🍦3 days til school starts

Good morning, Annapolis. Notre Dame is a 20.5 point favorite against our Midshipmen here in Dublin this weekend. But then again, the Soviets had won the last 5 gold medals back in 1980. . .

In today’s Naptown Scoop:

Let’s get to it.

—Ryan Sneddon, Rebecca Kraybill, & Lauren Burke

P.S. Happy birthdays to Bailey Bennett and Jenn B!

In the words of Barney Stinson, Ray Weaver is “Legen… Wait for it… Dary”. And it’s not just because in the 70s he was in a glam rock band wearing makeup and glitter high-heeled shoes. That certainly helps though.

The Pasadena native describes himself as a “Chesapeake son”. He’s played throughout the local area for over 50 years at pubs, coffee houses, Honky Tonks, and our personal favorite, uninvited places like Annapolis City Dock.

Ray lives in Denmark now. Luckily, he’ll be in Annapolis next month, so you better catch him perform while he’s in the country.

The seasoned musician and storyteller weaves (fitting, right?) melodies and lyrics that resonate with his audience. His songs — and stories in between his songs — explore themes of love, loss, and resilience. His influences span across multiple genres, including country, Irish, blues, and folk.

Mark your calendars for Ray’s upcoming local appearances, both starting at 7 p.m.

Ray's music and book (he’s also the author of A Father’s Heart) are available on his website, iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, and at every live performance.

Words by Lauren Burke

Don't we all just love The Choptank? Well, it just got even better.

Atlas Restaurant Group just launched their very own mobile app. That means you can now earn points for every dollar you spend at The Choptank. Points you can redeem for rewards (aka free food).

You earn a $10 reward at 500 points, for example. That’s a free Maryland Crab Soup. And that’s not all! Atlas rewards members also get free dessert on their birthday.

If you happen to be in cities like Baltimore, Philadelphia, or Washington D.C., you can earn points at one of Atlas’ dozens of other locations. Which you can then redeem for delicious free food on our very own Ego Alley.

Start earning points today.

The Annapolis Ten Miler (AKA A-10) happens this Sunday (8/27) and some roads will be closed. The race starts at 7 AM at Navy stadium and runners will trek downtown and across Naval Academy Bridge before retracing their steps. See all closures here. Running should wrap up by 9:30 AM.

That’s right, school’s back on Monday (8/28) and 84,000 students are expected to start in AACPS classrooms. Big emotions happen this time of year. (We see you, teachers, parents, and students!)

Before the bell rings →
Stop by Festival at Riva for music, games, giveaways, and more. The first 100 attendees get a free backpack filled with supplies. Saturday (8/26) 1–3 PM outside of Giant at Festival at Riva.

Head to a back-to-school event to feel more prepared. See the full list of dates and times here.

After the bell rings →
Navy men’s soccer has its home opener against VMI on Monday night (8/28) at the most scenic soccer field in college sports. Get there early! The first 100 kids get a Navy branded notebook and pencil case. Monday (8/28) at 7 PM.

The bad news: AACPS is expected to have 168 teacher vacancies come the first day of school on August 28. The good news: that’s much better than the 300 vacancies reported this time last year. AACPS says that recent pay raises have contributed to the improved outlook. Teacher salaries were raised by nearly $5,000 for the fiscal year, which started on July 1.

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Thanks to Scoop reader Candice Akbar for pointing this out. The Annapolis Artisans Market is open every Wednesday 10–5 PM in addition to its monthly special market.

You may have read a couple weeks ago in the Scoop about the Annapolis Beer Company launch party set to take over the Stan & Joe’s Saloon parking lot this weekend. Unfortunately, Dusty at Annapolis Beer was forced to delay the party so it’s now on September 16. You might’ve already tasted the beer. Thanks to a generous donation, we served it at Naptown Scoop’s third anniversary party last weekend.

Nothing in this section is sponsored. They're just the things you need to know. I'll always let you know when something's sponsored.

