WEST JORDAN — Despite voters' rejection of a $5.2 million bond that would have funded new baseball fields and a rodeo arena, supporters of those sports are not taking defeat lying down.
City plans call for the demolition of the current rodeo arena and the main baseball field to make way for a central city park.
But prior to Tuesday's West Jordan City Council meeting, hundreds of Pony League baseball players set down their bats and joined their parents in a silent march to West Jordan City Hall as a gesture of protest. A sea of baseball caps could be seen from the city offices.
Speaking on behalf of the league, Russ Gehman asked the council to postpone construction of the park until next year to give the group a chance to find funding for a new ball field. Construction of the city park is slated to begin in July.
"We just want them to delay their plans to rebuild the park so we can come up with a place for our kids," Gehman said. "I highly doubt the residents of our city would want hundreds of kids who want to play our national pastime to be turned out on the streets with nowhere to go."
Although he sees the group's reaction as a bit overstated, West Jordan Mayor Brian Holladay said earlier Tuesday the city is looking for ways to fund a new ball field.
"We were disappointed, obviously, about the defeat of the bond," Holladay said.
The mayor pointed out, however, that out of the five existing ball fields, only the largest one to the west would be demolished.
"Those other ball fields will still be there," he said.
Holladay said council members have been talking to local business owners about raising private funds for a new field.
Former state Rep. David Bresnahan said West Jordan owns plenty of valuable land and could sell some of it to finance a newer and nicer field.
Holladay said the city will weigh all options and may delay building in that portion of the park until either a permanent or temporary baseball field is established.
While some residents were busy defending America's pastime, others were working to preserve America's rural pastime. With the bond's defeat, hopes for a new rodeo arena to replace the one being demolished disintegrated. Holladay said a new plan has been brought before the city — move the entire existing arena to a new location.
He said supporters of the rodeo arena say they have enough willing volunteers to dismantle and move it, piece-by-piece, to a new location. The move would mean West Jordan would keep its rodeo competition rating.
However, "We won't have things like bathrooms or snack bar in the first year," Holladay said.
Plans are to hold the West Jordan Stampede Rodeo, as has been the case for more than 50 years, next July. After that, Holladay said the dismantling will begin.
E-mail: gfattah@desnews.com