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EatRight Ontario Paid for by the Government of Ontarioontario.ca/eatright Call 1-877-510-510-2 and talk to a Registered Dietitian for free. Acton/Georgetown, Friday, March 14, 2008 7 I sometimes worry that common courtesy has gone the way of the dodo. There was a time when people were concerned about those around them, and made an effort to not offend or inconvenience others. And, Im sure, if you look hard enough, many of those fine people still exist. But I fear the others, those me-oriented ones out there, tend to be increasing more and more in numbers as each year goes by. With this being March Break, the Centre Court at Georgetown Market Place is the high water mark for kids whose parents couldnt afford to head off for a week to somewhere warm and sunny with white sand beaches. Its the place where the mall administration hosts shows that give moms and dads and the lit- tle ones somewhere to go to be entertained and enjoy their time off school. Tuesday was the Max and Ruby show, a pair of rabbit sibling cartoon stars, who appeal to the little kids, in the three to five year-old age group. I was sent to cover the show, and photograph the excitement on the faces of the pint-size audi- ence that had gathered there, many of them wait- ing an hour or more to get the best seat on the carpet in the front row. The first thing I noticed was a wall of shop- ping carts, parked around the outside of the court. It seems some parents decided that the world granted them twice as much space as oth- ers, and used the shopping carts to hold their coats, their shopping bags and in some cases, their kids, at the expense of others who werent quite as self-serving. Not only was it inconsiderate to block the area with a shopping cart it was dangerous, barri- cading the area while those shoppers who didnt give a hoot about Max and Ruby had to squeeze through. Giving the shopping cart crowd the benefit of doubt, Im never sure if people like that are being selfish or just happen to be in their own little cloud, oblivious to the effect theyre having on those around them. The show began, and the kids were overjoyed with Max and Ruby dancing around the stage. As the kids danced and sang along with the performers, I noticed a woman shoving in behind me. She was pushing her kid past me, past the peo- ple running the show, past the security people, in fact, past anyone who got in her way, to seat her princess in the front row at the expense of any other kid already there. Apparently, she didnt have a grasp of the first come- first serve concept. It was too bad for the little kids who had wait- ed for an hour her kid was gonna be in the front row, no matter what. Three people chal- lenged her as she shoved through each time she snipped back at them and pushed her kid through the crowd. Finally the last one who confronted her was a little more aggressive than the others. The pushy mom snapped back a couple of rude words, then left, dragging her designer clothing-clad princess with her. Apparently she finally got the message. I wanted to pat that person on the back for standing up to her. In this case, it made a differ- ence to those little kids in front who had waited so long. So often, pushy people simply get their way, at others expense. It seems some people are born into this world, convinced all others owe them special status. But fortunately, there are also others who arent afraid to take a stand, and tell them they dont. So apparently, common courtesy is not dead. You just have to look a bit harder to find it. (Ted Brown can be reached at tbrown@independentfreepress.com) Courtesy, Whats that? Ted Brown A residents group wants the Province to step up and find a better way to complete power projects. The notion, from the homeowners advocacy group called Powerline Connections, comes in response to Hydro Ones proposed transmis- sion line that will run through Halton Hills and Milton. The group of about 120 landowners formed primarily to advocate for fair financial compen- sation and transparency in the ongoing negoti- ations with Hydro One. Robert Barlow of Powerline told the Regions planning and public works committee recently that the group thinks the Province should be brought to the table as well to come up with a better way to implement these kinds of projects, particularly when it comes to deal- ing with landowners. Im going to lose my property, my business, and it (Hydro Ones proposed transmission line) goes through my home, said the Halton Hills resident. Landowners have to be put first. Were saying we want to be treated fairly up front and not at the end of the process. He asked the Region for its support in deal- ing with the Province, noting Powerline has been trying to talk to the provincial govern- ment for almost a year now. We want to sit down with the Province and say, These are the issues weve run into, he said. Halton Hills Mayor Rick Bonnette acknowl- edged the frustration residents are experienc- ing and asked staff to prepare a summary on the issue for the next cycle of committee and council this month. Group wants Province more involved in future power projects MELANIE HENNESSEY Special to The IFP