OP Editors's blog

For this first of three year-end/year-beginning posts, we are stealing an idea from long-time OP poster Mark Marcoplos.

Over on Facebook, Mark started a thread on who would be Orange County Person of the Year if we were to have such a thing and so, we thought we'd bring that question over here and see what others had to say (thanks for the idea Mark!).

The Chapel Hill Carrboro Chamber of Commerce awarded Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership Executive Director Meg McGurk Person of the Year for our two towns (a wonderful choice).

So, who would you want to see as Orange County Person of the Year and why?

[Look for our posts asking for your '2013 Stories of the Year' and 'What to Watch for in 2014' later this week and next.]

Welcome to the open thread for tonight's Conversation With the Mayors. There are three candidates running unopposed for mayor in Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and Hillsborough:

• Alderwoman Lydia Lavelle is running unopposed for mayor of Carrboro.
• Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt is running unopposed for reelection as mayor of Chapel Hill.
• Mayor Tom Stevens is running unopposed for reelection as mayor of Hillsborough.

You can observe the forum at http://orangepolitics.org/elections-2013/forums/mayors.

We hope you'll use this open thread to post your thoughts and reactions. Also, if you want to propose additional discussion topics, you can reach the editors during the forum via Twitter, Facebook, or the contact page. The forum moderator will have final say in question selection.

Welcome to the open thread for tonight's Carrboro Board of Aldermen candidate forum.

There are five candidates for three seats: 

• Jacquelyn M. Gist
• Randee Haven-O'Donnell
• Sammy Slade
• Kurt Stolka
• Al Vickers

You can observe the forum at http://orangepolitics.org/elections-2013/forums/carrboro-board-of-aldermen.

We hope you'll use this open thread to post your thoughts and reactions. Also, if you want to propose additional discussion topics, you can reach the editors during the forum via Twitter, Facebook, or the contact page. The forum moderator will have final say in question selection.