‘P-Town’ or not ‘P-Town’

The most eye-catching part of Chip McCauley’s “My Kind of Town” column from Wednesday, September 25, 2002, is not the photo of a full-sail replica of Christopher Columbus’s Nina (which, according to the story, had sailed up the Petaluma River to dock for the weekend at the downtown Turning Basin). And it wasn’t the first item (excerpted above) in which McCauley described another visitation (by freeway), of the famous Magic Bus, of San Francisco fame. No, it’s the headline: “Traveling through time to P-Town.”

P-Town.

There it is. That sweetly succinct little term of endearment that many use when discussing our town. The one so many others abhor, and are quick to tell you never to use if you really care about the history and future existence of Petaluma. Four syllables. Not two. Not P-Town.

As it so happens, the subject has recently come up in a lively, much-remarked-upon posting on Facebook’s “I Love Petaluma!” page, currently boasting 6,289 members. The question that started it all was written by regular poster Malcolm Joseph Hart, who’d evidently been chastised for using the term in a previous online message.

“I was curious that a couple of people did not like the term P -Town,” wrote Hart, originally from Liverpool, England. “I used the term on a recent post about wishing people in the town a happy Labor Day. Since I have been here, I’ve heard a lot of people say ‘P-Town’ in reference to Petaluma. I would be interested to hear people’s thoughts on the question?”

The responses were immediate, and opinionated, breaking roughly into two camps. Those who feel the term is too demeaning and silly-sounding for a town with so much class and charm, and those who feel that, as proud Petalumans, they have the right to call their town whatever they want to call it.

On the pro P-Town side of the issue, Leititia Graves remarked, “It’s like calling SF ‘Frisco.’ So what? I called Mill Valley ‘Womb Valley’ and ‘Thrill Valley’ according to my mood. It’s a town. You call it as you feel it.”

To that, Katie Marek responded, “I’m from here and I always say ‘P-Town.’ But I also say Frisco.” To which Hart – the guy who began the conversation – added, “Otis Redding said ‘Frisco Bay,’ inciting Wanda Weaver Harrigan to point out, “But that’s Otis. He doesn’t HAVE to follow the rules.” This sparked a fiery reply from Aaron Froppe, who wrote, “Otis Redding also immediately labeled himself a San Francisco outsider in doing so – which he was.”

Facebook does have a way of taking conversations off in surprising directions.

But, back to the issue at hand.

Also in favor of ‘P-Town’ were Marina Freedman, who said, “Personally, we like to call it ‘Luma,’ followed by Dianna O’Brien, who wrote, “P-Town, Luma … whatever … I love all of it! I love Petaluma!”

Around this time people suggested “Chicka-luma” as being equally acceptable, which caused Tony Clarke to note, “In the 70s and 80s, my cousin lived in Novato, and they called it Chickaluma because we had all the cute girls.”

Then came this, from Trisha Gilroy Bomar.

“We called it ‘DeadALuma’ as a teenager. We thought Petaluma was boring.”

And so on.

Ultimately, Hart’s post garnered over 150 responses.

Those opposed to using ‘P-Town’ – roughly one-quarter of those who registered an opinion – were equally articulate. And just as firm in their opinion.

“Our town’s name is ‘Petaluma,’” wrote Janet Petersen. “It’s been that way ever since my family came here over 100 years ago. Be proud of your town. It is unique. If you were born and raised here, if you worked the land and made a living here, you would understand.”

Pepper Head – the administrator of the ‘I Love Petaluma’ page – had his own thoughts on the subject, calling back to the controversial San Francisco nickname reference from earlier.

“For a lot of people,” he wrote, “’P-Town’ is like ‘Frisco.’ Those who don’t like it consider it a term lacking the proper respect. I find it hard to use the name. Impossible, actually. Every time I consider using it, I immediately disregard the thought.”

A few moments later, Head added, “I’ve gotten over holding it against others, though.”

Eventually, attempting to shine a bit of global perspective on this decidedly ‘first world problem,” Paula Moors wrote, “I’ve never cared for abbreviations, but right now, there are more important thing happening in the world than abbreviations.”

Not long after, Linda Speel attempted to playfully put the finishing touch on the “conversation” with a mike-drop of an aside.

“As long as it’s not ‘Pee Town!’” she said.

(Email David at david.templeton@arguscourier.com)