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DANCE CARD
Comedian Engvall takes break from competition to stop by Strathmore. B-5
The Gazette ROCKVILLE | ASPEN HILL | WHEATON
DAILY UPDATES ONLINE www.gazette.net
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
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In Montgomery County, mass furloughs likely from federal shutdown Agencies slash operations; national parks close n
BY
KATE S. ALEXANDER AND KEVIN SHAY STAFF WRITERS
Wheaton High School sophomore Haley Ingram asks Kayla Naiman to pick up a red pom during JV cheerleading practice.
PART OF THE Silently but enthusiastically, Kayla Naiman cheers with rest of the Wheaton JV squad
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SARAH TINCHER
SPECIAL TO THE GAZETTE
hen Kayla Naiman’s teammates on the Wheaton High School junior varsity cheerleading squad greet her at the start of practice, she smiles. While her teammates shout and chant their cheers, Naiman doesn’t say a word. She can’t. An undiagnosed intellectual disability has caused her to be nonverbal. But that doesn’t mean Naiman’s role on the squad is any less important. Naiman is new to the squad this year, and is the first Knights cheerleader to have an intellectual disability, special education teacher Kerri Mullins-Levine said. At age 19, Naiman is a senior in Wheaton High’s School/Community Based Program (SCB), which is a specialized program that “serves students with mild/ moderate to severe and profound handicaps.” Naiman was born with the disability which has also caused her to be physically underdeveloped. She can walk and stand on her own, but she needs frequent breaks and communicates with gestures, as well as an application on her iPad called Touch Chat HD.
BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE
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Thousands of federal jobs and employees call Montgomery County home, but many were not working Tuesday after Congress’ inability to compromise on the federal budget, shutting down most government operations. Exactly how many Montgomery County residents were forced to stay home was unclear, but most agencies in the county were slashing operations and mandating that most employees stay home. Employees who are furloughed are required to not work and will not receive pay. Montgomery is also home to many companies that contract with the government. Those companies could see employees furloughed and delays in
contract bids and awards. Eighteen federal agencies and installations are in the county, including the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Energy, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Institutes of Health. When Congress failed to pass legislation to fund the government Monday night in an impasse over the health care reform law, it triggered plans for agencies to halt all but essential operations. For the Silver Spring-based Food and Drug Administration, 45 percent of its 13,000-member work force was scheduled for furlough, spokesman Steven Immergut said. Most of those reporting to work Tuesday are paid with user fees, money outside the budget, he said. The last time the government shut down in 1996, employees were eventually repaid
See SHUTDOWN, Page A-6
School system’s SAT scores show rises, falls
Although she can’t participate in the cheers or many other physical aspects of cheerleading, coach Elisia Rivera has made sure Naiman is an active member of the team. From practices to fundraisers to football games, she always has a role. Rivera is also Naiman’s paraeducator during school, working with her the entire school day. The inherent limitations of Naiman’s disability don’t keep her from showing school spirit thanks to Rivera, who created an adapted practice schedule for Naiman to accommodate her needs. When the squad stretches, Naiman works on body part identification. While teammates sprint at practice, she walks alongside them. At football games, she holds signs that go with the cheers. Naiman has physical and intellectual goals to fulfill at each event, but No. 1 is always for her to have fun. Despite her limitations at participating physically or verbally communicating with teammates, Naiman undeniably enjoys being with the team, according to teammates and Rivera. “When they’re rowdy, when they’re loud, she just likes being a part of that,” Rivera said. “So, when they’re running, she smiles and she gets excited be-
African-American students’ scores up; Hispanic scores drop n
BY
LINDSAY A. POWERS STAFF WRITER
Montgomery County Public Schools’ 2013 SAT results showed movement in both African-American and Hispanic students’ scores — but in different directions. African-American students’ average combined score rose to 1397 this year — eight points above last year’s score. From 2011 to 2012, African-American students’ average score in-
See CHEER, Page A-5
creased seven points. Hispanic students’ average combined score, however, fell 32 points this year after a six-point increase from 2011 to 2012. Both student groups scored significantly higher than their state and national peers this year. The county school system’s overall average combined score fell three points — from 1651 in 2012 to 1648 this year — but was still 11 points above the 2011 score. The SAT serves as a college placement exam and has a maximum score of 2400 across three areas: critical reading, math-
See SAT, Page A-5
New chapter looms in fight over required government ads in newspapers Sides disagree on most efficient ways Digital to get information to the public overnment n
The first in a two-part series
INSIDE n High-speed Internet access is available to more than nine of every 10 households in the county, making it one of the nation’s most connected communities. A-15
NEWS
MORE SLEEP FOR STUDENTS? Superintendent recommends pushing school starting times back 50 minutes.
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BY
ANDREW SCHOTZ STAFF WRITER
Lawmakers and government groups are resuming a fight with media representatives over a requirement to buy newspaper advertisements. Known as “legal notices,” the ads are mandatory an-
nouncements of certain government proceedings, such as public hearings and zoning requests. They are a revenue source for newspapers and a longstanding way to inform the public. The main questions: Are these ads the best way to publicize government workings?
SPORTS
Should government bodies be forced to buy the ads? The Maryland Municipal League and the Maryland Association of Counties argue that the current legal-ad system is inefficient and wasteful; government bodies have better, cheaper ways to reach constituents. But the Maryland-DelawareD.C. Press Association, a media
SIZE DOESN’T MATTER
Rockville High quarterback lacks traditional size, but is putting up impressive numbers.
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See ADS, Page A-15
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RECYCLE
DAN GROSS/THE GAZETTE
Garrett Park’s official town bulletin board inside the Garrett Park post office.
FALL HOME SERVICES INSIDE
FOCUS ON LAWN & TREE SERVICES LOCAL JOBS INSIDE ADVERTISING INSIDE B SECTION
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