🍦Property Taxes👆️

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Good morning, Annapolis. This is Naptown Scoop, the newsletter equivalent of doing laundry without losing any socks.

Let’s get to it.

— Ryan Sneddon

P.S. Happy birthday to Laura Gayvert and her son Nate!

Nonprofit of the Week: Billy Hurley III Foundation

You can almost count the PGA Tour players who have also been military veterans on one hand. Most of them played when clubs were still wood. Former Annapolis resident (and 2004 Academy grad) Billy Hurley is one of them – sans wooden clubs.

After five years in the Navy, Billy refocused on golf. He’d been the sixth-best amateur in the world before deploying. Billy achieved several top 5 finishes on tour and victory at the 2016 Quicken Loans National.

With his unique platform, Billy wanted to support and honor an often overlooked group — military families. In his words, deployments made his wife “a single mother.” So he started the Billy Hurley III Foundation (BH3).

The BH3 Foundation serves families of junior enlisted officers with college scholarships and vacation experiences. To fund this, Billy hosted the first Billy Hurley and The Brave Golf Tournament at the Naval Academy golf course in 2017. It remains the foundation's primary fundraiser. Unlike most events hosted by PGA champions, Billy doesn’t make himself the hero. Each foursome is anchored by an active-duty service member who visits Annapolis all expenses paid.

I’m lucky enough to be playing in the tournament Monday. Follow Scoop Instagram to tag along.

Sponsored by Brad Kappel, Executive Vice President, TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Private waterfront oasis

Not all waterfront homes are created equal. Some have no privacy, others have shallow docks, and some have wonky layouts. 506 Tulip Road is first class all the way.

Thanks to plentiful lush landscaping, it’s completely private on all four sides. Its private pier will impress any boater. Two lifts are rated for 8,000 & 40,000 pounds; that’s big enough for a 45-foot Sabre. Want something bigger? Put anything you want next to the lift. The water’s 8 feet deep.

Inside are five bedrooms (two on the main level) and four and a half baths. 5,000+ square feet of living space allows for generous living spaces, soaring ceilings, and a gym and recreation room.

506 Tulip Road is located in the private neighborhood of Wild Rose Shores – totally tranquil but just 10 minutes from downtown Annapolis. Contact Brad Kappel for a private tour today.

Quick Hits

May Day photos

Whether you missed it or want to relive it, we’ve got the most comprehensive May Day album on the Internet. Please enjoy 99 photos of fantastic flower baskets. Thanks to all who participated!

Traffic alert: Overnight Severn River Bridge closures

Hey, late night drivers. Two things. First, please remember to turn off your high beams or get those fancy automatic ones. Second, crews will replace concrete on the Severn River Bridge May 7–12. All work will happen overnight (9 PM to 5 AM). The left two Eastbound lanes will close the first two nights. Then the left two Westbound lanes will close.

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#NaptownScoop

Instagram Reel: May Day stroll

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Local Business

Two new businesses 🫙 🐐 

Freakin’ Sweet Jars is now open at Annapolis Mall next to Auntie Anne’s. Like the name suggests, they sell desserts in jars. Options include banana pudding, key lime pie, Reese’s cheesecake, and many more. You can even design your own jar. Join them for the grand opening 5/13 at 12 PM.

The Goat is opening at 4 PM this Thursday. I’ll be honest, we don’t know much about this one. What we do know is this: Last May owner Brandon Bartlett told us via text it’d be a “little Mexican fusion spot with a bar.” The team working on it is extremely talented; you’ll recognize them from some of Annapolis’ best spots. And they had a killer May Day basket.

According to Instagram, the Goat is open “4pm - 10ish” every day but Wednesday. Find it at the corner of Prince George and Randall streets.

Picante’s new wheels

I may be wrong, but I’m pretty sure Picante is now the only restaurant in Annapolis that serves crickets and has a food truck. All jokes aside, Picante now has a mobile kitchen. You can book it for private events or follow Picante on social media (IG & FB) to see where it’s parked. First chance to see it is this weekend at Maryland TacoFest.

Yellowfin investors sue Harvey Blonder

One of Annapolis’ most prominent businessmen is in court this week. Before we go further, here’s the background.

Harvey Blonder founded the steak and seafood restaurant Yellowfin in 2001. He sold half his share to three partners in 2002. In 2018, the partners were told they would only recoup their investments – no profits. They launched an investigation and now they’re suing Harvey.

