Anyhow, things seem to be moving along with the Market House, which is great news. I don’t think anyone will disagree with that. And if JoCo wants to keep his prime parking spot in the Hillman garage, he better darn well get that thing opened before we head to the polls in November. He knows that. His camp knows that. And I think collectively, the City wants (and needs) that.

But at what cost? We got this email from the guy who’s heading up the Market House contracts, and who also happens to be a part owner of the Falafel franchise group, but that’s a whole different subject. This was attached to his email. Personally, I’m not in love with the colors or design. But I also get that Sally is the resident-artist-contractor for the City of Annapolis, so she’s gonna get the work either way. And the opposition to the proposal will only really delay the process… so how does that really benefit anyone? Her argument, however, is a little off-base:

Are we supposed to expect quality vendors to risk their livelihoods while not allowing them to advertise and compete in today’s marketplace? These businesses will not survive if their potential customers can’t even tell that MH is open. Who knows how long before it sits vacant again.

Maybe Sally and Chuck didn’t do their homework, but the folks who are opening shop in the Market House have quite a few other business ventures that put food on their tables, a roof over their head, and clothes on their back. Have you seen those HB Properties sign around town? The seafood and oyster bar, the coffee, the corned beef – yes. Ten bucks says their to-go bags will say “Land and Sea.” The falafel stand – we already covered that. Not sure about the organic market, but they have a place in Severna Park that must be doing okay that they’re able to afford the space in the Market House. And the gelato people… well… they’ve obviously survived since they were last around town. So if you’re going to try and get people to support you, be honest and upfront. Please.

So next week on the 14th, they’ll have the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) Public Hearing. Attend if you’d like. Or attend to watch what could be a great show! It’ll be a genuine display of small-town politics as it’s literally the day after the new Ward 1 Alderman, Joe Budge, gets sworn in. His wife is head of the HPC. All the articles say that Mr. Budge wants the Market House open. I know that Ms. Kennedy also shares that same vision. But I’ve also seen her testify at City Council meetings regarding the integrity of the HPC. Given the amount of work Art at Large has already done in the City, I sure hope they’ve done their homework and don’t make complete donkey-hiney’s of themselves. This should be interesting…

But for now, I’m going to again stray from the gossip and snarky commentary. I heard a rumor that this rather cleverly witty and entertaining blog writer in town will be “guest bartending” at Fado Irish Pub Annapolis tonight to raise money for St. Baldrick’s Foundation alongside some card carrying NRA member of the Maryland State House of Delegates and Annapolis Fire Department peops. (Darn you for it not being the popo!)  Fado will also be doing the Great Guinness Toast AND, if you don’t get their emails, you may not know that they’re doing free food promos pretty much all month long.

Almost a year ago, we posted about a similar event for the same cause. That brave and courageous little boy is no longer suffering in pain, but those who loved him are. No child should have to fight this fight. So if you believe that every little bit helps, stop by Fado tonight to support this cause. And come say hi and share what you’d like to read on this blog.

So. Here’s a deal for the readers. If at least 10 people stop by tonight that heard about it from this post, there will be a deliciously entertaining (or enlightening) post in the next ten days. That’s a promise…. and a threat!

Plus, who knows what could happen tonight… new developments, new rumors, new information, shared secrets… you want in on that action. It’s true.

Who knew that my recent post about shopping and politics would be so fortuitous (but not in the happy way.) Let’s just say I was in the middle of a verrry important meeting when the most depressing email showed up in my inbox. What did it say? An announcement that my favorite shop is closing its doors January 31st. RIP Mary & Blanche! I sure I hope I don’t make any new friends who have awesome senses of humor because I have no place to buy them gifts. I hope I’m not rent-a-date to another white elephant party because where will I go? And by golly, where the heck am I going to go when I need to just find anything, last minute of course? But most of all, I think I’ll miss visiting the most…

As a downtown resident, I often found myself at Stevens Hardware to pick up whatever it was I needed. And now no more. While I wasn’t a regular patron of Madison Boutique or Plat du Jour, I often found myself walking through their doors to see if they had what I was looking for. My placemats came from Plat du Jour and my fabulous now-Pensacola girl got one of her favorite dresses from Madison Boutique. (And she looks damn good in it, too!) And both those stores are closing their doors.

