HERE’S A STORY, OF
&
A MAN NAMED BRADY
Multitalented performer brings his act to Bethesda.
The Gazette
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ROCKVILLE | ASPEN HILL | WHEATON
DAILY UPDATES ONLINE www.gazette.net
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
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Groups try to block Costco gas station n
Claim mathematical error underestimates fumes BY
ELIZABETH WAIBEL STAFF WRITER
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BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE
Amina Harouna, 10, of Rockville and Mike Willis of Gaithersburg repair a shed for the 4-H Horse-N-Around Club at the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair grounds on Saturday.
ewaibel@gazette.net
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Gazette is a 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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Newspapers will continue as usual for now BY AGNES BLUM STAFF WRITER
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
See FAIR, Page A-11
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. Bezos, whose tech-savvy business sense made him one of the world’s richest men — he has a reported net worth of $25 billion — has said he is committed to quality journalism, Mc-
See SALE, Page A-11
NEWS
SPORTS
State earmarks $1 billion in transportation money for Montgomery County.
College recruiters spend more time on teams than they do high school.
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MARYLAND’S BILLIONDOLLAR PLAN
Some of those opposing a proposed Costco gas station in Wheaton say Costco underestimated the levels of air pollutants that would result from cars using the station. An email from Danila Sheveiko, president of the Kensington Heights Civic Association, said Michele Rosenfeld, attorney for the association, has filed a motion for summary disposition of Costco’s special exception application. If granted, Sheveiko said, the motion would deny the company’s bid for a gas station in Wheaton. Due to a mathematical error, the email said, Costco underestimated the levels of nitrogen oxides that would result from auto exhaust fumes. With the error corrected, the concentration of fumes would exceed maximums set by the Environmental Protection Agency, the email said. In an emailed statement, a spokeswoman from Costco said the company remains confident that the proposed gas station will comply with all applicable EPA standards, but she declined to comment further.
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