The partners claim Harvey used his power as managing partner to funnel Yellowfin’s profits to the myriad other local companies he owns through various methods. They’re seeking $3.3 million in damages. Instead of settling out of court, the matter is in a jury trial this week. ($)

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 Hospice of the Chesapeake

High Fashion, Hot Cars, and a Good Cause

June 8 is Fashion Week in Annapolis. We don’t have haute couture designers, international supermodels, or A-list celebrities. But we do have Fashion for a Cause.

That’s when over a dozen community models walk the runway wearing styles from local stores on Main Street and Annapolis Town Center to raise money for Hospice of the Chesapeake’s Chesapeake Kids program.

Fashion for a Cause supports:

• Group and individual grief counseling for children and teens

• Camp Nabi grief camp for kids

• Pediatric hospice care that provides comfort and support for children living with life-limiting illness

• And more

Join us for an evening of fashion, food, and fun on June 8 at Porsche Annapolis on Hudson Street. Individual tickets ($150) are available until May 25. Sponsorships are also available.

What’s Happenin’

Annapolis Opera announces 2023–2024 season

The most powerful pipes in Annapolis may have only wrapped up a month ago but it’s already time to think about next season. What’s on the dance card? Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Cipullo’s Glory Denied, Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love, and Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel. Dates, ticket prices, and season subscriptions will be announced soon.

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 reveals FY24 budget

County Executive Steuart Pittman revealed his proposed budget for FY24 on Monday. Most notably, he fully funded AACPS’ wishes, making up nearly half of the budget. Changes include an 8% pay increase for all units, a $5/day raise for substitutes, a 10% cost of living adjustment for contract bus drivers, and a $2,000 bonus for special educators. A big line item like that does necessitate one thing nobody likes to hear: increased taxes.

Income taxes will rise for single filers making over $400k and joint filers making over $480k. This only affects 2% of taxpayers. However, the budget also increases property tax to $0.98 per $100 of assessed property value. Pittman justified this by pointing out staying under a dollar keeps Anne Arundel among the lowest property tax rates in Maryland.

County law requires the budget to be passed by June 14. Public hearings are scheduled for May 11 and 18. Click here for full details.

Related: In other public education news, Pre-K registration is now open for 2023–2024.

County Council passes heavily amended events bill

After 30 amendments and plenty of debate, Anne Arundel County Council passed a bill Monday requiring large events to get permits for public safety reasons. The common complaint from those opposed is that the legislation is just too vague. Certain events like the Rennaissance Festival are exempt because of the exceptional public safety measures organizers take every year. The new law takes effect next month. ($)

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Extra Sprinkles

“I picked the colors. They did the rest.”

House painting is not easy. Do you know anyone who enjoys it? I don’t. But what if you could just pick your colors, snap your fingers, and voila… beautiful, new paint. That’s what it’s like to work with Blue Star Paint & Property Services (plus or minus a few days depending on job size). When it’s time to paint, choose the no-stress option, Blue Star Paint & Property Services. Contact them anytime for a free quote!*

*indicates sponsored advertising content.

Weather

Wednesday

55 🌡️ 45 | 🌧️ | 68% | 💨 WNW 12 mph (10.5 knots)

Thursday

62 🌡️ 48 | ⛅️ | 8% | 💨 NNW 9 mph (8 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 | 8 PM
Killarney House | Jason Bishop | 6–10 PM
Market House | Bill Hruz | 6–9 PM
Middleton Tavern | Michael K | 6–9 PM
Pirates Cove | Chris Diller | 6–9 PM
The Point | Aaron Hawkins | 5–8 PM

Thursday

Brian Boru | Dana B | 6–9 PM
Killarney House | Kurt Gibbons | 6–9 PM
Market House | Troll Tribe | 6–9 PM
Metropolitan | Kevin Pollock | 7–10 PM
O’Loughlin’s | Shawn Musselman | 6–9 PM
Pirates Cove | Jason Bishop | 6–9 PM
The Point | Dan Haas | 5–8 PM
Rams Head Roadhouse | PJ & Neal | 5–8 PM
Rams Head Tavern | Victoria & Steve | 5–8 PM
Reynolds Tavern | Daphne Eckman | 7–10 PM
Trophy Room | Sparks & McCoy | 7–10 PM

Sports

Navy Schedule

Baseball
5/1 @ Lehigh | W 14–1
5/3 vs. George Mason | 5 PM

Women’s lacrosse
5/4 vs. Army (Patriot League semifinal) | 7 PM

Men’s lacrosse
5/2 vs. Loyola (Patriot League quarterfinals) | L 12–7

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