Mark Schultz on OrangeChat: Chen Kai teaches at Communication University of China and is a visiting scholar at the UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She has been reading the Chapel Hill News as part of a study on how China can promote community newspapers.

"Community is a new concept in China," she says. "During the whole year I hope to observe operation of a typical American community newspaper as well as its role in community building and write a book introducing its mature experience to Chinese newspaper industry."

We attended [the recent] Chapel Hill candidates forum sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, Empowerment, the Daily Tar Heel and WCHL, and on the car ride home I asked her what she thought about the candidates for mayor.

Matt Czajkowski she knew had raised the most money.•Augustus Cho, she said, must not have much money because she saw fewer signs for him and knew less about him.•Kevin Wolff was"aggressive," she said. He also "looked like a mayor." Wolff was wearing a sportcoat or suit. I couldn't tell from where we were seated in the room.

She didn't mention Mark Kleinschmidt. I've e-mailed her for more detailed thoughts and will update this post when she replies. Chen also asked me if elections were very important to the community. I thought about that. I said not necessarily in terms of how many people vote. But yes, in terms of how the town looks and operates.