THE OBSERVER
» Saturday, April 17, 2010
1 NEWS
New arrivals. New sales. Always affordable. Home décor, fashion accessories and so much more!
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Open 7 days a week • 3 Arthur Street on Elmira’s downtown corner
Taking comfort from a canine companion > STORY ON PG. 14 VOLUME.....15 ISSUE..........15
SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2010
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Elmira bus route not yet packing ‘em in
Tech fair takes some of the mystery out of going green
First year targets not met, but region hopes expanded pilot program will see ridership grow Joni Miltenburg
G
Many people are interested in green alternatives to reduce their carbon footprint, but figuring out what’s available can be daunting, said Joy Finney of Woolwich Healthy Communities, which organizes the event as part of Healthy Communi-
rand River Transit’s Route 21 celebrated its first anniversary last week, but it’s the second anniversary that will be the test. In February, the Region of Waterloo agreed to extend pilot service to Elmira for a second year. Ridership through 2009 was below the minimum targets but increasing toward the end of the year. “The route hasn’t reached any of our local targets, but it’s approaching them,” said Neil Malcolm, transit planner for the region. “If we can get some continued improvement through 2010, it will reach the minimum targets.” The target for the route is an average of 25 boardings per hour, spread over the hours the bus is in service. In December, the route reached 21 boardings per hour. However, ridership dropped in the first part of 2010, to 15 boardings per hour in January before climbing
> SEE GREEN ON PG. 06
> SEE RIDERSHIP ON PG. 05
Katie Edmonds
W
hat grants are available to make my home or business more energy efficient? What’s new in home insulation? Would it make sense to use solar power to heat water at my house? What are the advantages of geothermal heating and cooling systems?
WEEKEND WEATHER
Flagstone • Doing a pathway • Doing a patio
PHOTO
» KATIE EDMONDS
BLUE MEANS GREEN Having attended the Green Living and Technology Fair, Jo-Ann Guerrero was taken enough with the event to become a volunteer. These were some of the questions swirling around in Jo-Ann Guerrero’s mind last year as she attended the Green Living and Technology Fair for the first time. If you’re like many people, you know that ‘going green’ in your home and office has a number of advantages, but you aren’t quite sure just how to do that.
SATURDAY
Cloudy with showers
8°
SUNDAY
Cloudy periods
12°
Opinion...............08 Business.............11
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