What's In A Name?

[lizbud]

I really feel sorry for the guy. Probably won't get the recognition from
this community because of his name.

No Joke: Ex-Mayor's Name Too Funny For Ind. Center
Online Voting Ends Friday

POSTED: 4:09 pm EST February 8, 2011
UPDATED: 5:03 pm EST February 8, 2011


FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- 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.

The issue is pronunciation. The former mayor pronounced his last name "balls." His descendants have since changed it to "bales."

Supporters said it's unfair that the former mayor can't be recognized simply because his name makes some people snicker. But opponents fear that naming the center after Baals would make Fort Wayne the target of late-night television jokes.

"We realize that while Harry Baals was a respected mayor, not everyone outside of Fort Wayne will know that," Malloy said Tuesday in a statement to The Associated Press. "We wanted to pick something that would reflect our pride in our community beyond the boundaries of Fort Wayne."

An online site taking suggestions for names showed more than 1,000 votes Tuesday for the Harry Baals Government Center. That's more than three times the votes received by the closest contender.

City spokesman Frank Suarez said the city has no regrets about opening the name selection up to people online.

"It is a new way of reaching out to the community," he said. "The fact that 17,000 votes have come in tell us the buzz created by this is really good. When was the last time somebody could say they had fun with their government? We've had fun with this."

Suarez told The Journal Gazette that Mayor Tom Henry will meet with local groups and choose from up to 10 finalists from the suggestions submitted. Online voting ends Friday.

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[phesina]

Did he have a middle name, or was the Harry a contraction of something else such as Harold?

Did people not make jokes about things like that back in the '30s or '50s when he was mayor?

[Randi]

What about the story my friend in England told about a relative... he was in England and was asked about his name (can't recall if it was in connection with a job or what). His name is Bent Kock.

[RICHARD]

What about the story my friend in England told about a relative... he was in England and was asked about his name (can't recall if it was in connection with a job or what). His name is Bent Kock.

RANDI!

I thought you were above that!

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No one had any problem with the G W Bush Sewage Treatment Center.

What a bunch of chumps.

[pomtzu]

When I was still working, the general manager of one of my accounts that I handled, was named Bing Bongh. I don't recall what Bing was a nickname for....

[Donnaj4962]

Well I feel like I should weigh in here... since I have lived in Fort Wayne for the past 16 years! Yes, it's true, Harry Baals is the frontrunner for the naming of a new government center in downtown Fort Wayne. (The last I looked, he had over 14,000 votes, and the second place had less than 1,000!)

His real name was Harold. Apparently, when he was Mayor, he often corrected people who mispronounced his name that it was, in fact, Harry Baals (pronounced just like a baseball or a playground ball). I guess some people would say "Beals, or Baaaaaals". Maybe he had a sense of humor about it, I don't know.

I guess Jimmy Kimmell did a 5 minute "chat" about it last night on his live show! And I heard on the radio this morning that this was the Number 1 Google Search of the day!

Not sure this is what I actually want my town to be known for... but it DOES say that we have a sense of humor!