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OAKVILLE BEAVER Thursday, May 14, 2009 · 6 The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5571 Classified Advertising: 905-632-4440 Circulation: 845-9742 The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone (416) 340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate.The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Commentary NEIL OLIVER Vice-president and Group Publisher, Metroland West DAVID HARVEY General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director SANDY PARE Business Manager MARK DILLS Director of Production MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution SARAH MCSWEENEY Circ. Manager WEBSITE oakvillebeaver.com Letter to the editor Guardian Angel to the rescue They say we all have a guardian angel; I may have met mine on April 14, at Maple Grove Mall in Oakville. Rushing, I parked by car, embarrassed to say, behind two parked cars. As I ran to drop off the rental movie into the drop-off box, somehow my car door locked, with my keys, wallet, and cellphone inside. Seeing the look of horror on my face, a total stranger asked me if I would like to use her cellphone. We were about to call CAA when she asked where I lived. When I said around the corner, about five minutes from here, she asked if I would like to take her car while she stood in the empty space and not let anyone park there. That way the cars I blocked would be able to maneuver to get out, should they come out before I got back, and she would watch my car. I could not believe what I was hearing. I took her car, drove home to get my other key, and when I came back, the poor woman was keeping everyone at bay, getting a few angry looks and hand gestures. I asked if I could do anything for her. She answered no, and told me to go do something nice for someone else. I did. I donated to the Shelter from the Storm campaign on her behalf. I only know this thoughtful human being's first name (Sharon). I hope she sees this article. I would like her to know how grateful I was. Also for the time, frustration, and embarrassment that she saved me. REBECCA FELL RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE BY: Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Suburban Newspapers of America THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: United Way of Oakville TV AUCTION Thanks for assistance in time of need I wish to thank the kind lady and gentleman who helped me on Saturday, April 25, when I had a bad fall near Tim Hortons at Trafalgar Road near Lakeshore Road. They called the ambulance, and stayed with me until it came. I really cannot thank you enough. The ambulance attendants, the nurses, doctors, and X-Ray technicians at Oakville Hospital, were wonderful. Thank you all. How reassuring to know such goodness really does still exist, in such abundance. My sincere thanks to each and every one of you. EVELYN ABBOTT The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. MICHAEL IVANIN / OAKVILLE BEAVER DIG IT: Sehanna Suarez has a good time as she digs a hole during a recent tree planting at Shell Park with Ground Breakers. Letters to the editor TV season rocks, rolls and is chased up Amazon by Pygmies ith tonight's airing of the season finale of 30 Rock (replete with rockers Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costello and Adam Levine), it's officially time to get up off the couch and (gasp) maybe even go outside to, I dunno, walk a dog, shoot some hoops, plant a garden, frolic naked on the lawn, or simply sample some fresh air. That's right, it's time to tear the clicker from your clutches and bid either an unenthusiastic adieu or a fond farewell to the 2008-09 TV season. Has this been one of the most engaging seasons of TV, or one of the worst? I tell you, I'm torn. To analyze, let's tackle the trends. And let's start with that most odious of all genres: Reality TV. As I boldly predicted five years ago, Reality TV died a quick, unlamented death. Okay, maybe I was slightly off on that sagely forecast. Reality TV continues to be the straw that stirs the drink for network television. Top ratings spots are dominated by reality shows, from American Idol and Dancing With The Stars to The Amazing Race and the true survivor of all reality shows, Survivor, now blazing in Brazil in its 18th season (honestly, who wudda thunk?). Surprisingly, critics and viewers agree that these shows have W not only continued to hook viewers and revel in the ratings, they've actually had banner seasons. Take American Idol: I can't find a fan that isn't raving about this year's cast of warblers. As for Survivor, well, the old show that seemed to be on its last legs is enjoying a renaissance, in part to a winning cast led by a character called Coach, an egomaniac Andy Juniper who nicknamed himself The Dragon Slayer, and whose self-aggrandizing stories have taken on an unintentionally comedic life of their own. According to Coach, the alleged direct descendent of Pocahontas once kayaked the Amazon, was captured by Pygmies and mercilessly beaten until he escaped and paddled for his life for 48 straight hours. Yeah, this oddball makes for good TV. Apart from Reality TV, this season witnessed a pandemic of doctors retiring. After 15 remarkable and oftentimes groundbreaking seasons, ER called it a series, and Thursday nights will never be the same (face it, Grey's Anatomy and the lame The Practice could not hold a candle to ER in its prime). Further, the docs on Scrubs have likely given us the last injection of their undervalued comedy as the show's star, Zach Braff, called it quits, with the series likely to follow after eight uneven, but occasionally inspired, seasons. For me, the best shows on TV remain the underrated and underappreciated Chuck (currently teetering on the renewal bubble), Friday Night Lights, which The New York Times calls an "inventive work of art," and 30 Rock, which showcases the wry genius of Tiny Fey. Oh, and let's not forget the Denis Leary-driven Rescue Me. While the grim, gritty show about New York City firefighters post911 jumped the proverbial shark in Season Four, this season is cooking like a house on fire, aided by a stellar guest gig by none other than Michael J. Fox (like you've never seen him before). So why am I torn in my evaluation of this season? Because what was good this year was great, what was bad was horrible (see the super-hyped Amy Poehler-vehicle, Parks & Recreation, or ABC's Better Off Ted which, frankly, would be Better Off Dead), and too often it seemed that the bad not only outweighed the good, it pretty much smothered it. Andy Juniper can be visited at his Web site, www.strangledeggs.com, or contacted at ajjuniper@gmail.com.