🍦Who won the Tug of War?

Good morning, Annapolis. The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree was installed on Saturday so I guess you have our permission to put yours up now. It won’t be lit until December 3 though so if you’re a purist, that’s a safer date for your tree.

In today’s Naptown Scoop:

Let’s get to it.

— Lauren Burke Meyer, Dylan Roche, Duffy Perkins

For the fourth consecutive year, 84 Lumber is proud to be the presenting sponsor of the 2025 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, known as the “People’s Tree.” This year, the tree is making its journey from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada.

The 53-foot red fir has been named “Silver Belle.” The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree initiative is a 62-year tradition in which one of the nation’s 154 national forests provides a tree for the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol for the holiday season.

The project is made possible with support from partners like 84 Lumber, along with cash and in-kind contributions from companies large and small, as well as volunteers locally and across the nation. The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree program creates the opportunity to spotlight public lands with billions of trees across diverse ecosystems. The tree will be lit from dusk until 11 p.m. each evening until January 1, 2026!

After all the mail-in votes were counted, only one City of Annapolis election switched sides – Ward 1. Unaffiliated Tom Krieck led Democrat Harry Huntley by 10 votes after in-person voting. But after a strong mail-in performance, Huntley leads by just shy of 100 votes – by far the closest race this year. A second round of ballot counting is scheduled for Wednesday (10 AM at 6740 Baymeadow Drive, Glen Burnie). After the count, the votes will be certified and winners officially declared.

Current (unofficial) results:

You might have noticed it’s getting colder, especially at night. For the sake of community members in need, Anne Arundel County has designated warming centers. These are public places where anyone can go to escape the cold, no questions asked. Warming centers can be found at:

👉 AA County Police Dept. district station lobbies & community rooms | Available 24/7
👉 AA County Senior Activity Center community rooms | Mon.-Fri. 8:30 AM–4:30 PM
👉 AA County Public Libraries | Mon.-Thur. 10 AM–8 PM, Fri.-Sat. 10 AM–5 PM, Sun. selection locations 1–5 PM

All facilities are accessible and have heat, water, and restrooms. If you need sheltering or special accommodations, call the Crisis Warmline 410-768-5522.

Expect to be hearing some smack talk coming out of Eastport this week — and hey, they earned the right to do it. Eastport won the annual Tug of War against Annapolis on Saturday afternoon. In keeping with tradition, the first tug of the day commenced at the crack o’ noon and a series of tugs followed throughout the day. Eastport won 4 of the 7 face-offs, ultimately claiming the victory title for the day. All tugging (for both sides) happened in Eastport because of the City Dock construction so this result might have an asterisk next to it on Wikipedia but hey, a win’s a win.

We probably don’t need to tell you what Maryland Cures Cancer Regatta, the CRAB Cup, and the Hospice Cup have in common — they’re local sailing races for charity. Something else they have in common: Roger Mason and Chris Valentino. These two were among the 1,000 skippers and crews to race 238 boats across the three races and raise a collective $556K for charity. Roger and Chris led with a combination of the lowest race scores and highest fundraising totals in the three races, which earned them the Triple Crown of Charity Sailing Trophy. Together with their Trademark Team, they took second place in two races and first place in another. They also raised $56K for charity. They accepted the trophy at a presentation/reception at the end of October.

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This development story might give you some déjà vu: The Annapolis Planning Commission approved plans for a mixed-use building in the arts district. Sound familiar? That’s because the commission approved the plan in 2023, development stalled, and the approval expired. Now developer West Village LLC needs a new building permit to move forward. The development, slated for the intersection of West Street and Colonial Avenue, will comprise a restaurant on the first floor and six apartments on the second and third floors. It will be built from mass timber instead of traditional steel, which means it can be built more quickly and be more environmentally sustainable. Developers expect a building permit in 2026. ($)

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.

Scarborough Capital Management Celebrates Recognition as a Forbes Top RIA Firm for the 3rd Consecutive Year.

Tuesday

Maryland Hall | USNA Band Veteran’s Day Concert | Who better to perform a Veteran’s Day Concert than the Naval Academy band? Various ensembles will perform patriotic music in a range of styles. And there’s no cost | 7 PM

Friday

Lothian | Outdoor Movie Night @ Honey’s Harvest Farm | Showing the documentary Common Ground about ethical regenerative farming featuring Jason Momoa, Woody Harrelson, and Donald Glover | 6 PM

Weekend

All over | Annapolis Jazz and Roots Festival Weekend #2 | With performances by Unified Jazz Ensemble, The Freedom Choir, and the Joshua Redman Quartet

First and foremost, we thank all veterans reading this for their service, even though it’s tomorrow. We’re grateful for you every day. Tuesday is a federal holiday so banks and post offices are closed. The City of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County governments are closed but curbside trash collection will not change. County WMS facilities are closed, however.

