Dear Lompocans, or Lomputians, or whatever:

   I have never been to Lompoc. I have merely driven past it on the 101 
   between my native Orange County and my current residence in Palo 
   Alto. However, I was recently involved in a debate over your town's 
   name.

   My roommate's employer, Blue Martini software, mentioned the city of 
   Lompoc in a radio ad--but the narrator pronounced it "Lom-pock." I 
   heard the ad before it aired, and I let them know that the city is 
   called "Lom-poke." Evidently my roommate finally verified this with 
   your mayor himself.

   Further debate has begun to rage about the situation, however. It was 
   too late to fix the radio spot before it ran, so the Bay Area has 
   begun hearing "Lom-pock" frequently. This has prompted a flurry of 
   e-mail such as this delightful, sensitive piece:

   >-------- Original Message --------
   >Subject: Get it right or don't do it !
   >Resent-From: webmaster@bluemartini.com
   >Date: Mon, 6 Nov 2000 12:30:58 -0800 (PST)
   >
   >Get it right or don't do it !
   >
   >From:[name withheld]
   >
   >Comments:
   >This morning, Nov 6 2000, I heard on of your radio spots in which you
   >spoke of a fictional person from
   >Lompoc, CA.
   >
   >You pronounced the town name as
   >Lom-pock
   >thats incorrect, it is
   >
   >Lom-poke
   >as in poke you in the eye with a stick.
   >
   >You sound foolish.

   I mentioned the situation in my office today, and a coworker who was 
   born in Santa Maria confirmed the pronunciation of "Lom-poke." But he 
   asked about the name's origin, and none of us knew. I'm told your 
   mayor's Web site suggests it began with Chumash Indians. If so, did 
   the pronunciation begin as "Lom-pock" and change over time? I don't 
   know much about Native American phonology.

   Perhaps you have a town historian, resident linguist or longtime 
   resident who can clear up the mystery of why you call yourselves what 
   you do. Evidently you are facing your own crisis of self-reference, 
   as your online poll suggests. We had this problem in Palo Alto at 
   some point, and the Palo Alto Daily News finally chose "Palo Altans." 
   I was disappointed that my own common usage, "Palo Altoids," did not 
   become more widely accepted.

   Anyway, I really would like to know about the origin of the name 
   Lompoc. You are welcome to pass this around in search of the answer 
   or meager entertainment, if you desire. Thanks for your help.

   Cordially,
   Scott Peterson

   P.S. I would fear that someone reading "Lompocians" in print might 
   call you "Lomposhans"--which may not be so bad. You could write a 
   poem called "Ode on a Lompocian Urn."