Eighty percent of people responding to an online poll about commuting habits in the Sept. 20, 2006 edition of the Argus-Courier say they drive to work by themselves in a car. Twelve percent commute by carpool, vanpool or bus, while 7 percent walk or ride a bike.

The poll revealed that 33 percent work in Petaluma, 14 percent elsewhere in Sonoma County and 28 percent in Marin County. The rest of respondents drive to San Francisco, the South Bay, the East Bay or elsewhere.

Nearly one-fourth of poll participants have a one-way commute of less than five miles and only 14 percent have to go more than 45 miles each way.

The time it takes to commute was wide-ranging, with 22 percent saying it takes them 15 to 30 minutes and 21 percent saying it takes 60 to 90 minutes.

We also asked participants to tell us what they do on their way to work. Here are comments by those who responded to the poll.

1. I listen to books on CDs and drink water.
2. Please start the ferry soon or we will have to move!
3. I listen to the radio, drink coffee, either have a (mini) heart-to-heart talk with daughter or a sermon. I'm sure she's thankful it's a short drive on those kinda days.
4. My commute is so fast I don't have time to do anything but keep my foot on the gas all the way down Lakeville Highway.
5. I listen to my CD player. But I only have time for one song. After 20 years of commuting, I'm unapologetically enjoying living close to work!
6. I read a book, take a nap, or chat with other commuters. The Golden Gate Transit bus is very reliable and is non-stop to San Francisco.
7. I drink green tea, and listen to KCBS.
8. I make a lot of phone calls (my family is on the East Coast) and listen to NPR. I would love to take public transportation to "spare the air" and do my part to be kind to the environment, but it's over $4 each way and a two-hour commute. If there were better bus service (I would consider anything up to an hour each way and $2 or less) or a light rail option, I would definitely consider taking public transportation.
9. I have a drink of coffee and listen to the radio.
10. Most of the time I sleep and sometimes I read.
11. I work from home. You didn't list this as an option!
12. No rail system!
13. I commute from Valley Ford to Petaluma five days a week. I enjoy the scenery and listen to the radio during my commute. I also talk to and sing with my children when they are with me. I try not to talk on the cell phone as I want to be a careful driver when my children are on board!
14. I listen to talk radio and make calls to the office.
15. I listen to radio, my iPod, drink coffee and use my cell phone.
16. I have commuted from Petaluma to Santa Rosa, eight years of it was actually Sebastopol to Santa Rosa. And unless Highway 12 was flooded, that was a breeze. The carpool lane is a joke. No one but the law breakers, the occasional motorcycle and those hybrids ever use it. It should work going southbound in the a.m. And northbound in the p.m. Zero for the opposite. It sits empty and adds nothing but frustration to an already ridiculous commute. I exit the freeway at Highway 12 and work off of Bennett Valley Road. Thank goodness, because if I had to drive through that mess in the downtown exit, I would probably suffer from road rage. I can't wait to vote yes for the SMART train. If I don't win the lottery and have to continue to commute, I will take the train. But how will I get from downtown to Bennett Valley Road? Traffic sucks.
17. I listen to the radio and look down at the traffic on Highway 101 while going over the overpass on Caulfield and thank my lucky stars I work in Petaluma!
18. I drink coffee, listen to the radio and make phone calls.
19. I usually listen to the radio or a CD.
20. I listen to audio books on my iPod. I go through one book about every week and a half. I also download podcasts when I am in between books.
21. I worked in Sunnyvale. I had to rent a commuter room during the week. It was too far to drive everyday. I worked four 10-hour days and I did it for almost two years and it was tough. Petaluma was a dream location, but had to move away due to the commute.
22. Reading for pleasure.
23. The commute is the worst part of the job.
24. I drink coffee and listen to the radio.
25. I listen to the radio.
26. Listening to music.
27. I listen to the radio (talk 910 AM).
28. I listen to the radio.
29. Nine minutes of news.
30. I sit, frustrated in my car, worrying that I might be late, asking myself why I am doing this ...
31. I commute to Napa daily by car. I listen to news/talk radio during my drive time.
32. I feel fortunate to live and work in Petaluma and to have a very short drive to work. I should walk or bike more frequently than I do. I listen to the radio (NPR, KCBS or KPFA) for the short time I am in the car.
33. I try to pay attention to car drivers and walkers, and try to be visible. Daydreaming or talking on a phone while bike riding is not a good idea.
34. I listen to radio KCBS for news and traffic, then switch to educational CDs. Drink a latte. Make phone calls if traffic is really really slow. File my nails.
35. Watching out for traffic since I'm on foot.
36. I listen to the radio.
37. I joined a health club in Marin, so I go early to work out before work or work out after work so that I miss the commute traffic.
38. I listen to the radio.
39. I listen to lots of books on tape that I borrow from the library.
40. I would not commute if there were decent paying jobs in Sonoma County. The ridiculously limited freeway and generally poor planning in Petaluma is a barrier to entry for most companies in the South Bay. We need to encourage local growth in housing and industry just to keep pace with what has already happened. That's not a good thing.
41. Drink coffee, and get mentally ready for work.
42. I have very little time in my car commuting, but I spend it looking at the road and driving safely. Unlike most people. Stop getting dressed, stop eating a bowl of cereal on your steering wheel, stop shaving, stop putting on makeup, stop playing video games, stop using the phone. I can go on forever putting down all the things I have seen. Get up earlier. Get your things done at home where they should be done and then get in your car and drive safely.
43. I listen to the radio.
44. I listen to the radio or my iPod and often make phone calls.
45. I listen to the radio and use my phone.

