SUSPENSIONS DROP Training, alternatives credited with positive numbers. A-6
The Gazette
NEWS: Evergreen School marks 50 years of lessons in independence. A-3
SILVER SPRING | TAKOMA PARK | WHEATON | BURTONSVILLE
SPORTS: Rusty Paint Branch girls basketball starts slow, but heats up at tournament. B-1
DA I LY U P DAT E S AT G A Z E T T E . N E T
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
25 cents
Council OKs White Oak master plan n
One member abstains, saying proposal is ‘out of balance’ BY
KEVIN JAMES SHAY STAFF WRITER
Barbara Schubert of Silver Spring is the founder of a group that wants to preserve a hiking trail near the Forest Glen Annex on property owned by the U.S. Army. The Army wants to build a fence blocking access to a portion of the trail, saying it’s an old landfill contaminated with chemicals and medical waste.
PHOTOS BY DAN GROSS/THE GAZETTE
Army floats compromise on medical waste dump n
Some Silver Spring residents want warning signs, without fence BY
KEVIN JAMES SHAY STAFF WRITER
Representatives of the U.S. Army have offered a compromise proposal for an area near a neighborhood trail in Silver Spring where syringes, scalpels and other medical waste were found two
n
See WASTE, Page A-9
Silver Spring preps for National Night Out n More than a dozen area communities to hold crime prevention events BY
KEVIN JAMES SHAY STAFF WRITER
More than a dozen communities in the Silver Spring area will mark the 31st annual obser-
The idea is to “give crime a going away party,” said Patricia Tyson, who is coordinating an event from 6:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Coffield Community Recreation Center, 2450 Lyttonsville Road in Silver Spring. The event, which will include prizes, refreshments and various activities, such as enter-
See WHITE OAK, Page A-9
Takoma Park approves money for Flower Avenue
years ago. The Army and residents have been grappling with what to do about the waste since it was unearthed in 2012. It was found along the Ireland Drive Trail, near the Army’s Forest Glen annex, just south of the Beltway and west of Georgia Avenue. The area also is near the U.S. National Museum of Health and Medicine. The latest proposal involves installing about
vance of National Night Out on Tuesday with block parties involving police officers and other activities. The event, sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch, is held to improve relations between police and communities, which could lead to stronger crime prevention programs.
Following debate over transit improvements, affordable housing and other issues, the Montgomery County Council on Tuesday approved a new master plan for the White Oak area of Silver Spring, a move that was years in the making. Officials hope the updated master plan for White Oak will spur economic development near the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s headquarters and result in thousands of new jobs — many in higher-paying
life sciences fields — to rival the Interstate 270 biotech corridor. While the vote signified a “great day” for the White Oak area and county in general, residents will need to be patient to actually see the hopedfor economic development, said Councilwoman Cherri Branson (D-Dist. 5) of Silver Spring. “Our expectations have been raised, and we expect to see ground broken soon,” Branson said. Eight of the nine council members voted for the plan. Councilman Marc Elrich (D-At Large) of Takoma Park abstained. He said he didn’t want to vote against the proposal and be seen as not sup-
tainers and speakers, is for the Lyttonsville, Rosemary Hills and Rock Creek Forest neighborhoods. “By meeting with police officers and other law enforcement officers, we can learn more about what they do and how we can help,” Tyson said.
See NIGHT, Page A-7
More overruns possible for improvements, councilman warns
BY
KEVIN JAMES SHAY STAFF WRITER
The Takoma Park City Council agreed Monday to increase design costs of a project to upgrade sidewalks and stormwater infrastructure along Flower Avenue by about $177,000. The project, estimated to cost about $2.3 million, is one of the more complex the city has undertaken in recent years and could see more cost
overruns, especially when construction starts, Councilman Fred Schultz said. “There are cost overruns already. There may be more to come,” Schultz said. “Lord only knows what we will find when we do serious excavation work. ... We need to be careful that we don’t cause serious injury to our capital budget.” The design firm, Baltimore-based Rummel, Klepper and Kahl, requested the additional money, citing rising costs related to more coordination with utilities, expanded work for stormwater management and other changes. The
See MONEY, Page A-9
Families navigate difficult journey to resting place Process of sending remains overseas can be painstaking
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BY
ALINE BARROS STAFF WRITER
Death in Montgomery County can lead to a long, difficult task — returning a loved one’s body to a foreign final resting place. According to the U.S. Census, about
INDEX Automotive Calendar Classified Entertainment Obituaries Opinion Sports
1934316
NEWS B-11 A-2 B-7 A-10 A-9 A-13 B-1
31.8 percent of Montgomery residents are foreign-born. In recent months, two Montgomery County families had to go through this process. Don Pen Soh Boma, a Burtonsville resident and former honor student at Paint Branch High School, drowned in Ocean City in June. Boma was 18 years old. He was born in Cameroon and lived in Montgomery County with his uncle Augustine Fuon-
djing, who adopted him. Fuondjing wanted his son to have better opportunities in life. Boma planned to study computer engineering at Towson University. “It is still difficult because he was so young. Especially when I get back home. It is hard to take. There are days that I am really, really down,” Fuondjing said. On April 29, Tsehay Demeke Woldemanuel, 34, was struck by a Ride-
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Silver Spring course welcomes a new hybrid game, FootGolf.
A-3
On bus in Wheaton. She died from her injuries at Suburban Hospital. Woldemanuel was from Ethiopia. At a fundraising website, she is described as having a beautiful smile and unconditional love for her family. She worked two jobs to support herself and her mother, who lives in Ethiopia. Fuondjing said that sending Boma’s remains back to Cameroon was an ex-
Volume 27, No. 31, Two sections, 28 Pages Copyright © 2014 The Gazette Please
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See JOURNEY, Page A-9
DAN GROSS/THE GAZETTE
Augustine Fuondjing holds his phone with a picture of Don Pen Soh Boma, who drowned in Ocean City in June. Boma was Fuondjing’s adopted son.