It takes time to find someone willing to part with what you want and even longer to find something of equal value in return. But that’s just fine for hundreds of locals who have joined Petaluma Trading Post, a Facebook group committed to the ancient form of payment. Started last month by Heidi Margocsy, a 39-year-old Petaluma photographer, the group has grown to more than 300 members, who have traded homegrown veggies, baby clothes, books and many other items with fellow Petalumans.

Homeowners spend years living next to neighbors without getting to know them, cut off from contact once they drive into the garage and close the door. Not so at FrogSong, a co-housing community in downtown Cotati, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Here homes are clustered closely together and connected by winding pathways shaded by apricot, pear and persimmon trees.

Cited for bevy of issues, including not having proper care plans for residents, not attending to patients in a timely manner and letting elder residents wander out of facilities, federal health inspection reports show.

The second cousin of Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria Chairman Greg Sarris says the tribal leader's claims to Native American heritage are false.

Novato Public Access Television is in turmoil, with only $7,500 in available funds, an executive director recently fired, the studio closed and most employees laid off. The community station held an emergency meeting Thursday to discuss its future, following the sudden departure last month of Executive Director Rick Tucker.

Want a chill spot for after work drinks without the pomp? Downtown watering hole DeBorba's is a solid bet. There's booze, billiards, a jukebox, even fresh salami for sale.

Group says they want to be very respectful, including to downtown merchants, but will proceed with event even if not granted a permit.

Says company posting record profits while patients being denied the care they need.

Trend points to collaboration between police and immigration enforcement, say advocates, who are pushing for a new ordinance that would bar local law enforcement from assisting immigration authorities in any way.

More than 45 years after the Rainier crosstown connector was conceived, the project has become a wedge issue in Petaluma, between those who say funding is available and those who insist it's a ploy to spur further development.

There is no statewide regulation of massage businesses and it falls on cities to enforce what goes inside spas. But most, including Petaluma, don't monitor the industry, meaning no one knows exactly what goes inside.

Prompted by concerns over the impact of the Rohnert Park casino on groundwater, a local conservation district will teach volunteers how to track groun.

Since launching last fall, Occupy Petaluma has urged consumers to transfer their money to local banks, advocated for those facing foreclosure and spurred discussions about income inequality. But are too many issues diluting the movement?

The city is facing a $1.5 million budget shortfall and no one knows exactly what to do about it. In addition to reduced sales and property taxes over the past three years, Fire Department overtime looms large as one culprit of the city’s fiscal mess, laid