🍦It’s the Great Naptown Bake Off! 🍪 🌟

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning, Annapolis. This is Naptown Scoop, the Screech to your Zack Morris. 🔔

In today’s Naptown Scoop:

• Black Tie & Diamonds tix on sale now 🤵 

• Top honors for AACC 👩‍🎓 

• St. John’s goes tuition free for qualifying students 🏫 

Let’s get to it.

— Lauren Burke Meyer, Dylan Roche, Duffy Perkins, Chelsea Harrison, & Ryan Sneddon

It’s the Great Naptown Bake Off! 🍪 🌟

Get your grandma’s recipe box out, tie on your apron, and get that counter dusted with flour. If you’ve ever dreamed of being a home baking star, now is your chance. Naptown Scoop is hosting a recipe contest to find the best holiday cookie treat in the greater Naptown area.

Please submit your very best cookie recipe (1 per person) to the first annual Great Naptown Bake Off contest by November 30. Our friends at Black Market Bakers are hosting us to taste test the recipes in their kitchen and we’ll announce the winner on December 6.

The winner will receive a $100 gift card to Williams Sonoma, a $100 gift card to Black Market Bakers, and the distinct pleasure of having their recipe published on the Naptown Scoop Journal to share the cookie love with the whole town. We will also publish the top two runner-up recipes.

Submit recipes to [email protected]. We can’t wait to taste your bakes! 🍪

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

Exceptional Waterfront Living on the Magothy River

Welcome to your waterfront sanctuary.

This stunning four-bedroom, 2.5-bath retreat offers 75 feet of pristine shoreline, an updated pier, and a boat lift for easy days on the water. With an open-concept design that floods the home with natural light and showcases breathtaking river views from almost every room, every moment is a beautiful moment.

The chef’s kitchen boasts custom cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, and a spacious island — all framed by serene water vistas. The upper-level primary suite is a true escape, featuring two private balconies and a spa-like bath with a cozy fireplace.

Step outside to a meticulously landscaped lawn and two expansive decks perfect for morning coffee or sunset cocktails. Located minutes from The Point Crab House and just a short drive to Annapolis, this property combines luxurious living with ultimate convenience.

Schedule your private tour with the Brad Kappel Team today. Welcome home.

THE DIGEST

St. John’s goes tuition free for qualifying students

In a move that makes us love our Johnnies just that much more, St. John’s University recently announced that it will cover tuition for all U.S. students whose families make less than $75,000 per year. College President Nora Demleitner says, “While tuition costs often make an independent college seem out of reach for many, St. John’s is committed to offering our distinctive and unique education to everyone, regardless of family resources.”

St. John’s has been working to shift their model from a tuition-based model to one focused on philanthropy, raising more than $325 million with their Freeing Minds campaign to support the school’s endowment. Prior to this announcement, St. Johns was listed as one of the most affordable private liberal arts colleges in the country, with a strong network of financial support from former alumni and friends of the college. 🏫

Picture This: Lighthouse Calendar 🗓️ 📸

For our loyal readers, who regularly spot David Sites’ breath-taking photos in our newsletter, here’s your chance to have his pics up year round. The Thomas Point Lighthouse calendar with David’s photos of the National Historic Landmark!

First illuminated in 1875, the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse is the last screwpile lighthouse remaining on its original site in the Chesapeake Bay. Volunteers maintain the lighthouse and conduct docent-led public tours. A portion of calendar proceeds supports the United States Lighthouse Society and their work. Order now!

Top honors: AACC 🎓

You would expect a website called Intelligent.com to know what it’s talking about — this independent source strives to simplify the overload of info online to make it easier for potential students trying to find and apply to college. And they just dropped a list of the Best Community Colleges for 2025, featuring our own Anne Arundel Community College in a top spot.

AACC earned an Intelligent score of 98.21 based on academic quality, graduation rate, costs, return on investment, and student resources. This makes AACC the top community college in Maryland and number 3 among community colleges in the nation. Talk about high marks for our higher ed opportunities here! ($)

Annapolis City Dock construction update 🌊

Annapolis officials are seeking a $33 million FEMA grant to move the $72.1 million City Dock project forward. Last Friday's meeting with FEMA included site visits, timelines, slide decks, and thankfully, no surprises. The project aims to tame floods with raised barriers and transform the pay-to-park area from Craig St to Susan Campbell Park into a vibrant park with a fountain, pergola, stage, and other amenities. It also includes a flood barrier system connecting the Naval Academy on Prince George St, wrapping around Ego Alley, ending at Compromise St. The grant approval timeline remains unclear, but FEMA hopes for a 2025 groundbreaking. ($)

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Where are we? 📸

Each Wednesday, watch this space for a random snap from somewhere in Annapolis (and surrounding areas 😉). Where are we? Only true Annapolitans will know. Tell us your guess on Instagram or Facebook.

