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Three years ago Kelsie Holtje, 40, found the answer to her lifelong battle with weight in this column.

It was an announcement for a community weight loss challenge.

When Holtje arrived for her first class in January 2008, she weighed too much to register on a standard scale and almost had to drop out of the program, which measures success through percentage of body weight lost.

Devastated, she purchased a different scale that calculated her weight at more than 400 pounds, she said. Then 38 years old, she battled pitting edema, an enlarged heart, insulin resistance, a torn knee meniscus and fatty liver disease.

After a few rounds in the weight loss challenge – and some wins that brought her cash prizes – Holtje has lost 220 pounds. She runs six miles a day and her health problems have all but disappeared.

"Every week we came together I was learning about protein, exercise, water intake and it was just a good, happy supportive environment," she said. "The people wanted what was best for me."

Now Holtje is starting her own weight loss challenge to help others. The program is modeled on the TV show "Biggest Loser." Competitors pay a $35 registration fee, which becomes the prize pot. At the end of the competition, the person who has lost the most fat takes home half of the money, second place takes 30 percent and third place takes 20 percent.

"I'm just hoping to do for someone else what has been done for me," Holtje said. "I was sick and I came in as a last resort. I just stuck with it."

Holtje's weight loss challenge starts Sept. 7 at Gaithersburg High School. The 12-week program is open to anyone and requires pre-registration. To sign up, call 301-428-0562.

Rain or shine,

it's parade time

The 72nd Annual Labor Day Parade will commence marching at 1 p.m. Monday.

Organized by the city of Gaithersburg and the Gaithersburg-Washington Grove Fire Department, the assortment of fire engines, high school marching bands, large balloons, horses, clowns, and more will wind through the streets of Olde Towne Gaithersburg, including East Diamond and Russell avenues.

Free parking is available in the Olde Towne garage, at the corner of Olde Towne and South Summit avenues.

Handicap parking is behind the Victor Litz store on the north side of Diamond Avenue, and behind the Shell station on South Summit Avenue.

A shuttle bus will run from the Lakeforest Shopping Center transit station to Gaithersburg Elementary School beginning at noon.

The parade has been held every year since 1938, except in 1942, during World War II.

The 72nd Annual Labor Day Parade will take place rain or shine.

For information, call 301-258-6350, or email parksrec@

gaithersburgmd.gov.

Pet supply, food program established

The Petco Foundation has chosen Knine Rescue, a local dog rescue organization, to partner with Petco's Germantown store in the foundation's new Pet Food Bank Program. The program gives supplies to economically stressed pet owners in an attempt to curb pet abandonment.

The store has set up a food bank bin that serves as a collection point for customers to drop off donated pet food, supplies or cat litter. A flyer explaining the program and an eligibility application form are available at the food bank bin in the store. For more information, email knine2@hotmail.com.

Early voting centers

to open Friday

Five early voting centers will be open in the county for this month's primary election.

Upcounty residents can vote early at the Germantown Community Center, 18905 Kingsview Road.

The centers will be open 10 a.m.-8 p.m., from Friday through Sept. 9, except Sunday. The primary election is Sept. 14.

A scroll bar with wait times at each center will be displayed on the elections website, www.elections.

state.md.us, during early voting hours. It will be updated hourly.

The deadline for submitting an application for an absentee ballot for the primaries is Sept. 7 at 4:30 p.m. by mail or 11:59 p.m. by fax, 240-777-8560, or e-mail, absentee@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Recycling pickup change

There will be no recycling pickup on Monday. Bulk items scheduled for regular pickup on Labor Day should be set out one week later, on Sept. 13.

Chamber honors volunteers, names new board member

The Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce has named four members as exceptional volunteers.

Anita Anderson from BlackRock Center for the Arts was nominated for her work with the chamber's golf committee; Stuart Barr from Lerch, Early & Brewer was nominated for his work with the Corridor Cities Transitway; Tamara Clarke from Hilton Washington DC North/Gaithersburg was nominated for her work with the chamber's events committee; and Bruce Kanner from Cartridge on Wheels was nominated for his work with the chamber's membership committee.

The chamber has also named David Denton, Executive Director of Asbury Methodist Village, to its board of directors.

