3 Up 3 Down

COOLING OFF WITH COLD ONES: After fanning the flames of a growing and renewed debate about race, President Barack Obama had Harvard professor and pal Henry Louis Gates and Cambridge police Sgt. James Crowley over at the White House for a few brewskis to talk things out. Obama took an additional pounding in some corners over a move patently political to save face. Still, we can’t help but give the prez ups for a quintessentially American method of mending fences. Cheers.
THE GENERALS: A long, miserable season ended Thursday for the Valley League’s Waynesboro Generals, drawing to a close a campaign that began with particular excitement. Few games are so fickle as baseball, a sport affected by bad hops and close calls as much as walk-off dingers. Chins up, boys. Better days are surely just around the bend. See ya next year.
THE GRIDDERS: While we’re on the subject of sports, the boys of fall start lacing up cleats again this week as high school football training camps open across the central Shenandoah Valley. There’s nothing quite like the sound of pads clacking to chase away the dog days. Of course, the fellas in the gear might not feel quite the same way as they sweat through another round of two-a-days.

CIVILITY IN THE 20TH: Here’s how it happened: House District 20 Democratic candidate Erik Curren challenged Republican Dickie Bell to a series of debates earlier this week. How did Bell know? When Bob Stuart of The News Virginian called. This perturbed Bell, who thought he should first have heard about the challenge from Curren himself. Curren contends he had intended as much, but a letter hand-delivered by his campaign manager and fiancée failed to beat Stuart’s call. We see Bell’s point, but we’re all too happy to relay the message.
MINIMUM WAGE: A week-old issue lingered this week over the recent increase of the minimum wage. Augusta Free Press Editor and former City Council candidate Chris Graham is miffed with the Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce for opposing the wage hike. We’re not taking sides in that dispute. But on the minimum wage, our two cents says now isn’t the time to raise costs on businesses.
SAY IT AIN’T SO, JOE: So after his boss says the United States wants to see “a strong, peaceful, prosperous Russia,” Vice President Biden declares that the Russkies are on the ropes in a story that was front-page news Monday in Moscow. “They’re clinging to something in the past that is not sustainable.” We agree. Obama? Not so much. Coincidentally, Ol’ Joe’s next diplomatic mission, says the prez, will be to Siberia.