And the Harry Baals Craze Lives On....

Dwight Johnson is a retired school teacher and loves watching late-night TV.

A few weeks ago, certain monologues involving former Fort Wayne Mayor Harry Baals. inspired him.

"I was just sitting there thinking this would be something to a have good song for” says Johnson.

So Dwight got right to work, but he couldn't seem to find the perfect tune. Then he stumbled across ABBA’s "The Winner Takes It All."

"And it fit perfectly with the winner's Harry Baals” says Johnson.

Dwight spent the next few hours working on lyrics.

"At about 1 o'clock..i tried to go to bed..got back up to bed..my mind's racing 100-miles an hour, trying to come up with ideas...I run back down stairs...start writing so I don't forget them...finally I gave up on sleeping” says Johnson.

And by six o'clock that morning 'The Harry Baals” song was complete.

But, like all good creations, it now needed to go on YouTube. So with the help of his wife and daughter, the video was born.

Dwight is the man behind the voice. His daughter, Denise, did the filming.

And his wife, Donna, well… she was in charge of the sock puppet and Harry Baals sign.

"We did two takes. I was afraid I’d laugh all through the singing” says Johnson.

Meanwhile, in West Central Fort Wayne, others have Baals on the brain.

"He had a bunch of tools and all kinds of things and I saw this” says Beth Reynolds.

Last summer,  Reynolds was at a garage sale when she found a piece of Fort Wayne history.

"I said how much do you want for the Harry baals sign and he said "well it's probably worth at least 150(dollars)’” says Reynolds.

So, Beth handed over the 150 and took the plaque home. But, little did she know that Harry Baals would become a household name just months later.

"It was a really good water cooler discussion. I said 'you wouldn't believe this but I have a Harry Baals sign at my house’” says Reynolds.

Up until recently,  the plague's been in Beth’s garage. But now you can find it up on eBay…going price..nearly 1000-dollars.

"He has a memorable name so I don't think it's disrespectful for us to remember Mr. Baals” says Reynolds.

And it seems many are doing just that….be it through a song or a sign.

To listen to the entire “Harry Baals” song head to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFE4t56I8AM

To bid on the Harry Baals plaque head to http://cgi.ebay.com/Historic-Harry-Baals-Mayor-Fort-Wayne-Bronze-Plaque-/270712026952?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f07b1b748