I’m actually rather depressed. It’s the start of a new year, things are supposed to be good and happy. What does this mean about our town? We have shootings within city limits almost regularly now. We have a market house that well… we all know the status. And an old “Riordan’s” building that’s still closed.

My only hope is that things will quickly turn around, considering it’s an election year and all. And an election year with many vacant seats. In all honesty, this could be a most fascinating eleven months!

Instead of wallowing, I’m going to go watch Meredith Vieira on Rock Center. She’s interviewing one of JFK’s former flings. Quite scandalous. Could you imagine if such a scandal rocked City Hall…? Now THAT would definitely warrant a future post.

I remember my first Midnight Madness quite memorably… had no idea what it was about and was invited to join my very-first-friend-in-Annapolis and her mother to check it out. I discovered Tin Can Allee, or something similar to that name, on the corner of West and Cathedral, that night. (that place was great) I’m not sure if it was the awesome company of the evening or the overall joy and excitement and genuine holiday spirit that filled the streets of Annapolis, but I knew after that night just how special and to some degree, magical, Annapolis truly is.

As a lover of downtown, a very seasoned shopper, a serious bargain hunter and someone who, even in their 30′s, has to take NyQuil on Christmas Eve because of my excitement for Santa’s visit, I live for events like this. My must-stop shops, always, are Mary & Blanche! and Lilac Bijoux. If you appreciate the humor in this blog, I can guarantee you’ll very much enjoy the crap (crap as in, best place to find a stocking stuffer or hostess gift for someone with a sense of humor) that Mary & Blanche! sells. And if you love fashion and sparkles and fun jewelry (or you have to buy a prezzy for someone who does) you can (usually) always find something on the tables at Lilac Bijoux. They also have some rad clothes, but until I return to the gym, I’ll stick to their jewelry. Both shops are on Main Street and both shop’s owners are all absolutely lovely people.

Since I can remember, I’ve maintained that Annapolis, and your opinion on the historic district, is usually based on your experience. No matter how delicious that $10 gourmet sandwich on goody bread (for an extra $2) is or how refreshing your $5 bottle of water is, if you don’t have a pleasant experience, you’re much less likely to return. Have to wait 30 minutes at a wine bar for a glass of water and be told they are “out of glasses”? Not really likely to buy another bottle, no matter how fabulous it sounds. Or if a business owner is your next door neighbor and is too good to speak (or even smile) to anyone on the block, you’re not going to support them. Because Annapolis is about the experience. And for many, it’s about the relationships built from your experience.

As a new reader recently wrote, “I like your clear, not-politically-correct approach” and the blog takes pride in calling it like it is, at least in our eyes. (it’s that whole totally subjective thing) So as one might imagine, our relationships are true and genuine. We obviously aren’t wearing Best Friends necklaces with City Council members, or married to the only Republican Alderman, but apparently someone out there is. And that relationship has clouded the city’s judgement, again, regarding Midnight Madness and the use of Market House. (And he’s planning on running for Mayor next year…)

Last night, I started writing this post with the intention of it being all about shopping. And then found this article. I was SHOCKED. And then pissed. And now just downright disappointed. On so many levels. Disappointed that the City of Annapolis completely contradicts themselves and can’t even follow their own policies… the exact policies they so easily and quickly spout when asked a question. (Their law requires licenses for these events, which have to be approved by City Council.) They don’t play fair, ever. Disappointed that Mike Malinoff would make such a jackass comment. (What professional goes on the record with the media and says, “if so and so wanted it, he could have had it” like a 5 year old) Disappointed that the Market House is not being made available to any community group. Disappointed that the City of Annapolis obviously doesn’t think that maybe these craft fair type vendors would be competing with our local merchants who are part of downtown 365 days a year and pay taxes so they can operate. Disappointed that again, the City continues to display signs of an “old boys network.” And disappointed with some of the reactions shared at the end of the article. And to SafetyFirst, the individual who wrote, “This is just one of the many reasons I who am a long time resident of this city will not spend a penny on any business downtown” … it is because of people like you that one of the true landmark businesses of downtown is closing their doors.

