Renaming a park after a tarnished legacy

Winter Park’s prized dog park might be in for another name change – less than three years after the city changed it following a series of criminal accusations surrounding the park’s previous namesake.

City Commissioners discussed giving Lake Baldwin Park a new name last Monday after Commissioner Carolyn Cooper suggested its current name isn’t fitting of Winter Park.

The dog park that sits on Lake Baldwin could instead be named something that has a greater connection to the city, she said, adding that today it sounds like it belongs to Orlando.

“I didn’t get the feeling that it was our intention that forever we would call that park ‘Lake Baldwin Park,’” Cooper said.

“That to me sounds like it’s part of Orlando. I know it’s on Lake Baldwin…I don’t know if anyone has any interest in thinking about asking staff or asking the parks board to think about a possible name that would be more related to Winter Park. Even if it was ‘Majestic Oak Park’ at least then it wouldn’t sound like Baldwin Park.”

It wouldn’t be the first time the park was given a new name. The patch of greenspace along Lake Baldwin was originally named Lake Baldwin Park, but was changed to Fleet Peeples Park in 1985 in honor of Fleet Peeples Sr., a beloved local resident and swimming instructor. He passed away in 1993 at the age of 95.

But in July 2014, five women stepped forward and accused Peeples Sr. of molesting them as children decades ago at ages as young as 4. Alleged victims like New York resident Katherine Sanderlin chose to step forward following the arrest of Peeples Sr.’s son, Fleetwood Peeples Jr., in February 2014 for child molestation and child pornography charges.

Sanderlin, who grew up in Orlando, received swimming lessons from Peeples Sr. before she could walk. But she also remembers when an innocent camping trip with Peeples Sr. took a horrific turn.

“I was wearing a nightgown and he just reached his hand up my nightgown and he felt I was wearing underwear,” Sanderlin told the Observer that year.

Winter Park Commissioners unanimously voted to change the name back to Lake Baldwin Park shortly after the women told their story to local news outlets.

Last week’s discussion of a new park name was met with skepticism at first by some Commissioners.

“I don’t want [staff] going through a naming protocol and offering up naming rights,” Mayor Steve Leary said. “If they look at it and say ‘It’s OK right now,’ then I’m OK with it.”

“There’s more to it than just simply changing the name.”

Local residents at Lake Baldwin Park had mixed responses at the thought of a new name.

“I don’t really think it makes much of a difference if it’s named after the town or if it’s named what it is currently,” said Winter Pak resident Hannah Billings, who frequently brings her dogs Ringo and Lucy to play on the shore of Lake Baldwin.

“Either way this place is a blessing in disguise for us people who have dogs.”

Orlando resident Patty Parrotta said a name change might help spread the word about the city’s hidden treasure.

“Why not the ‘Winter Park Dog Park?’” Parrotta said. “Or the ‘Winter Park Bark Park?’ Why not? Not a lot of people know about this dog park, and it’s been here forever.”

The City Commission agreed to have staff investigate the need for a new name and return with their findings.