🍦Annapolis Hope: The Final Update

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning, Annapolis. No matter how busy your life is, I hope you have time to sit down with a good book this week.

In today’s Naptown Scoop:

• Bay Bridge Poll Results Are In 🗳️

• Advertise with Naptown Scoop

• Torch Run on the Bridge Today 🏃‍♂️

Let’s get to it.

— Lauren Burke Meyer, Dylan Roche, Duffy Perkins

SPONSORED BY 84 LUMBER

84 Lumber is excited to announce its continued recognition on the LBM Journal 100 Top Dealer List for 2025.

The company has proudly earned a spot on this prestigious list every year since it was first published in 2021.

The LBM Journal 100 ranks the leading lumber and building materials dealers in the U.S. based on their gross sales from the previous year, celebrating the top performers in the industry and offering valuable insights into their strategies and successes.

84 Lumber is proud to bring the highest quality building supplies to Annapolis. For more information, visit 84lumber.com or stop in today at 1690 Balt-Annapolis Blvd.

THE DIGEST

Annapolis Hope: The Final Update

Two years ago, the Mireles family lost their breadwinner in a neighborhood dispute turned deadly. 8 children and a widow were left behind at risk of eviction. An amazing group of local people decided that wasn’t OK and led a $247,000 charge to buy the family’s home. We called it Annapolis Hope.

I’m pleased to announce that on the last day of May, the Mireles family closed on their home.

So many Annapolitans and Scoop readers made this possible. We’d like to personally thank a few by name.

Susy Cruz of Our Lady of Guadalupe Advocacy at St. Mary’s Parish. Susy made the whole thing happen. She did incredible work to support the Mireles’ financially before Annapolis Hope raised all of its funds. She did tremendous work behind the scenes. She did it all.

Susan Schneider. The phrase, “worked tirelessly” is overused but that’s what Susan did. There were a lot of people working really hard to make Annapolis Hope happen. Susan was the glue that held everyone together.

John Brennan of Brennan Title Company. John faithfully stewarded the Mireles’ from day 1 of Annapolis Hope. The legal work for this transaction was difficult. John was patient and skilled.

The Brian and Patricia Giese Foundation. The Gieses provided a $25,000 match donation without being asked to kickstart the giving.

Anonymous $50,000 donor. You know who you are. You always said you’d get us over the finish line. And you did. We couldn’t have done this without you.

Wendy Rabin. Wendy dedicated an entire week at her West Annapolis boutique, Wrabyn, to Annapolis Hope and blew us away with her donation.

Eileen Mitchard. Eileen ran the finest yarn fundraiser Annapolis (and quite possibly the world) has ever seen. She also recruited me over breakfast at Evelyn’s.

The Annapolis Maritime Museum. AMM donated a night on the Wilma Lee and a night in their beautiful Merrill Family Pavilion for two separate fundraisers.

Amy Marshall of Marshall Hope Corporation. Amy offered her nonprofit as a legal home for Annapolis Hope and created a dedicated bank account for the funds.

Roxana Rodriguez. Roxana donated so much food from her restaurant, Caliente Grill. Like so much. If there was an event, Roxana brought food.

And along the way Always Ice Cream, Eastport Democratic Club, Ken’s Creative Kitchen, Mills Fine Wine and Spirits, and ZIPS Cleaners became generous partners to help us meet the goal.

Quite literally hundreds of people gave their talents, treasure, and time to keep the Mireles family in their home. I wish I could thank you all by name. So this will have to suffice: If you had anything to do with making Annapolis Hope happen, thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

June 2025 Anne Arundel County At A Glance

Bridging the opinion gap 🚗 🚴

Yesterday, we asked your thoughts about a potential bike/pedestrian lane on the new Chesapeake Bay Bridge and responses were fairly split, with some pretty strong opinions on both sides.

👍 Yes took the edge with 53% of you saying, “Sounds great to me!”
👎😱 No was split between

• 34% “No thanks, I’ll stick with driving”

• And 11% “I’m so afraid of heights I don’t even like driving so there’s no way I’m walking or biking”

Among the yay-sayers, there was the expected enthusiasm for an alternative transportation option plus the potential to explore hiker-biker trails on the Eastern Shore. Nay-sayers expressed concerns about safety and how it would affect traffic.

Just remember: We like to think we’re pretty important, but we’re only the pollsters here. If you have strong feelings one way or another, it’s best to contact MDTA.

Reminder: Special Olympics Torch Run to Cross Bay Bridge 🏃‍♂️

Traveling over the Bay Bridge today? You might need more cushion time. Starting at 10 AM, the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Maryland will cross the westbound span of the bridge, and the right and center lanes will close temporarily. The good news? MDOT expects minimal traffic delays. Use extra caution while on the bridge. And, download your favorite podcast before you leave.

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LOCAL BUSINESS

Want to advertise your business to 22,369 Annapolitans?

That’s what we do every weekday morning. And we’re proud to promote some of the biggest names in town like Brad Kappel and Annapolis Mall alongside small business superstars like Blue Heron Property Services and Yoga Factory. These folks choose to advertise with Naptown Scoop for a few reasons:

• We have an extremely engaged audience. Our open rate is 106% higher than the average news-focused email newsletter. Our click-through rate is 58% higher than average.

• We tell your story. We have an expert in-house copywriter who learns about your business to craft unique ads our readers love while achieving a return on our clients’ investments.

• Category exclusivity. Clients who make a certain investment with us are guaranteed to be the only business in their category.