Seventy percent of the people who responded to an Argus-Courier online poll Sept. 13, 2006 say they feel "safe" or "somewhat safe" walking around Petaluma at night.

However, nearly half " 45 percent " of respondents say it is less safe to walk around town at night than it was a few years ago.

Seventy-five percent say police patrols should be increased, more street lights should be installed or both should be done. Nineteen percent offered other suggestions, such as using surveillance cameras, putting officers on foot and on bikes, enforcing curfews and getting tough with gangs.

These are the suggestions by respondents to the third question, "What should be done to make streets safer at night?"

1. In places that don't have them already.

2. Install cameras on as many streets as possible.

3. Curfews, more police, more consequences.

4. Eliminate gangs with extreme prejudice.

5. Both of the above and more youth gang prevention.

6.Put more police on foot in higher crime areas.

7. Police walking beats, like in NYC.

8. Do what other cities are doing and use cameras.

9. Parking garage and SRJC Parking Lot unsafe at nite.

10. Police should chase the gangs from town - used to.

11. Bring back the bicycle police - very friendly!

12. Enforce immigration laws.

13. More police actually patroling the streets.

14. Curfew enforced for teens!

15. Use common sense when out at night.

16. Arrest illegals aliens.

Here are the general comments by those who took the survey:

1. In addition to more police patrols, I would suggest the a volunteer group be formed to watch the downtown areas after dark (with police cooperation when needed).

2. I don't feel safe walking at night because of the potholes and rough bumpy asphalt, especially in the downtown areas like Kentucky Street and Washington.

3. Street lights do not decrease crime they increase them because they give criminals the light needed to do crime.

Stop breeding hateful children that go around on lynching cruzings and we'll all be better off.
4. I was born here and have always felt safe walking from my house to dinner or just going for a walk. What is going to destroy that is the growth the city is allowing. It is turning our town into a big city and that is what is going to make it unsafe not just for walking but for everything. The bigger the city the more unsafe it will be it is a FACT. Save our town while there is still time. Think of quality of life for a change instead of money. That is how the town used to think.

5. Walking alone at night is never safe no matter how many street lights or patrol cars there are as long as we allow child molesters and sex offenders to live in and around our town.

6. I have witnessed (and reported) suspicious behavior, which looks a lot like drug dealing going on, particularly near stores on East Washington. Additionally, there has been an increase teen problems in our neighborhood resulting in minor, but frustrating vandalism (broken fence pickets, missing path lights, tossed garbage, etc.) From the degree of noise that goes with their passing through our neighborhood, alcohol and/or drugs may be adding to the disrespect shown toward other people's property and the neighborhood.

