NEXT TO MIKE HUNT MEMORIAL RECREATION CENTER

February 9, 2011

Fort Wayne, Indiana Has a Harry Baals Problem

by Jack Stuef 2:09 pm February 9, 2011

A former Indiana mayor who won four terms in the 1930s and 1950s is proving less popular with modern-day city leaders, who say they probably won’t name a new government center for him because of the jokes his moniker could inspire.

Harry Baals is the runaway favorite in online voting to name the new building in Fort Wayne, about 120 miles northeast of Indianapolis. But Deputy Mayor Beth Malloy said that probably won’t be enough to put the name of the city’s longest-tenured mayor on the center.

Chauvinists. [AP via all of our readers]

65 comments 2651 Views

{ 65 comments }

V572625694 February 9, 2011 at 2:15 pm

Actual headline from a rural Missouri newspaper in 1982: "Licking boys, girls advance in state tournament."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Licking,_Missouri

DoktorZoom February 9, 2011 at 3:38 pm: Columbia Journalism Review tracks these in its "Lower Case" column, and published a book of the things titled "Red Tape Holds Up New Bridge."

My favorite was "British Left Waffles on Falklands"
Barbara_i February 9, 2011 at 8:56 pm: My daughter went to high school in New Castle, DE and the coach's name was Harry Cooch. Chrissy couldn't say it without laughing. Google it. I can't make this stuff up.

MrsBiggTime February 9, 2011 at 2:16 pm

Sad that Harry won't be recognized, but we'll make do at the Jack Mehoff Community Center. Pile on here:

petehammer February 9, 2011 at 2:39 pm

The Jack Mehoff Community Center is just up the street from the Mike Ochertz Health Clinic.

MrsBiggTime February 9, 2011 at 2:52 pm: Isn't Dr. Haywood Jablome director there? Took over for Amanda Hugginkiss? Or was that Phil Lacio?

Barbara_i February 9, 2011 at 2:16 pm

Oh, grow up! Have these people never been to Climax, Intercourse or Blue Ball, PA?

MrsBiggTime February 9, 2011 at 2:18 pm

If you've ever been to Fort Wayne, you know Blue Balls.

bumfug February 9, 2011 at 2:47 pm

Intercourse and Climax are right up the road from Paradise, PA.

widestanceroman February 9, 2011 at 3:19 pm: But you have to go through Bird in Hand to get there?

HistoriCat February 9, 2011 at 2:56 pm

I prefer getting to Moorehead, NC.

Zvi_Bleindmeis February 9, 2011 at 4:05 pm

I have passed through Athol, MA.

Lascauxcaveman February 9, 2011 at 7:04 pm

I live within spitting distance of Beaver, WA.

Barbara_i February 9, 2011 at 8:52 pm

You know I love ya, but I have to ask, were you driving a Probe?

Zvi_Bleindmeis February 9, 2011 at 11:20 pm: I wasn't driving. I was in the back seat. If you know what I mean.

Angry_Marmot February 10, 2011 at 1:28 am

I've been to Blue Ball, but I've never been to me.

nounverb911 February 9, 2011 at 2:21 pm

The Harry Baals Government Center will be a monument to teabaggery.

TanzbodenKoenig February 9, 2011 at 2:26 pm

Today, we all have a Harry Baals problem

ifthethunderdontgetya February 9, 2011 at 2:30 pm

Indiana could improve its reputation for sense of humor, right here.

But they won't, and therein lies the problem.
~

MrsBiggTime February 9, 2011 at 3:04 pm

We produced Dan Quayle; how could we possibly regain a sense of humor after foisting that petard on the rest of you?

mereoblivion February 9, 2011 at 3:33 pm

Petarde.

ifthethunderdontgetya February 9, 2011 at 3:39 pm

p-tard (noun)

n. Abbr. tard

1. The wingnuts who come by this joint and downfist people because Andy Breitfart told them to do so.
2. Any random idiot on the innertoobz.
~

widestanceroman February 9, 2011 at 4:03 pm: Just upfisted everyone here, and boy is my thumb sore now.

DoktorZoom February 9, 2011 at 3:19 pm

Kurt Vonnegut would have had no end of fun with this. Alas, he is up in heaven now. So it goes.

ManchuCandidate February 9, 2011 at 2:33 pm

Runner up was Mike Hunt.

bumfug February 9, 2011 at 2:49 pm: Mike Hunt is the sheriff in Aiken, SC. The TV guys in Augusta, GA (the nearest "city") took years to catch on and start calling him Michael.

nounverb911 February 9, 2011 at 2:36 pm

How do they feel about this at Ball State U?

