Baltimore's Best 6.22.25 - Flipbook - Page 23
The Baltimore Sun | Sunday, June 22, 2025
BALTIMORE’S BEST PEOPLE & MEDIA
BEST METEOROLOGIST
JUSTIN BERK
justinweather.com
By Kiersten Hacker
A
fter years in television broadcasting as a meteorologist,
Justin Berk has managed to
navigate the emerging online
and social media space, delivering
weather news to millions in the Maryland region.
Berk took the online space by storm,
building a platform where he shares
forecasts, weather information and
unique tidbits throughout the day,
uplifting media content from others,
too. He sticks to a schedule, with his
first post of the day hitting the web by
about 6:30 a.m., and holds himself with
an air of humility and accountability.
“If there’s anything that I can see,
that I can help in my way, my twist,
my take, my version of presenting the
weather to help people prepare for
their stuff, then I feel like I’ve accomplished something,” he said.
Getting the weather “bug” as a child
in New York eventually led him to a
career on TV, and then to online, in
schools and as a weather consultant or
adjunct professor. But in building his
platform, he’s also been able to focus on
the “greater good” through a nonprofit
for children’s oncology that he leads,
and a trek he hikes and bikes each
summer from Wisp Resort to Ocean
City, where he honors one child’s story
each day.
No one is perfect when predicting
the future, Berk said. Whether he gets
a forecast right or it’s not quite accurate, he follows the lessons he teaches
his son’s baseball team: to be proud and
humble when doing something well,
because that might not happen all the
time.
ACTIVIST
INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT
FRANK NEIGHOFF,
CHESAPEAKE BAY
ASSOCIATION
@INTERNJOHNRADIO
Honorable mentions:
Erricka Bridgeford, Baltimore Peace
Movement
Terence O. Hanley, Harford County
Parks & Recreation
Juanita Cage Lewis, MD Department of
Housing
Reena Shah, MD Access to Justice
Justin Berk was voted Best Meteorologist. THOMAS WALKER/FREELANCE
“And there’s going to be a next time
when I don’t hit the forecast right, but
I will always go back and look at what
happened and try to learn from it,”
Berk said. “And that’s the kind of information I share online.”
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar
Jackson. BALTIMORE SUN/STAFF
Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson.
RADIO HOST
SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
INTERN JOHN, Z104.3
ANDY MOORE, CALVERT HALL
COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL
khacker@baltsun.com
Honorable mentions:
@shelbysos
@BaltimoreFoodScene
@calverthallcollege
METEOROLOGIST
JUSTIN BERK
Honorable mention:
Jasmine Lomax, Fox4 5
ORIOLE
AUTHOR
GUNNAR HENDERSON
JESSICA CORRENTI
Honorable mentions:
Cedric Mullins
Colton Cowser
Honorable mentions:
C. L. Merklinger
Tom Ingegno
Sara Goodman Confino
CLERGYPERSON
RABBI STEVEN SCHWARTZ,
BETH EL CONGREGATION
Honorable mentions:
Father John Bilenki, Mount Saint
Joseph High School
Rabbi Daniel Burg, Beth Am Synagogue
Pastor Rev Ryan E. Spence, New
Horizon Baptist Church
PERSONAL TRAINER
WENDY ABBOUD, CLUB
PILATES
Honorable mentions:
Joshua Buchbinder, Brick Bodies
Rachel Brenowitz, BodyByBren Fitness
Heather Rockhill, Snap Fitness Fallston
PODCAST
THE THOUGHT SHOWER
COLLEGE PROFESSOR
Honorable mentions:
Crisis on Infinite Podcasts
Healthy Living by Giant
STACY KNIGHT, TOWSON
UNIVERSITY
POLITICIAN/GOVERNMENT
DJ
TONY GIANGIORDANO,
HARFORD COUNTY COUNCIL
INTERN JOHN
Honorable mentions:
DJ Steezy
DJ Shay Shanae Chambers
DJ Mike On The Mic
Honorable mentions:
Greg Carpenter, 10 1 .9
Shelby Sos, Z10 4 .3
Honorable mentions:
Zeke Cohen, Baltimore City Council
President
Bob Cassilly, Harford County County
Executive
RADIO STATION
Z104.3 BALTIMORE
Honorable mentions:
1 0 1 .9 FM Baltimore
WYPR 8 8.1 FM Baltimore
WTMD 89.7 FM Baltimore
KENNETH K. LAM/STAFF
Honorable mentions:
Brad Spence, Havre de Grace High
School
Chris Hughes, Garrison Forest Edward
Trusty Jr., The St Paul’s School for Boys
STAGE ACTOR
MEGAN ANDERSON,
EVERYMAN THEATRE
RAVEN
VISUAL ARTIST
LAMAR JACKSON
REBECCA SCHEUERMAN
Honorable mention:
Zay Flowers
Honorable mentions:
Reed Bmore
Charlotte Hager
Sonny Lacey
BALTIMORE’S BEST HOME & GARDEN
ACE Hardware Canton
Falkenhans Hardware
2025 winners
ELECTRICIAN
TIM KYLE COMPANY
from Page 1
Honorable mentions:
Haas & Sons Electric
Tag Electric
HOME STAGING
PLUMBING
KATE WUNDER INTERIORS
CLARKSVILLE PLUMBING
Honorable mention:
Studio A Staging
Honorable mentions:
Apple Plumbing
Ken Griffin Plumbing Services
“There’s a Home Depot two miles
down the road, so good service is a
must,” Fleshman said.
