BUS RAPID TRANSIT Proposal stokes frustration in Olney. A-4
A&E: Former Silver Spring resident brings about the end of the world in his new movie. B-6
The Gazette ROCKVILLE | ASPEN HILL | POTOMAC | OLNEY
SPORTS: Churchill graduate teaches lacrosse in the land of his ancestors. B-1
DA I LY U P DAT E S AT G A Z E T T E . N E T
Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2014
25 cents
Twinbrook projects rile neighbors
‘Country in the Air’
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Rockville citizens group upset with plans BY LANGSTON TAYLOR SPECIAL TO THE GAZETTE
TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE
Volunteer Michelle Schepis of Rockville helps set up and spruce up the Montgomery County Agricultural Fairgrounds in Gaithersburg on Saturday in preparation for the upcoming exposition, which runs Friday through Aug. 16.
County fair kicks off 66th annual run Rides, 4-H exhibits and wild performances to entertain the masses n
BY JENN DAVIS STAFF WRITER
Have you ever wanted to watch a calf being born, see two monster trucks do a simultaneous back flip or witness the crownGo online for ing of a king complete fair and queen? You’ll have coverage n www.gazette.net the chance when the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair returns to Gaithersburg this week. Featuring a “Country in the Air” theme, the fair will begin its 66th annual run at 3 p.m. Friday, giving attendees the opportunity to enjoy
hundreds of activities, exhibits and experiences. The fair, open from 10 a.m. to midnight through Aug. 16, will be held at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds, 16 Chestnut St. in Gaithersburg. Admission is $10 per person; children 11 and younger are admitted free. Those who have their hand stamped at the gate before leaving can re-enter the fair for free on the same day. On-site parking is $10, cash only. More than 200,000 people are expected to visit this year, said Martin Svrcek, the fair’s executive director. A mix of traditional fair staples — like carnival rides and 4-H exhibitors — and exciting new additions will greet families and groups each night. The Winery at Olney will make a splash at the fair scene this year as a
See FAIR, Page A-12
Spreading hope, one headband at a time
Derwood woman brings her charitable cancer initiative to county fair
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STAFF WRITER
Elana Diestel likes helping people. When she learned about Headband of Hope, it seemed like the perfect way to make a difference in the lives of childhood cancer patients, while using the skills she learned while earning her mass communications and marketing degree from Towson University. “I’m really passionate about things that excite me,” said Di-
Neighbors say no to cell tower at Rockville school n
Community group wants ban at Julius West Middle
estel, 23, of Derwood. “This was a great opportunity to take what I have learned and apply it to real life.” Headbands of Hope is an organization that sells headbands and buffs — head wraps for boys — to raise money to support pediatric cancer research. For every item sold, Headbands of Hope donates $1 to childhood cancer research and one headband or buff to a child with cancer. Many cancer patients lose their hair during chemotherapy treatments. For girls and women, hair is a part of their feminine identity. Wigs can be uncomfortable and unappealing, especially
Some neighbors of Julius West Middle School in Rockville want to end any possibility of a cellphone tower being installed on school property. A community group, Citizens Against a Cell Tower at Julius West Middle School, has started an online petition that requests “a permanent ban” on cellphone towers and is addressed to Superintendent Joshua P. Starr and Montgomery County Board of Education members. As of Tuesday, the petition had 35 signatures, with some signers mentioning concerns related to health effects and property values. Most of the dozen or so group members calling
See HEADBAND, Page A-12
See TOWER, Page A-11
Aspen Hill store, others helping out Rockville man
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BY LANGSTON TAYLOR SPECIAL TO THE GAZETTE
The black wheelchair ramp leading to the front door of Richard Kulikowski’s Rockville home looks like it belongs next to an outdoor concert stage, rather
DAN GROSS/ THE GAZETTE
NEWS
INDEX B-13 A-2 B-10 B-6 A-11 A-14 B-1
MONEY TO GROW
A Rockville prekindergarten program is one of three in the county to win state grants, helping them expand and serve more children.
A-8
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See TWINBROOK, Page A-11
BY
LINDSAY A. POWERS STAFF WRITER
Community pitches in for disabled veteran
Richard Kulikowski of Rockville wheels his chair down a temporary ramp in front of the house. It eventually will be replaced by a lift.
Automotive Calendar Classified Entertainment Obituaries Opinion Sports
TERRI HOGAN
BY
Construction of the new apartments, sandwich shops and a Safeway next to the Twinbrook Metro station is underway, and some residents aren’t happy. The two mixed-use developments on either side of the station are expected to open next year. Richard Gottfried, president of the Twinbrook Citizens Association, said his organization’s members had hoped the space would be zoned for a park. “Obviously, the Twinbrook neighborhood did not get what they wanted from the city of Rockville Planning Commission and mayor and council during the [Twinbrook Neighborhood Plan] process,” Gottfried said. Christina Ginsberg, a former association president, said residents wanted owner-occupied housing rather than apartments. The developer, JBG Cos. of Chevy Chase, reneged “on this deal [which] engenders no love between us and JBG,” Ginsberg said.
than a single-story house — because it does. The temporary ramp was rented from Kulikowski’s friend, who works for All Stage and Sound, an event production agency in Laytonsville. “He said, ‘Well, I’ll put in a ramp for you,’” Kulikowski said. It’s one of several efforts by local businesses to make the home more accessible for the double-amputee as he
Volume 27, No. 32, Two sections, 32 Pages Copyright © 2014 The Gazette Please
RECYCLE
awaits two leg prostheses and the ability to walk again. Kulikowski, 73, was active in the Army from 1961 to 1963, serving in Germany and North Carolina, and was a reserve until 1967. He then moved to Maryland and had three children, Frank, Kelly and Tim. Tim has died. He founded a Rockville plumbing
See VETERAN, Page A-11