BerkeleyBear February 9, 2011 at 3:10 pm: Alma mater of David Letterman, who knows you can't put anything past anyone with a BS in BS from BSU.

Sadly, it is located in the home city of that putz who created Garfield, and they seem to think he's more of an attraction than Letterman.
LionelHutzEsq February 9, 2011 at 3:35 pm: Gently.

LesBontemps February 9, 2011 at 2:38 pm

Jesus Christ on a crutch, didn't we do this yesterday?

(Oh, and I vote for Hugh Jorgen.)

Cicada February 9, 2011 at 2:50 pm

I thought you couldn't top the Dickwad Hams post, but you did.

I wish I knew how to quit you, Jack Stuef!

widestanceroman February 9, 2011 at 3:20 pm: Harry Baals on top of Dick Wadham sounds like an evening at the widestance residence.

bumfug February 9, 2011 at 2:52 pm

Or the old Hawaiian king, Kamanawannalaya.

JustPixelz February 9, 2011 at 2:56 pm

At least we know it won't be named Sarah Palin™ Center because a) she'd charge for use of her name; b) she'd never want to be associated with the "center" (except center of attention); c) the people of Ft Wayne don't want just half a building.

EatsBabyDingos February 9, 2011 at 3:21 pm

My friend Pete Moss (former detective with Amtrak) and my neice, Amanda Lynn, (who was named after my sister got knocked up by a folkie guitarist) think you are boogerheads for making fun of people's names. Me, I think its hilarious.

Lascauxcaveman February 9, 2011 at 7:16 pm: My friends Jenny Bangs (distant relative of Mike Balzer) and Tomas Rude are in agreement with your friends. My mom, however, whose maiden name was "Hoare" thinks it's all pretty funny.

widestanceroman February 9, 2011 at 3:26 pm

Groundbreaking ceremonies for The Buster Hyman Teen Center will take place on 6/9/2011.

thebeatgoeson08 February 9, 2011 at 11:30 pm: Dr. Hyman Pleasure was some type of administrator in the NY State Department of Mental Health in the 60's and 70's – I remember seeing his name and photo on state publications when my father worked there. We were always amused by it.

Thurman Munster IV February 9, 2011 at 3:27 pm

And the cafe there would serve their world famous Schweaty Balls no doubt.

DoktorZoom February 9, 2011 at 3:28 pm

"Fort Wayne officials refuse to slap Harry Baals on public building"

"Scratch Harry Baals off list of names for govt. center"

"Harry Baals Scratched"

"Officials Uncertain How to Handle Harry Baals"

"Fans of Harry Baals Getting Screwed"

Like the new corduroy pillows, this is making headlines everywhere.

mereoblivion February 9, 2011 at 3:36 pm

The groundswell for Harry Baals came to naught when they found out he led a secret life as Amanda B. Reckondwith.

Zvi_Bleindmeis February 9, 2011 at 4:10 pm

… who was romantically linked with Theophilus Punoval.

[two, three, four....]

mereoblivion February 10, 2011 at 9:26 am: I was up to nine, ten, eleven before it hit me, but I'm kinda S-L-O-W.

LionelHutzEsq February 9, 2011 at 3:38 pm

Is this some sort of Christian uprising, because they believe the former mayor was one of the princes of Hell?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baal_(demon)

Neoyorquino February 9, 2011 at 3:41 pm

They want to avoid the outrage witnessed when the recreation center was named after Deputy Mayor Red Sfinkter.

angryclownspawn February 9, 2011 at 3:49 pm

No Harry Baals? This is good news for John McCain.

Gleem_McShineys February 9, 2011 at 8:19 pm: But it is terrible news for Christine O'Donnell.

horsedreamer_1 February 9, 2011 at 3:58 pm

Name it after Reagan.

QED

MinAgain February 9, 2011 at 4:07 pm

I was going to suggest pesto, and then I realized that I had misread the title, and we were talking about the Canaanite storm god Baal, not the delicious, fragrant herb basil.

BaldarTFlagass February 9, 2011 at 4:09 pm

This proves at least that the folks in Fort Wayne had a sense of humor back in the 30's and 50's, anyway, to keep electing this guy mayor.

Grief_Lessons February 9, 2011 at 5:14 pm

They say it's a real upscale commentariat here.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Aristocrats!

Cicada February 9, 2011 at 5:27 pm: *Fart*

mrblifil February 9, 2011 at 5:50 pm

I heard the first use of the center was to be an exhibition of Clarence Thomas' Coke Can Collection. In fact it's hard to imagine pubes on cans without thinking of Harry Baals.

the_problem_child February 9, 2011 at 5:57 pm