🍦Tanks, but no tanks

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning, Annapolis. All the cool kids are drinking Albariño now. That said, “Albariño ‘til the sun don’t shine-o” doesn’t have quite the same ring to it as “Rosé all day.”

In today’s Naptown Scoop:

City’s new budget
HERE. a pop-up shop
Very fluffy good boy

Let’s get to it.

— Ryan Sneddon

P.S. Happy birthday, Sarah Evans!

Your Neighbors. Maryland's #1 Real Estate Team.

We live here. We work here. And this year, the 2026 RealTrends Verified rankings confirmed what Annapolis already knows — the Brad Kappel Team is the #1 small team in Maryland and ranked #22 in the nation among all small teams by sales volume, standing alongside teams in Los Angeles, Miami, Malibu, and Aspen.

But rankings tell only part of the story.

What sets the Brad Kappel Team apart is how we work. Every client, every transaction, every price point receives the same customized, white-glove concierge service backed by the global reach and reputation of Sotheby's International Realty. From a first home in Annapolis to a waterfront estate on the Chesapeake Bay, we bring the same standard of care, marketing, and expertise to every move we make together.

We are your neighbors. We know these streets, these waterways, and this community — and we are proud to call Annapolis home.

Learn more about our team, our process, and what we can do for you on our website.

📲 410.279.9476

Brad Kappel Team | TTR Sotheby's International Realty

TANKS, BUT NO TANKS

County moving ahead with controversial water tower

Rendering: Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works

Anne Arundel County says it's moving ahead with a 200-foot-tall, million-gallon water tower in Crownsville per a June 5 letter from Public Works Director Karen Henry.

Residents have fought this site for over a year. The Stop the Tower Annapolis Coalition pushed for another option – Site L on North River Road. In a county-run survey, 58% of respondents preferred Site L.

The sticking point: Opponents say they're not against the tower — they're against what the county calls Site E – a spot surrounded by homes – when, in their view, a better option exists. The primary concern is that the tower will reduce property values.

County engineers said otherwise. While Site L was originally presented as viable, Director Henry’s letter said it was “ruled out due to critical hydraulic constraints and high construction costs.” Indeed, Site L would have required a 5,000-foot connection to the water main vs. Site E’s 1,000.

The Department of Public Works will now proceed to the design phase. Completion is estimated for March 2029. Meanwhile, the coalition says it’s preparing to take legal action. We’ll keep you updated as this story develops.

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📆 Events calendar

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🏕 2026 Summer Camp Guide

🎸 2026 Outdoor Concerts Guide

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This section may be sponsored through the events calendar above

Dinner with five strangers picked just for you? That's Naptown Scoop Dinner Club. Take a quick quiz, grab a $15.99 seat, and learn the restaurant's location the morning of June 17. Optional secret afterparty included. Naptown Scoop Dinner Club #3 is how Annapolitans make friends now. Join the fun.

JUST FOR FUN

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.

🐾 Dog of the Week: Rookie

SPCA

Rookie is shy for about ninety seconds. Then he's your best friend, shadow, and most enthusiastic hype man.

This one-year-old Pomeranian came to the SPCA of Anne Arundel County in April and has been melting hearts in Wing 1 ever since. He plays it a little coy at first — but a couple of treats, and the act's over. Suddenly he's darting side to side on his walk, glancing back at you like he's saying, "look at this! look at this!"

He's small, tan, and impossibly fluffy, with a vicious cuddling habit. Rookie does best as your one and only — no cats, please — and with kids twelve and up.

If you want a pocket-sized ray of sunshine who's convinced you hung the moon, Rookie's your guy. Go meet him at the SPCA of Anne Arundel County.

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Your 401(k) might be your most valuable financial asset. It’s also probably on autopilot.

Here’s how lots of 401(k) stories go. You start a new job. HR hands you some paperwork. You pick a few funds — or, let it default into a target-date fund — and then you move on with your life. Decades pass. The balance grows. And somewhere along the way, you never look at it again.

The problem is that markets change. Your risk tolerance changes. Your timeline changes. An allocation that was perfectly reasonable at 35 can be a liability at 55. And the target-date fund that “automatically adjusts” is a one-size-fits-all product that doesn’t know anything about you, your spouse, your pension, your Social Security, or your actual retirement plans.