Together, we’ll walk for it on October 8th, at the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition’s Together in TEAL Walk to End Ovarian Cancer. Register individually or create a team and join in this fun inspiring day at Westfield Annapolis. So far, 53 teams have signed up, raising over $75,000+.

Together in TEAL is raising money for early awareness, quality of life, research, and community outreach. But above all, for a future where no one loses their life to this horrible disease.

Your fundraising helps save lives. Join NOCC on October 8th.

Is flying in a hot air balloon on your bucket list? While the Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds aren’t exactly the famous dessert fairy chimneys of Cappadocia, they is a whole lot closer. And the Balloon Glow and Laser Show happens to be heading there this weekend. It starts at 5 PM each night (Saturday and Sunday) and just after dusk, the balloons and lasers will burn and shine in a beautiful choreography called a Glow. Saturday’s already sold out. Get Sunday (8/27) tickets while they last!

On August 28, 1963, 250k people took to D.C. for the March on Washington. 500 came from Annapolis. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a very famous speech (you know the one!) in which he dreamed of racial equality. To celebrate 60 years since that day, Annapolis is hosting a good old-fashioned reenactment this Saturday (8/26). It departs Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium at 10 AM and ends at City Dock, where a short ceremony will follow. Annapolitan George Trotter, who marched in 1963, will be in attendance. Click here to register.

📽️ Drive-in movie night. SOFO (SOuth FOrest)’s movie night returns Friday (8/25) with Jaws projected onto the wall of the Bay Ridge Shopping Center. Email to claim your car’s spot.

🍓 Wildberry Field Market. 50+ local vendors pack the field at Wildberry Farm for a market Saturday (8/26) from 9 AM–1 PM (rain date: same time Sunday). See the lineup. 1047 Saint Stephens Church Rd, Crownsville, MD 21032.

🗡️ Maryland Renaissance Festival. The revelry starts Saturday (8/26) and continues every Saturday and Sunday through October 22. Get tickets.

🌟 Dinner Under the Stars. This is your second-to-last chance in August to dine on West Street under the stars (aka string lights). West Street is closed between Church Circle and Calvert Street Saturday (8/26) for dining and music from Rose Moraes Brazilian Connection. Participating restaurants.

Nothing in this section is sponsored. They're just the things you need to know. I'll always let you know when something's sponsored.

The Board of Education voted unanimously Wednesday to move the plan to redraw boundaries at 48 of the 58 schools in northern Anne Arundel into public hearings. If new lines are drawn, about 6,400 students will have new school assignments. High school juniors and seniors will be able to stay where they are as “legacy students” if they want, although they must provide their own transportation. Public hearings will be scheduled in the coming weeks before the plan is adopted in November. ($)

Anne Arundel County FD just released a new dashboard where you can see fire department response and transport data from the previous 12 months. Here are a few facts about the fire department that may surprise you:

Check out the dashboard for yourself here.

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84 🌡️ 74 | 🌦️ | 50% | 💨 SSE 11 mph (10 knots)

86 🌡️ 70 | 🌥️ | 8% | 💨 NNE 9 mph (8 knots)

81 🌡️ 70 | 🌤️ | 12% | 💨 NE 5 mph (4 knots)

