Hot and hungry visitors to the Waverly Woods Village Center will find a new addition since last summer: Bubble Gum Bill's, an ice cream parlor featuring Hershey's ice cream, Tropi-Kool smoothies, ice cream cakes and other treats. The store also serves as a venue for birthday parties.

Michelle Adkins-Hepner fell in love with Hershey's ice cream during visits to her husband's family in Pennsylvania, and along with her mother, Bernadette Adkins, saw the need for a Columbia ice cream parlor located outside the mall.

However, when Kimco Realty showed the mother-daughter pair a site in Waverly Woods, they changed their minds. They liked the location so much that they not only chose it for their store, but Adkins also moved into housing across the street.

Michelle lives in Columbia with her husband, Bill Hepner, and their two children -- Marissa, age 17 and Matt, age 13. The family formerly owned two childcare centers in Fort Washington, which they closed in 2006.

Adkins-Hepner used her husband's name for inspiration in creating the character Bubble Gum Bill, who starred in many naptime stories at the child care centers. Because her children liked the name, they suggested it for the ice cream parlor.

Bubble Gum Bill's is open Monday through Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 10 p.m.

Several area children are staying both cool and fit this summer by swimming competitively. The Skopics -- Mitchell, 12; Ben, 9; and Julia, 5 -- swim with the Dorsey Dolphins, based at the Dorsey Hall Pool, in Ellicott City. Mitchell and Ben have participated for many years and are performing very well.

So far this summer, Mitchell has won first and second place in all of his events, and Ben has placed first all but once, when he placed third.

Proud mom, Chris Skopic, said that Julia is swimming for the first time and loves it, and she tries really hard to follow in her brothers' footsteps.

The Hollingsworth children have also excelled at water sports this summer. Taylor, 14, swims year-round with the Retriever Aquatic Club, based in Catonsville, and also participates in a summer swim team with the Phelps Luck Snappers, in Columbia.

Taylor has received five qualifying times that will allow her to compete in the Eastern Zone Championships Aug. 6-9.

Taylor's brother, Jake, 11, began diving with the Frederick Area Divers this summer and has placed first and second in all of his events. In fact, he earned a spot at the Central Maryland Diving League Championship Aug. 2.

His mom, Michelle, believes that Jake's background in gymnastics made a natural transition to diving, but she explains that prior experience is not a prerequisite and recommends diving as a fun way to keep active.

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