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🍦Even more pickleball courts

🍦Even more pickleball courts

Meet the Hardgraves, birdwatching is a hoot, Weems & Plath turns 95...

Naptown Scoop
August 15, 2023

Good morning, Annapolis. Take a deep breath. Drink a full glass of water. Do some push-ups if you can. Now you’re ready to start the day. Oh, and finish reading the Scoop of course ;)

In today’s Naptown Scoop:

A big retirement
Alternative school options in Annapolis
Nonprofit rebrand

Let’s get to it.

—Ryan Sneddon, Rebecca Kraybill, & Lauren Burke Meyer

Meet the Hardgraves

Imagine if everyone approached school with the curiosity of a kindergartener. Once they stopped asking for snacks of course. Arnold residents Jenny and Roman Hardgrave wanted to build a school that would spark curiosity — just like that of our little learners — rather than extinguish it.

Enter Acton Academy Annapolis joining a global network of 270+ Acton Academies with fans like Sal Khan (Khan Academy), Gary Vaynerchuk, and Seth Godin. It's a network of entrepreneurs building schools with a shared sense of principles similar to Montessori that involves children's natural interests and hands-on activities rather than formal teaching methods.

The Hardgraves were inspired to launch Maryland Curiosity Lab (which not only runs Acton Academy Annapolis but also the Children’s Business Fair) when their 3 kids, who started out as curious kindergartners, grew disengaged by the year.

Here are just a few things Jenny and Roman plan to prioritize when their elementary studio opens this fall:

A love of learning ❤️
Working well with others 👫
Going on adventures ☀️🌿

The elementary studio is geared toward students ages 7–12. Tuition is $14K per year (including all adventure trips) and scholarships are available. The Hardgraves plan to open a preschool and middle school in Fall of 2024. A high school is planned for 2026.

Ready to inspire a love of learning for your child? Click here to learn more.

THE DIGEST

Chief of Naval Operations retires in Annapolis

Adm. Mike Gilday relinquished his duties as Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) during a ceremony at the Naval Academy on Monday. Mike concludes his four-year tenure as the 32nd CNO, serving as the Navy’s top military leader and an advisor to President Biden. President Biden has nominated Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti to perform CNO duties until the 33rd CNO is formally appointed. If confirmed, Lisa will be the first woman to run the Navy in U.S. history.

Mike’s parting advice: “Embody humility; selflessness; complete transparency; acknowledge the value of every Sailor and civilian; and always do the right thing, especially when it is difficult.”

Providence Center rebrands

Celebrities are masters of the rebrand. Just ask Mark Sinclair (now Vin Diesel); Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (now Tom Cruise); or Reginald Kenneth Dwight (now Elton John). After 62 years, Providence Center, Inc. is following suit. The nonprofit organization supporting adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities has unveiled a new name: Providence of Maryland, Inc. Alongside the name and brand refresh, Providence has merged with Charles County HARC to expand its residential services.

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LOCAL BUSINESS

The PutAway Grand Opening

Anne Arundel County is getting another new pickleball facility this week. This one includes almost 24,000 square feet of indoor courts, lounge chairs, and locker rooms with showers for all your pre-work dinking needs. And for our Severna Park readers, you’ll love the Millersville location. Mark your calendar for 5 PM tomorrow to help the PutAway team cut a ribbon for their grand opening. And after the ceremonial snip, you can play pickleball for free until 8 PM! You’ll need to register though. Do that here. Visit playputawaypickleball.com to learn more. 254 Najoles Rd, Millersville, MD 21108.

Weems & Plath celebrates 95 years 🧭

Before there was GPS, there was . . . Captain Philip Van Horn Weems, the “Grand Old Man of Navigation.” Weems and his wife Margaret established the Weems School of Navigation in 1927 in Annapolis and the rest is history. The Captain expanded the business to manufacture air and sea navigation tools, including his Second-Setting Watch, and went on to mentor Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart’s navigator. That revolutionary business now celebrates its 95th year, operating out of Eastport with 400 products sold around the world. Weems & Plath is headquartered at 214 Eastern Ave, Annapolis, MD 21403.

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’

Theatre Talk Tuesday

Footloose @ Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre. Thursday–Sunday at 8:30 PM through September 3. Tickets.

The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged) in the garden at Reynolds Tavern. All 37 plays in 97 minutes. Every Tuesday at 7:30 PM through August 29. Tickets.

New classes with Compass Rose Theater Classes start in September @ Maryland Hall. Explore and register.

Birdwatching: it’s a hoot

A “dip” is a rare bird that a birder missed. A “twitcher” is a birdwatcher obsessed with keeping a list. “Bins” are your binoculars. Now that you’re caught up on birdwatching slang, you can join the Anne Arundel Bird Club on a bird walk around Quiet Waters Park. BYOB (binoculars. . .) and walking shoes to see how many resident and migrant birds you can spot. Admission is free if you mention the walk at the gate. Sunday (8/20) 8–10 AM starting from the Blue Heron Center parking lot. 600 Quiet Waters Park Rd, Annapolis, MD 21403.

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.

WEATHER

Tuesday

87 🌡️ 71 | ⛈️ | 75% | 💨 SW 9 mph (8 knots)

Wednesday

84 🌡️ 73 | 🌤️ | 5% | 💨 W 8 mph (7 knots)

LIVE MUSIC LOWDOWN

Tuesday

Wednesday

THANKS!

Thanks for reading Naptown Scoop today. If you found something useful, please share it with a friend who rides a bike without a helmet.