🍦Leo: Now open for business

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning, Annapolis. Local football fans are in two camps this week. Ravens fans are sad Lamar Jackson wants out. Commanders fans are stoked Dan Snyder might want out. And me? I’m still sad my Eagles lost the Super Bowl.

In today’s Naptown Scoop:

• Watermark saves a wedding

• SMOB finalists

• Forest Drive public safety meeting

Let’s get to it.

— Ryan Sneddon

Leo: Now open for business 🦁 

Let the record show that I’m declaring 2022–2023 the Great Annapolis Culinary Revolution. We’ve seen some amazing restaurants open and we just got another — Leo.

I went to town on West Street’s newest menu Sunday night, trying 15 out of 28 items. Not a single one let me down. We’ll send Scoop’s new food reviewers eventually (you’ll learn more soon) but here’s my verdict.

There was nothing soft about Leo’s soft opening last weekend. That team is sharper than Trader Joe’s manchego añejo. Ready your taste buds for an experience you won’t find anywhere else in Annapolis. Leo’s open at 212 West Street from 4 PM – Midnight every day but Monday.

P.S. Scoop’s official lifestyle photographer Lee is criminally underfollowed on Instagram. Let’s change that.

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Quick Hits

Anne Arundel County’s newest leaders

Leadership Anne Arundel (aka LAA) announced its 2023 New Leaders Honorees. These are people serving Anne Arundel County in new leadership roles either by appointment, election, or promotion. The class includes Dr. Mark Bedell (AACPS’ new Superintendent), Sarah Reilly (Development Director of the Anne Arundel County Food Bank), Everett Sesker (Anne Arundel County’s first Black Sheriff), and many more.

As is tradition, LAA will honor all 37 honorees at a breakfast at Carrol’s Creek Cafe on April 26. It’s open to the public and always sells out.

SMOB finalists named

Three AACPS juniors were named finalists to be Anne Arundel County’s Student Member on the Board of Education (aka SMOB):

🧑‍🎓 Indu Bodala from Glen Burnie HS
🧑‍🎓 Erin Lin from Severna Park HS
🧑‍🎓 Taryn Reinhart from Annapolis HS

These three will debate publicly on April 18 before delegates from the Chesapeake Regional Associations of Student Councils vote. The winner, once appointed by Governor Moore, gets an $8,000 college scholarship and serves one year on the Board of Education. Anne Arundel’s SMOB is the only one in the USA with full voting rights.

Mayor claims Alderman is drunk at City Council meeting

Tempers flared early during Monday’s City Council meeting. It started with the meeting’s first public testimony, given by Tara Stout regarding The Willows, an affordable housing development stuck in Planning & Zoning limbo. Tara didn’t believe Mayor Gavin Buckley was paying attention so their interaction was rocky from the get-go. When her allowed three minutes expired, Alderman DaJuan Gay attempted to overrule the 3-minute limit at which point Gavin said, “Alderman Gay, you’re wasted.”

Slightly heated discourse followed, Gavin later apologized, and DaJuan explained he’d taken cough medicine. At the close of the meeting, Gavin joked, “I need to go get wasted.” Video of the meeting is available on YouTube. Tara begins speaking at 18:03.

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#NaptownScoop

Who’s already got their boat in the water? 🛥️ 

📸 @leanne_728 | 📍Back Creek

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Local Business

Watermark saves a wedding 👰 

Ian and Jesse Seamans got left at the altar two weekends ago. Not by each other, but by the boat they were supposed to be married on after it suffered mechanical issues. Lucky for them, this happened right next to Watermark’s City Dock office barge.

Operations manager Aaron Hull helped the couple avoid nuptial tragedy by taking them on Watermark’s Miss Anne. They idled in front of St. Mary’s Church and Aaron performed the ceremony. Watermark even provided champagne and blankets! Chesapeake Bay Media’s Cheryl Costello visited Watermark to get the full story on video.

Publisher’s note: Stuff like this makes me proud Naptown Scoop is a Watermark partner 💪 Look for Scoop on the ticket stand, water taxis, and Harbor Queen this season!

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 St. Anne’s School of Annapolis

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Find out more and register your explorer here.

What’s Happenin’

Forest Drive Safety Study Public Meeting 🚘️ 

The Department of Public Works (DPW) is working on a plan to reduce crash risk for all Forest Drive motorists from Bywater Road to Arundel on the Bay Road. Whatever improvements are recommended will incorporate public feedback – available for submission through April 14. At tomorrow’s meeting, DPW will discuss the study and hear public input. The meeting is at Annapolis Middle School from 6–8 PM. 1399 Forest Drive, Annapolis, MD 21403.

