Local firm E.G. Gray Transportation unveiled its newest fleet member Thursday, a green, more ecologically friendly transport that’s one of a kind in Peterborough and may be the first of its kind to hit the road in Ontario, the company said.

The 2011 Volvo 780 runs on diesel fuel but puts out nearly no emissions, company president Dave Pogue boasted.

“It’s the latest in tractor and trailer technology. This truck, although it runs on the same diesel that other tractors run on, there is near zero emissions,” he said.

“They have removed the bulk of the particulates from the diesel fuel as it’s rescrubbed in the engine. Basically we are putting out cleaner air than what’s going in. Water and nitrogen, that’s it.”

Two years ago, Garden 579 was an empty lot with lots of potential and community members willing to make it a viable place to grow local food.

This year, about a third of the garden grew itself, Rachelle Sauvé, one of the main organizers, said Sunday.

A community planting weekend was held Saturday and Sunday where members of the public were encourage to donate, “seeds, seedling, soil or time.”

Sauvé said they had about 12 to 14 helpers over the weekend and 30 to 40 people who stopped by to learn more about the garden located at 579 George St. About 10 people donated seeds and plants, she said.

The Camp Kawartha Environment Centre is holding its first summer camp series in July and August.

There are four week-long camp sessions scheduled.

Camps run from July 19 to 23, July 26 to 30, Aug. 2 to 6 and Aug. 9 to 13. Each week takes place at the centre’s Trent University location on Pioneer Rd. Each day runs from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

It costs $195 per child and is for children between the ages of 9 and 13.

Jacob Rodenburg, executive director for the Camp Kawartha Environment Centre, said the environment-focused summer camp might be the first of its kind in the area.

The Camp Kawartha Environment Centre is looking to extend its environmental teaching tools to the outdoor areas surrounding the centre.

Jacob Rodenburg, executive director of the centre, said the organization aims to improve the landscaping around its Trent University property.

“It’s a lovely looking structure but the outside needs a little bit of work,” Rodenburg said.

The landscaping would double as an outdoor educational component to the centre.

The Gainey Foundation has given the centre a $25,000 grant.

Rodenburg said the money could help pay for that construction and help complete some work that sill needs to be done.

Call it the big dump and grab.

All over the city students from Trent University and Fleming College—finally finished the year of classes, exams and essays—are moving back home or beginning a new life.

For some, this means moving out of Peterborough.

But for others, like Trent University student Daniel Adaszynski, 20, who’s moving into a George St. house because he plans to stay in Peterborough for the summer, the previous tenants left a house full of old furniture.

Volunteers are needed for a community garden spruce-up at Garden 579 on George St. this weekend.

Organizers are looking for people willing to visit the garden (at 579 George St.) and pitch in with spring garden preparation and, possibly, minor repairs and maintenance.

Peterborough will phase in a ban on the sale of bottled water at municipal facilities over the next several years, city council decided Monday night.

It’s a way to promote the municipality’s clean, potable water and to show that the city cares about the environment, Coun. Dean Pappas said, adding that it takes 1.5 million barrels of oil to produce plastic bottles for water in the United States each year.

“It’s a public service that’s being slowly privatized. What are we going to pay for next? Air?” Pappas said.

A Nestle Canada representative urged council to work with the company on recycling initiatives rather than banning the sale of bottled water in municipal facilities.

Public transit users will be riding a little easier with more buses and more routes following a gas-tax funding announcement from the province.

Peterborough MPP Jeff Leal announced $1,482,340 for the city and $66,170 for the county Friday morning at his King St. office, along with Mayor Paul Ayotte and Peterborough County Warden J. Murray Jones.

“This means more buses, more operating dollars and more routes,” Leal said.

There is a need to expand urban transit, Leal said, and that includes new vehicles, new routes and getting more people out of their vehicles.

I despise clutter. If there’s something sitting around the house that I have no use for, it generally finds its way to the garbage, recycling or donation bin pretty quickly. My mother is just the opposite.

When I was home at Easter, Mom was beaming over her accomplishment in the basement, and I have to admit it was much improved. At Christmas one room had been packed with a hodgepodge of kitchen appliances, books, magazines, enough clothes to cover the bodies of a small army and who knows what else. A few months made all the difference, spurred in part by a shelving collapse.

My esteemed co-worker, Thalia Bock, has been busy cleaning her apartment over the past couple of weeks as well. She, like many others, has a collection of many unwanted items and has been searching for eco-friendly ways to dispose of them.

Commuters are encouraged to ditch their vehicles for a bike, bus, carpool or comfy pair of walking shoes during the eighth annual Shifting Gears campaign, beginning Friday.

Clifford McCarten, returning for his second year as the Shifting Gears ambassador, said the month-long event motivates residents to use alternative transportation to get to work during the month of May.

Individuals, or teams from businesses who sign up for Shifting Gears are challenged to use alternate forms of transportation as often as possible.

Participants have a shot at winning a $750 gift certificate for Resorts of Ontario and are entered into weekly draws for prizes.