My Two Cents is a weekly opinion column from Bethesda resident Joseph Hawkins. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of BethesdaNow.com.
Last Wednesday, I introduced readers to seven of the 13 individuals who made Bethesda a better place to live, work and play in 2013.
Today, I profile the remaining six individuals and groups.
And by the way, there will be no columns on the next two Wednesdays, which just happen to fall on both holidays — Christmas day and New Years day. I will return on Jan. 8. Happy 2014!
Steve Hull, Bethesda Magazine (7768 Woodmont Ave.) Let’s face it, there’s a fair amount of glitz in a typical Bethesda Magazine print issue. On the other hand, there also are great stories being told that impact the lives of Bethesdians. And beyond the print editions, there’s an active website keeping Bethesda informed. I’m a fan of the “Table Talk” blog. But I’m also a bigger fan of Steve — editor-in-chief and publisher — and the amazing job he does pulling everything off.
Mary Beall Adler, Georgetown Bagelry (5227 River Rd.) When I lived in Alabama, a co-worker told me I had to pick a team to cheer for, Auburn or Alabama. (It was Auburn). Bethesda is like that when it comes to bagels: Georgetown Baglery or Bethesda Bagels! I’m in the Georgetown camp. And Mary’s book, Who Scooped My Bagel, is on the iPod. Where’s the time to run a successful business and write a book?
Vincent Ezulike, Sun Trust Bank (5450 Westbard Ave.) I’m convinced Vincent knows everyone in Bethesda by their first name. How does he do it? When it comes to banking — personal or otherwise — he is a true problem-solver.
Wakaichi Sakita, Hinata Sushi Carryout & Japanese Groceries (4947 St Elmo Ave.) I would not have guessed that Hinata has been on St Elmo for 16 years. Wakaichi keeps track of the passing years by his daughter’s age — she was a 1-year-old when Wakaichi and his wife opened Hinata. She is now 17. It’s comforting that the Sakita family can make it in booming downtown Bethesda. There really is still room for a great “mom and pop” business.
Dawn Maynard, Perfeck Fitness My iPod is my fitness trainer. However, I’m not underestimating the value of a personal trainer. Dawn has kept my petite wife petite and trim for years. And so after the Vace pizza, the Georgetown bagels and the Hinata sushi, there’s Dawn to rescue with the crunches and the power lifts. Or join one of her boot camps as a 2014 resolution to get fit.
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (7272 Wisconsin Ave.) Those following the Purple Line’s progress know that what the station ends up looking like for Bethesda rests completely on what happens to the Apex Building at 7272 Wisconsin Ave. Throughout 2013, Bethesda Now covered the issue multiple times. It may sound like hyperbole, but honestly, the ASHP and all 40,000 members literally hold in the palm of their hands the future ‘look’ of downtown Bethesda.
Joseph Hawkins is a longtime Bethesda resident who remembers when there was no Capital Crescent Trail. He works full-time for an employee-owned social science research firm located Montgomery County. He is a D.C. native and for nearly 10 years, he wrote a regular column for the Montgomery Journal. He also has essays and editorials published in Education Week, the Washington Post, and Teaching Tolerance Magazine. He is a serious live music fan and is committed to checking out some live act at least once a month.
Photos via Mary Beall Adler, Bethesda Magazine, author