Barbecue grills are big sellers; ditto,
the sauces and rubs that go with them.
Garden supplies move briskly; there’s
stuff for all ages, like in an old-time
general store.
“Kids come in and head straight for
the hot tubs,” the manager said. “We’re
family-oriented here.”
Civic-minded, too. Costello’s donates
products to community raffles and
fundraisers, allowing chosen charities
to select any item in the store worth up
to $100 for their events.
There are new products to come, the
manager says:
“We want to get some sporting goods
in here, like fishing rods and tackle,
because we’re only three miles from
(the Patapsco River).”
After 42 years, the business hasn’t
slowed.
“Stuff at home is always breaking,” Fleshman said. “That’s one thing
that Amazon is not going to be able to
conquer.”
FENCE INSTALLATION
FENCE & DECK CONNECTION
Honorable mentions:
C & C Fencing Inc.
Freedom Fence & Deck
Mid-Atlantic Deck & Fence
FLOORING AND CARPETING
FURNITURE STORE
WOLF FURNITURE
Honorable mentions:
Sofas ETC
Twin Brook Furniture
Mattress Firm
GARDEN CENTER
VALLEY VIEW FARMS
Honorable mentions:
The Mill
Poor Boy’s Garden Center
Homestead Gardens
HANDYMAN
CLEANING SERVICE
DAVE’S CLEANING
CONSULTANTS
Honorable mentions:
Ivania’s Cleaning Service
Cornerstone Cleaning
Keona’s Cleaning and Janitorial
Services
TAR HEEL CONSTRUCTION
GROUP
Honorable mentions:
Today’s Home Renovations
Rotondo Construction Company
HARDWARE STORE
COSTELLO’S ACE HARDWARE
Honorable mentions:
Atlantic Tractor
MALCOLM STOLL
HOMEBUILDER
SAGE HOMES
REAL ESTATE AGENT
Honorable mentions:
Bob Ward Trademark Homes
Beazer Homes
Huskins Builders
ELISABETH YEAGER, HOMES
AND FARMS REAL ESTATE
BALTIMORE FLOOR SUPPLY
Honorable mentions:
Lady Baltimore Floors
Fishman Flooring Solutions
PAINTER
HVAC REPAIR
SM MECHANICAL
Honorable mentions:
Clarksville Heating and Air
Perry Hall Heating & Air Conditioning
AJ Michaels (tie)
Environmental System Associates (tie)
INTERIOR DESIGN
CORNERSTONE REMODELING
Honorable mentions:
Kate Wunder Interiors
Home by Heather
LANDSCAPER
TDH LANDSCAPING
Honorable mentions:
Lazo Outdoors
The Stone Store
Bay Ridge Landscaping
Honorable mentions:
Kelsey Judge, Iron Valley Real Estate
Charm City
Kelly Rumbaugh, Homes and Farms
Real Estate
Dan McGhee, The Victory Team (tie)
Garceau Realty (tie)
REMODELING: TAR HEEL
CONSTRUCTION GROUP
Honorable mentions:
Cornerstone Remodeling
Clarksville Construction
Bearded Builders
ROOFER: TAR HEEL CONSTRUCTION
GROUP
Honorable mentions:
Allied Remodeling
Cole Roofing
Badger Contracting
RUG CLEANER
KLEENIZE RUG CLEANERS
MOVING COMPANY
VON PARIS MOVING &
STORAGE
Honorable mentions:
Making Moves
Childs Express
Honorable mention:
Borhani Rug Co.
SOLAR INSTALLATION
SOLAR ENERGY WORLD
Honorable mentions:
Maryland Solar Solutions
American Sentry Solar
23
