A little more than three-quarters (76.5 percent) of those who responded to the Argus-Courier’s online poll Oct. 30, 2008 are “very concerned” or “somewhat concerned” about the recent and impending closures of stores such as Mervyns, Shoe Pavilion and Lombardi’s Bakery in Petaluma.

When asked if they would be shopping out of town more because of the store closures, 26.5 percent said yes and 70.6 percent said no. Nearly 3 percent (2.9 percent) said they weren’t sure.

About 70 percent (67.6 percent) said that the store closures were not going to create a hardship in their daily lives, while 17.6 percent said it would and 14.7 percent weren’t sure.

Here are some of the comments by those who responded to the survey:

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“Mervyns and Shoe Pavilion closing doesn’t bother me, but Lombardi’s – that’s another story. Knowing that was a Petaluma bakery, I bought their bread exclusively.”

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“I wouldn’t lump big-box Mervyns and Shoe Pavilion with local Lombardi’s. I care much more about Lombardi’s.”

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“Petaluma needs to rush to add Target and other retailers like Best Buy and Costco. So many of our tax dollars go to Rohnert Park and Santa Rosa.”

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“Why are we building new retail space if we can’t keep the existing space full?”

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“There is sadness around an institution like Lombardi’s having to close. People related to their work and their product. It leaves an unfillable gap. Mervyns and Shoe Pavilion are cookie-cutter chains that add nothing to the value of a community except for the employment they provide and the good people in their employ. They will be quickly replaced by similar entities. Let’s worry about holding on to our classic companies. Some shrinkage is for the good.”

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“We need some decent retail stores.”

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“All the more reason not to open more big box stores in Petaluma. I’m sorry about Lombardi’s though. Whenever a local business fails, it’s a failure for our community.”

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“Petaluma simply does not offer the full array of retail opportunities and needs for families.”

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“I’ll miss Lombardi’s, but won’t miss the others.”

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“Another bit of local history will be gone with the loss of Lombardi’s Bakery. The reality is that it hasn’t been the same since the Lombardi family sold the place.”

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“It doesn’t seem to matter if the stores are already here or not. People choose to shop elsewhere because they are being trendy. If we play that game we will always have retail issues. People need to be grateful for the existing stores and shop here first before leaving town. Doing otherwise is being snobby.”

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“I was born and raised in Petaluma. It has been about 60 years. We do a lot of shopping out of town. We mostly shop at Wal-Mart, Target, Jo-Ann Fabrics and Costco. I would be happy to shop in Petaluma if we could have these stores. We are on a limited budget.”