Silverspringgaz 031914

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DESIGNING WOMEN

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Playwright’s characters reveal a rich female perspective throughout history. A-12

The Gazette SILVER SPRING | TAKOMA PARK | BURTONSVILLE

DAILY UPDATES ONLINE www.gazette.net

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

25 cents

Who wants

TO KNOW? n

Tenants, businesses, watchdogs, parents and more, records study shows BY

ANDREW SCHOTZ STAFF WRITER

Last year, the public asked local government bodies for copies of employees’ salaries, property inspection reports and information about a mysterious 1990 homicide. Motorists who received tickets from cameras pointed at their vehicles were an active subgroup, requesting information to help them fight their tickets. Watchdogs sought copies of expense reports showing how school system officials were spending

taxpayers’ money. Much of it was public and available through a simple request, under Maryland’s sunshine laws. Sometimes, the records were considered private and the request was denied. Maryland’s Public Information Act guides the release of public records. Local residents, law firms, out-of-state businesses and journalists filed hundreds of PIA requests last year with government bodies in Montgomery County. This year, The Gazette asked Montgomery County, Montgomery County Public Schools and 19 municipalities within the county for copies of all of the PIA requests they received in 2013. The newspaper asked for a copy of each request, the government’s reply and, when feasible, the information that was provided to fulfill those requests. The study was done in conjunction with Sunshine Week, a national effort by news organizations and open-government

TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE

Potomac Paddle Sports’ Brian Fisher (left) instructs new raft guides Sunday morning in the Great Falls Tavern area of the C&O Canal National Park in Potomac. That night, another snowstorm walloped the county with up to 10 inches of snow.

SPRING ON THE HORIZON

See KNOW, Page A-9

INSIDE AND ONLINE

BUT WINTER WEATHER STILL HANGING AROUND IN MARCH

n How local governments did when asked for PIA information – chart, www.gazette.net n Editorial: Information belongs to you – Page A-10 n The types of records sought locally through PIA in 2013, www.gazette.net

FREDERICK STICHNOTH The Gazette talked to several people in Montgomery County who made Maryland Public Information Act requests in 2013 about their experiences. For other Q&A profiles, go to www.gazette.net. Name: Frederick Stichnoth Hometown: Iowa, but a Silver Spring resident for the past 15 years Occupation: Lawyer How many Maryland Public Information Act requests have you ever made (to any government body)? Estimate if needed: I have made five or six. In 2013, you asked Montgomery County Public Schools for: Montgomery County Public Schools Strategic Plan Network Team and its work; Northeast Consortium Student Choice Data; information about African American Student Achievement Action Group. How was your experi-

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PIA PEOPLE:

2013-14

SNOWFALL (IN INCHES) Data are from Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.

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14.2 11.9*

9.8

9

Sunday’s snow keeping sports teams from play

NORMAL

BY KRISTA BRICK STAFF WRITER

8.0

6.8

6 3

2.9 3.0

1.9**

DECEMBER

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

* through Monday ** for all of March

MARCH*

SOURCE: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

It’s an annual rite of spring when baseball players take to the diamond for spring training. Well, Mother Nature apparently is not a fan of spring sports. Spring may start Thursday, but due to the harsh, wet winter that’s been hanging on through March, the county’s athletic fields, including local

parks, elementary and middle schools, are closed to teams that ordinarily would be starting their spring play now. Those fields have beckoned to players, as warmer weather crept into the county Friday and Saturday. But those same inviting fields found themselves blanketed by up to 10 more inches of snow Monday morning. The restriction will be reassessed daily but is in place to prevent surface damage, according to the county. The decision affects all the county’s

See SPRING, Page A-9

New Silver Spring police station to open in May County officials say former building to be used for more housing opportunities

n ence? “By and large, it has been good. ... They’ve been sent within the time limit or shortly after.” Do you have any advice for anyone else seeking public information? “Think what you want, put that in writing and don’t hesitate to ask. ... There’s no reason not to ask.” — ALINE BARROS

SPORTS

SPRING SPORTS PREVIEW

Baseball, softball, lacrosse, track and field start this week. See which teams are the favorites.

B-1

BY

ALINE BARROS STAFF WRITER

The former Silver Spring police station may become a home for budding artists, as a new station nearby is set to open in May. County Executive Isiah Leggett has

Automotive Business Calendar Celebrations Classified Entertainment Opinion School News Sports Please

RECYCLE

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assigned the 50-year-old building at 801 Sligo Ave. in downtown Silver Spring to the Department of Housing and Community Affairs to pursue the development of the site, to include a range of housing opportunities and an art element, according to a recent report from the Silver Spring Regional Center. “Our initial concept is affordable artist live/work housing and workforce housing,” Jalal Greene, chief of division of housing in Montgomery County, wrote in an email to The Gazette. The art element can be a number of

options such as an exhibit space or an artist incubator space, Greene wrote. County officials will begin reaching out for community input in late March. But the report states there was considerable community input and redeveloping the place to artistic use was one of the frequent recommendations. “In large part, these discussions took place at various community meetings with Silver Spring residents, in particular Fenton Village,” Greg Ossont, deputy director

See STATION, Page A-9

SPECIAL SECTION

SUMMER ACTIVITIES GUIDE II It’s not too late to find a summer camp for your child. Check out detailed information about local and regional programs for kids of all ages. ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT

Check out our Services Directory ADVERTISING INSIDE B SECTION

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