Payson Council renames sports park

PAYSON — The controversy over the end of the city's historic horse racing track just won't die.

In one of its first decisions, the new City Council recently rescinded the names the previous council gave to the sports park and ballfields that replaced the razed track.

Just before the terms of Jan Tanner and Max Roberts expired last month, the council voted 3-2 to name the new complex Canyon Breeze Park. The pair were voted out of office in November after they and councilwoman Colleen Jacobson worked as a bloc to push through the park that brought an end to the 100-year history of Payson Downs.

The new council voted 4-1 to rename the park Gene Hillman Recreation Complex. Hillman was a notable high school coach and teacher.

Tanner attended the meeting and challenged the new council's authority to undo the previous panel's decision to name the park. She also suggested Mayor Bernell Evans had a conflict of interest on the issue.

The late Hillman was Evans' father-in-law and it was Evans who put the item back on the agenda for the new council to consider.

City attorney Dave Tuckett said he could see no legal issues in the new council renaming the park or Evans putting it on the agenda.

Hillman was instrumental in bringing athletics to Payson. The city honored him years ago by naming another park Hillman Field. That park was renamed Orchard Hill Ballpark as part of the name-change motion by Brent Burdick, a newly installed city councilman.

Orchard Hill Ballpark has been sold to Woodbury Corp. for commercial development. However, it won't be redeveloped until six more ballparks are constructed, which will bring the number of new city ballparks to 10.

The council also changed the names for three of the four new ballfields that are part of Legends Fields to honor men who were instrumental in promoting Payson athletics. Only Lewis Field, named after Lewis Feild, a national rodeo champion who now lives in nearby Elk Ridge, was retained.

The new names are Daley Field, after Ned Daley; Durrant Field, after brothers Jim and Tom Durrant; and Stewart Field, after J.D. Stewart, who Burdick said made the former race track possible. They replace the names Black Hawk Field, Wakara Field and Pace Field. Those names were chosen to honor historic Indian chiefs of the area and James Pace, who founded Payson.

Stewart owned the famous race horse Timpanogos.