Olneygaz 103013

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British rockers bring a love for the road to Fillmore. B-5

The Gazette OLNEY

DAILY UPDATES ONLINE www.gazette.net

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

25 cents

Olney youth football teams benched for the playoffs

Brookeville steps back in time

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n 1814, when President James Madison fled to Brookeville as the British burned Washington, town residents showed their hospitality to him and his accompanying troops. The Town of Brookeville showed its hospitality once again Sunday evening, when the town hosted The Madison Supper at the Inn at Brookeville Farms. Nearly 300 people attended the event, which raised funds for the Town of Brookeville’s War of 1812 bicentennial activities. Notable guests included James and Dolley Madison (re-enactors from Montpelier, the Madison homestead in Virginia), Gov. Martin O’Malley, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., State Sens. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. and Karen S. Montgomery, and County Executive Isiah Leggett. Leggett’s wife Catherine served as honorary chairman of the event co-chaired by Sandra Heiler, Brookeville’s War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission chair. O’Malley, a history buff, arrived portraying Gen. John Mason, wearing his own War of 1812 general’s uniform. The evening included an

Parents struggle to explain decision to their kids

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BY

TERRI HOGAN STAFF WRITER

GREG DOHLER/THE GAZETTE

Gov. Martin O’Malley (right), dressed in period clothing, is greeted by a re-enactor of Dolley Madison (left) on Sunday during a pre-reception for the Madison Supper at the historic Madison House in Brookeville, where in 1814 President James Madison sought refuge following the burning of Washington in the British invasion. Looking on is Montgomery County Councilwoman Nancy Floreen (back, center), her husband David Stewart (back, left) and a reenactor of President Madison. address by James Madison, a historically accurate menu based on what Dolley Madison would have served her guests, and a silent auction.

Brookeville Commissioner Katherine Farquhar said that one guest described the event as “a landmark in Brookeville history.”

“They nailed it, and of course, we’re all in love with the charming Madisons,” she said.

— TERRI HOGAN

Parents Joe and Donna McShea have tried to teach their children that hard work will pay off, but they are having a tough time explaining why that is not the case in a recent decision that will keep their sons’ football teams out of the playoffs. The league in which their sons play eliminated their teams from postseason play following accusations that the teams were stacked with the best players — players who should have been put on more elite squads. But the teams argue their players have a record of improvement that shows they performed well

because they worked hard, not because the teams were stacked with the best players. The McShea brothers, 11-year-old Joey and 9-year-old Timothy, play for the Olney Boys and Girls Community Sports Association, which competes in the Mid-Maryland Youth Football and Cheer League. The league, for players 5 to 13 years old, is based in Howard County and includes teams from throughout the D.C./Baltimore area. The league has five divisions, and each division is made up of several age groups. The McShea brothers play in the Liberty division, which is listed fourth in competitiveness, but Olney also fields teams in the National division, which is usually reserved for the most talented players. OBGC chair and football

See TEAMS, Page A-11

Council OKs help for working families Mother honors late daughter by trying to save teens’ lives Will increase county supplement for low-income households n

BY

RYAN MARSHALL STAFF WRITER

Montgomery County is restoring a tax break for lowincome working families. The Montgomery County Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a bill requiring an increase in the county’s Working Families Income Supplement, which provides money to taxpayers working at or near the poverty level. The increase could help

people make a car payment they otherwise might have missed, which could have jeopardized their ability to get to work and put their job at risk, said Councilman Hans Riemer (D-At Large) of Silver Spring, who sponsored the bill. Many community groups in the county strongly supported the bill, Riemer said. A county memorandum on the issue reported that representatives of Catholic Charities, the Justice and Advocacy Council of Montgomery County, Progressive Maryland and Maryland Hunger Solutions, among other groups, supported the bill at a July public hearing.

Councilwoman Nancy Floreen (D-At Large) of Garrett Park said she’s always voted for a full match by the county, and she hopes the county will be able to do more in the future in other areas. “I’m fine with this solution, but I’m hopeful we can do better in the coming years depending on the resources available,” Floreen said. Council Vice President Craig Rice (D-Dist. 2) of Germantown said he’d like to see the county take a more comprehensive approach. The income supplement itself won’t lift anyone out of poverty, and with many fed-

eral programs facing cuts, the county will have to do more, Rice said. Maryland residents can claim a credit for up to half of their federal earned income tax credit, and a refund of up to one quarter of the federal credit, according to a county release. In 2000, Montgomery started matching 100 percent of the Maryland refund to help residents afford the high costof-living in the county. But a bill passed in 2010 allowed the council to set the county income supplement at less than 100 percent of the state refund-

See FAMILIES, Page A-11

Parent and Safe Kids Worldwide speak out against distracted walking n

BY

PEGGY MCEWAN STAFF WRITER

There are no markers, no cross, flowers or stuffed teddy bears along Md. 118 in Germantown where Christina MorrisWard, 15, died a year ago after

being struck by a car. But part of her mother’s heart is there. Gwen Ward is working for pedestrian safety so no other parent will go through what she has. Ward has partnered with the Montgomery County Department of Transportation and with Safe Kids Worldwide in a campaign against distracted

See MOTHER, Page A-11

Starr proposes $1.55B capital improvements program budget n

Proposes 14 new classroom addition projects BY

LINDSAY A. POWERS STAFF WRITER

Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Joshua P. Starr said he prioritized adding classroom space in his newly proposed $1.55 billion Capital Improvements Program for

fiscal years 2015 to 2020. “We are bursting at the seams,” he said Monday at Highland Elementary School in Silver Spring, which is at maximum capacity. Starr said the school system needs $2.2 billion to cover all of its capital improvement needs for the six-year period. He is proposing a $1.55 billion program, he said, because the county is currently facing “fiscal restraints” and the school system is not getting the

FALL BACK This Sunday at 2 a.m., set your clocks back one hour for the end of daylight saving time.

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funding it deserves from the state. The proposed program is about $184 million higher than the current program, which covers fiscal years 2013 to 2018. Starr said the program addresses the school system’s ongoing, significant enrollment growth with a recommendation for 14 new classroom addition projects. The plan also maintains schedules for other, previously approved capacity projects, including five

new schools. Since 2007, he said, the school system has grown by 14,000 students; another 11,000 are expected over the next six years. Even if the program were fully funded, Starr said, 13 school clusters are expected to be over capacity in fiscal 2020. Fifteen school clusters in the system are over capacity this fiscal year. Most of the school system’s growth has occurred in elementary schools, he

said. Of the 14 classroom addition projects, 12 are proposed for elementary schools. Starr recommended five addition projects at elementary schools in the Downcounty Consortium, an area that he said has faced the county’s largest growth in the last six years. “While the growth is most dramatic

See BUDGET, Page A-10

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