Many financial advisors will tell you they can’t help with your 401(k) without rolling it over to an IRA. Scarborough’s 401(k) management service works inside your existing employer plan, for a simple monthly fee, with a dedicated advisor who monitors and adjusts your strategy with you as your life and the market change.

It’s the kind of service most people assume is only available to wealthy clients. It’s not.

Scarborough Capital Management has been managing 401(k) plans for working Americans for over 35 years.

Learn more at SCMadvice.com

CITY HALL

Annapolis passes its first budget under Mayor Littmann

Thirteen hours of amendments, one unanimous vote, and a whole lot of sidewalk money.

The Annapolis City Council unanimously passed a roughly $204.9 million operating budget Monday — plus about $29 million in capital spending — the first under Mayor Jared Littmann and the new, all-Democrat council. The fiscal year starts July 1.

What made the cut:

Faster help: A new daytime paramedic team (about $588,000, partly covered by a county grant) to handle peak-time calls.
Smoother strolls: Hundreds of thousands of extra dollars for regular and brick sidewalk repairs — Eastport Alderman Frank Thorp called roads and sidewalks the "number one concern" for his ward and most of the city. Can confirm as I used to commute via skateboard.

Also tucked in: funding for AI tools to speed up city staff work, longer rec center hours, steeper fines for illegal tree removal, and higher fees on short-term rentals.

Worth noting: The budget is balanced (as required by city code) and it doesn’t raise property tax rates. Property tax burdens (AKA what you actually pay) can still increase because property values increase.

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In other news. . .

🚣‍♂️ Grab a paddle – The Bay Paddle returns on July 25. Unlike the early days, paddlers are no longer required to paddle the entire 200 miles of the Chesapeake Bay. Instead, you start from Kent Island and circumnavigate one of three islands: Hog Island (3.2 miles), Parsons Island (10 miles), or the whole dang Kent Island (35 miles, teams allowed). Bay Paddle has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Oyster Recovery Partnership, Chesapeake Conservancy, and Waterkeepers Chesapeake. Register now and get training!

⚽ Soccer's biggest summer – Want to watch the World Cup with Annapolis’ hottest soccer team? The Blues are hosting a watch party at Market House for the U.S. vs. Paraguay on Friday. ICYMI: We’ve got a few recommendations for where to watch World Cup matches. Want to watch real soccer? Tonight is Grow the Game Night for the Annapolis Blues women’s team vs. Richmond Ivy. The first 500 fans get a plant compliments of Homestead Gardens.

🎓No tuition – St. John’s College kicks off its summer lecture series tonight (June 10) in McDowell Great Hall. This year’s whole run is themed around America 250. First up: “Where to Begin a Study of American Thought?” by Jonathan Badger, Janet Dougherty, and Rob Mass. The Wednesday-night lectures go through July and every one is open to the public.

🛍️ Local makers, new digs – HERE., Annapolis' traveling pop-up boutique, opens its summer pop-up, La Dolce Vita, in exactly one month. This time they’re taking over the former Sadona Salon + Spa at 15 West Street, which closed earlier this year. Along with friendly smiling faces inside (HERE. always has good vibes), you’ll find the works of 60+ local artists from art and jewelry to home goods and gifts. Once it’s open on July 10, it’ll be open daily from 10 AM–6 PM.

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NAPTOWN SCOOP WEATHER IS POWERED BY. . .

Wednesday

87 🌡️ 72 | ⛈️ | 58% ☔ | 💨 S 12 mph (10 knots)

Thursday

93 🌡️ 74 | ⛈️ | 43% ☔ | 💨 SW 8 mph (7 knots)

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 75ºF
Temperature readings taken from the mouth of the Severn River the night before publication

LIVE MUSIC LOWDOWN

🌳 🎵 = Outdoor concert

Wednesday

Thursday

THANKS!

Thanks for reading Naptown Scoop today. If you found something useful, please share it with someone who is on a Viking Cruise. As in right now. We're not jealous at all.

🍦Tanks, but no tanks

TOGETHER WITH

SPONSORED BY BRAD KAPPEL
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
TTR SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE