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VisArts exhibits combine divergent styles, views. A-11
The Gazette DAMASCUS | CLARKSBURG
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Wednesday, August 14, 2013
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Midcounty Highway plan draws protests At hearing, residents fear impact on environment, pedestrian safety n
BY
SYLVIA CARIGNAN 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-
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Frankie Bell and sons prepare cars for the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair’s demolition derby. Page A-4
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See SAFETY, Page A-10
Hundreds of residents protested the county’s options for a possible extension to Midcounty Highway on Wednesday night, leaving no clear support for any of six options. More than two dozen speakers at a public hearing voiced their opposition to Alternative 4, which would widen several roads east of Md. 355 to four- to six-lane highways. Protesters wore “HALT ALT 4” stickers and held up signs at the hearing. About 280 people attended. Eleven options were initially presented for the county-funded project, but that number has been narrowed to six: Alternatives 1, 2, 4, 5, 8 and 9. The county’s recommended alternative is 9, which follows the master plan for the area. Under Alternative 9, the county would build a new four-lane highway between the existing Midcounty Highway and Watkins Mill Road. At that point, three different end options would connect the highway to Ridge Road. The project is intended to relieve congestion on Md. 355, improve vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian access to employment centers, commercial districts and residential areas, and do so in an environmentally sensitive manner, according to the county’s 2010 study.
See MIDCOUNTY, Page A-10
Clarksburg group backs extension n
New roads needed to keep up with growth VIRGINIA TERHUNE
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STAFF WRITER
The Clarksburg Civic Association says it supports the Midcounty Highway expansion plans north from Montgomery Village to Md. 27. The Montgomery County Council is considering possible routes with the goal of relieving traffic on Md. 355 and Interstate 270. The association-supported alternative would involve widening existing roads and building new sections to extend the Midcounty Highway (M-83) from Montgomery Village Avenue (Md. 124) to Brink Road and Ridge Road (Md. 27) in Clarksburg. From there it would connect to the as-yet incomplete Snowden Farm Parkway running northwest through Clarksburg to eventually connect to Md. 355 north of the growing community. “It seems like the most direct path,” said civic association President Barry Fantle on Tuesday. “It’s been on
See CLARKSBURG, Page A-10
Montgomery College takes online leap with global results College introduces first ‘massive open online course’ n
BY
LINDSAY A. POWERS STAFF WRITER
Montgomery College is offering a new English prep class with no price tag, no class-size limit and only one prerequisite: an Internet connection. Joining in a growing group of colleges offering such a course, and set-
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RESCUED PUPS FIND OPEN ARMS Humane society brings dogs of all shapes and sizes to Washington area.
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ting out as the first community college in Maryland to produce its own, Montgomery College has added its first massive open online course (MOOC) — an English prep class that is, as the name would suggest, pretty big and completely open. “It’s free and available to anyone in the world who has Internet access,” said Emily Rosado, an associate professor at the college who will lead the online course involving video lectures, assigned readings and discussion boards.
“MOOCs are kind of all the rage right now,” she said. Rosado said she has experience teaching several English classes, including freshmen English, introduction to literature and introduction to journalism — but this class represents a large jump for her in terms of class size. “It’s a little scary,” she said. As of Monday, about 215 students were enrolled, including people living in England, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates. The college also
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A WHOLE NEW REALITY Coaches say there has been an increase in high school athletes transferring to new schools.
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plans to reach out to high school students in Montgomery County Public Schools, Rosado said. While she said it is exciting to have international students, Rosado said the college wants especially to offer Montgomery County and other Maryland students a class that can help students avoid remedial classes and ensure they finish their degree. The class is aimed toward preparing a student for a college-level English course, whether it’s a person who has
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been out of school for a while, someone in the military testing out an online course or a high school student looking for some extra preparation before heading to college, she said. Students at the college who take a developmental, or remedial, course often don’t graduate, she said. Bernard Sadusky, executive director of the Maryland Association of Community Colleges, said Montgomery
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