Ft. Wayne, Indiana, is looking for a name for its government center. And they’ve opened it up to suggestions via the city’s feedback Web page.
The top suggestion so far? Name it after the city’s longest-serving mayor, Harry Baals.
Baals – pronounced “balls” by the then-mayor but “bales” by his descendents – became the Republican nominee for mayor in 1934 and was elected for three successive terms. He returned to politics in 1951 by winning a fourth term but died in office in May 1954. His accomplishments include elevating the railroads in town and negotiating the contract with the Army to establish Baer Field as an air base.
The city’s Deputy Mayor, Beth Malloy, says the building won’t be named after the former mayor. Apparently, she doesn’t care for Harry Baals.
A lot of people, though, like the idea of Harry Baals on a building.
I don’t live in Ft. Wayne, so I don’t have a say in the matter. I could go to the feedback site and make suggestions. But I won’t. And I could encourage you to go to the feedback site and make suggestions. But I won’t. The residents of Ft. Wayne should decide for themselves how they feel about Harry Baals.
The voting, by the way, ends this week. And the 10 finalists from the voting will be given to the mayor. I wonder how his staff will handle Harry Baals. Or the other finalists.
If they do select the former mayor’s name, there will be some residents that won’t like it, I’m sure. It may be that many residents of Ft. Wayne will just have to learn how to live with Harry Baals.
If they bring back public hanging (and they should) then the good people of Ft Wayne would have a natural rallying cry for the mob as they go after sex offenders- Hang them up by the Harry Baals……………………..Center
Also having lived in Indiana more than 38 of my forty years, I know the people of Ft. Wayne both personally and by reputation and let me say no group is more deserving of such a wonderfully appropriate naming of a government center after their beloved Harry Baals.
Our newspaper this week said that the building is unlikely to be so named, even if it wins the suggestion contest. So our city government pretends to give us a choice, but they ultimately know better than we do, so they’ll axe it no matter what. They shouldn’t have given us the illusion of choice to begin with.
If they had any sort of a spine, they would publicly scratch Harry Baals from consideration. This issue is really too sensitive to leave up to voters.
He was a Republican, so you can expect that every local Democrat official will object to having Harry Baals thrown in his face.
I don’t see how they could swing Harry Baals. And that spelling makes it worse – how many people can really get their lips around Baals?
I can imagine that it was quite an honor to be the barber who shaved Harry Baals in Ft. Wayne back then. Harry is bad enough, but they should be grateful Mr. Baals’ parents didn’t name him Richard…
So, his ancestors had to choose between testicles and ancient pagan false gods.
One has to love ethnic names.
I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I feel like there’s a Team America: World Police joke in there, somewhere:
If Harry Baals were alive today I am sure he would be a Member of the Tea Party.
In the struggle to name that facility you just can’t lick two of the choices. Unless you are Marko’s dog or your last name is Frank it’s best to leave it up to the sad sacks in Ft. Wayne. Just as long as it has a retractable dome the nuts in Indiana won’t get too crotchety about the name.
I saw this on Hotair, and was just laughing about it with my boss. As a long time resident of Fort Wayne, I find this hilarious. My boss told me there used to be a Harry Baals road in Fort Wayne, but the city changed the name because people kept stealing the street signs as soon as a new one was put up.
And I’m shocked, shocked to find out that an internet poll selected the borderline obscene/funny choice.
It reminds me of that SNL skit where the government is pleased to have gotten a bunch of tips on terrorists from high school and college students. Of course the names of the terrorists are things like “M’Balz ez Hari”, “Y’Liq mi Diq”, and “Haide deSalammi”…
Harry Baals?!? They must be nuts!
What are the other suggestions? Harold Butz? Patrick McGroin? Richard Hertz? Michael Hunt? Ima R. Sole?
My personal favorite choice was to name the building after other great civic leaders like Michael Hunt, Jack Meehoff, or the Honorable Hugh G. Rection.
Didja notice that building a curling center is currently #4 in the running for the lease settlement funds? I voted for it, but it may not have a chance against the number one idea, which is to build a drag strip. It’s kind of the yin/yang of speed sports, but either would be O.K. with me.
As a snapshot of the fiscal state of our country, paying off city debt has only a handful of votes at #15. Ahead of this is the building of a municipal water park. Below the paying off debt idea, with just a few votes, is the suggestion to help feed Ft. Wayne’s homeless, and below that is a suggestion to give the money back to the residents.
The public’s stance is that the name would garner national recognition for the city…after reading the comments here, I ask whether we really want that kind of attention? We’re already known as one of Men’s Health’s fattest cities every year. Then again, he did get elected as mayor…over and over…either we have an awesome sense of humor or none at all.
When asked about the controversy, Richard Hurtz said he didn’t see what the problem was.
…meanwhile, Anderson Cooper was ecstatic, as the idea of tea-bagging an entire building is his dream come true.
Being a Ft. Wayne resident I think I should get some say in the remodel. I would welcome the following features. in the public interest of course.
I’m thinking a sauna might be nice – the Sweatty Baals Sauna room
There would have to be an outside smokers area. – The Baal’s out side patio.
And of course they should paint the whole thing blue.
Maybe they should just go with a more cultural take:
The Harry Baals Museum
How about a vistor’s center:
The Harry Baals Rest Area
Fort Wayne, Indiana has nothing on Corydon, Indiana: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYYdF0zcuSI
AC/DC should come to the Grand Opening: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W-fIn2QZgg
Hey Live Free,
why are elk balls bigger than moose balls?
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The Elks have more members.
There’s got to be a manscaping joke in there somewhere…… the mayor’s office shaved Hary Baals off the list?
Harry Baals is currently ahead by 8,700 and some votes.
it could be named for my personal fave public servant, I. P. Frealy.
His assistant is Ben Dover and his secretary is Fonda Dicks!
Tee hee. I, too, looked at the list for alternatives and liked “Thunderdome” and “City Hall”.
Seriously, though, the Baal center could exclusively hire graduates of Ball State.
And if I lived there I would vote to split the legacy money between the debt and the curling facility.
“His accomplishments include elevating the railroads in town and negotiating the contract with the Army to establish Baer Field as an air base.”
They could rename the air base Baer/Baal’s Field in his honor.
True: When James ‘Fly’ Williams was going to college at Austin Peay, the student would chant,” The Fly is open!Let’s go Peay!”
i think all your jokes aside that we have a strong name yes a storm god, a fertility, and agriculture god. After that you look at all the Harry did for my city when he first took office he consolidated city departments and lowered city tax rates.
During World War II, Mayor Baals directed war materials drives, upgraded city equipment and services, and broke ground for Baer Field, now Fort Wayne International Airport. In the 1950s he got the old Nickel Plate Railroad tracks running through downtown to be elevated. I feel that the people have spoken but it will not be so just because this seems to not be a government for the people
I went to ITC in Ft. Wayne for three years. Posted fire notices were signed by a Mr. Baals, and they were usually overprinted “Great BAALS of fire!