
Describing himself as a history buff, Singh referred to the challenges in race relations the city faced in the '60s.
Singh noted he is the first person of color to assume the role of East Lansing mayor and has been embraced by the greater community.
Liz Schweitzer, East Lansing mayor from 1989-93, spoke highly of the nature of the city's politics.
"If you look to the east and the west, (East Lansing) is a nugget of rational behavior," she said. "The City Council is nonpartisan. We hire the city manager and city attorney."
The nearly 40 people in attendance consisted of mostly middle-aged adults and senior citizens.
John Kloswick, who has lived in East Lansing since 1968, said the panel "helps me understand the history, hearing it from people who participated — it jogs my memory of the past."
City Council member Beverly Baten said the city is unique because of the way it operates.
"I don't know any other community that would put this kind of thing together," she said. "To be able to look back and forward — that is progressive."
Singh discussed plans to "reclaim" the Cedar Village area and further cooperation with MSU. He said MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon brings a different type of energy to the relationship between the city and university, which hasn't always been on solid ground.
Simon has a willingness to work with the city, something that hasn't always been demonstrated in the past, Singh said.
"She's substantially more progressive," he said.
