Import

Are the White Sox going back to the future in 2011? Will they try one of the moves that worked out so well in 2005 — that is, the two-Cuban formation? When the Sox were searching for a third baseman last season, they took a long look at Dayan Viciedo. He worked alongside fellow Cuban Alexei Ramirez in almost all of the 38 games he played in a season in which he spent extensive time in Chicago but did not lose his rookie status. The results weren't as dramatic as in '05, when Cuban pitchers Jose Contreras and Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez did a ton of the heavy lifting en route to the World Series parade.

I applaud The Sun's coverage of the work being done by Dr. Maria Brown and other child advocates ("Pediatrician has prescription to fight obesity," Oct. 7). The challenge Dr. Brown presents, that "If this is going to succeed ... all members of the community are going to have to pull together," is right on the money. That everyone should include our schools, and currently, that's not the case for many Baltimore County public school students. In fact, even though studies are coming out now that show that physically fit children actually perform better on standardized tests, recess time for kids has been cut in many public schools.

Laurel's General Election Sept. 6 - Last day for candidates to file; 5 p.m. deadline Oct. 3 - Voting registration deadline Oct. 9 - Sample ballot posted in city facilities Oct. 10-25 - Residents can apply for absentee ballots Oct. 27-28 - Early voting 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at Laurel Municipal Center Oct. 29 - Early voting 9 a.m.-7 p.m. at Laurel Municipal Center Nov. 1 ...

I believe the Baltimore Sun made a grave mistake by canceling Outdoors Girl Candus Thomson 's column. As president of the Maryland Watermen's Association, I often locked horns with Candus, but I always felt that she showed both sides of an issue and was always fair, and even though a bit controversial, it was good for the public and paper sales. The thousands of recreational and commercial fishermen, hunters and outdoorsmen and women in the state need her column, or one like it, to represent their interests.

Baltimore Schools CEO Andrés Alonso accomplished something quite remarkable when he released the results of the latest state test scores last week. He went beyond the usual analysis to look at what happens to city students who are missing 20 or more days of school. The chronically absent students scored 15 to 20 percentage points lower than students who attended school more regularly — a bigger achievement gap than the one separating either poor students and English language learners from their peers.

Getting the best prices of the holiday season once meant traipsing to stores before dawn the day after Thanksgiving to battle long lines, huge crowds — and sometimes cranky customers — for doorbuster deals that came only once a year. This year some consumers might sleep in and skip Black Friday, the traditional kickoff of the holiday shopping season, recent surveys suggest. With stores promoting bargain prices weeks earlier and the increasing popularity of Internet shopping, some retail experts said, what is often the biggest shopping day of the year may be losing its pull.

When the legislature convened in January, it seemed all but certain that it would seek to address two terrible deaths caused in some part by failures of our systems to keep Marylanders safe. In October, Miriam Frankl, 20, a Johns Hopkins University undergraduate, was killed as she stepped off the curb in Charles Village by a truck careening up the street on what witnesses said was a reckless ride through the city. Thomas Meighan Jr., a Carroll County man who had been repeatedly convicted of drunken-driving offenses but was still the registered owner of the truck that struck Ms. Frankl, has been charged in her death.

The high cost of housing in Howard County puts industries that need large numbers of entry-level workers at a disadvantage. Increasingly, these businesses are turning to Baltimore and Washington, the urban areas that bookend Howard County to provide that labor.A growing number of employers are offering entry-level warehouse, packing and distribution positions in Howard. Some companies have turned to unusual methods to lure workers to those jobs. A few have even turned to the state prison in Jessup, hiring inmates on work release.

WASHINGTON -- A federal trade panel ruled yesterday that a flood of Canadian wheat shipments to the United States is crippling U.S. farm programs and said imports should be curbed.The decision by the International Trade Commission is seen as a victory for the Clinton administration, which sought restrictions. The finding could strengthen the hand of top U.S. trade and agricultural officials in resolving differences with Canada over trade in wheat and other agricultural goods.In its decision, the bipartisan panel held that the surge in durum wheat imports over the past four years drove down wheat prices in the United States, increased U.S. government subsidies and requires retaliatory restrictions, such as quotas or tariffs.

The real significance of President Clinton's decision last week to attack the marketing of cigarettes to children is that it establishes a principle.If his proposal cuts smoking by kids, that alone will be a substantial achievement. But more important, it would establish the principle that the federal government can regulate the sale of tobacco. That's why the tobacco industry, which professes to favor a voluntary approach, is fighting the president so bitterly.Mr. Clinton has offered the industry a chance to agree on legislation to restrict minors' access to cigarettes.