Can we tell your story, too? Click here to inquire.

P.S. On the topic of exclusivity, the following categories are already claimed.

• Residential realtor

• Building materials

• Dermatology & Med Spa

• Financial planner/wealth management

• Direct primary care & hormone replacement

• Yoga studio

• Pressure washing, window cleaning, & roof washing

• Veterinarian

• Dentist

• Facial plastic surgery

Annapolis eases childcare restrictions

Annapolis just passed a new ordinance to ease the child care crunch. It lets in-home providers care for up to 12 kids (up from 8) and hire outside help, aligning city rules with Maryland’s. Providers still need state licensing before making changes, but the move could bring relief fast. Longtime provider Kim Carpenter says she’s excited to serve more families. And for parents like Tia Dudley, who searched for months to find care before her son was even born, it could mean fewer hoops — and less stress. ($)

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.

SPONSORED BY SCARBOROUGH CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

Six Ways to Stress Test Your Retirement Plan

We are constantly reminded how critical it is to ensure your retirement plan is resilient enough to withstand financial shocks. Here’s how to stress test your retirement plan, focusing on adjusting your investment allocations, managing healthcare options, and maintaining financial stability.

1. Maximize Your Emergency Fund

2. Tighten and Project Your Cash Flow

3. Reevaluate Your Investment Allocations

4. Consider New Income Opportunities

5. Reevaluate Your Retirement Timeline

6. Healthcare Options After a Layoff

We invite you to review our Retirement Planning Checklist: 5 Steps to Prepare for Retirement!

Scarborough Capital Management can help. 

WHAT’S HAPPENIN’

Theater Talk Tuesday 🎭

We’ve got three ways to enjoy theater this week: You can watch it, get involved, or look forward to something coming up in the next few weeks.

Watch it. . .

⚗️ Classic Theatre of Maryland presents The Imaginary Invalid. Tuesdays 7:30 PM. Enjoy this outrageous comedy about a hypochondriac’s rebellious love-struck daughter, in the outdoor courtyard of Reynold’s Tavern.

Get involved. . .

💡 Lighting workshop with the Colonial Players. June 21–July 26, 9 AM – noon. Learn how to transform any stage with the power of light.

🏫 Theater summer camps with Compass Rose Theater. Monday–Friday, 9 AM – 4 PM. Join a different camp each week through August 18 and learn all aspects of the performing arts. This week’s theme is Create a Play! and next week’s is Musical Theater.

💕 Auditions for Pride and Prejudice. Through June 27. Submit a video monologue to be considered for Compass Rose Theater’s adaptation of this Jane Austen classic.

Look forward to it. . .

👠 Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre presents The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Opening June 26. The Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre season continues with this bawdy but wholesome crowd-pleaser. Don’t be intimidated by the name.

🎵 Annapolis Opera presents Stories Through Music Library Concerts. Dates/times vary. Annapolis Opera is on tour this summer with family-friendly presentations at a library branch near you. This week, they’re at Eastport on Tuesday 6 PM, Broadneck on Thursday 6 PM, Severna Park on Saturday 11 AM, and Discoveries on Saturday 2 PM.

Annapolis Blues match

Looking for some midweek fun? The men of the Annapolis Blues are playing Virginia Beach United at home tomorrow. It should be a great match. Our Blues are #4 in the Chesapeake Division and guess who’s #3. That’s right. VB United. Kickoff is at 7:30 PM. Gates open at 6:30 PM and a clear bag policy is in effect. Get tickets.

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.

CIVIL NEWS

Board of Ed ready to discuss FY2026 budgets

The Anne Arundel County Board of Education will meet Wednesday night to discuss its capital and operating budgets for the 2026 fiscal year, which starts July 1. The meeting is set to begin at 6:30 PM, and interested attendees can view the upcoming agenda here. The Board will hear up to 10 individuals per agenda item during the early part of the meeting, so if you’d like to comment, sign up in advance and get there early.

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WEATHER

Tuesday

78 🌡️ 72 | ⛅ | 20% | 💨 SE 9 mph (8 knots)

Wednesday

86 🌡️ 74 | ⛈️ | 66% | SW 9 mph (8 knots)

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 73ºF
Temperature readings taken from the mouth of the Severn River the night before publication

LIVE MUSIC LOWDOWN

Tuesday

49 West | Unified Jazz Ensemble | 7–9:30 PM
The Point | Kavoossi | 5–8 PM
Pirates Cove | Justin LaFave | 6–9 PM
Rams Head On Stage | Raynes w/ Blank Page | 8 PM | Tickets
Rams Head Roadhouse | Faith & Faithful | 6 PM

Wednesday

49 West | Dave Chappell & Friends | 5–7 PM
Brian Boru | Mixed Business | 6–9 PM
Dinner Under The Stars | Wendall Live | 6–9 PM
Galway Bay | Irish Trad Music Session | 8 PM
Historic London Town | Garden Ramble with The Piper Jones Band | 5:30–8 PM
Killarney House | Kevin Lee | 6–9 PM
Middleton Tavern | Michael Waskey | 6–9 PM
Pirates Cove | Peter James | 6–9 PM
The Point | Aaron Hawkins | 5–8 PM
Rams Head On Stage | All You Need Is Beatles & The Fabtastic Four  | 8 PM | Tickets
Severna Park Taphouse | Open Mic | 7 PM
Stan & Joe’s Saloon | George Jano | 9 PM

THANKS!

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