AS MANY as one in 10 north- west homes could benefit from a new province-wide program aimed at reducing energy costs and encouraging conservation. Three-quarters of the $20 mil- lion budget is coming from the provincial government's BC 21 program with ihe remainder from B.C. Hydro’s Power Smart initia- tive and from private utilities, in- cluding Pacific Northern Gas. Two-member teams will be trained to make home inspec- tions, recommend ways to save energy and install energy and water saving items at no cost to homeowners. Approximately 75,000 homes across B.C., or 10 per cent of all homes in the province, will be eligible for a basic package. An additional 8,000 homes in selected communities will receive more intensive treatment. Those selected communities have yet to be chosen. , Local B,C, Hydro spokesman Tony MacGregor said as many as 8,000 homes in northern B.C. will be eligible under the new pro- gram. The basic energy savings pack- age includes hot water tank blankets, pipe insulation, weather Stipping, caulking and toilet flush reducers, said MacGregor: “We hope to be ready to start installing the packages by the lat- ter part of February,”* he said. MacGregor estimated the ener- Energy save eff gy savings package to be worth more than $100 if purchased by homeowners at stores. Eligible homes must either be detached, semi-detached or row or other lypes of developments with separate, outside entrances. Homeowners will have to con- tact the program. at phone num- bers to be provided later to make appointments for inspection and installation, **We see this as just a first step and hopefully homeowners will follow the recommendations of the recommendations for more savings and to use coupons that, will be provided for additional energy saving items,’’ he said, B.C, Hydro’s Power Smart pro- gram is aimed at reducing or slowing the demand for clec- tricity by encouraging the use of other types of energy and by en- couraging conservation. In tum that reduces the nced for new and expensive hydro-electric projects. Also part of the program are special projects in conjunction with local governments and other agencies and public education. The provincial government estimates that 500 people will be hired to conduct the energy audits and to make installations. MacGregor noted that B.C. Hydro several years ago offered a smaller version of the program by making available hot water tank blankets. GETTING THAT warm feeling by wrapping an insulated blanket arourid a hot water tank is Tony MacGregor, He works in Terrace for B.C, Hydro, one of the sponsoring agencies of a $20 million program to install energy saving devices in homes. Safeway’s new manager has ar- rived, Andy Millar, from Kamloops, replaces Eric Johanson who was transferred to Victoria. Millar is a 16-year employee of Safeway and, by coincidence, has worked with Johanson i in the past. He’s also worked with current store produce’ manager Joe Leberre. Millar managed one of three Safeway stores in Kamloops and this will be his second overall managerial position. khkkkk Pizza Hut is expanding to bet- ter cope with peak eating, take out and delivery periods by ad- ding another kitchen, Take out and delivery orders during busy meal times are now interfering with the restaurant’s dining area and that’s causing. problems, says owner John Critchley, Adding two ovens and more phones means Pizza Hut will be able to divide its staff during peak times, he said. The second kitchen will be used : Pay only the low $12 weekly meeting fee. Now! 1 800 682-8011 Call Out & About Thursdays to Sundays, the days when take out and delivery is high. Critchley expects the expansion to be finished in March, It’s being done in phases so as not to inter- {ere with operations. kkk Add Tim Horton’s on Lakelse as the latest restaurant in the cily to become a non-smoking area. Owner Brian Archibald says there’s been a good reaction since the smoking ban took hold Jan. 1, “We're following it very close- ly,”” said Archibald who notes there has been no effect on busi- ness compared to the same period Jast year. “Other Tim Horton’s who went - mo smoking experienced a drop off for two te three months, but that hasn’t happened here,’’ he said, Cut the fat, not the food. EIntroducingWeight Watchers’ new Fat e& Fiber Plan Archibald, did say that the restaurant has lost some smoking customers but has gained others who didn’t come in before be- cause of smoke in the air. kak kk Overwaitea has won a federal environmental award. The Environmental Award for Business for 1994 was given on the basis of a company’s efforts to reduce waste and to encourage recycling. The company along with others beionging to a grocery store asso- ciation and pop producers are now working on a plan to intro- duce bottle depots in the north- west kakkkk British Columbia Buildings Corporation, a crown corpora- tion which acts as the provincial government’s landlord, has paid $233,127 to the city. Provincial bodies don’t have to pay properly taxes but the pay- ment is the equivalent to the property taxation rate. Just aver $4,400 of the grant will be forwarded to the Kitimat- Stikine regional :-district. kok kk ; in . KERMODEI OFF EVERYTHING IN THE STORE - The Yellow Gift House on Highway 16. ~ 638-1808 _ - KERMODEL-: —LRADING Off Cookware Dishware, Kitchenware, Table Linens and Clothing. 7 The Yellow Gift. House on Hgnwey, 16 | 638-1808" oe Offer Vatidin Area 68 British Columbia, January 2 to January 31. 1995. Cannot be combined with any alher offer andis not available fof “At Work" or Community Maatings. As people vary sodoresulls. © 1995 Weight Watchers International Inc., owner of the Registered Tradamark, allrights teserved. — 4605 Lazelle WED., JAN. 11 - SAT, JAN. Shirley’s retiring after all these years, but before she does she’s having the biggest sale of the year! Sorry...No Layaways Glass Slipper Bridal Shappe 14 635-6966