The Harry Baals Government Building

[CaptainHook]

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — A former Indiana mayor who won over voters in the 1930s is proving less popular with modern city leaders trying to choose a name for a new government center.

 

Harry Baals (bawlz) is the runaway favorite in online voting to name the new building in Fort Wayne. But Deputy Mayor Beth Malloy tells The Journal Gazette that the city probably won’t name the center after its longest tenured mayor because of the jokes it could inspire.

 

Supporters say it’s unfair that the former mayor can’t be recognized simply because his name makes some people snicker. But others say they don’t want the city to become the target of jokes.

 

His descendants now pronounce their last name "bales."

 

Online voting ends Friday, then the mayor will choose from several finalists.

 

from indystar.com

 

[CaptainHook]

FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- A new government building in Fort Wayne may officially be called Citizens Square, but to some not-so-square citizens it will always be the Harry Baals (bawlz) Government Center.

 

Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry announced the new city and county government center's name Monday.

 

The most popular choice for the building in an online poll was the "Harry Baals Government Center." The second-place finisher was "Thunder Dome."

 

The former mayor pronounced his name "balls," although his descendants pronounce their name "bales" (baylz).

 

Fort Wayne officials previously said the city wouldn't name the building after Baals because they were worried the name would be ridiculed.

 

City spokesman Frank Suarez offered a different reason on Monday. He says the mayor didn't want to name the building after a person.

 

from indystar.com

[Clubfoothead]

 

Thunder Dome was 2nd.