And a simple disclaimer before people jump all over me, please know that my grandmother died of breast cancer. I work in women’s health. And I’m involved in a lot of charity work, and have been for over half my life. I get it.

So, much like the overall debacle of Market House, the City of Annapolis government again displays signs of total incompetency. I have no doubt tonight’s Midnight Madness will be an amazing evening full of energy, excitement, good will and holiday spirit. I’m excited to see this magical town decorated for the holidays, the sidewalks packed and many familiar faces on the streets. I’m not too excited about spending money, but I will. Not at the Market House, of course, but for no other reason than to show my support for my town. And I hope each of you do as well! Who knows, you just may see or hear something seriously Annapolis Chatter worthy…

I joined the club months ago, and once they cashed my check, I’ve been trying to get to a meeting. And tonight, I did it! (yes, please, I’ll take that gold star) And man, what a great first meeting to attend. (And to think I was just going to see if the nickname of Ward One Whiners was rightfully earned… which, I have to admit, was not really the case. Most of the old(er) ladies were quite pleasant and enjoyable.)

If you follow me on Facebook, which is most likely the case considering about 75% of my traffic comes through the book, you may have seen the status update about the future of Castlebay Irish Pub. And like many of the people I frantically texted, you were probably a little flabbergasted, much like I was.

But why? Well, because it seems the fine folks of the newest “i’m gonna bring culture to dta”-themed restaurant on Main Street apparently have plans for a(nother) new restaurant- a speak-easy, comfort food joint with “gourmet food and a refined beverage list” to be located at 193 Main Street. With such specific information, I naturally turned to my next bff, Google, to help answer some questions. You know, that pretty obvious one of “what’s at 193 Main Street?” And do you know what my bff Google told me? Castlebay Irish Pub. So that’s where the question came from. And the answer, as far as I can tell, is no. Suffice it to say though, in my quest for responsible journalism, I think I found my new favorite go-to in this part of town. (I have my Uptown favorite and my Eastport favorite already.) The staff at Castlebay is awesome, they let me get on their wi-fi, the music was great and the food was surprisingly fantastic. I am now a loyal fan.

And here I sit at Castlebay, having finished the most delicious tomato bisque with spinach and ham+cheese sandwich, trying to finish this here post before my carriage turns back into a (rotten) pumpkin. (Because of course you always go somewhere when you hear it’s closing.) Whilst here, I wondered outside to take a call only to discover that Castlebay is actually at 193A Main Street and next door is 193B… a vacant storefront. So maybe this business owner just misspoke. Among other oversights spouted, the following phrases came out, “we know the importance of community” and “we work well with other businesses downtown.” But then again, even Forbes believes that many experts misspeak every now and again. The bigger issue is however, at the end of the day, I feel like Castlebay Irish Pub is going to be, if they are not already, just stuck in the middle. Hopefully, with you.

Heck, I’m a “gossip” blogger, sooooo…. take what you read here for what you’d like. I guess only time will tell and we hope you’ll join us for the ride. Just hold on tight and wear your seat belt (we don’t need the Annapolis PoPo writing any tickets) because I have a sneaking suspicion that it’s gonna be a bumpy one…

Being the second child in my family, let’s start with reason #2: the presentation for an “improved” Annapolis City Dock. A few weeks ago, I received an email asking me to sign a petition. Its sender was CONNECTAnnapolis, a group of community-minded citizens who advocate for a  more cohesive community, through a greater pedestrian and eco-friendly environment in our city. And of course one of the driving forces behind this group is my favorite, @zignatures. The plea had four calls to action: sign the petition; speak at City Council; reserve a green balloon; and/or post on Facebook.

