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The Gazette BETHESDA | CHEVY CHASE | KENSINGTON
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Wednesday, August 14, 2013
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Fundraising at charter school prompts concern Montessori school needs to raise $150,000 this year
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LINDSAY A. POWERS STAFF WRITER
PHOTOS BY DAN GROSS/THE GAZETTE
Maryland amusement ride inspector Chad Georg (right) walks through the funhouse with ride supervisor Stephen Bergeron at the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair in Gaithersburg on Thursday.
BEFORE THE THRILLS,
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Safetyfirst
Ride inspector says mechanical failures are rare
KATE S. ALEXANDER
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STAFF WRITER
efore thousands of fairgoers hop on the Ferris wheel or enter the funhouse at the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair, inspectors spend days combing over every midway ride to ensure each is in safe working order. Maryland’s Department of Labor Licensing and Regulation conducts about 6,000 ride inspections each year to ensure the safety of Marylanders who use amusement rides, said Rob Gavel, supervisor of the department’s Amusement Ride Safety Unit. State inspectors arrived at the Montgomery County Agricultural Fairgrounds on Aug. 5, when most rides were still in transport trailers.
“When they are like that, you get to see the rides ... parts of the rides you don’t get to see once they are fully assembled,” Gavel said. Gavel spoke Thursday as his team was finishing inspections in advance of Friday’s opening. Inspectors checked for proper assembly, that the foundation of each ride was secure, that the nuts and bolts holding rides together were properly torqued, that all pins were in place and that safety devices worked. Each ride also was turned on and run to ensure proper speeds and that fences were in the correct place, he said. “We have to see it run before we put a certificate on it,” Gavel said. Gavel said no major issues or concerns were found among the approxi-
Women wield crosscut saws, hot saws and axes for performances
Frosh
BY KARA ROSE STAFF WRITER
The Lumberjills chopped, sawed and rolled their way into the 65th Montgomery County Agricultural Fair for the first time on Friday. The four women donned black and pink T-shirts that read “Chics With Axes” and
NEWS
LENDING PAWS TO PUPS Forty-eight dogs rescued in Arkansas make their way to Gaithersburg to find a home.
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Chad Georg checks the funhouse. The amusement rides at the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair will be inspected every day.
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It’s either ‘up or out’ to advance, says political blogger BY AGNES BLUM STAFF WRITER
Patty Christinat of Connecticut served as an emcee for the performance. She first took an interest in logging sports when she joined her woodsman team in college in Maine. Christinat competed at a collegiate level for about two years before joining the professional circuit, which she has been in for the past seven years. She said she was drawn to the hobby because of how unique it is. Christinat said it is empowering to chop through a piece of wood. Her favorite event
See LUMBERJILLS, Page A-10
SPORTS
A WHOLE NEW REALITY Coaches say there has been an increase in high school athletes transferring to new schools.
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RECYCLE
Frick
Political shuffle: Some state seats will change hands
See SAFETY, Page A-10
competed in a series of events against each other during the 30-minute performance, including hot saws, crosscut saws, ax throwing, wood carving, the underhand chop and log rolling. The women are part of Timber Tina’s World Champion Lumberjills, which travels throughout North America competing and performing. The crew is the first all-women’s logging sport entertainers. The group was started about 18 years ago, and the women do their own set-up and tear-down for the show.
See FUNDRAISING, Page A-10
ONLINE: www.gazette.net/mocofair
Lumberjills bust their chops at county fair n
As Community Montessori Charter School heads into its second school year, some county and school system officials are concerned about fundraising efforts to complement Montgomery County Public School funds in the school’s budget. As of July 26, Crossway Community — the nonprofit that operates the county’s only charter school — was continuing to raise the roughly $150,000 needed to complement about $66,000 the school system contributed to the 2012-2013 school year budget, according to Kathleen Guinan, the nonprofit’s CEO.
The nonprofit has no deadline to come up with the funds, said Larry Bowers, the school system’s chief operating officer. The organization will need to raise a similar amount of money for the 2013-2014 school year budget, Bowers said. Guinan said at a July 22 meeting with the County Council’s Education Committee that the school has the support of “highly reliable sources” in the county to help it raise the funds it needs. “We have consulted with these sources and have every confidence we will be able to meet our financial obligations,” Guinan said. So far, she said in late July, the school’s sources had included parent contributions, grants and fundraisers. Guinan has not been reached for
Montgomery County politics resembles a game of musical chairs these days, with elected officials switching seats and newcomers circling around looking for an empty one. The latest twists are two official announcements: Del. Susan C. Lee (D) will seek the District 16 state Senate seat currently held by state Sen. Brian E. Frosh (D), after Frosh announced on July 30 that he is running for state attorney general. “It’s the rare politician
who isn’t always looking to move up,” said Catherine Riley, a former Maryland state senator in Harford County who now teaches at the University of Maryland. “Even freshman delegates always have a plan — always be ready.” So far, Lee is the only candidate who has publicly announced she is running for the District 16 Senate seat. All this upward movement depends on Douglas F. Gansler leaving his job as attorney general, which he has held since 2006, and running for governor. While other gubernatorial candidates already are actively campaigning in the 2014 race, Gansler has held
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