No Baals in Fort Wayne: City Officials Refuse To Name Center After Former Mayor Harry Baals

When city officials called upon the public to name their new government center in Fort Wayne, the public responded overwhelmingly in selecting a former mayor. That would normally seem an ideal choice for officials . . . unless the former mayor’s name is Harry Baals (pronounced “Balls”). Officials said that they have decided not to let the voters pick after all to avoid a sign reading “the Harry Baals Government Center.”

Harry Baals received 882 votes on the city’s website, http://www.feedbackfortwayne.org. According to the article below, that is more than triple that of its nearest competitor: Eugene Johnson Memorial Center. Johnson was the properties manager for the Allen County Public Library — not quite as inspiring as Harry Baals.

Baals was mayor in 1934 and elected for three successive terms and then returned later for a fourth. He was one of the most successful mayors in the history of the city, including bringing an airfield to the town.

In my view, the city fathers should have the . . . guts . . . to yield to the public. Just consider the traffic of people who come just to take a picture of the sign.

The Schweddy Balls family has long faced this very problem:

Source: Journal Gazette