7. The night folks of Petaluma need to see the police, in the areas that are most likely to be hit by crime, and out of their cars. If there is a recognition of the people in law enforcement, and a constant presence, people are less likely to use Petaluma as their cesspool. The attention to gangs is essential. There should be zero tolerance for the gang in our city. This may take laws and a real intensity, but it is essential to preserving the way of life in this city.

8. Walking about at night will never be as safe as driving about in your family auto. When it comes to children especially, it is.

best if they are driven, use a taxi, or are accompanied by caring adults.

9. If we could just get rid of the riff raff in this town, then this wouldn't even be an issue.

10. I thought it was safe to walk at night on the west side. One night as I was walking to the Keller St. parking lot about 12 midnight. I was uneasy when a young drunk man was walking on the same side of the street as me. I crossed and he received a cell call. I was grateful for that call he received. As I continued to walk to the parking lot I passed a young couple sitting on a bench with a young lady very drunk. I continued on to the parking lot and there were youngters inside and I wasn't comfortable but got in my car and saw security in the parking lot as I drove off. I used to live in San Francisco and I thought it would be ok to walk late at night around here by myself. I now have a little apprehension, especially being a single woman.

11. I feel safe for my person but not for downtown property and vegetation - the vandals still run amok and the young trees have no defense! I suggest infrared cameras at strategic locations because the police are obviously ineffectual.

12. We need to curb gangs and their presence in Petaluma. We need to take unprecedented actions against them even if it means using "anti-terrorism" techniques.

13. I think it is safe to walk around Petaluma at night...I do it all the time. I do not feel threatened at all. I guess they could up the police force if they needed to but I don't think they do.

14. Realizing that the local police are under budget, under staffed, there still is a need for more and better policing. I know that there is a private security company contracted to patrol downtown Petaluma and maybe that's where the answer is. Their well trained and highly effective and less expensive than police overtime.

15. I feel that it is just the nature of our world. I would feel safer if our president wasn't traveling the world making people angry with us.

16. There were two scary looking hoodlums in parking garage checking out cars while I was getting into mine at 10 p.m. on a recent Sunday evening while there was some rock star at the Phoenix. On a night like that, there should have been police patroling parking garage. New SRJC parking lot is very desolate and unprotected.

17. I'd like to see foot patrols on week end nights up and down the alley ways around Kentucky.

18. Considering this survey was about the guy WHO LIED about a race beating to get free medical treatment . I feel very safe.

19. Help local merchants by making bars responsible for whatever damages occur because of customers who drink too much - such as requiring them to help pay for police.

20. The police need to crack down on the punks that seem to be roaming the streets. Graffiti is more of a problem than anything. As Petaluma grows, the police need to expand operations and stop concentrating so much on traffic citations and start preventing crime and vandalism.

21. Instead of cops pulling over people for petty reasons, they should be driving slow around town instead of fast as if there is a shoot out somewhere. Petaluma is small and it needs to be controlled, especially around the homeless who tend to be friendly with younger people. I would know because I have a 15 year old sister who hangs out with ages 18-40 year old men who buy her alcohol and supply with other drugs.

22. Be cautious of that which seems risky or unknown. If you aren't sure what's safe, don't be a target. If you can't rely on a friend, don't trust a stranger instead.

23. As cities grow, they become more impersonal making it easier for crime to exist. When Petaluma was a smaller town, the crime was minimal because everyone knew who you were.

24. I don't have a problem kicking the s--- out of these punks. Time for them to get out of our town.

25. Petaluma needs to get tougher on youth crime. I'd also like to see more young offenders doing community service...how about the vandals start cleaning up the vandalism in broad daylight on the weekends?

A majority of the people who responded to an Argus-Courier online poll Sept. 6, 2006 feels substitute teacher candidates should undergo the same screening process as regular teachers, even if it would require substantial additional expenses.

Eighty percent said they want better screening of substitute candidates, while 17 percent said they do not.

Eighty-nine percent said inappropriate behavior at previous jobs should be grounds for denying a teacher clearance to work as a substitute teacher.

