Nick Ransing spreads his wings during the butterfly.

The Lakelands Lionfish swim team finished the A meet season undefeated (5-0) on Saturday. Congratulations!

By the end of the year MTA officials hope to complete the analysis, gather public comment and submit a locally preferred alternative to the Transportation Secretary and Governor Martin O’Malley for approval to move into the preliminary engineering phase.

Read the full story in the July 20 edition of The Town Courier.

It now appears Bryan Gerber and Adam Malakoff, owners of Para Dice Shaved Ice have gotten the green light to operate the Lakelands pool snack bar.

In a Lakelands board of directors vote held June 14, the board voted in favor of the shaved ice owners become the snack bar operators, according to board member Albert Leacock. At press time, Gerber was still working on obtaining the necessary liability insurance and contract ratification.

Last year CMI, the community’s management company, ran the snack bar, hiring clubhouse monitors to run it, but did not charge the community for that oversight. It was open Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Paul Lumsden, chairman of the Lakelands pool committee, said his committee had wanted the board to require CMI to run it again this year, keeping it open for more hours.

Lumsden said when requested to run the snack bar again with the expanded hours, CMI officials said the company would charge a rate for the inventory pickup, accounting and other hours related to snack bar oversight.

Lakelands board members voted against a snack bar contract with CMI. The pool committee then installed a vending machine in the snack bar area to provide refreshments to swimmers.

That left the treat shack coming into the heart of the summer pool season with its doors still shut.

A Lakelands family, a group of clubhouse monitors, and the owners of Para Dice Shaved Ice, all tossed their names in the ring to run the snack bar, according to Lumsden. That committee interviewed all three groups and recommended the shaved ice company owners as operators to the Lakelands Community Association’s board of directors. Board members agreed unanimously.

“A pool this size deserves an operating snack bar,” Lumsden said.

It is unclear at press time when the snack bar will open for business, what hours it will be open and what it will serve.

At the Kentlands pool the management company is in charge of snack bar operations. In 2009 that snack bar generated about $12,000 and cost a bit more than that to supply and staff, according to Anita Parks, activities director for the Kentlands Citizens’ Assembly (KCA). A federal minimum wage increase in July 2009 impacted the cost to run the snack bar. In 2008, the snack bar covered its costs.

“The idea is we authorize money to be spent on the snack bar, but we expect sales to break even. We had to work towards that, but yes, we were neutral last year,” said Adrienne Gillen, president of the KCA.

The Kentlands snack bar has a full kitchen including a sink, freezer and refrigerator. It is open daily when school is out for the summer from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and offers a variety of candy and cold beverages as well as hot items such as pizza and corn dogs.

Running the snack bar has been a learning experience, Gillen said. Over the years the Kentlands snack bar has adjusted the variety of foods to offer less warm items. The biggest seller is single serve pizzas prepared in the snack bar microwave, according to Parks. Sour Punch Straws and popsicles are also favorites. Healthy foods are the poorest selling items, although Parks said they “keep limited quantities available in an effort to keep all of our patrons happy.”

Pool snack bars do require a food service permit from the Montgomery County, said Lumsden.

Currently under construction is the installation of a new riser structure in the wooded area between Massbury Street and Kent Oaks Mews that will allow for better drainage, according to Public Works Director Jim Arnoult.

The Kentlands Citizens’ Assembly approached the city with concerns of pooling water on the path near the area and the possibility of water damaging the homes nearby.

The $25,000 structure has a better opening in a modified location that will prevent debris from clogging the pipe. Arnoult said the project will cost $10,000 less than the $35,000 budgeted for it.

In an effort to avoid damage to the path around a section of Inspiration Lake, crews spread mulch on both sides of the path. Arnoult said the mulch helps the edges of the path from breaking off when trucks carrying heavy equipment travel to the work site.

“The pre-cast iron riser was very heavy, and we didn’t want to ruin the path,” he said.

Upon completion of the project, which is expected by mid-June, the mulch will be removed.

Clogged pipes are the cause of another pending project in Lake Varuna, only this time beavers are the culprit. Arnoult said beavers have been a persistent problem in the lake this year, and the lake water level will be lowered by 5 feet so crews can install a fence around the low flow outfall pipe.

“We cleared the pipe last week and had to do it again yesterday,” said Arnoult on June 2. By state law, the beavers cannot be relocated so the fence is the best solution.

Another project the city will tackle is a new path to connect Still Creek Lane in Lakelands to Md. Route 28. This will include the addition of a culvert under the path.

“The new path needs to pass water under the embankment,” explained Arnoult. Construction on the path and culvert is expected to begin later this summer, and the city was expected to bid out the project in the coming weeks.

Lastly, the pavement on Kentlands Boulevard at the intersection of Great Seneca Highway will get a facelift. Wear and tear on the highly traveled section of road has caused the pavement to form deep grooves, making it a hazard for vehicles and pedestrians.

“It’s tough for the snow plows to do an effective job and could be dangerous for vehicles,” said Arnoult.

By grinding down the grooves caused by heavy vehicles, Arnoult said the work will create a smoother, more level surface that will be safer and easier for the snow plows next winter.