Asbury Methodist Village is a valued part of the Gaithersburg community, chamber president Marilyn Balcombe said in a statement, and Denton is a strong business leader who cares deeply about that community.

For information on the chamber, visit www.ggchamber.org.

This column is for you! Send news of Gaithersburg, Montgomery Village, Laytonsville and Washington Grove to Danielle Gaines at dgaines@gazette.net. Send news of Germantown, Boyds and Poolesville to Meghan Tierney at mtierney@gazette.net. Items can be mailed to the Gaithersburg-Germantown Gazette, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877. Items for People and Places must be received by 5 p.m. Tuesday for consideration for the following week. Don't forget to send us photos!

Cultural celebration highlights Hispanics

The City of Gaithersburg will host "A Walk Down Memory Lane – Celebrating Hispanics Making History" on Sept. 7 from 6 to 7:15 p.m. in the second floor Gallery at Gaithersburg City Hall, 31 S. Summit Ave.

The Mayor and City Council will issue a proclamation, declaring Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month in Gaithersburg. The proclamation will be received by Judge Roberto Morales, a former chief district court judge and retired Security and Exchange Commission attorney who now provides pro-bono legal assistance to Maryland residents in need.

For information and to RSVP by Friday, contact Shanthi Srinivasachar at 301-258 -6395 ext. 3 or ssrinivasachar@gaithersburgmd.gov.

Annual Run coming soon

The Kentlands Community Foundation and city of Gaithersburg host the Kentlands/Lakelands 5K run on Saturday at 8 a.m. The event also includes a post-race expo and festival.

Half the proceeds will be donated to three charities: the Dolores C. Swoyer Scholarship Fund to give children in need the opportunity to attend Gaithersburg summer camps; The Dwelling Place, which provides transitional housing for families in Montgomery County; and the Maryland Senior Olympics.

Registration fees vary. For information, call 301-926-6636 or go to www.kentlands.org.

Campus congratulations

Cameron Rhode, of Gaithersburg, completed a seven-day educational course in business leadership at Susquehanna University's Sigmund Weis School of Business in July. Rhode will be a junior at Poolesville High School in the fall.

Kaplan University awarded degrees to several local residents:

- Dionne Jenkins of Gaithersburg, bachelor's degree in management;

- Stacie Laufer of Gaithersburg, bachelor's degree in information technology;

- Kevin Milner of Germantown, master's degree in legal studies

Grant Goldsmith of North Potomac was named to the spring 2010 dean's list at California State University at Los Angeles. Goldsmith is a communications major.

Hall of Fame nomination process opened

Nominees are being accepted for the county Office of Human Rights' sixth biennial Hall of Fame class.

Nominees can be living or deceased and must have made an exemplary contribution to human rights in the county. Five people will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at a ceremony on Oct. 24 at the BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown, 12901 Town Commons Drive.

Submit nominees by Friday to the Montgomery County Office of Human Rights, 21 Maryland Ave., Suite 330, Rockville, MD 20850. For more information, call (240) 777-8450 or go to www.montgomerycountymd.gov/humanrights.

Arts Barn offers classes for children

The Arts Barn has scheduled several classes and workshops this fall. Four-year-olds to teenagers can explore drawing, painting, collage, musical theatre, sewing, digital photography and other courses.

Six-session classes and one-day workshops are available.

Registration is open now.

All classes are held at the Arts Barn, a restored horse barn that was once part of the turn-of-the century Tschiffely estate. The barn is at 311 Kent Square Road in the Kentlands.

For a complete schedule, go to gaithersburgmd.gov/artsbarn or call (301) 285-6394.

Gaithersburg honors employees

Gaithersburg recently presented Trudy Schwarz, community planning director with the Planning and Code Administration, and Demetria Good, recreation site leader with the Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture, with Employee of the Quarter Awards for the second quarter of 2010.

Schwarz was nominated for modifying several city ordinances to conform to Maryland's new storm water management laws.

Good, as a mentor at the Robertson Park Youth Center, put together an outing for young ladies to enjoy a formal tea at Kentlands Mansion. She also created "Good Grief," which helps children coping with the loss of a loved one to gather and share their experiences.

For more information, call 301-258-6310 or go to www.gaithersburgmd.gov.