Asked if local school districts should bear the extra costs of doing more extensive background checks on substitute teachers, 67 percent said yes, 22 percent said no and 11 percent were not sure.

Seventy-two percent said the state should provide more money to local school districts or county offices of education to pay for more extensive background checks of substitute teachers.

Here are comments by those who took the survey:

1. How much extra will it cost?

2. Of course subs should have an extensive background check. They should be checked at least once a year because they are not in a permanent place and are always moved about. Anyone who works at a school should be checked often.

3. Who cares the kids should just stay home they are dumb so why waste money on them.

4. Generally, the screening process for substitute teachers works pretty well. Schools have an informal feedback loop about subs that often determines whether or not they are invited to work at a school. The only problem that occasionally happens is when there are an unusual number of teachers out for a conference, illness or staff development. All schools I have ever worked in have their reliable, well-known subs lined up, often by the classroom teacher ahead of time.

5. Make the parents pay I am tired of paying for something I do not use. The tax burden is already too high. If you have kids you should pay for them, I know hard concept to understand. I could careless if your dumb kid goes to school or not, they are just going to be sucking more money out of people like me anyway.

6. It only takes one day for a child to be victimized.

7. There is no ceiling to the amount we will spend to protect our child. Even one child who is endangered will not be justified by the argument of keeping costs down. Petaluma cherishes our children more than anything.

8. Common sense!

9. Our children's safety is worth every last penny in the universe!

10. Please don't panic. There are only a few bad apples out there. We don't have the funds to pay for better background research on substitute, teachers, counselors, principals, janitors, aides, staff, etc. If your willing to tax us more then we could do the job; but the money would be better spent on getting better education on our kids than on background checks.

11. Pedophiles need jobs too.

12. Le'ts not forget the excellent job our Petaluma teachers do. Thank you, Petaluma teachers.

13. The number of people who apply for substitute jobs is astronomical compared to the number of people that actually become teachers. The expense would be too great to screen them beyond the LiveScan printing that is already charged to the applicant. The real problem as I see it, is that the systems designed to track people that are dangerous to children are flawed, not the screening process for substitutes. Fix those instead of adding more burdens to the school systems. Let them focus on teaching the kids.

14. We need to keep predators away from our kids. Nothing is more important than screening teachers and firing them from inappropriate behaviors - just like we do for most other jobs.

15. Make people with students in school pay. It is about time that the parents bear more in paying for their own. I am tired of paying for something I have nothing to do with.

16. This survey stresses the expense of background checks rather than the safety of innocent children. It should be the other way around and the mentality of the school board. All people working around children should have to go through an extensive background check and then every 3-5 years a new one. Situations change after someone is hired. If you are honest and law-abiding teacher no teacher should have a problem with that. When I think back I can remember some strange teachers when I was in elementary school. But what did I know as a child. KEEP OUR CHILDREN SAFE! It is Mr. Wong and any other school boards responsibility! Haven't we learned from the Catholic Churches Lawsuits!

A majority of the people who responded to an Argus-Courier online poll Aug. 30, 2006 want the fairgrounds to stay at its current site and not be relocated. Most respondents also disagree with Petaluma's draft general plan, which says the city should explore "relocation or a more optimal use" of the fairgrounds.

Seventy-three percent want the fair to stay put, while 22 percent want to move it. Sixty-four percent disagree with the draft general plan, while 27 percent agree.

Asked if the city should order an appraisal to determine the value of the fairgrounds property, 50 percent said no, 37 percent said yes and 13 percent were not sure.

Fifty-eight percent said they attend events at the fairgrounds "regularly," 16 percent said "sometimes," 16 percent said "rarely" and 10 percent said "never."

Here are some comments by those who took the survey:

1. Traffic is bad enough around East Washington. More commercial or residential space would only make it worse. Leave it alone.

2. The fair location is obviously valuable financially. However, the area is over-taxed with fast food and commercial space and East Washington can't handle its traffic as is. Let's focus on making our city more commuter-friendly and then worry about bringing more tax revenues.

3. The city should get a better return on its land. Leasing to the fair for $1 per year, even with the tax revenue, doesn't seem like the best return. I don't necessarily want to see more housing or big box stores, but I think we could do better than the fair. Also, close the racetrack. The noise is ridiculous, and I live 1.5 miles away near the airport.

