&
FOUR-DIMENSIONAL
VisArts exhibits combine divergent styles, views. A-13
The Gazette GAITHERSBURG | MONTGOMERY VILLAGE
DAILY UPDATES ONLINE www.gazette.net
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
25 cents
Humane Society considers expansion National organization to seek approval from Gaithersburg
n
BY
SYLVIA CARIGNAN STAFF WRITER
The Humane Society of the United States is considering building a new headquarters in Gaithersburg. Representatives from the animal protection organization will meet with Gaithersburg’s planning
staff for a public hearing Aug. 19 to discuss two possible options for their current site near Watkins Mill Road. According to city documents, the first development option would allow the organization to build up to 342,000 square feet of commercial space for a corporate campus. The second option would allow 300,000 square feet of commercial use and up to 300 residential units. Development would only begin after construction has started on the Watkins Mill Interchange, according to city documents. The new interchange
will link two unfinished portions of Watkins Mill Road over Interstate 270 in Gaithersburg, less than a mile northwest of the Md. 355-Montgomery Village Avenue intersection. At the new interchange, drivers would be able to enter and exit I-270 from Watkins Mill Road. State Highway Administration spokesman Charlie Gischlar said construction on the interchange is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2016. The development plan is in a “very preliminary
At hearing, residents fear impact on environment, pedestrian safety
n
See HUMANE, Page A-12
Lending a paw to Arkansas pups n
BY
ELIZABETH WAIBEL STAFF WRITER
An uber-fluffy brown and gray puppy no bigger than a loaf of bread snuggled sleepily into Ashley Mauceri’s arms. She carried the pup from a large kennel trailer to volunteers from the Humane Society of Calvert County, who hope to find the dog a new home. The puppy was one of 95 animals seized from an apparent hoarding case in Arkansas in July. Mauceri, manager of cruelty response for the Humane Society of the United States, helped Arkansas State Police remove the dogs from a trailer and the surrounding yard where they lived, often without veterinary care. “The majority of them lived outside, without shelter,” Mauceri said. Now, 48 of the dogs are in the Washington area, where pet adoption agencies will try to find new homes for them. They stopped at the Humane Society’s office in Gaithersburg on Aug. 7 so the agencies could pick them up and take them to temporary homes in shelters or foster care. Some puppies snuggled deep into the arms of the people carrying them, looking weary from the long ride from Arkansas to Gaithersburg. Others wagged their tails and tilted their noses upward to bestow doggie kisses on their new friends. Humane Society employees and reporters snapped photos of the pups as they made their way to cars for the next leg of their journey. The Humane Society of the United States, a national organization separate from the Montgomery County Humane Society, helped find shelters and adoption agencies with room for the dogs. While society employees typically try to find shelters close to where the animals were picked up to minimize travel time, Mauceri said, they some-
See PUPS, Page A-12
SYLVIA CARIGNAN STAFF WRITER
Rescued dogs looking for new homes in D.C. area BY
Midcounty Highway alternatives draw protest
TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE
Tara Pollock of Gaithersburg, a member of the Humane Society of the United States’ animal response and rescue team, holds a puppy, one of the dogs the society rescued from an Arkansas property. The dogs were transferred last week to area pet adoption agencies.
Hundreds of residents protested the county’s options for a possible extension to Midcounty Highway 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 INSIDE: recommended alternative is 9, which A comprehensive follows the master listing of Midplan for the area. Under Alternacounty Highway tive 9, the county options would build a new four-lane highway Page A-9 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. The Maryland Department of the Environment and Army Corps of Engineers convened Wednesday’s hearing at Seneca Valley High School. Many residents who spoke said some of the options would have an irreversible impact on the environment, while creat-
See HIGHWAY, Page A-9
Before the thrills at county fair, safety first Ride inspector says mechanical failures are rare n
BY
KATE S. ALEXANDER STAFF WRITER
Before 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
NEWS
UP IN SMOKE? The fate of one of Gaithersburg’s oldest structures might be up to the mayor and council.
A-4
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 Mont-
gomery 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
See SAFETY, Page A-12
SPORTS
A WHOLE NEW REALITY Coaches say there has been an increase in high school athletes transferring to new schools.
B-1
Automotive Calendar Celebrations Classified Community News Entertainment Opinion Sports Please
RECYCLE
DAN GROSS/THE GAZETTE
Maryland amusement ride inspector Chad Georg (right) walks through the funhouse with ride supervisor Stephen Bergeron at the Montgomery County Fair on Thursday.
B-13 A-2 B-9 B-9 A-4 A-13 A-10 B-1
Check out our Services Directory ADVERTISING INSIDE B SECTION
1889693