MOVING ON UP Montgomery County to mark minimum wage raise. A-4
The Gazette
NEWS: Lakelands Park turf field in Gaithersburg almost ready for play. A-3
GAITHERSBURG | MONTGOMERY VILLAGE DA I LY U P DAT E S AT G A Z E T T E . N E T
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Neighbors fired up about group home in Derwood Fear and anger rise about center for psychiatric patients n
BY
TERRI HOGAN STAFF WRITER
Tempers flared at a community meeting last week, as neighbors raised concerns over a new residential group home for psychiatric patients in Derwood, citing their safety and questioning the home’s legality. In June, the treatment center, owned and operated by nonprofit Cornerstone Montgomery of Bethesda, opened at 6112 Granby Road. Residents claim
SPORTS: Magruder boys soccer tested themselves against state finalist Blake. B-1 25 cents
Cuppa with a cop
it has dramatically changed the character of their quiet neighborhood. Granby Road is a small enclave of fewer than 30 singlefamily homes that ends in a cul-de-sac. Residents at the Sept. 23 meeting at the Olney Library cited frequent rescue vehicles, more traffic and patients wandering throughout the neighborhood and approaching residents, asking for rides. Many said they feared for their family’s safety. Cari Guthrie-Cho, Cornerstone’s president and CEO, said
See HOME, Page A-10 DAN GROSS/THE GAZETTE
Gaithersburg police charge 3 men with possession of PCP Residents had lodged complaints about possible drug activity in area n
BY JENN DAVIS STAFF WRITER
Gaithersburg police arrested three men Sept. 22 after it was discovered that they were in possession of Phencyclidine, or PCP. Kittrell Andre Budd, 23, of Gaithersburg, Colenester Bernard Jones III, 23, of Germantown and Marcus Anthony Plummer, 26, of Damascus were taken into custody as a result of the possession, according to a city news release. Detectives from the Gaith-
ersburg Police Street Crimes Unit previously received complaints from residents about possible drug activity in the 400 block of Girard Street in the city, the release stated. Officers conducted surveillance operations in the area, and on Sept. 22, they witnessed a drug transaction, according to the release. Police stopped Plummer on foot and also conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle that Budd and Jones were occupying. Police said that Plummer tried to flee on foot, but was quickly apprehended. During the traffic stop, “distribution amounts” of PCP and $31,000 were discovered. Dan
See PCP, Page A-10
Montgomery County Police Lt. David McBain (right) answers questions from Camille Bohannon of Montgomery Village (left) about pedestrian crossing and traffic laws at the “Coffee with a Cop” event at Starbucks in the Kentlands on Tuesday.
Gaithersburg residents, police chat over coffee
N
early two dozen residents gathered at the Starbucks in the Kentlands on Tuesday morning to participate in Coffee with a Cop, which was hosted by the Gaithersburg Police Department. Topics discussed include pedestrian safety, parking issues, bicycle safety,
neighborhood watch, theft from vehicles, what to do if stopped by police for a traffic infraction and general crime concerns, according to police officer and spokesman Dan Lane. Coffee with a Cop is a national initiative supported by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community
Oriented Policing Services, according to a city press release. The program gives residents the opportunity to ask questions, bring forward concerns and meet the city’s officers, Police Chief Mark P. Sroka said in the release. — JENN DAVIS
Whooping cough count reaches 26 Gaithersburg High among schools that have experienced cases n
BY
LINDSAY A. POWERS STAFF WRITER
The total count of pertussis, or whooping cough, cases in Montgomery County
schools has risen to 26, a figure that county health officials said represents a better understanding of how many students and adults have caught the disease since the start of the school year. As of Thursday, 24 students and two adults in county public and private schools had come down with the respiratory disease since last August, according to Mary Anderson, a Montgomery County Health and Human Services
spokeswoman. She said that counts she previously provided were incomplete. The total number has also grown recently due to new cases. College Gardens Elementary School in Rockville sent a letter home on Sept. 23 to notify families about the appearance of pertussis in the school community, Anderson said. Briggs Chaney Middle School in Silver Spring
See ILLNESS, Page A-10
Race to raise money for Holy Cross oncology unit Event to be held at Seneca Creek State Park in Gaithersburg n
BY JENN DAVIS STAFF WRITER
PHOTO BY MARK AND BRANDON KOBER
Runners race for a cause during last year’s Building Block 5K event at Seneca Creek State Park in Gaithersburg.
INDEX Automotive Calendar Classified Entertainment Opinion Sports
Step by step, area runners and walkers will work to help others in need by hitting the pavement when the third annual Building Block 5K Race for a Cause event returns to Gaithersburg on Saturday. Several years ago, Nehemiah Tabb, one of the race organizers and founders, was motivated to make a difference
in society by his church, Seneca Creek Community Church in Germantown. “It started off because my church challenged all of the members to help out in the community and to come up with ideas to better the community,” he said. Around that time, Tabb, of Germantown, said he noticed that a lot of people he knew were being affected by cancer and even heard about one person who died because they weren’t able to afford the cost of continuing with medical treatments. It was then that Tabb determined he wanted to do something to help
ENTERTAINMENT B-11 A-2 B-7 A-11 A-9 B-1
NEW LIFE IN THE DAYLIGHT A wingless fairy makes new friends in Imagination Stage’s production of “The Night Fairy.”
A-11
1932781
struggling cancer patients. Looking to plan a charity event, Tabb enlisted the help of friend and co-worker Sarah Paxton. Once the two ironed out the race details, the next decision to be made was where to donate the proceeds. Tabb visited several local cancer facilities and asked staff at each location how they handle situations in which patients do not have enough money to pay for necessary treatment. Not feeling satisfied with the first few places, Tabb reached out to one more. “Something told me to call Holy Cross [Hospital],” he said. “They were
Volume 55, No. 39 Two sections, 28 Pages Copyright © 2014 The Gazette
Please
RECYCLE
just so, so helpful. It was a confirmation that this was where the money needs to go.” The event, which is sponsored by Seneca Creek Community Church, will be from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Seneca Creek State Park, 11950 Clopper Road, Gaithersburg. Registration will take place on the day of the event beginning at 7:30 a.m. The cost will be $30 per person, and includes entrance into the park, the race fee and a t-shirt. All proceeds will be given to the
See ONCOLOGY, Page A-10