HERE’S A STORY, OF
&
A MAN NAMED BRADY
Multitalented performer brings his act to Bethesda.
The Gazette
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GERMANTOWN | POOLESVILLE | BOYDS
DAILY UPDATES ONLINE www.gazette.net
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
25 cents
Corridor Cities Transitway to get $100M n
All told, Montgomery to receive $1B in transportation projects BY
KATE S. ALEXANDER STAFF WRITER
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BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE
John Maher of Poolesville sprays off the area around the 4-H Sheep and Swine pens at the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair grounds on Saturday.
See TRANSITWAY, Page A-11
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Gazette one part of $250M sale to Amazon founder
200,000 expected for annual county fair in Gaithersburg
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AND GOING STRONG BY
PEGGY MCEWAN STAFF WRITER
hoose the thrill of the Tilt-a-Whirl, enjoy the beauty of a ripe red tomato or watch the miracle of a calf being born. Those are just a few of the many activities, exhibits and experiences that make up the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair, which opens its 65th annual run at 3 p.m. Friday. The fair, which is open from 10 a.m. to midnight through Aug. 17, offers something for everyone and a lot for most, said Martin Svrcek, executive director. “We are rated internationally as one of the top fairs in the country,” Svrcek said. “It’s clean, well organized and diverse, with foods and attractions for kids of all ages.” The whole operation — which expects to host 200,000 visitors, depending on the weather — is organized and run with fewer than a dozen full-time employees because of the dedication of about 1,000 volunteers, Svrcek said. “Our volunteer cohort is huge,” he said. “During the fair, a thousand people will log volunteer hours.”
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DAN GROSS/THE GAZETTE
(From left) Gregory Frazier, facilities work leader for the Montgomery County Agricultural Center, and volunteers Daniel Herrera and Minh Le, both of Germantown, roll a 500-pound wheel of cheese into cool storage at the Montgomery County Fairgounds.
Fair celebrates 60 years of The Big Cheese. A new Old MacDonald’s Barn. PAGE A-10
ONLINE
n For daily coverage of the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair, go to www.gazette.net/mocofair
Readers of The Gazette can expect to continue hearing the familiar thump of the weekly newspaper hitting their driveways after the planned sale of parts of the Washington Post Co. to Amazon.com founder and CEO Jeffrey P. Bezos. “This is exciting news. We won’t see any immediate change,” said Ann McDaniel, a senior vice president at the Washington Post Co. who started her career as a journalist. “There’s always a future for compelling, accurate journalism at the community level.” The sale, announced Monday and expected to be completed in 60 days, ends the Graham family’s four-generation ownership of the flagship Post newspaper. In addition to The Gazette and the Post, the $250 million deal includes the Express newspaper; Southern Maryland Newspapers; the Fairfax County Times in Northern Virginia; the Spanish-language El Tiempo Latino newspaper; the Robinson Terminal Warehouse and the Post’s adjoining printing plant in Springfield, Va.; the Comprint printing plant in Laurel; and several military-base publications.
See SALE, Page A-11
NEWS
SPORTS
Landlords and tenants in Poolesville will now be able to resolve their differences using the Montgomery County code.
College recruiters spend more time on teams than they do high school.
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Newspapers will continue as usual for now BY AGNES BLUM STAFF WRITER
See FAIR, Page A-11
A DIFFERENT APPROACH
Montgomery County’s push for transportation investment paid a billion-dollar dividend Monday when the state committed money to eight county road, rail and bus priorities. The lion’s share of funding, $680 million, will go to the Purple Line, a 16-mile light rail line planned to connect Bethesda and New Carrollton. Other projects, such as the Corridor Cities Transitway, Ride On Bus system and road improvements, will see smaller funding commitments from the state. County Councilman Craig Rice (D-Dist. 2) of Germantown said the funding from the state helps signal that the Corridor Cities Transitway project is ready to move ahead, although there’s still a long way to go. Making sure the state is a player along with the county can help provide leverage to attract private investment for the project, he said. “It’s a very promising sign for us,” Rice said. Areas such as Clarksburg and Germantown have seen both residential and commercial growth in recent years, he said. Standing above the Bethesda Metro station on Monday, Gov. Martin O’Malley announced
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