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The young men at Our House residential job training program in Brookeville harvested 57 pounds of honey last week, and will offer it for sale at the Olney Farmers and Artists Market beginning Sunday.

Our House Director Benny Bienvenue said that tending to the hives is a year-round process, but the benefits of the program are many.

"This teaches the guys something that they have no idea about and it helps them to understand nature better," he said. "They are also learning entrepreneurship and that there are numerous ways to bring in income."

Bienvenue said the program is surprisingly popular among the young men, with 10 of the 16 trainees participating. Some tended to the hives during the winter and spring, while others donned protective bee suits to harvest the honey from the hives.

The honey will be sold at the market in 1-pound jars for $7.50 while supplies last, along with the certified-organic produce grown on their farm.

"Our honey went unbelievably quickly last year," Bienvenue said. "We've already had people calling us for two months asking when it would be available."

The Olney Farmers and Artists Market takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each Sunday on the old Montgomery General Hospital grounds at the intersection of Prince Phillip Drive and Olney Sandy Spring Road.

For more information on Our House, call 301-519-1019 or send an e-mail to info@our-house.org.

Author to attend

Olney Book Club

Washington, D.C., author Laurie Strongin will discuss and sign copies of her book, "Saving Henry," Thursday at 7 p.m. at a book club gathering in Olney.

Club member Julie Bender said she selected the book because it is an inspiring story about a mother's journey to save her son who was born with a terminal illness and the many lives they touched along the way.

"Even if you have not ready the book, Laurie is such an inspiration and hearing her story makes you truly appreciate all the little things in life," Bender said.

To learn more about the book, visit www.savinghenry.com. The book can be purchased at area bookstores or online.

Reservations are required to attend and more details about the event will be provided at that time. Contact Bender at jebender415@verizon.net or 301-773-3596.

Calling all artists

The Olney Farmers and Artists Market will sponsor its second Plein Air Olney event on Sept. 11 and 12.

Plein Air is an approach to painting developed in the mid-19th century in France. An artist stands at an easel and paints what he/she sees to capture the scene at that moment, and completes the work in a single sitting.

Artists of all ages and all abilities are invited to participate on Sept. 11 to create their works at sites within a seven-mile radius of Olney. The community is encouraged to look for artists around town and to watch them work.

The following day from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., all artworks created the day before will be on exhibit and available for purchase at the Farmers and Artists Market, located on the old Montgomery General Hospital grounds at Prince Phillip Drive and Olney-Sandy Spring Road.

Nothing will cost more than $200 and many pieces will be sold for much less.

Information and registration forms are available at www.olneyfarmersmarket.org. For more information, visit Plein Air organizers Tara Holl and Roberta Staat at the Plein Air booth at the farmer's market this weekend.

Civil War tour for members

of Sandy Spring Museum

The Sandy Spring Museum is offering a tour of "Maryland's Civil War" exclusively to its members on Sept. 18.

Sharon Holt, museum director and Civil War historian, will lead the motor coach trip. Participants will explore the importance of railroad and canal transport on the local economy and visit Harper's Ferry and the Antietam battlefield.

The trip will conclude in Frederick with a reception, dinner and entertainment before returning to Sandy Spring.

For information on becoming a member and signing up for the trip, visit www.sandyspringmuseum.org or call 301-774-0022.

Olney dancer joins

New York City Ballet

Dana Jacobson, 18, of Glenelg, a former student of Patricia Berrend of the Berrend Dance Centre of Olney, has joined the New York City Ballet.

After four years of study at the School of American Ballet in New York City, Jacobson received an apprenticeship to dance with the company during last year's "Nutcracker" and spring performance series, Berrend said. She now has a contract with the company, she added.

Jacobson came to Olney with Berrend from the Washington School of Ballet in 2004, when Berrend took over the studio, formerly known as Jane Bittner's Dance Center.

Jacobson joins other former students of Berrend who are also members of the New York City Ballet, including Likolani Brown and Jennifer Ringer.

Get pinned at Olney Theatre

Donate $50 or more to the Olney Theatre Centre for the Arts and receive a handmade wooden pin that reads: "Olney Theatre — You Belong here."

"A wonderful woman, LisaBeth Weber, designs pins for organizations and causes, and has created a beautiful pin for us," OTC Managing Director Amy Marshall said.

OTC will match funds donated in honor of Artistic Director Jim Petosa and his direction of "Dinner with Friends," which runs through Sept. 26.

Donations can be made through the website. For more information, visit www.olneytheatre.org.

Montgomery County to mark African Heritage Month

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) will kick off African Heritage Month with a celebration on Thursday in downtown Silver Spring.

The event will take place from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the Silver Spring Civic Building, and will include a reception hosted by members of the county's African Affairs Advisory Group.

Musical entertainment and African cuisine will also be available at the reception. Leggett will issue a proclamation in honor of African Heritage Month at 7 p.m.

The Silver Spring Civic Building is located at One Veterans Plaza.

Other events throughout the month include:

-Sept. 4 and Sept. 5, 2 p.m., Solidarity Soccer Tournament sponsored by the Congolese Community of D.C., New York and Chicago at Gunners Lake Park in Germantown.

-Sept. 5, 10 a.m., African Heritage Month Labor Day event at the Viking Center in Burtonsville.

-Sept. 18, 4-9 p.m., Pan African Cultural Festival at the Silver Spring Civic Building in Silver Spring.

-Sept. 21, 5-10 p.m., African Leadership Congress at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington, D.C.

For more information, call the Office of Community Partnerships at 240-777-2584.

Nominations sought for

Human Rights Hall of Fame

The Montgomery County Office of Human Rights is accepting nominations for its Sixth Hall of Fame.

Nominees should be individuals – either living or deceased – who have made contributions to human and civil rights in the county. The deadline for nominations is Friday.

Five nominees will be selected for the Hall of Fame by a panel of community judges. The induction ceremony will be held 2-4 p.m. Oct. 24 at BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown.

The Hall of Fame began in 2001 and is held every other year. More than 65 individuals have been inducted over the years. For a complete listing of inductees, go to www.montgomerycountymd.gov/humanrights.

Nomination forms are available online or by calling the Office of Human Rights at 240-777-8450.

If you have an interesting note about the people and the events of our community, send it to Terri Hogan, Staff Writer, The Olney Gazette, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, Md. 20877, or e-mail it to thogan@gazette.net. Our fax numbers are 301-670-7182 or 301-670-7183. Deadline is 5 p.m. Thursday for consideration for the following week. All items are subject to space availability.

-Federal, state and county offices are closed Monday, Sept. 6, Labor Day.

-Banks, libraries and courts are closed.

-MCPS administrative offices are closed.

-Recycling and trash pickup — no collection. Collections provided one day later for the remainder of the week. County's waste transfer station is closed.

-Ride On, Metrobus, Metrorail will operate on Sunday schedule.

-MARC trains will not run.

-County liquor stores are open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., with the exception of the Diamond Square store, which will be closed.

-Parking is free at county lots, meters and garages.