SCHOOL BUDGETS Council panel recommends cutting spending plans. A-10
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NEWS: Group raises funds to help survivors of Nepalese quake. A-4
ROCKVILLE | ASPEN HILL | POTOMAC | OLNEY
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DA I LY U P DAT E S AT G A Z E T T E . N E T
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
25 cents
Some oppose school pairing Proposal calls for shared campus for Tilden Middle and Rock Terrace
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LINDSAY A. POWERS STAFF WRITER
A Takoma Park police officer displays a wearable camera, which can be mounted on glasses and clipped to clothing. Rockville is considering getting the cameras for its officers. 2014 FILE PHOTO
Rockville eyes body cameras for cops n
Expert: Devices come with benefits and challenges
said Rockville Police Chief Terry Treschuk. “And frankly, that’s OK,” Treschuk said. “That’s OK with us.” The issue of police body cameras has gained prominence after several high-profile incidents of black men and teens killed by police, some of which were captured on video. In Baltimore, protests and riots followed the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, who was arrested on April 12 and died a week later after suffering injuries to his spine. Part of Gray’s arrest was caught on video by bystanders. Last week, Democratic presidential candidate Hill-
Frustrated community members say they feel shut out of a project process for the possible pairing of Tilden Middle School and Rock Terrace School. Not only have their voices been missing, but the project plan is flawed, they told the Montgomery County school board April 27. Interim Superintendent Larry Bowers recently proposed housing about 1,200 Tilden students with about 100 from Rock Terrace on the same North Bethesda site on Tilden Lane. The county school board is expected to vote on the plan Tuesday.
See SCHOOLS, Page A-13
ary Clinton called for police to use body cameras, during a speech on criminal justice reform at New York’s Columbia University. “We should make sure every police department in the country has body cameras to record interactions between officers on patrol and suspects,” Clinton said. The Justice Department announced plans last week to provide about $20 million for a pilot program to provide cameras to dozens of police departments, including small, local ones. An additional $1 million will be used
Mayor, council mulling ‘The pack is back,’ as Olney dog park reopens pay raises BY
RYAN MARSHALL STAFF WRITER
Rockville police officers could get body cameras in the next few years, a move the city’s police chief says will help them in their day-to-day duties and in dealing with the public. In today’s world, anything can be caught on camera,
See CAMERAS, Page A-13
Improvement project that was expected to take a few weeks lasted five months n
BY
TERRI HOGAN STAFF WRITER
After five months, the renovated Olney Manor Dog Park reopened Friday, much to the delight of area dogs and their owners. “The pack is back,” said Bob McKenna, immediate past president of the Friends of the Olney Manor Dog Park. The group is a sanctioned citizen advisory board, serving as the official voice representing park users to Montgomery Parks. “I was there on Friday afternoon, and there were a bunch of dogs that are usually there,” he said. “Everyone was happy to see each other.“ The renovation project included erecting shade shelters, installing running water and improving the drainage system. Park Manager Mike Little said the
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Susan Henry walks her 8-year-old dog Loki, one of the first dogs to use the newly renovated Olney Manor Dog Park on Friday. water fountain at the dog park is not working yet, but in the meantime water is available at the public restrooms. The facility closed and work began in early December for what was expected
to be a three- or four-week project. Park officials cited delays due to weather, and eventually ousted the contractor last month. Park staff completed the work.
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Star of stage, screen and stories has plenty more to say Saturday at the Strathmore. B-5
The 1-acre dog park, at 16601 Georgia Ave., opened in 2009 and was funded by the State Highway Administration as an Intercounty Connector mitigation project at a cost of $135,000. The Friends of the Olney Manor Dog Park lobbied for improvements found at other county dog parks such as shade and running water, and members were delighted to learn last spring that the project had been approved and funded. The project got a financial boost last month in the form of a $50,000 state bond, secured by local legislators. “We are very pleased with how it turned out,” McKenna said. “It’s a grand improvement. It made me think about how lucky we are in Montgomery County to have the public services — police, firefighters, libraries, schools and parks — among the best in the country.” The Friends group will hold its annual meeting at 7 p.m. May 13 in the meeting room of the Olney Indoor Swim Center. The public is invited. thogan@gazette.net
Volume 28, No. 18, Two sections, 32 Pages Copyright © 2015 The Gazette Please
RECYCLE
Next Rockville leaders would get more money, but fewer benefits
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BY
RYAN MARSHALL STAFF WRITER
Rockville’s next mayor and City Council members will likely get a pay raise, but they will have to take on some other costs. The city’s Compensation Commission has recommended increasing the mayor’s salary to $31,500 and council members’ salary to $25,500. They’re expected to OK the increases in the coming weeks. Currently, the mayor’s compensation is $27,033, with council members earning $21,626. The new pay levels would be up 16.5 percent and 17.9 percent, respectively. The base compensation
See RAISES, Page A-13