🍦49 West sold to a chocolatier

Good morning, Annapolis. Welcome to Naptown Scoop, the local newsletter where we still haven’t learned how to properly use commas. And why start now?!

In today’s Naptown Scoop:

Let’s get to it.

— Ryan Sneddon

Laser season is approaching, and HALO is one of the most talked-about laser treatments for skin rejuvenation. But not all HALO technology is the same. If you’re investing in your skin, it’s worth knowing which HALO you’re getting and who is performing your treatment.

At Current Dermatology & Cosmetic Center, we offer HALO TRIBRID, the most advanced HALO technology. While traditional HALO combines two wavelengths, TRIBRID adds a third, giving us more options to treat different depths and concerns in the same treatment.

This added flexibility allows us to more precisely target sun damage, brown spots, fine lines, texture, and signs of aging, with less discomfort and downtime.

The technology is only part of the equation. At Current Dermatology, every HALO TRIBRID treatment is planned and performed by a board-certified dermatologist with expertise in skin biology, laser safety, and selecting the right settings for your skin and your goals.

There’s a reason Current Dermatology has been voted Best Laser Skin Treatment by What’s Up? Annapolis for three years in a row.

If you’re considering HALO this laser season, make sure you’re getting the best. At Current Dermatology, you get the most advanced HALO technology backed by dermatologic expertise. Visit www.currentderm.com or call (410) 384-3045 to schedule your treatment.

49 West is changing hands for the first time in its 30+ year history.

Myriam Osorio McCormick, the chocolatier behind McCormick Bakery & Chocolate Factory, is buying the coffeehouse, wine bar, and gallery at 49 West Street from founders Brian and Sarah Cahalan effective tomorrow. The Cahalans opened the doors of 49 West on December 27, 1995.

🌬️ The winds of change constancy – The hardworking staff you know and love is staying. Most of the menu is staying (although there will understandably be more chocolate). And of course, the music’s staying, too.

There will be a fresh paint job, updated bathrooms (without closing down), and a few menu tweaks. Osorio McCormick learned the chocolate game in Argentina before opening her business in Honduras and then moving to Maryland in 2023.

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Team Naptown Scoop Coast 2 Coast 4 ALS progress: $13,223/$20,000

Ten miles is a long way to run on purpose. But that didn’t stop a few thousand people from doing it in Annapolis yesterday.

The Annapolis Ten Mile Run started at 7 AM Sunday, and 3,448 runners made it out of Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, over the Naval Academy Bridge and back again.

🏃‍♀️ Far & wide – Runners came from 39 states and two foreign countries (Italy and South Korea). Oh yeah . . . and Washington DC.

Nicolas Crouzier of Gaithersburg won it in 52 minutes, 14 seconds – a 5:14 mile, held ten times in a row, in August. Phew. Cindy Anderson of Chesapeake Beach was the first woman across in 1:01:01. Both of them were in the 40–44 age group btw, which is either inspiring or deflating depending on your age group.

The fastest man and woman from Annapolis were Thomas Schantin, 24th overall in 1:00:06, and Emilee Natiola, who is still in the 15–19 bracket, in 1:05:51.

🔍 Notable names – Annapolis’ favorite pro hockey player, Lacey Eden, crushed the race in 1:06:25, good enough for 77th overall. And proudly coming in dead last, 85-year-old Betty Holston Smith, an ultrarunner from Rockville who’s logged nearly 100 marathons and over 30 ultramarathons.

And shoutout to my sister from Delaware, Kellie, who ran it in 1:51:22, and then celebrated with a local bakery tour (Black Market Bakers & Tatte were her faves).

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Every year, Lawn Doctor's fall schedule fills quickly—and this year is no exception. Their Power Seeding calendar is already 90% full, which means the remaining appointments won't last long.

If your lawn has thin patches, bare spots, or never quite recovered from summer, fall is the ideal time to seed. The cooler temperatures help new grass establish deep roots now, so it comes back thicker and healthier next spring.

Don't miss your chance to give your lawn the attention it deserves.

Reserve your Power Seeding appointment while spots are still available.

🎈 = family-friendly events

🍽️ Mom’s Day Out Lunch at Leo – Celebrate the back-to-school season with lunch from Leo’s culinary team, spritz cocktails, a build-your-own bouquet bar, jewelry from Amethyst & Opal, and DJ Crawdads.

🎈🍽️ Dinner Under the Stars – Outdoor dining and live music on West Street with themed nights every Wednesday through September.

