Naptown Scoop
Posts
🍦Annapolis Toy Show

🍦Annapolis Toy Show

National Night Out 2025, Annapolis Opera 53rd Season, AACPL’s Budget Boost...

Naptown Scoop
July 31, 2025

Good morning, Annapolis. School starts next month and next month starts tomorrow. As Elon Musk said (while carrying a sink into Twitter HQ after he bought it), let that sink in.

In today’s Naptown Scoop:

National Night Out 2025 🏘️👮🧑‍🚒
Annapolis Opera 53rd Season 🎶🎭
AACPL’s Budget Boost

Let’s get to it.

— Lauren Burke Meyer, Dylan Roche, Duffy Perkins

THE DIGEST

Setting the Record Straight

We published a story on Tuesday with what we thought was the list of all people running for City Council or Mayor this year. Turns out we were wrong for the second time this week. Ouch.

While this is a nearly complete list…

🔵 = Democrats 🔴 = Republicans

Mayor Candidates: Rhonda Pindell Charles, Jared Littmann, and Robert O’Shea
Ward 1: Ben Bramsen, Ron Gunzburger, and Harry Huntley
Ward 2: Karma O’Neill and Ken Vincent
Ward 3: Deborah J. Odum and Keanuú Smith-Brown
Ward 4: Janice Elain Allsup Johnson and Coren Eve Makell
Ward 5: Brooks Schandelmeier
Ward 6: N/A
Ward 7: Robert Savidge
Ward 8: Frank Thorp

*Michael Dye (Ward 3) and William Richard Cunha (Ward 8) who are both unaffiliated will advance directly to the November General Election Day ballot.

We missed a few names because the City of Annapolis press release only included certified candidates. There are several more names who will be released by Annapolis after the next Board of Supervisors of Elections meeting on August 12.

Ward 1: Katie McDermott (Democrat) & Tom Krieck (independent)
Ward 5: Jack Papaleonti (Republican)
Ward 6: Craig Cussimanio (Democrat) and George Gallagher (Republican)

P.S. If there’s no website for a candidate, it’s because we weren’t sent one or couldn’t find one.

Will we see taller buildings downtown?

How tall is too tall? If you’re a building in downtown Annapolis, you have to make sure you’re under 38 feet (unless you’re one of a few buildings built before the height limits were imposed). But that could be changing, at least along Dock Street near the water. An ordinance that would let buildings on Dock Street go 10 feet higher, as long as they met other specific guidelines, such as a green roof designed for stormwater management and energy efficiency is making its way through the City Council.

This would make it possible for Harvey Blonder and FILLAT+ Architecture to build a three-story hotel with a rooftop terrace where Latitude 38 currently stands. Harvey Blonder, owner of Latitude 38, has tried several times to propose the project, but it’s always been a no-go with building height restrictions. Opponents to the ordinance don’t want to see spotty variations in zoning, especially in a historic district. ($)

Stories with ($) require a third-party subscription.

LOCAL BUSINESS

The Restaurants Y’all Could Eat at Again and Again

Yesterday, we asked an impossible question: if you could only eat at one Annapolis restaurant for the rest of your life, where would it be? My answer is easy (but a little pricey): Osteria 177 because the food is always amazing, the service is impeccable, and the vibe is so deliciously old school. Here are some of yours.

Julep. Reminds me of Mom’s meals
This is a sneaky one, but Davis’ Pub has majorly stepped up their menu recently and offers such a variety of specials throughout the week
Vin 909, hands down
Boatyard. I mean the chicken tenders… period. Also it’s iconic, food is great, beers are cold and… oysters
Eastport Kitchen for lunch. Sweetheart Patisserie for dessert. Dinner has no clear winner.

And a bonus (outside of Annapolis). If you like Osteria you’ll like this, too.

I would head to Arturo’s in Glen Burnie. It’s the best

Lasang Pinoy is now closed

One of the cool things about a trip to Annapolis Mall has always been the variety of food options, including classic Filipino fare at the family-owned Lasang Pinoy. But now, after two years in business, the restaurant is now closed. They served their last tables in mid-July and extend their “sincere thanks to every guest” who dined with them. There’s no word yet on what will move into that space at the mall.