There will be a brief ceremony honoring veterans at Memorial Circle in downtown Annapolis at 11 AM.

Saturday night brought some bad news for the nearly 20K runners registered to run across the Bay Bridge on Sunday morning — the annual Bay Bridge Run was canceled around 9 PM. The problem? A chance of Sunday showers. In inclement weather, the MDTA doesn’t allow two-way traffic which would prevent the eastbound span from closing for runners.

What does this mean for runners? Unfortunately, the race can’t be rescheduled. Registrants will get priority and discounts for next year’s race. Details on that will come soon.

We’re less than 3 weeks away from Thanksgiving. We know you’re making plans, like who’s mashing the potatoes and who’s folding the napkins into turkeys. But if your holiday traditions include working up an appetite with family and friends . . . well, you don’t want to miss signups. Here are the local turkey trots we’ve been keeping an eye on, and registration’s filling up fast. Rumor has it Scoop writer Dylan’s trying to win all three.

👟 The Greater Annapolis Y in Arnold Thanksgiving (Thursday, Nov. 27) 8:30 AM. Take a scenic loop through Anne Arundel Community College’s campus to raise money for Y Fresh Mart food pantries.

👟 Fleet Feet Downtown Thanksgiving (Thursday, Nov. 27) 9 AM. Start and finish at Fleet Feet’s original Eastport location while enjoying a downtown course to raise money for Girls on the Run Greater Chesapeake.

👟 Camp Letts Turkey Chase Thanksgiving (Thursday, Nov. 27) 8:30 AM. This race offers 5K and 10K options through scenic Edgewater routes surrounding Camp Letts and raises money for campground upkeep as well as scholarships for campers who need them.

If you have a high school senior, you can probably hear “Pomp and Circumstance” playing already. And the fall semester isn’t even over yet. But now’s the time to mark your calendar (and tell the grandparents) for graduation ceremonies. Check out the dates/times for your senior’s school just released by AACPS.

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.

Talk about giving credit where credit is due: Credit rating agencies S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings gave the City of Annapolis an AA+ score. Similarly, Moody’s Investors Service reaffirmed its Aa1 rating. These are among the highest credit ratings possible — which keeps borrowing costs down for the city.

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49 🌡️ 32 | ⛅ | 3% | 💨 WNW 16 mph (14 knots)

46 🌡️ 38 | ☀️ | 0% | 💨 W 18 mph (16 knots)

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 59ºF
Temperature readings taken from the mouth of the Severn River the night before publication

49 West | 2nd Monday Songwriters Showcase | 7:30–10:30 PM

49 West | Seth Mitchell & Friends | 7:30–9:30 PM
Captain’s Daughter | TBA | 5–7 PM
Middleton Tavern | Annapolis Songwriters Showcase | 6–9 PM
The Point | Aidan Ewald | 5–8 PM

On a cold, snowy night in South Bend, Navy fell hard to #10 (Now #9) Notre Dame, 49–10. With starting QB Blake Horvath sidelined, Braxton Woodson stepped in and ran for 101 yards and Navy’s only touchdown. But the Irish were dominant — outgaining the Mids 502–228 and scoring touchdowns on seven of their first nine drives. Navy’s defense couldn’t get off the field, and the offense stalled after halftime. Now 7–2, the Mids face a huge conference clash this Saturday in Annapolis vs. #25 South Florida. Winner stays in the hunt for the American title.

What a weekend for the Falcons. The football team won its first playoff game since 2008 — a gutsy 21–16 win over Crofton led by QB Blake Howell, who transferred from Spalding just in time to make magic. Meanwhile, the girls soccer squad punched its ticket to a third straight state title game, topping Towson 1–0 behind Ava Scott’s first-half goal. They're now 16–0 and chasing perfection. ($)

Women's Basketball (1-0)
11/7 @ Delaware | W 68-61

Men's Basketball (1-1)
11/7 vs. Yale | L 97-68

Football (7-2)
11/8 @ Notre Dame | L 49-10

Women's Volleyball (12-12)
11/8 vs. Loyola, Maryland | W 3-1
11/9 vs. American | L 3-0

Men's Basketball (1-1)
11/11 @ Penn State University Park | 6:30 PM

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Thanks for reading Naptown Scoop today. If you found something useful, please share it with someone who spends every single weekend going to open houses. They’ll find the one eventually.