Good morning, Annapolis. Yesterday I learned that Annapolis has an official town crier AND that he competes in international competitions. AND that competitors sabotage one another. A loss of innocence for me . . .

In today’s Naptown Scoop:

Let’s get to it.

— Charlie Szold

84 Lumber remains committed to honoring the brave men and women who have served in our nation’s military. We recognize their service and sacrifices, as well as the families who support them. Their dedication, grit, and willingness to tackle a tough job resonates with our company’s core values. We are proud to continue building a steadfast veteran workforce within our operation.

To show our appreciation year-round, veterans and first responders always receive a 10% discount on all stocked materials. A purple parking spot reserved for combat-wounded veterans is found at every 84 Lumber store.

Their priceless contributions help protect the freedoms and opportunities we cherish today. To every veteran, you deserve our deepest gratitude and respect. Thank you for your service, your strength, and your devotion to our country’s safety.

Pho Me, a Vietnamese pho and banh mi shop, is moving into 122 Dock Street, the old Blowfish Poké spot. The sign’s up but no word on an official opening date yet.

The Scoop did, however, get our hands on the menu, courtesy of the owner.

There are nine kinds of pho for $14.95, eight banh mi starting at $8.75, and grilled vermicelli bowls from $13.95. Boba's on the menu too, from Fu Tea.

We checked in with local banh mi enthusiast Austin Sposato. "Wow,” he said. “I can finally get banh mi in town. Huge upgrade.”

Plenty of changes down on Dock Street. Next door, gelato shop Pitango is replacing Bitty & Beau’s. More on Pitango’s offerings tomorrow . . .

Please skip ahead if you have a public speaking phobia. Otherwise, stick around to hear the story of Squire Frederick Taylor, our town crier.

After Fred spent 35 years working for the Department of Defense, a “friend” (his scare quotes, not mine) noted his prodigious vocal cords and recommended he create a new job for himself.

Mayor Ellen Moyer gave him the town crier job for life, on three conditions: stay healthy, stay interested, and bring no disrepute on Annapolis. He’s been giving tours, announcing proclamations, and cutting ribbons ever since.

He has competed against other criers in England and Canada, where veterans warn of sabotage: rivals offering ice cream, caffeine, or “whatever it is that will clog your vocal cords.”

Fred will turn 86 in July and has no plans to hang up the bell. “They’re going to have to carry me out,” he says.

Historic Annapolis will honor Fred and four others tonight with preservation awards. The ceremony's sold out, but say hi to Squire Frederick next time you see him on Main Street.

Read more of Fred’s story, in his own words, here.

Don’t take it from us. Take it from the Washington Post. As reported by health and wellness columnist Gretchen Reynolds, “If your body is flexible, you’re likely to live longer than someone whose body and joints are tight and rigid, according to the first, large-scale study of the links between flexibility and mortality.” In the study by Claudio Gil S. Araujo, 3,139 men and women between ages 46 and 65 completed an evaluation of overall flexibility.

Researchers followed them for more than a decade. They found that people with the stiffest joints — especially women — were substantially more likely to die prematurely than those with greater flexibility. Assisted stretching decreases pain, improves posture and mobility, and increases longevity. One Scoop reader said StretchMed Annapolis literally changed his life. So what are you waiting for? Book your free intro stretch now!

🎈 = family-friendly events

🍽️ Sip & Shop: An Annapolis Holiday Preview - Kick off the holiday season with seasonal sips, snacks, and staff-picked gifts at participating Main Street shops.

🎈🍴 Food Truck Fridays - Free weekly rally with 12+ food trucks serving up diverse cuisines.

🎾 Anne Arundel County Tennis Hall of Fame - Honoring the 2026 inductees with a cocktail hour, silent auction, buffet dinner, and open bar at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

🎈🐮 Anne Arundel County Farmers Market - Fresh local produce, meats, dairy, baked goods, coffee, and crafts.

🎄 Christmas Wreath Workshop - Make your own grapevine wreath with festive ribbon and a step-by-step bow tutorial.

🎈🐑 Sheep Peeping - A farm tour at Hollywood Farm with up-close encounters with sheep and goats.

🎷 Akua Allrich's Bonya Album release & Nina Simone Miriam Makeba tribute - Jazz vocalist Akua Allrich celebrates her new album and pays tribute to two civil rights icons.

🍽️ Tastings & Tunes - Wine & Beer Fest on West - Samples from 8 local restaurants, 20 regional wines, craft beers, and live music.

🎨 The Resin Room - 1 Year Anniversary Celebration - One-year open house with live music, drinks, desserts, giveaways, and shop specials.

🍽️ Food Glorious Food: Class, Culture and Cooking in Colonial Annapolis - Walking tour exploring how class, trade, and enslavement shaped colonial food, with visits to three historic sites and period-inspired tastes.

🌱 Food Security Workshop Hosted by Rotary Club of Parole - A free workshop on local food production with presentations, panel discussion, and networking lunch.

🎨 Discovering American Art Annual Lectures: The Birth of Revolutionary Spirit - Art history lecture exploring the American Revolution through portraits and historic accounts, with a reception afterward.

🎈🐮 Anne Arundel County Farmers Market - Fresh local produce, meats, dairy, baked goods, and crafts from regional vendors.

🎈🧺 The Third Sunday Market - Monthly farmers market with local food, crafts, and farm products at Honey's Harvest Farm in Lothian.