Black Market Bakers Opens in Churchton 🍞

A lot of businesses celebrate their fifth anniversary with a customer-appreciation event or something like that. But not Black Market Bakers. They decided to celebrate by announcing a new shop. Black Market Bakers of Churchton opens tomorrow at 8 AM (5451 Deale Churchton Road, Churchton), marking the third location in addition to the Port Annapolis and Edgewater bakeries. Not bad for what started as a COVID hobby.

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.

WHAT’S HAPPENIN’

Weekend Preview 📆

🎨 Hobby Fair Saturday 2–4 PM. Find a new hobby or connect with a fellow hobbyist at the Busch Annapolis Library.

🦀 80th Annual Rotary Club of Annapolis Crab Feast Friday 5–8 PM. VIP tickets are sold out, but reserved seating is still available online through midnight tonight.

🌾 Summer Field Market at Wildberry Saturday 9 AM. Join Wildberry and other local vendors for a Saturday market down on the farm.

🛍️ First Sunday Arts Festival Sunday 11 AM–5 PM. Walk through West Street and check out over 100 vendors while enjoying live entertainment.

⚾️ Navy Night and Faith Day at the Baysox Friday 7:05 PM, Sunday 1:05 PM. Two special events at Baysox stadium in one weekend.

🏈 Navy Football Fan Fest Saturday 10 AM. Meet Navy players for autographs and photos ahead of the fall football season.

🚂 Annapolis Toy Show Saturday 9 AM–2 PM. Collectables and other novelties take over the Doubletree Hotel at this toy-centric convention.

Next week: National Night Out 2025 🏘️👮🧑‍🚒

Want to meet some heroes? For over 30 years, National Night Out has taken place the first Tuesday in August across America. The goal? To promote positive police-community partnerships and enhance neighborhood safety and unity. All events are free and open to the public.

Annapolis will celebrate on August 5, with events at five locations: Annapolis Gardens (5–8 PM), Bay Ridge Gardens (5–8 PM), Woodside Gardens (5:30–8 PM), the Busch Library (6–8 PM), and First Baptist Church (4–6 PM). Police, Fire, and Emergency Management teams will host block parties, safety demos, kids’ activities, and more.

Annapolis Opera Unveils an Extraordinary 53rd Season 🎶🎭

Annapolis Opera will soon raise the curtain on a show-stopping 53rd season. Mark those calendars now for events that hit a high note.

September 11: Black and White Gala – cocktail hour, dinner, and live performances
October 5, November 16, and May 3: Opera Up-Close, **a new recital series offering a behind-the-scenes look
October 31 and November 2: Mozart’s Don Giovanni returns to Annapolis after 23 years with a thrilling mix of passion, betrayal, and revenge
February 22: New Work Reading shows the process of making a new opera
March 13 and 15: Hansel and Gretel celebrates resilience, the power of family, and the triumph of innocence over evil
March 14: Family-friendly Hansel and Gretel
April 19: 38th Annual Vocal Competition Finals

🎟️ Learn more and snag your seats before the fat lady sings!

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

AACPL’s Budget Boost

Anne Arundel County Public Library is seeing a funding increase for next year — specifically, the library system has $2.4 million more in its 2026 budget for a total of $38.3 million. Where’s that money going? AACPL has specific plans, including:

📚 3% cost-of-living raises and 3% merit-based raises
📚 Security upgrades, including firewalls and cybersecurity training
📚 Higher rent costs for Discoveries: the Library at the Mall, one of the most popular branches
📚 3 Maryland Corps Service Program positions, giving high school grads or GED recipients a temporary job while they plan for their career

But maybe the biggest investment out of all of it? AACPL is getting a Millersville branch, which will share a building with a YMCA. This is set to cost $12.5 million, which will come out of the Anne Arundel County budget, separate from the library’s budget. ($)

Stories with ($) require a third-party subscription.

NAPTOWN SCOOP WEATHER IS POWERED BY. . .

Thursday

88 🌡️ 70 | 🌦️ | 72% | SSE 11 mph (10 knots)

Friday

74 🌡️ 67 | 🌦️ | 39% | 💨 NNE 13 mph (11 knots)

LIVE MUSIC LOWDOWN

Thursday

Friday

THANKS!

Thanks for reading Naptown Scoop today. If you found something useful, please share it with someone whose idea of a quick errand involves docking.