49 West | Badger Band | 7:30–10:30 PM
Annapolis Town Center Summer Concert | Thunderball | 5–8 PM
Blackwall Hitch | Dana B | 4–7 PM
Blackwall Hitch | Timmie Metz Band | 9 PM
Brian Boru | Kavoossi | 7–10 PM
The Choptank | Shelby Blondell | 8 PM
Club 164 | Open Mic Night | 7:30–10 PM
Great Frogs | Black Rhinoceros | 5–8 PM
Killarney House | Madisun Bailey | 7–10 PM
Market House | Moon Dog and the Broken Glasses | 7–10 PM
Market Space | Loop of Boom | 6–9 PM
Middleton Tavern | Shatners | 10 PM
Mother's Peninsula Grille | Mallow Hill | 8–11 PM
Old Stein Inn | Ryan Keith & Thomas Coster | 6–9 PM
Pirates Cove | Kurt Gibbons | 7–10 PM
Rams Head Roadhouse | Scott Hymes | 8 PM
Rams Head Tavern | Kieran Lally | 5 PM
Reynolds Tavern | TBA | 7 PM
Romilo’s Restaurant and Bar | Wheelhouse | 7 PM
Severna Park Taphouse | Lost and Found Trio | 6 PM
Stan & Joe’s Saloon | Meerkat Nation | 9:45 PM

49 West | John Jensen | 5–7 PM
49 West | Del Florida | 8–10 PM
Annapolis City Dock Concert | City Dock Fiesta | 6 PM
Annapolis Town Center Summer Concert | The Original Moonlighters | 5–8 PM
Blackwall Hitch | Nicky Stacy Duo | 8 PM
Bread & Butter Kitchen | Michael K | 10 AM
Brian Boru | Michael K | 7–10 PM
The Choptank | Timothy Bracken | 8 PM
Dark Horse | Bond & Bentley | 9 PM
Dinner Under The Stars | Rose Moraes Brazilian Connection | 6–9 PM
Great Frogs | Skribe | 12–3 PM
Great Frogs | Alexander Peters | 5–8 PM
Killarney House | Ciaran Quinn | 7–10 PM
Market House | Sarah Paige | 7–10 PM
Market Space | Hurricane Kevin | 2–6 PM
Middleton Tavern | Rickshaw Lizard | 10 PM
Mother's Peninsula Grille | Sidewalk Soul | 8–11 PM
Pirates Cove | The Hyland Brothers | 3–6 PM
Pirates Cove | Ferro & Friends | 7–10 PM
Rams Head On Stage | Jamie McLean Band w. Jonathan Sloane Trio | 8 PM | Tickets
Rams Head Roadhouse | Severn River Band | 9 PM
Rams Head Tavern | Soren Mattson | 10 PM
Reynolds Tavern | TBA | 7 PM
Romilo’s Restaurant and Bar | The Rebels | 7 PM
Severna Park Taphouse | The Grilled Lincolns with Midnight Madnezz | 7 PM
Stan & Joe’s Saloon | All You Need Band | 3–5 PM
Stan & Joe’s Saloon | Better than Butters | 9:45 PM
Watermark Annapolis Sunset Cruise | Fess-Up | 7:30–9 PM | Tickets

49 West | Daphne Eckman ft. Anna Kellam and Joelton Mayfield | 7–9 PM
Bread & Butter Kitchen | Combo Indigo | 10:30 AM–12:30 PM
Brian Boru | Big Brother's Band | 4–7 PM
The Choptank | Kieran Lally | 8 PM
Galway Bay | Brendan Pelan | 4–8 PM
Killarney House | John Luskey | 3–6 PM
Libbey’s Coastal Kitchen | Uncle Ward | 4–7 PM
Market House | Sarah Paige | 7–10 PM
Market Space | Michael K | 2–6 PM
Mother's Peninsula Grille | Higher Hands | 3 PM
Pirates Cove | Shawn Musselman | 1–4 PM
Pirates Cove | Pete Best | 5–8 PM
Stan & Joe’s Riverside | Nate Finn | 4–8 PM
Stan & Joe’s Saloon | Shawn Owen | 8 PM

Football
8/26 vs Notre Dame | 2:30 PM (ET) ☘

Men's Rugby
8/25 vs Notre Dame | 11 AM (ET)

Women's Soccer (1–0–2)
8/27 vs Ohio University | 1 PM

Women's Volleyball
8/25 vs Syracuse | 11 AM
8/25 vs UCF | 4:30 PM
8/26 @ UAlbany | 3 PM

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