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‘DESERT’ STORM

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Family drama stirs up a battle of emotions. B-6

The Gazette GAITHERSBURG | MONTGOMERY VILLAGE

DAILY UPDATES ONLINE www.gazette.net

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

25 cents

Kentlands Day targets politicking

Shooting from outside the box

Rule-breakers to be shamed

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BY JENN DAVIS AND RYAN MARSHALL STAFF WRITERS

The organizers for Kentlands Day have specific rules on when and where candidates for public office can campaign at the public event. And if candidates break those rules, they could be shamed until they leave. After a parade in which anyone may participate, candidates may only campaign from tables that their campaigns have pur-

chased, according to an email containing the rules for the May 3 event. The cost to rent a table and two chairs is $300, according to Andrew Ross, one of the event organizers. The organizers will announce from the stage if any candidate breaks the rules and ask the candidate to leave the event, the email said. “If candidates do not refrain from campaigning, we will have a festival volunteer walk around with the offending candidate holding up a large sign indicating that he/she is breaking the

See KENTLANDS, Page A-12

Maryland passes law for prekindergarten grants New program to direct funds to public, private providers n

BY

LINDSAY A. POWERS STAFF WRITER

Maryland school systems and private providers will soon have access to a new grant program aimed at expanding prekindergarten services in the state. Gov. Martin O’Malley signed on Tuesday the Pre-Kindergarten Expansion Act of 2014, which sets aside grant money to help programs take in more children, jump from half-day to fullday services or open their doors for the first time. The O’Malley administration labeled the act one of its

TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE

Alexandra Mason, 9, takes a photo of the box city Saturday, one of the many activities making up the 25th anniversary celebration for Kentlands, the Gaithersburg planned community. Mason created part of the city and also designed the poster announcing the box city arts activity.

Kentlands residents see community in miniature

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ozens of Kentlands residents stopped by the community’s clubhouse Saturday evening to see the completed box city, which was built in honor of the neighborhood’s 25th anniversary celebration. The construction of the box city

— which includes miniature homes, roads and trees — allowed residents to learn about the principles of town planning used in the development of the Kentlands and have the opportunity to design several structures. Participants worked on their contri-

priorities in the state’s 2014 legislative session, which ended Monday. The program will start in fiscal 2015 with about $4.3 million. Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown (D) said the legislation marks another step toward the larger goal to provide universal, halfday prekindergarten by 2018. The state will seek out the best, most innovative public and private programs to channel grant funds to, he said. “Our intent is to see an equitable distribution around the state,” Brown said. “We would like to see, if not every county, every region of the state have a program that is funded [through the grant program].” He said the new grant funds

See GRANTS, Page A-12

Food drive underway

butions to the mock development from March 29 to April 5 during their spare time. Various parts of the box city will now be displayed in locations around Gaithersburg. — JENN DAVIS

Proposed budget holds line on property taxes New police station, city park at Crown, rec facility dominate capital budget n

BY JENN DAVIS STAFF WRITER

Gaithersburg homeowners will pay the same property taxes as last year under a proposed city budget that has a heavier

focus on capital projects for fiscal 2015. The proposed $59.3 million budget is 4.5 percent higher than this year’s adopted budget, with $49.6 million for the operating budget and $8.8 million for the Capital Improvements Plan. The budget for fiscal 2015, which runs from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015, will be officially released April 14.

“It maintains services at the high level they are at. It gets some capital projects off the ground. It doesn’t increase the tax rate. We really can’t ask for much more than that,” said City Manager Tony Tomasello. About $5.3 million will be pulled from the city’s “substantial reserve balance” and put toward capital projects, according to Tomasello. Three projects

specifically — the new Gaithersburg police station, the city park at Crown and the city-owned former Consumer Product Safety Commission site — are top priorities. “We have this history of putting little bits of money into lots of projects and that just wasn’t working for us any more, so we

SPORTS

NEWS

Georgetown Prep freshman golfer views life differently after facing down brain cancer.

Volunteers help remove invasive plants around the county.

FINDING A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

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WEED WARRIORS WAGE WAR A-15

See TAXES, Page A-12

Automotive Business Calendar Classified Entertainment Opinion School News Sports Please

TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE

Mark Foraker (left), development director at Manna Food Center, receives donations Monday at the nonprofit’s Gaithersburg food warehouse from Montgomery County public information officers (from left) Anne Santora, Tom Pogue and Trish Jenkins. The delivery kicked off the county’s 27th annual Give and Ride program, in which donors of nonperishable food items can get a free Ride On bus ride this week.

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