My two take-aways from the email: before the City Council meeting, they were meeting in Eastport. Now don’t get me wrong, I will forever be in love with Eastport. And I’m certainly appreciative that they weren’t gathering at the most phony “pro-Annapolis” establishment in town, but I do find it rather ironic. Because after all, they probably decided against meeting downtown because of the lack of parking. (Let’s just keep things real here.) My other favorite part was the call to reserve a balloon. Yes, a balloon. You can imagine my excitement when I read this! After all, nothing says eco-friendly like a balloon, right? Please tell me someone else finds the humor (and hypocrisy) in this? So when I showed up, I may have peed my pants in excitement (just a wee bit) when I saw all the balloons, full of HELIUM! Yup, that chemical element that we are in shortage of. And THEN, to put the cherry on top, they left their big over sized bags behind… didn’t even so much as throw them away or put ‘em in the recycling bins right outside chamber doors. I of course texted my truly green friend who taught me about those who “greenwash” and homegirl didn’t believe me. As I told her, I wish I was creative enough to make this stuff up. So kudos to you, CONNECTAnnapolis, for holding true to your mission. If you read anything I wrote, you’d know I was clearly supportive of the compromise garage, the one that your head-leader-in-charge pretty much single-handedly put the kabash on.

Reason #3 I attended the meeting tonight, well, it was postponed. I’m wondering if my bff Sheila is stuffing more things up her sleeves.

But I did sit through a rather interesting discussion regarding the Office of Elections, or lack thereof. Needless to say, the proposal to rent a space for this use was also postponed. I’m not exactly sure what kind of space they need, but I’m fairly certain I could find them something for less than $40k a year. Nor am I entirely sure how the City vs County thing works for elections, but that may be a fact finding mission for another day. Or not. I CAN tell you, however, that one individual has filed paperwork to run in the next election. The City Attorney didn’t specify the position, nor the individual, but I can only guess! After all, I have heard quite a lot of Chatter about different individuals who have their eye on the Ward One seat. And even the Mayor’s (corner) office…

But really, I follow a lot of weird trends and I’ve noticed “younger” folks attending more arts focused events over the last few years. And I heard a rumor that the Annapolis Opera is hoping to soon start a club for young people, so I want to get in on the action while I can. Plus, I need to start broadening my horizons, getting out more, and being more involved in ALL of Annapolis. Details on that to follow at a later date.

So here’s what I do know. The fine folks over at Eye on Annapolis wrote a piece about it here highlighting 3 things you probably never knew. Annapolis has had its own opera for 40 years and this year marks the 30th year of the music director. In February, Little Red Riding Hood will come to life, complete with some young, cute kids. And then if I haven’t been turned off, I’ll try and hit performances in March and April.

If you aren’t able to attend, I heard that someone will be live tweeting Aida. If I can get my stuff together, I’ll tweet (and Facebook) as well… but can’t promise it will be about the opera though. My ADD may kick in if one of our fine city council members, or mayor, are in attendance. I’ll be sure to make note of their fashion choices, especially any elected official that is in favor of hiring a decorator to come to City Hall to pick out paint chips. You think I’m kidding? Then you didn’t read this.

I’m hoping that after Saturday, I’ll have plenty of material to blog about. Both the performance and who and what I see. And I’m hoping you’ll join me, and if nothing else, provide me with future content for this here blog…

You may have heard that starting August 20th, parking rates for the parking lots will increase. If not, our subjectively-tight-lipped friends at Eye on Annapolis wrote about the details here.

There are about 10-12 free, unmonitored parking spots in downtown Annapolis. Remember when I posted about the folks in Kingsport protesting the community garden because they didn’t want the poorfolk within a mile radius of their home? You may have guessed I had all this knowledge because I myself garden through Grow Annapolis. Down at the community garden outside the old rec center. And you were right.

