Andrea Peterson of Grand Marais accepts the Tombolo Award from board members of Sugarloaf: The North Shore Stewardship Association. Margit Berg and Greg Koschinska. The Tombolo Award is given yearly by the association to honor someone who has done much to preserve and restore the North Shore as a cultural gem.
At its annual meeting in August, Sugarloaf: The North Shore Stewardship Association announced that Andrea Peterson of Grand Marais is this year’s recipient of the Tombolo Award. The association established the Tombolo Award in 2006 for the purpose of recognizing an individual or organization each year who has significantly contributed to the Sugarloaf mission – inspiring the preservation and restoration of the North Shore.
Peterson served on the board of directors from the organization’s establishment in 1992, taking an active role in governance, restoration of Sugarloaf Cove, and fundraising. Peterson’s many other involvements in community service have been driven by her devotion to the North Shore.
Peterson was mayor of Grand Marais for four terms and during that time, she helped attain two separate conservation easements for city-owned land—one for 60 acres along the shore and another in downtown where a park was developed in place of the Amoco gas station. She has also served on the Grand Marais Library board, park board, and Economic Development Authority.
To further help preserve the character of the North Shore, Peterson was a driving force behind the advent of the Harbor Friends organization. The organization’s stated purpose was to assure that plans for expansion of the marina in the Grand Marais Harbor would not be out of scale with other uses.
The award also cites Peterson’s career as a teacher as being a positive influence on the North Shore. Peterson started her teaching career in Grand Portage where she taught elementary school for many years. Later on those connections in Grand Portage were instrumental in Sugarloaf ’s working with the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa to produce an oral history book about the band. Peterson was the first project manager.
Her next teaching position was in Grand Marais at Sawtooth Mountain Elementary School. She was Minnesota Teacher of the Year in 1976. One of her many accomplishments is the publication in 2007 of A Second Look, Native Americans in Children’s Books. This book reviewed 425 books about Native Americans and provided a guide to parents for evaluating their suitability.
The Schroeder Area Historical Society has also benefited from Peterson’s leadership. She currently serves as president of the board and has for the past eight years.
“Her long service to the North Shore community truly makes her a perfect recipient of Sugarloaf ’s Tombolo Award,” said Molly Thompson, executive director of Sugarloaf Cove.
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