And don’t forget! Tag @NaptownScoop to get your photos in the Scoop!

A MESSAGE FROM HOSPICE OF THE CHESAPEAKE

You can heal even if you can’t be cured

In the gentle embrace of our hospice care, hope and healing flourish even in the most challenging times. We offer a compassionate approach where families come together to share love, support, and precious moments. Our dedicated care team focuses on comfort, dignity, and personalized care, ensuring that every individual feels valued and can create moments that matter to them. Discover a place where the spirit finds peace, and the heart can heal amidst life’s transitions.

www.hospicechesapeake.org

WHAT’S HAPPENIN’

💥 Correction: New Year’s Eve fireworks

Maybe we were distracted by the melody 🎇 Baby you’re a firework 🎆 running through our heads, but we made a mistake when listing the NYE fireworks info on Monday. We listed two times for the New Year’s Eve fireworks in downtown Annapolis, but there will actually be only one fireworks show this year at 9 PM. We regret the error.

Free Gun Turn-in Event

Building on the success of the first gun turn-in day earlier this year, the Annapolis Police Department will host a second gun turn-in day. On November 23, simply drive up to the station at 199 Taylor Avenue between 10 AM and 2 PM. An officer will come to your vehicle and remove the unloaded weapon from your trunk. The program hopes to help citizens safely and anonymously dispose of unwanted weapons.

🗓 Mark your calendar, get tix: Black Tie & Diamonds

March 1 might seem like a long way off, but early bird pricing for the Rotary Club’s signature event of the year is only available through Dec. 15. The Black Tie & Diamonds gala on March 1 will be 6-10 PM at the Graduate Annapolis Hotel. Sponsorship opportunities are available. Be sure to book a table for 10 for only $1,600 before prices go up on Dec. 16, and mark your calendar for this formal night out benefitting the Marshall Hope Corporation.

Learn more and order 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.

EXTRA SPRINKLES

You don’t need medicine. You need to stretch.

Don’t take it from us; take it from The Washington Post. Health columnist Gretchen Reynolds reports: “If your body is flexible, you’re likely to live longer.” A study of 3,139 adults aged 46–65 found that those with the stiffest joints were significantly more likely to die prematurely. Assisted stretching reduces pain, improves posture, and boosts longevity. One Scoop reader said StretchMed Annapolis changed his life. Book your no-cost intro stretch today!*

*indicates sponsored advertising content.

WEATHER

Wednesday

61 🌡️ 43 | ☁️ | 24% | 💨 ENE 5 mph (4 knots)

Thursday

51 🌡️ 37 | ⛅ | 16% | 💨 WNW 20 mph (17 knots)

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 57ºF
Temperature readings taken from the mouth of the Severn River the night before publication

LIVE MUSIC LOWDOWN

49 West | Dave Chappell | 5–7 PM
49 West | Dwayne Haggins | 8–10:30 PM
Brian Boru | Bobby Reed | 6–9 PM
Galway Bay | Irish Trad Music Session | 8 PM
Killarney House | Jason Bishop | 6–10 PM
Middleton Tavern | Michael Waskey | 6–9 PM
Pirates Cove | Pete Best | 6–9 PM
The Point | Charles Kavoossi | 5–8 PM
Rams Head On Stage | John Splithoff | 7:30 PM | Tickets
Reynolds Tavern | TBA | 7 PM
Stan & Joe’s Saloon | Keith and Coster | 9 PM

Thursday

49 West | Jazz Wire Jam Session | 7:30–10 PM
Blackwall Hitch | Jennifer Schimpf | 6–9 PM
Brian Boru | PJ and Neal | 6– PM
Killarney House | Madisun Bailey | 6–9 PM
Market House | Mike Heuer | 6–8 PM
Pirates Cove | Jason Bishop | 6–10 PM
The Point | Dan Haas | 5–8 PM
Rams Head On Stage | Christie Lenée | 7:30 PM | Tickets
Reynolds Tavern | TBA | 7 PM

NAVY SPORTS

Past results

Men's Basketball (1-4)
11/19 vs. Quinnipiac | | L 74-63

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THANKS!

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