Anyhow, for the last two months as I tend to my little plot, I’ve been watching the servers and bouncers at a waterfront restaurant park and skip across the street to work. I’ve watched mother after mother (and sometimes a dad) park their car in these spots and walk across the street to the playground they fought to keep. (I hope you see the irony behind that.) And I’ve watched the City of Annapolis parking enforcement officers drive right down Newman Street and not stop and ticket them once.

In good Chatter fashion, I chased one down to ask the question. Their response, “I’m not allowed to ticket this area.” In my mind, I’m thinking no freakin’ way. And as any good journalist would do, I made a follow up call the next day to the Transportation Office for the City of Annapolis. And I spoke with the lady (the Parking Manager) there. Her response, “We won’t ticket that area until the City tells us to.” Ummmm. Okay.

So there you have it. Happy Friday! Free parking in downtown Annapolis… and there are usually always parking spots available. Just about every time I drive by, there’s available parking.

If you aren’t so lucky… take the Circulator. I took it for the first time a week or so ago. What took me so long? I had to be inspired. What did it? A few days before, I received an email from Ima Nottelling with a pic attached….

But I digress. (I’ve been away from the blogosphere for a bit, so please bear with me as I get back into the groove.)

A little over a month ago, there was this street festival, music thingy. Eastport-a-Rockin’. This festival took place outside the Maritime Museum on 2nd Street and used the “park”  as one of the stages. A(nother) sign had been put up. Smack dab in the middle. Long story, the sign came down. Plus, it was an eye sore as it stood. AND there’s already a sign there. Anyhow… a little bit ago, my favorite Ward 4 Alderman posted on her Facebook page about the situation. I’m not sure what my favorite part of the whole thing was, but I do know that she was an English teacher at some point. And I know there is a minor error on the sign. (Please feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.) Lastly, at almost 10 a.m. on a workday, I’d like to think my elected officials have better things to do than whine about personal issues on Facebook. But apparently they are taking this new Wayfinding Program quite seriously.

In fact, they, or their subordinates, are busy posting signs all over town. Instead of helping businesses open, they’re posting stop work order signs. And I guess the City has started with the Market House debacle since they’ve reserved parking for contractors. When I snapped this picture today at 6 p.m. today, there were cars parked there. And I can almost guarantee they weren’t contractors. After all, what City contractor (or employee) works past 5 p.m.? Crap, they aren’t even working at 10 a.m.

Now how do we go about getting a City job? I guess we just need to move and run for office. After all, what’s one more thing to this girl’s plate?

Turns out that the Hillman Garage wasn’t their first stop. Yup, down at City Dock, parked around school buses, they got busy as part of their couch casting portfolio. With their camera on a tripod, they go to it. In plain daylight… with kids walking by the car, they did their thang. And no one stopped or said anything. I’m guessing they didn’t get the attention they were hoping for so they went to the highly trafficked Hillman garage, heavily intoxicated.

Gary and Carol, two old friends who grew up in the same community, attended the same high school… or so their story goes. And when they dressed themselves and got out of the car, Gary apparently proudly introduced himself as the guy who was with the girl who went missing in Aruba. As if he was proud of it… I’ll let you draw your own conclusion on this one. 

I’m not sure about you, but what in the world? I was thinking maybe this lady didn’t know who he was? Although gettin’ it on in the back of a car is a bit tasteless in my humble opinion, I was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. Nope, apparently that’s not the case. We haven’t been able to confirm if Carol is still married, but if it turns out that she is, ohhhh… the story gets better. We are also still trying to determine if they were planning on spending any money here or not, but we promise that if we do, we’ll let you know. 

Until then, Annapolis gossip girl thinks that we definitely need to tear down Hillman, put green space at City Dock, and build a bright, fancy new garage on Compromise Street. And in the meantime, while the City is buying a slew of signs, can we please add one or two, “no creeps allowed inside City limits” to the list?