🎈🏛️ Special Tour – Furniture of the Hammond-Harwood House – Guided tour exploring John Shaw’s finest furniture pieces and the world of late-18th-century Annapolis.

🎈🐾 Dog Days Are Over: End-of-Summer Guided Hike – Celebrate the end of summer with a leashed-dog-friendly hike at Bacon Ridge with trainers from Paws and Possibilities. Space is limited to 12 dogs.

🎈🍔 Food Truck Fridays – Over 12 food trucks, free admission, and something for everyone. Check Facebook for this week’s menu.

🎈🎺 Marching Band Formal Parade – The Naval Academy Band leads the Brigade of Midshipmen in the first formal parade of the academic year at Worden Field.

🎈🐮 Anne Arundel County Farmers Market – Saturday 7am–noon and Sunday 9am–noon. Fresh local produce, meats, dairy, baked goods, and more.

🎈🎨 First Sunday Arts Festival – Over 150 artisan vendors, live music on multiple stages, and local food on West and Calvert Streets. This one’s a local tradition.

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🅿️ Pay on the Way Out: A new Annapolis Parking Alliance – 20 businesses plus the Ward One and Inner West Street associations – has 2,700+ signatures asking the city to consolidate parking vendors, cut employee rates, and ease up on enforcement. City spokesperson Mitchelle Stephenson says one change is already coming: at the Hillman Garage you’ll soon pay when you leave instead of when you arrive. More changes are supposedly coming. ($)

🧯 Pressed and Closed: ZIPS Cleaners at 1955 West Street shut down Saturday after a dry-cleaning machine malfunctioned and caught fire. Someone inside grabbed an extinguisher and put it out before Annapolis firefighters arrived, so the building came through fine – some clothes near the machine did not. Gas and electric service to the store is shut off, and ZIPS says it doesn’t know when it will reopen.

🍪 Permit to Bake: Maryland has allowed cottage food businesses since 2012, but Annapolis never updated its code, so selling cookies out of a home kitchen in the city is still technically illegal. Ordinance O-15-26 would change that, and it goes before the Planning Commission Thursday at 7 PM for public testimony.

🎶 Set List: The Annapolis Songwriters Festival posted its full schedule – who plays which room, and when – for September 10–13. Every set outside the ticketed headline shows is free, spread across about 20 stages from Rams Head to 49 West to the Graduate patio. Thursday opens with kickoff parties at Garden on Market Space and Blackwall Hitch. Full schedule here.

🏈 Anchors Aweigh: Four Navy grads are on NFL opening-day rosters, and two are rookies drafted in April. Landon Robinson stuck with the Bengals as a seventh-round defensive tackle, and Eli Heidenreich made his hometown Steelers. Their classmate Alex Tecza, who joined the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in May, was waived Friday. Long snapper and two-time Super Bowl champ Joe Cardona (Rams) and safety Rayuan Lane III (Jaguars) round out the list.

🎸 Handprint Hero: Paul Reed Smith is going into Guitar Center’s Rockwalk, the Hollywood sidewalk where Les Paul’s and Robert Moog’s handprints are set in concrete. Some guy you might have heard of named John Mayer is giving Smith’s induction speech September 26 at the Crossroads Guitar Festival in Austin. While he builds guitars on Kent Island now, Paul started right here in Annapolis at 33 West Street (that’s Rams Head On Stage now).

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88 🌡️ 76 | 🌤️ | 10% ☔ | 💨 NE 6 mph (5 knots)

93 🌡️ 78 | ☀️ | 7% ☔ | 💨 SW 8 mph (7 knots)

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 81ºF
Temperature readings taken from the mouth of the Severn River the night before publication

🌳🎵= Outdoor concert

49 West | Rehaash-Ben Folds Five | 7:30–10 PM
The Admiral’s Cup | Aidan Ewald | 7–10 PM
Stan & Joe’s Saloon | Open Mic with Hurricane Kevin | 7 PM

The Admiral’s Cup | Madisun Bailey | 7–10 PM
Brian Boru | PJ & Neal’s First Tuesday Hootenanny | 6–9 PM
Captain’s Daughter | TBA | 5–7 PM
🌳🎵 Chronic Sailing | Higher Hands | 7 PM
Copper Creek | Jazz Jam | 8–10 PM
The Point | Aidan Ewald | 5–8 PM

Thanks for reading Naptown Scoop today. If you found something useful, please share it with your neighbor who has every tool imaginable and is always willing to let you borrow one. Thanks, Rick!