A long-serving Cottage Grove mayor and his wife have been nominated as namesakes for a new park near Roberts Lake, located off Jamaica Avenue in north Cottage Grove.
The nomination, made by city resident Jack Lavold to the Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Committee March 10, seeks to designate the new park as Roger and Myra Peterson Park, details contained in the form submission.
Among the reasons cited for the naming honor are Peterson's four terms as mayor from 1972 to 1987, along with being a resident of Cottage Grove for 40 years and a member of the original Cottage Grove Jaycees and Lions Club. Peterson served on the board of the Stone Soup Thrift Shop and was also part of the city's annual Strawberry Festival Committee. Lastly, Mayor Peterson "helped create the South Washington County Telecommunications Commission and the local branch of the Youth Service Bureau," the form states.
Also listed for park naming honors is Peterson's wife Myra. A member of the Washington County Board of Commissioners for 17 years, Myra was instrumental in getting the design and funding for the Wakota Bridge, helped to create the Red Rock Corridor and was a supporter of the Youth Service Bureau, often holding a garden tour for raise funds in support of youth and families in need within Cottage Grove and the County.
"Both of them have a deep love for our community and worked together to help create the Cottage Grove we have today," Lavold writes in the nomination form. "I feel this new park location would be perfect it is next to a lake, woods, and wildlife." The resemblance of Myra's garden to being in the country is further cited in the rationale.
The city holds final say on park naming decisions. Former Mayor Roger Peterson died in November 2020 at age 80.