4. Keep the raceway. We do not need a ballpark or any more traffic than we already have at that location.

5. If you move the fairgrounds location, you will kill this long-standing tradition. Attendance is impacted greatly by location, access and visibility. We already have a number of city projects in the works. Leave the fairgrounds alone.

6. Petaluma deserves a thoughtful evaluation of alternatives. We should not be railroaded into a hasty decision just because a ballpark suddenly appears on the horizon. Locking up the fairgrounds for 65 years given the financial value of the property and its strategic location without very careful evaluation would be fiduciary malfeasance by the council.

7. It would be a mistake to remove or relocate the fairgrounds in Petaluma. I am familiar with the Saturday events that are held at the racetrack. It really is a great way for friends, family and the general public to come together.

8. Moving the fairgrounds closer to Petaluma ranches could create a nicer venue with visible green space and less traffic.

9. The city of Petaluma should not extend the lease to the fair beyond the current agreement. We should also not displace the speedway. However, I like the idea of a baseball park and would attend games. I think we need to have all of the above: the fair, speedway and baseball. Again, under the city's control, not the fair!

10. The ballpark idea will not work. All of the California League teams play in a warm climate: Southern California, Central Valley, etc. It won't work in Petaluma with our cold evenings. The only reason the race track has survived is because race fans are die-hards who will follow their favorite driver anywhere. When they build the ballpark and it fails, we won't have baseball and we won't have a racetrack.

11. The fair is for losers, but there has someplace for the white trash to hangout.

12. I would miss not having somewhere to go.

13. The fairgrounds are used by such a small percentage of Pet. residents. We need to find something more people can use. The racetrack needs to go. Nobody locally goes or participates there. Bring the baseball!

14. Fairs keep the illegals and trash out of my neighborhood, Petaluma is just the perfect spot for them.

15. Leave the fairgrounds alone. Driving on Washington and over D Street bridge are unbearable. Doesn't anyone in charge of traffic drive around from 3-6 M-F?.

16. The fair grounds is an oasis in the middle of urban sprawl and should not be built upon. Leave the racetrack and forget the baseball stadium. Bad idea.

17. What I really detest is people coming into a community and then attempt to massage it to "their" liking. I chose to live in Petaluma for what it was and is. If I wanted to live in a "city" I would have chosen Santa Rosa at the same token if I wanted to live in an industrial area I would have chosen Rohnert Park. Leave the fairgrounds and race track alone! If ya want a ball park, let them purchase property somewhere else in town. The old Pomeroy property would be a good example. Quit giving in to developers and following the allmighty dollar!

18. It's easy to get to, moving it will only make it harder to find for out of towners.

19. We don't need another grocery store or dept store. The fairgrounds bring charm to Petaluma

20. The annual Fair days are important to the community because it helps keeps the flavor of the home town atmosphere and the traditions of agriculture, which was the original industry of the community. We should not forget our Past History!!!

21. If they build it, we will come & buy season tickets.

22. Keeping fair - good. Keeping raceway - good. Keeping fair & raceway at current location - doesn't matter. Building ballfield - shortsighted. Our roads are at capacity already and can not take traffic from a 5,000-seat stadium at current fairground location.

23. The Fair provides the opportunity for the community to learn about agriculture With the constant expansion of the urban sprawl, it is ever so important to teach our youth that their milk doesn't come from the shelf at Safeway.and it brings the community together.

24. The Petaluma Speedway is a big asset to many people in the North Bay. Let's keep the Speedway! Paulson can put a baseball park at another site and still attract enough fans to be viable.

25. After seeing what the city did downtown, I am reluctant to have their hands on the fairgrounds. At least it is open space for the moment.

26. I have been attendinding the races since 1991. My 9 year old son loves the cars and hopes to race there.The news of a possible closing has upset him and I greatly.It is a wonderful place to enjoy the races as a family.You can meet the drivers and get them to autograph pictures of their racecars.I really hope the Petaluma Speedway does not close.

27. Baseball would be better than the loud cars at 10 pm!