🍦Don’t block the driveway (unless it’s yours)

Good morning, Annapolis. And happy birthday to the GOAT, Lionel Messi. France’s Kylian Mbappé isn’t far behind though. Messi has 18 World Cup goals to his name and Mbappé has 16. Just two problems if your name kinda-sorta rhymes with reliable. . . Kylian’s over 10 years younger and averages a goal in every World Cup match he plays.

In today’s Naptown Scoop:

Let’s get to it.

— Ryan Sneddon

There is a point of land where the South River gives way to the Chesapeake Bay, and the light never stops moving. Southern exposure means sunrise here, sunset there, sailboats drifting past all day long, and water that turns gold every single evening.

3728 Ramsgate Drive was reimagined in 2017 by architect Cathy Purple Cherry, built without compromise from the studs out. A waterfront living room made for gathering. A chef's kitchen anchored by double Wolf ovens and Sub Zero refrigeration. A primary suite with its own Italian marble spa retreat. A theater room. A private office with a balcony view down the Bay.

Then step outside. A heated PebbleTec pool, an outdoor kitchen, a fire pit, and a private pier with two boat lifts ready the moment you are.

📍3728 Ramsgate Drive, Annapolis, MD 21403 | $6,995,000

This is the charmed Chesapeake life, waiting for its next chapter. Watch the property come to life online.

Connect with The Brad Kappel Team to schedule a private showing. Listed by Joe Bray, Senior Partner, Eastern Shore Specialist

This Saturday, the Maritime Republic of Eastport will close its streets, bring in a bunch of great bands, and promptly give the proceeds away. Mostly to hyper-local groups like the Maritime Museum, Eastport Elementary School, and the Eastport Volunteer Fire Company.

It’s the 29th year of Eastport a Rockin’ – AKA EAR. You like Tides & Tunes? This is basically that on steroids.

Shows start around 11 AM and finish around 8 PM across four stages. Who’s playing? 40 bands doing everything from rock to bluegrass and reggae to Chesapeake folk. Everybody’s local. Nobody’s getting paid. And everybody’s playing original music. No cover bands allowed.

GA tickets are $40 ($0 for kids 12 and under) and VIP is $212 (wine, draft beer, and a special cup included). Get tickets.

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Team Naptown Scoop Coast 2 Coast 4 ALS progress: $12,363/$20,000

Always Faithful Dog Training of Annapolis helps dogs and puppies become calm, confident, and well‑mannered through leadership‑based, real‑world training. We specialize in private, in-home training of leash manners, obedience, behavior issues, and puppy foundations. Without treats, clickers, shock collars or gimmicks. Start your dog’s transformation today! Call 240-363-4432 or visit www.alwaysfaithfuldogs.com/annapolis.

You’ve already met Kailey in the Scoop. She was Dog of the Week back in February. But Kailey deserves a repeat. Trust us.

Kailey, a spunky little dog who landed at the SPCA of Anne Arundel County, just took 2nd place in the 15th annual Wahl Dirty Dogs Contest – a national before-and-after contest that raises money for shelters and the groomers who take on their toughest cases.

There’s no nice way to put this. . . Kailey was a mess. She'd gone four years without grooming and was matted so tightly she could barely open her mouth to eat. SPCA groomer Patrice McCarron spent hours getting her comfortable, and then made her shine.

In the end, she didn’t win it all. But she won our hearts. Her second-place finish also snagged $2k for the SPCA and $2k for her groomer. But our favorite part? Kailey’s now in a loving home, never to see the Dirty Dogs contest again.

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Here’s a scenario that keeps financial planners up at night. You’ve saved diligently for 30 years. The day you retire, the market drops 30%. That’s not unusual — it happened in 2000, 2008, and 2020. For someone who is still working and not withdrawing, a down market is uncomfortable but recoverable. For someone who just retired and is pulling 4% per year to live on, it can be permanently damaging.

The problem is called sequence-of-returns risk. When you’re withdrawing from a shrinking portfolio, you’re forced to sell shares at low prices to fund your living expenses. Those sold shares can’t participate in the recovery. Even if the market comes all the way back over the next five years, your portfolio may never fully recover because you had fewer shares left to ride the wave.

This is why “the market averages 7% a year” is less reassuring than it sounds. It’s not the average that matters. It’s the sequence. Retiring in 1999 looked very different from retiring in 2013.

The good news is that this can be a manageable risk. Cash reserves, smart withdrawal sequencing, and a properly structured income plan can help protect against it. The key word there is “plan.”

