REMEMBER WHEN FROM THE PAST--PAYSON SWIMMING POOLS

 REMEMBER WHEN
Thursday, 10 July 2008
Kenna Holm

PAYSON CITY POOLS

    Payson just opened their new pool on South Main and what a pool it is. It got me thinking about the last two swimming pools we have had.  The first one I remember was in the North Side of the Park. It was constructed in 1937.  It wasn’t a huge pool but we had lots of fun there. I m not sure we even had life guards on duty. It seems like we weren’t quite so paranoid then.
    It was such a treat to go up to the park and go swimming. We even had parties where we would go as a group and swim at night. For a long time there were no dressing rooms. We just went to the park in our swimming suits and also went home in our wet swimming suits.
They finally built some dressing rooms on the east side of the pool. Nothing fancy but they did okay.    They had a high chain link fence around the pool.       In 1973 Payson had a big flood when the dam broke up the canyon. The pool was badly damaged and could no longer be used. The flood had caused large cracks in the cement and could no longer be used. Repair would have been just to costly so it was closed. Then if you wanted to swim, you had to go either to Arrowhead in Benjamin or Park-Ro-She in Springville.

    Reed Money Jr. was on the City Council at that time and he was determined for Payson to have a swimming pool. He and the other members of the city council along with Mayor Dick Harmer made it a number one priority. The group spearheaded by Money was able to receive a grant to help build a new pool with a bath house. The grant they received was the largest grant ever given in the state to build a swimming pool.
    Payson was with out a swimming pool for 2 years before the new pool on the South side of the park was built.  Location for the new pool was a big issue for awhile. Some wanted it to be built in the new Jr High that was being built on the southwest part of town but Mayor Harmer felt that more people would use it if it were in the park and was run by the city and not the school district.
    The plans were made and the project was started. The pool would have a L shape with a teaching and play area in one end and a wading pool in the corner of the L shape.  They said the Bicentennial Swimming Pool would be finished by the next year during the nation s 200th birthday . It opened in June of 1976.
    We've had a lot of fun parties at that pool. The Fireman and EMT s and their families have a hamburger fry and swim every summer at that pool. Now maybe we will have them at the beautiful new pool. It s been a place for swimming lessons, parties and just plain summer fun.

   The new pool has two slides, a lazy river to ride around and a lap pool. It s beautiful and has lot of perks the other two didn t have but oh it s fun to remember back when...
    Connie and Stan Cloward were lifeguards at the old Payson Pool that was located on the north side of the park by Peteetneet Creek.  For seven years before they left Payson and went to Pennsylvania they served as lifeguards at the pool.  Connie also taught Water Ballet to hundreds of young swimmers. They would practice all summer to put on a water show for the Labor Day celebration.  There were bleachers put in place along side the pool for the public to view the show.
    Ralph Daniels recorded the music and used his sound system.  His three daughters, Sue, Jo, and Janna were swimmers in the shows. Clever costumes were made for swimmers for the shows. These shows were a big part of the Payson celebration. They were so outstanding and unique that they were invited to  Lagoon, Tooele, and Salt Lake to perform the show..
After Connie left, Susan Daniels took over for a few years. Cora Lee Wilson then became the director.  The shows were put on for about 14 years total until the new pool on the south side of the park was built.  The new pool was not adequate to accommodate the things necessary to carry on with the water ballet so they were discontinued when the original pool was abandoned.  It was sad to see these outstanding productions come to an end. Connie, Sue, and Cora Lee did an outstanding job with these productions that we will always remember.