TOGETHER WITH

Good morning, Annapolis.

In today’s Naptown Scoop:

A big Scoop announcement
New Rise Up spot
New Bay Bridge gets green light

Let’s get to it!

— Ryan Sneddon (for one last time)

P.S. Advance happy birthday, Chelsea!

Meet the Man Behind Mr. Lemoncello

Some books are so good you wish you could meet the person who wrote them. Well, here's your chance.

Bestselling children's author Chris Grabenstein is coming to Annapolis Mall on November 21 to celebrate his new book, Mr. Lemoncello's Wondermous Christmas Gift!

From 3:30–5:30 PM, he'll be at Discoveries: The Library at the Mall for a special author presentation and book signing. It's a chance for young readers to meet the mind behind Mr. Lemoncello's adventures and take home a special memory.

Instead of requiring a book purchase, guests are encouraged to make a suggested $15 donation to the Anne Arundel County Public Library Foundation.

Space and books are limited, and reservations are required.

Reserve your spot for November 21.

A big announcement

Dear Friends of Naptown Scoop,

Few people know this, but 12 months ago, I was days away from selling Naptown Scoop before I decided my story here wasn’t finished. Around then, a local guy named Charlie asked if I’d sell to him. I declined, but he didn’t give up.

He called again in May, and I decided to hear him out.

As you know, Naptown Scoop isn’t a typical media company. We don’t follow (or even know) AP style, we don’t believe “if it bleeds, it leads,” and it’s our mission to make Annapolis a better place. I’m proud of the work we’ve done over the past 6 years and our positive impact on the community.

Not only did Charlie love how we’ve run Naptown Scoop, but he intends to lean even harder into putting community over profit. Through many conversations, I became convinced he was the best person to steward Naptown Scoop into the future.

As a result, I am excited to announce that Charlie Szold is now the majority partner of Naptown Scoop. I will remain as a partner, but effective today, Charlie has replaced me as publisher. Thank you for 6 wonderful years of Naptown Scoop and thank you for your continued support. I’ll let Charlie take it from here. — Ryan Sneddon

Hello, Naptown Scoop Family!

It’s an honor to be here. For six years Ryan brought Annapolitans closer together. He’s raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities and highlighted people, organizations, and events that deserved to be seen. I know this is making him terribly uncomfortable, but he has earned a hearty “thank you” for conjuring the Scoop out of thin air and then faithfully working the digital presses. So, Ryan, on behalf of the Scoop community, THANK YOU!

A little about me – I live in Annapolis (Ward 1) with my wife, Anastasia, and two boys. We do “The Annapolis Stuff.” Navy games, Dinner Under the Stars, PAL Baseball, crabs, Chick & Ruth’s, Midnight Madness, etc., etc. Baseball is my favorite sport. Blue is my favorite color. And, no matter how hard I try, I cannot answer my son’s current favorite question: “Dad, what is your third least favorite Pokémon?” My background is in journalism, though eight years ago I took a hard turn into . . . pedestrian infrastructure management. I still co-own a business that helps cities fix their sidewalks and stay ADA compliant.

My goal for the Scoop is simple – to continue producing the newsletters you know and love. I will work to add more original reporting, more voices, and more attention to the thousands of stories worth telling in Annapolis – mostly good, some bad.

With that said, I’d like to listen to you. What do you like? What don’t you like? What does Annapolis need that the Scoop can provide? What does Annapolis need that the Scoop can’t provide? Do you want to help tell these stories? Reply to this email and I’ll write back.

Sincerely,

Charlie

Ryan Sneddon (L) & Charlie Szold (R)

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🐶 Dog-friendly Restaurants

RISE AND GRIND ON PRINCE GEORGE

Rise Up Coffee is opening a new downtown spot ☕

Courtney Schoeberlein paints Rise Up Coffee lettering on a downtown window

Courtney Schoeberlein of The Planted Pen adds lettering on the window of the new location. Photo: Naptown Scoop

Spotted downtown: fresh “Rise Up Coffee” lettering going up on the window at the corner of Prince George Street and Randall Street (former location of The Goat).

Here’s what we know: Rise Up is opening a new shop there, and the target open date is December . . . ish.

Here’s what we don’t know: what happens to the Rise Up inside the Market House. We’re working to find out.

Holiday Lights the Pink’s Way

Let’s talk about the Pink’s Way.

Most home companies give an arrival window. Pink’s doesn’t (they wash them though). Pink’s gives an exact time and shows up 10 minutes early.

Most home companies race through the job. Pink’s doesn’t quit until it’s right.

Most home companies are sloppy. Pink’s is like the Boy Scouts. They leave your home better than they found it.

People love the way Pink’s cleans their home. And they’re loving Pink’s holiday lights too.