Scarborough Capital Management has helped Annapolis families protect and grow their savings for over 35 years.

Schedule a free retirement checkup at SCMadvice.com

Imagine blocking your own driveway because there are no spots on your street and waking up the next morning to a $200 ticket.

Right now, Annapolis code bans parking in front of any driveway – even your own – and the fine is $200. On Monday, Ward 3's Keanuú Smith-Brown introduced a bill (O-17-26) to let residents and their guests park in front of their own driveway, as long as parking’s already legal on both sides of the street and the driveway only serves one home.

Driveways weren’t the only things on the table though:

The next meeting is July 13 at 7 PM.

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🏫 Pump the Brakes – A Circuit Court judge hit pause on AACPS Phase II redistricting, which as written moves roughly 750 students – most in the Crofton High cluster – this fall. One Crofton, a group of 140+ parents, won a stay order from Judge Cathleen Vitale that halts the plan until a further hearing. The case now heads back to court over whether the parents' appeal should have been dismissed in the first place. ($)

⚽ Historic friendly – The Annapolis Blues played their first-ever international friendly last night against Mexico’s Santos Laguna. In the end, the visiting professionals were too much for our Blues. The final score: 2–0. What’s next for the Blues? An away match against Bethesda SC tonight. Club Santos is headed to New York to play the USL League One New York Cosmos.

🔨 Going Once – The auction for 201 Defense Highway, officially the Power Technology Center and unofficially the cool office building off Route 50, ends today at 11 AM. As of press time (9 PM yesterday), the bidding reached $1.55 million, but the reserve still hasn’t been met.

🏨 Fresh Digs – The Hilton Garden Inn on Harry S. Truman Parkway just wrapped a full renovation. All 126 guestrooms got new furniture, lighting, carpeting, and microwaves, and the lobby, the Garden Grille & Bar, the fitness center, and the pool all got the same treatment.

🐶 Bull Market – Remember Bull, the puppy a West Annapolis fire crew pulled from a storm drain last week and rewarded with a firehouse cheeseburger? No owner came forward, so she's officially up for adoption at Anne Arundel County Animal Services. The storm drain was a rough start. But your couch could be her next home!

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84 🌡️ 66 | ☀️ | 0% ☔ | 💨 NE 8 mph (7 knots)

86 🌡️ 72 | ☀️ | 7% ☔ | 💨 S 13 mph (11 knots)

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 77ºF
Temperature readings taken from the mouth of the Severn River the night before publication

🌳 🎵 = Outdoor concert

49 West | Dave Chappell & Friends | 5–7 PM
49 West | Abakis + Skribe | 8–10 PM
The Admiral’s Cup | Kevin Koa | 7–10 PM
Brian Boru | Nate Finn | 6–9 PM
Galway Bay | Irish Trad Music Session | 8 PM
Julep | Dana B | 5–8 PM
Killarney House | Jason Bishop | 6–9 PM
Libbey’s Coastal Kitchen | Jeremy Robinson | 5–8 PM
Middleton Tavern | Michael K | 6–9 PM
Pirates Cove | Doc Lohn | 6–9 PM
The Point | Jordan/Pressing Strings | 5–8 PM
Rams Head Tavern | Mike McHenry | 9 PM
Severna Park Taphouse | Aaron Hawkins | 6 PM
Stan & Joe’s Saloon | Opal August | 9 PM

49 West | What’s Your Vibe | 8–10 PM
The Admiral’s Cup | Michael K | 7–10 PM
🌳🎵 AMM Tides & Tunes | All You Need | 7–9 PM
🌳🎵 Annapolis Town Center | Unity Reggae Band | 6:30–8:30 PM
Beer Farm | Mike Heuer | 5–8 PM
Brian Boru | Ray Wroten | 6–9 PM
Dark Horse | ilyAimy | 9 PM
Killarney House | O'McPub Band | 6–9 PM
La Sierra | Cristopher Dean | 5:30–8:30 PM
The Lodge | Moe Stringz Steel Pan Duo | 5:30–8:30 PM
Mother’s Peninsula Grille | Gretna Green | 7 PM
Pirates Cove | Jason Bishop | 6–9 PM
The Point | Dan Haas | 5–8 PM
Rams Head On Stage | Rumours ATL | 8 PM | Tickets
Rams Head Tavern | Nate & Jim | 5 PM
Severna Park Taphouse | Leo Havens | 6 PM

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