Gary Sanders sits in "his office," a table against the north wall at the Hamburg Inn, underneath a photo of himself working in the restaurant some 28 years ago.

The Detroit native came to Iowa City 28 years ago to visit a friend and said he "simply stayed" because he was impressed with the people he met, was immediately drawn into the local labor and environmental movements and then he got that job at the Hamburg.

Since then, Sanders has become a well-known voice for labor, the Democratic Party and numerous local causes.

He said he's driven by a philosophy described by Italian revolutionary Antonio Gramsci: "Pessimism of the mind, optimism of the will."

"I think we're on a bad, bad slope as a planet," Sanders said. "But you have to keep working at things, on issues, with a positive will. You have to keep fighting for what you believe in no matter what."

Sanders' latest endeavor has been an attempt to block a new Wal-Mart Supercenter from being built in Iowa City. Sanders and another Iowa City resident, Richard Byers, filed a lawsuit against the Iowa City Council and the Iowa City Board of Adjustment.

Although he's not usually an optimist, Sanders, who co-chaired the referendum against the re-zoning for the first Iowa City Wal-Mart in 1989, said he thinks he can win this fight.

"I see this as a very winnable case, and so does my attorney," he said.

Sanders also has worked as a teacher, mostly in adult education, hosted several public access television shows, has been active in Environmental Advocates and numerous city council and Democratic Party campaigns. He's now president of the American Federation of Teachers Local 716, serving as the group's delegate to the Iowa City Federation of Labor.

Sanders, whose earliest memory of activism is handing out anti-war leaflets as a teenager, said his interest comes from growing up in the 1960s.

"I think the Vietnam War was crucial in my development, and other movements of the '60s - environmental, women's, civil rights," he said. "I came of age during that time. I definitely believed that you had to work to change things."

Although he never planned to stay, Sanders has made an undeniable impact on Iowa City. And the city has made an impact on him as well. His license plates now read "IA CITY."

"This community has more intriguing, bright people who are passionate about what they're involved in per capita than almost anywhere," he said. "I think this is a great town, so when I drive places, I want people to know where I'm from."

- Heather Spangler