Click here to get your house sparkling for the holidays. It’s the Pink’s Way.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE

The most popular stories we covered this week

Monday: The Bay Bridge Run 🌉. It’s this Sunday, and the eastbound span is closed from midnight to about 2 PM. Cross before 6 AM or after 6 PM if you can.
Tuesday: Molo Lounge on OpenTable 🍸. The Osteria 177 team’s new spot in the old Pearl space on Market Space is taking reservations.
Wednesday: Anne Arundel’s election results 🗳️. Dawn Pulliam still leads Spencer Jones by 784 votes in District 7, and there are more mail-in ballots left to count.
Thursday: Annapolis restaurants open on Thanksgiving 🦃. You sent us five more, and we’re still taking tips.

And some other big stories, in case you missed them:

🍎 AACPS Superintendent Mark Bedell was named Maryland’s Superintendent of the Year.

💧 City Dock got $5.7 million from the state for its flood protection work.

EVENTS

What we’re up to this weekend

🎈 = family-friendly events

All weekend

🎭 The Legend of Sleepy Hollow – Closing weekend for Colonial Players’ take on the Headless Horseman, in the round. Friday through Sunday.

🎷 Annapolis Jazz & Roots Festival – Two weekends of shows in Eastport churches and clubs. The Muneer Nasser Band opens with a Coltrane and Miles Davis tribute at St. Luke’s, and Afro-Peruvian band Perkutao plays the Peerless Rens Club Saturday. Friday through Sunday.

🎶 Forces of Nature – The Annapolis Symphony plays Tchaikovsky’s The Tempest and an ocean-inspired violin concerto with Francesca Anderegg. Friday and Saturday at Maryland Hall.

🎈🛍️ HERE. fall pop-up shop – Naptown Flea joins 70+ local makers and vintage sellers on Dock Street, with a patch bar and a make-your-own-perfume station. Through Sunday.

🎈🐑 Sheep Peeping – A short farm tour at Hollywood Farm that ends with you petting sheep and goats. Saturday and Sunday.

🐮 Anne Arundel County Farmers Market – Produce, meats, tacos, and coffee at Riva Road and Truman Parkway. Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Friday

🍽️ Food Truck Fridays – A dozen food trucks on Harry S. Truman Parkway. Free to get in.

🕺 A Night at the Beaches – The Carr’s Beach dance party at Beacon Restaurant, raising money for the Blacks of the Chesapeake Foundation.

Saturday

🎈🪢 Eastport vs. Annapolis Tug of War – Seven tugs on Second Street starting at the crack o’ noon, plus live bands and a kids activity zone.

🏈 Navy vs. Temple – The Mids are home at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. CBS Sports Network has it if you’re on the couch. Kickoff at 3:30 PM.

🎣 Fish For A Cure – The shore party at Safe Harbor Annapolis with dinner, music, and awards, all for the cancer survivorship program at AAMC.

🎈🪖 First Maryland Regiment at London Town – Reenactors set up camp and show how Maryland’s Revolutionary War soldiers lived.

🎈🔬 MD STEM Festival: Engineering a Park Clean-Up – Kids design and test a litter-grabbing gadget at the Chesapeake Children’s Museum.

Sunday

🎈🪕 The Red Barn Sessions: Barn Dance! – An old-time string concert, then a barn dance for all ages at Hollywood Farm. Bring a picnic.

In other news. . .

🌉 New Bay Bridge Inbound – The Bay Bridge replacement got its final federal environmental approval. Two four-lane spans will replace today’s bridges, and both get full shoulders. They’ll also stand even taller with 230 feet of clearance for big ships. The plan is to build one new span, tear down an old one, then repeat. Design starts in 2028 and construction as soon as 2032. There’s no opening date yet. Details here.

🦅 Holly Beach, Booked – Holly Beach Farm, the 293-acre peninsula next to Sandy Point, opens to hikers and birders this week. You’ll need a reservation through DNR’s MD Outdoors system, and the state’s only letting in about 20 people a day. DNR hasn’t posted hours yet. Reservations open today.

🏈 FOX on the Yard – FOX NFL Sunday is coming to the Naval Academy this weekend. The pregame show goes live from the Yard and West Point at the same time. It’s part of FOX’s Veterans Day salute, which has a long history of filming at military installations. The show was at the Naval Academy in 2021 and West Point in 2019, but this is the first time it’s done both at once. Check it out at 11 AM on FOX.

WEATHER

Crisp fall weather calls for a day outside. Maryland’s Best Helmets & Harvest pairs local trails with farms, wineries and more through November 15. The free pass features stops like the BWI Trail, LEO Annapolis and other locations across the state. Check in at each stop to earn free prizes!

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