Weekend preview: MLK Parade

Annapolis’ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade is this weekend. Step-off is at 12 PM at West Street and Amos Garrett Blvd on Saturday. From there the route goes down West Street, around Church Circle, and down Main Street to City Dock. The family-friendly & free African Diaspora Festival starts after the parade at 1 PM at Susan Campbell Park. There will be live music, local vendors, and food available.

Note: Rolling road closures along the parade route will start a little before noon.

You may be wondering why the parade is in April when MLK Jr. Day is in January. To that I ask, “Do you want to have a parade in January?” 🥶 

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

Pittman appoints Police Accountability Board Executive Director

Following the departure of Janssen Evelyn who is now Anne Arundel’s Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, County Executive Steuart Pittman appointed Moyah Panda as Executive Director of the Police Accountability Board. Moyah previously served as Baltimore’s Assistant State’s Attorney and a senior trial attorney in the Law Offices of Christopher R. Costabile. The UMD law school grad starts on April 13 and will be Acting Executive Director until confirmed by the County Council.

How many AAPD incidents involve department-issued firearms?

In an effort towards increased police transparency, Anne Arundel County revealed a Response to Resistance and Aggression Dashboard yesterday. It includes data dating back to 2018 and shows a bevy of information like what response was used (TASER, handcuffs, firearm, etc.), why law enforcement was there (traffic stop, call for service, etc.), and more. Non-interactive use of force data going back to 2014 can also be downloaded on the page.

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Extra Sprinkles

Hope is all we have

There’s no cure for Friedreich’s Ataxia (FA). But the FDA just approved a breakthrough treatment that can slow the disease by 50%! That’s why this year’s Night to Fight FA is even more special to the Burrows Hill Foundation. The foundation has raised more than 700,000 dollars to fund FA research. We’ll be joining them on April 15 for the fifth annual Night to Fight to raise even more and hope you will too.*

*indicates sponsored advertising content.

Weather

Wednesday

57 🌡️ 36 | ⛅️ | 3% | 💨 E 9 mph (8 knots)

Thursday

52 🌡️ 41 | ☀️ | 0% | 💨 NW 10 mph (8.5 knots)

Live Music Lowdown

Wednesday

49 West | Dave Chappell & Friends | 5–7 PM
Brian Boru | Larry Lay | 6–9 PM
Galway Bay | Irish Trad Music Session | 8 PM
Killarney House | Jason Bishop | 6–10 PM
Market House | Sydney Smith | 6–9 PM
Middleton Tavern | Ryan Kozel | 6–9 PM
Pirates Cove | Stephen Henson | 6–9 PM
The Point | Jordan | 5–8 PM
Rams Head On Stage | Riki Rachtman: One Foot In The Gutter | 8 PM | Tickets
Reynolds Tavern | b.en | 7 PM
Stan & Joe’s Saloon | Beans | 9 PM
Tuscan Prime | Grayson Moon | 6:30–9:30 PM

Thursday

49 West | Shook/Russo 4 Tet | 8–10:30 PM
Blackwall Hitch | Andrew Bell | 5–8 PM
Brian Boru | Ciaran Quinn | 6:30–9:30 PM
Killarney House | Anna Burgess | 6–9 PM
Market House | John Bailey | 6–9 PM
Memo’s | Chris Button | 6–9 PM
Old Stein Inn | Ryan Keith & Thomas Coster | 6 PM
Pirates Cove | Jason Bishop | 6–10 PM
The Point | Dan Haas | 5–8 PM
Rams Head On Stage | Sophie B. Hawkins w/ Walker Lukens | 8 PM | Tickets
Rams Head Tavern | Victoria & Steve | 4–7 PM
Reynolds Tavern | TBA | 7 PM
Señor Chile Cantina | Dana B. | 6–9 PM
Vibe | The John Frase Project | 8 PM

Sports

Navy Schedule

Baseball (12-12)
3/29 vs. UMBC | 6 PM

Men’s golf
3/27-28 @ Golden Horseshoe Intercollegiate | 2nd & 4th out of 13 teams

Women’s lacrosse (8-2)
3/29 vs. Lafayette | 6 PM

Navy rugby claims #1 playoff spot 🏉 

The Midshipmen ruggers are really showing up in their inaugural varsity season. Navy claimed the top seed in the East Region for the CRAA Division 1-A Elite Playoffs. This comes with a first-round bye so their first game in the tournament will be at home on April 15 against the winner of #4 Army and #5 Davenport. If the Mids win, they’ll punch their ticket to the National Championship with just one more win.

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Thanks!

Thanks for reading Naptown Scoop today. If you found something useful, please share it with Governor Wes Moore. As a new Annapolis resident, he should definitely be reading.