Sandwich, anyone?

If Jimmy Pappas and Phil Membury can break bread together, anything is possible.

The two outspoken and almost always politically opposed locals have realized, and publicly admitted as much, that there are important areas where they share common ground. Over the promise of a tasty sandwich at a local eatery, the two intend to break bread together. And that's groundbreaking news.

Not to sing too loudly from the same choir, but these men are showing how people with differing views can still respect - dare we say admire? - each other. And when that happens, good things follow.

We're hopeful that with local elections in the immediate rear-view mirror, good things are about to follow, no matter which side of the political fence you find yourself.

Having met almost all of the candidates in all of the local elections, and having done plenty of research that we've shared with readers, we firmly believe that every one of them volunteered for these no-pay jobs because they thought they could make a positive impact. You're free to disagree with that, but we urge you: Please give them a chance. Not just the winners, but the losers, because you'll be hearing from at least some of them in future community discussions and decisions.

We regret that during the campaign, some of the most vocal supporters and critics got a bit carried away. But we emphasize that the candidates themselves did not. At no point was there incivility between candidates on the campaign trail. There were plenty of differences expressed, but no personal attacks.

That says something important about the leadership qualities of all the candidates, and it bodes well for the boards the winners will be serving on. Who knows? Maybe yesterday's competitors will join Jimmy and Phil for a sandwich and the kind of fellowship that pulls communities together, rather than rips them apart.