🎈🩰 Native American Music, Dance & History - Free family program featuring Uhwachi-Reh performing traditional dances in ceremonial regalia with live drumming.

🎶 Voices of America: Celebrating American Composers - Annapolis Opera celebrates 250 years of America through vocal music by its composers.

🎶 Evening of Classic Vocal Music - Tenor and mezzo-soprano duo perform Mozart, Schubert, Gounod, and Mendelssohn at St. Martin's-in-the-Field.

🎷 Rick Braun Plays Chuck Mangione - Contemporary jazz trumpeter Rick Braun pays tribute to Chuck Mangione.

🎨 Create Watercolor Recipe Cards - Turn a favorite recipe into an illustrated keepsake card, learning hand lettering and watercolor basics.

🎨 Holiday Cheer Starts HERE. (a pop-up shop) - Holiday pop-up featuring 70+ local makers, vintage collections, trunk shows, permanent jewelry, and charm bars. Fri-Sun.

🎷 Annapolis Jazz & Roots Festival: Weekend Two - Multi-venue festival featuring jazz, soul, and Indigenous performances across Eastport. Fri-Sun.

🎃 The Maiden of Sleepy Hollow @ London Town - A stage take on a Sleepy Hollow tale at Historic London Town & Gardens. Fri-Sun.

🏛️ House Money – The mayor's holds a budget townhall tonight at 6:30 PM at American Legion Post 141 on Forest Drive. People got $100 in pretend money to split among seven priorities at an earlier budget stop in Eastport. Public safety won, then roads and sidewalks, then affordable housing. The mayor says these sessions will shape his April budget. Register here.

🎷 Hometown Hero – Thomas "TEA" Arthur spent more than five decades bringing music to Annapolis. The Bates High grad played flute and alto sax across the region, helped start the Rafiki theater group, and chaired the Kunta Kinte Heritage Festival. He died in August. Annapolis Jazz & Roots gives him its Hometown Hero Award at Eastport United Methodist Church tomorrow at 7 PM. A free Miles Davis tribute by the Naval Academy Band's Superintendent's Combo follows. Reserve a seat here.

🎖 Veterans Day Ceremony – We spent yesterday's ceremony at Memorial Circle talking with veterans, including 100-year-old World War II veteran Iron Mackfee Locklear. Watch here.

🎄 Light Fight – Let’s just say . . . readers had thoughts on Galway Bay putting their Christmas lights up. Reader Debbie had the brilliant idea to settle this dispute once and for all with a mud wrestling match poll. So have at it, Scoopers, and let this be the final word! Results in tomorrow’s Scoop.

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!

63 🌡️ 41 | 🌧️ | 48% ☔ | 💨 SW 9 mph (8 knots)

50 🌡️ 34 | ⛅ | 26% ☔ | 💨 NW 16 mph (14 knots)

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 60ºF
Temperature readings taken from the mouth of the Severn River the night before publication

Residential Rug Care is a local family-run business with over 100 years of rug cleaning history. They clean Oriental, Persian, antique, and other area rugs, remove stains and pet odors, and offer new padding & fringe. Rugs are cleaned at their 20,000-square-foot facility, with free pickup and delivery throughout Anne Arundel County.

🌳🎵= Outdoor concert

49 West | The Annapolis Round Up | 7:30–10 PM
49 West | Songbird Open Mic | 7:30–10 PM
The Admiral’s Cup | Mike Sharp | 7–10 PM
Beer Farm | Anthony Frijia | 4–7 PM
Brian Boru | Ciaran Quinn | 6–9 PM
Copper Creek | Open Mic with Paul Cortese and Uncle Bill | 7 PM
Killarney House | Brandon & Thordis | 6–9 PM
Mother’s Peninsula Grille | Jonathan Sloan | 7 PM
Pirates Cove | Jason Bishop | 6–9 PM
The Point | Dan Haas | 5–8 PM
Rams Head On Stage | Jim Messina | 8 PM | Tickets
🌳🎵Rams Head Tavern | Nate Finn | 5–8 PM

49 West | Papa Presents Native American Blues feat. Carly Harvey | 7:30–10 PM
The Admiral’s Cup | KBR | 3:30–7:30 PM
The Admiral’s Cup | Honey Sol | 8 PM–12 AM
Annapolis Smokehouse & Tavern | Rick’s Revolving Door | 8:30 PM
Beer Farm | Michael McHenry | 4–7 PM
Brian Boru | Aidan & Bryan | 7–10 PM
Captain’s Daughter | TBA | 5–7 PM
The Choptank | Jimmy Solesky | 8 PM–12 AM
Eastport United Methodist Church | U.S. Naval Academy Band’s Superintendent’s Combo | 7–9 PM
Great Frogs | Alexander Peters | 5:30–8:30 PM
Killarney House | Pete Best | 7:30–10:30 PM
Middleton Tavern | Sidewalk Soul | 10 PM
Mother’s Peninsula Grille | Three of a Kind | 8 PM
🌳🎵Old Stein Inn | Eddie Pasa | 7–10 PM
Pirates Cove | Stephen Henson | 7–10 PM
Rams Head Roadhouse | Bro Roy | 8 PM
Rams Head Tavern | Joey Fitz | 9 PM

Thanks for reading Naptown Scoop today. If you found something useful, please share it by screaming as loud as you can on Main Street.