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CSM believes the most important editorial in our magazine are the great letters we get from you.
It is your voices that make the most interesting stories and capture the heart of Cecil County.
We encourage you to share your thoughts and memories with us all, before they are lost.
Thank you — ETB

Sincerely yours,
Ed Belote Sr, Publisher

P.S.— We've provided a simple and convenient form that you may use, if you wish.

January/February 2008

Ed and Carol, Ed and Carol, Thank you for taking such an interest in such a special person in our lives. Seeing herself and her family in your magazine made Aunt Verdie feel really special. While she could, she read and looked at the magazines over and over. When your fi rst magazine came we had a book signing – Aunt Verdie’s little smiles for each person bringing her a magazine was so precious – she was acting like a movie star! The last magazine that came out she carried in her “horse” till the day she died. Thank you for making her feel so special! Blanche Andrews and Family Bel Air, Maryland Publisher’s Note: Words cannot define this most beautiful lady. Carol and I feel privileged to have become a part of her and her family’s lives. When you were with Aunt Verdie, you could feel the gentleness and quiet peace she was blessed with. Our lives are forever richer carrying her sweet memories with us. (See page 26 for more.)

The oldest in the family, Aunt Verdie, holding the youngest, Rokka Miller, July 2006.

Dear Ed and Carol,

Dear Ed and Carol, On behalf of the Aiken Homemakers I extend our thanks to Maggie Creshkoff for her outstanding article and pictures capturing the essence of our group. The time and patience she showed each member while gathering information for her article was truly appreciated.

Maggie is extremely personable and has bestowed a gift of her own creation to the Club that will be cherished. An interview with Maggie is the beginning of a new friendship. We would like to invite Maggie to meet with us any Monday she is available and to participate in our Christmas Luncheon on Monday, December 10th at 11:30 a.m.

I also want to thank you for including my personal letter in the CSM Mailbox. During my 91 years I have seen many changes that have had an impact on our daily lives and it was my pleasure to share a few of these memories with your readers.

Best wishes for continued success publishing Cecil Soil Magazine. I look forward to each issue and enjoy the articles about the many interesting citizens living in our local community.

Sincerely,
Mildred "Mimi" McGuirk
Perryville, MD

Dear Ed,

Dear Ed, Your piece about the Aiken Homemakers fit them so well as to stir my wife back into active participation. My mother, Ruth Hipkins, was a member I believe as far back as the ‘40s.

But, it was the Wellwood that stirred me to write. While having lunch there some time ago, Larry’s father came to our table ranting about students protesting the Vietnam war, blocking U.S. 1 at College Park. “I’d run tanks over them or shoot them if they didn’t move!”

A few minutes later he came back equally upset, “Reverend, what would you do with a son who won’t cut his hair?”

I told him he has already told me what he would do: Shoot him! We both had a good laugh over this.

Fortunately he didn’t take his own advice, and with a neat hair cut, Larry runs the Wellwood in a way to make his father proud. His mother, too, as she smiles down at everyone from her portrait in the dining room.

George Hipkins
Port Deposit, Maryland

Hi,

Love your magazine, Cecil Soil. I been delivering Newspapers and Publications for well over 25 years and I have to say your Publication is the best that I have ever read. I have every Cecil Soil since it has been put out, and would not part from them in any way. I am now delivering 10 Publications in Maryland, Delaware and PA. Everywhere I go, people ask about Cecil Soil. I might have a story to put in your Magazine some Day. Again thank you for your Magazine. Cecil County is so wonderful.

Sincerely,
Ron Ogden
St. Georges, Delaware

Publisher’s Note: Thank you Mr. Ogden, it’s letters like yours that keep us devoted to the Soil. If you have a story I urge you to send it in; check out our web site and click on “Have a Story Idea?” for some writer’s guidelines. Half the phone calls we get at the offi ce are from people like you, Ron, that have been collecting CSMs and ask about certain back issues they do not have. Well now, I’m proud to announce everyone can obtain back issues readily See page 69 of our current issue for more information!

Dear Mr. Belote,

In reference to Cecil Soil Magazine– keep up the good work! I so look forward to fi nding your most current edition; I always feel a smile go across my face when I do fi nd it!

The ads in your magazine are great local reference pages. Something often comes across as a reminder of one of those things I’ll do “someday.” Other ads make me aware of businesses I did not realize were there.

Feel free to publish my note. Keep up the good work!

Sincerely,
Lorraine Ottinger
Conowingo, Maryland

I love the Cecil Soil Magazine. I read it from cover to cover. “I enjoy doing the word puzzle” and the story about New River Ranch. My husband, Norman “Jack” Jones knows the Campbell family. He was born in Ashe County, North Carolina and lived near Lansing. I was born in Quarryville, Pennsylvania. In Lansing, North Carolina, the New River Ranch was named after New River. We listened to them on the radio. I love Bluegrass music.

Ellen Jones
Nottingham, Pennsylvania

This was my fi rst issue...and I read it from cover to cover ... have now subscribed to it!!!!

Priscilla Lane
Milton, DE

Dear Mr. Belote,

I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your magazine. I’m a volunteer at Union Hospital in Elkton as well as the Vice President of the 3rd and 4th Auxiliary and one of my jobs is to place magazines in the waiting areas. I’m always “selling” your magazine to people in the waiting rooms. When I say “selling” I mean telling them how good Cecil Soil Magazine is!

I’ve been doing scavenger hunts in my attic recently and came across some very old pictures which I discussed with you on the phone. My Great-Uncle Gus Thieleman of North East owned a Photography Studio in Wilmington, Delaware, so I’m pretty sure the pictures were all taken by him.

I’m real excited about having these in your magazine. One of your contributing writers, Lois Inglisa, is a former Elkton High classmate of mine (class of ‘51) and I’m a cohort of one of your “star” letter writers, Fran Hammond. (She’s a volunteer at Union also)

Maybe someday we can have an article in your magazine about that special Class of ’51!

Sincerely,
Ruth Mann Lashley
Elkton, Maryland

Publisher’s Note: See pages 56 – 57, Scrapbook to see some of Ruth’s wonderful photos.

Hi Cecil Soil!

Just wanted to thank you for the wonderful article about our company in the last issue of CSM. It was so nicely written by Paula Kelly and we have gotten such a great response from advertising with Cecil Soil Magazine.

Thanks again.

Tracy Phipps
Zach Phipps Electrical, Inc.

Hello Cecil Soil,

‘Tis the season of giving. I have a short, but sweet story about how Christmas came early for me. I was working the evening of November 26th at the Post House in Oxford, Pa. when I noticed an older woman looking almost lost. I walked over and inquired if I could help, and if everything was ok. She said, “Well no, I am fi ne, I was just looking for that magazine. I forget the name of it but it was Cecil something.”

Being very familar with the popularity of a certain magazine I said, “ Do you want the Cecil Soil Magazine?” Sounding more hopeful now she replied, “Well yes, that is it, I need 6 copies.” Unfortunately as I showed her where the magazines are stacked we found the spot empty, not one to be found. She was very disappointed. So I told her I would contact the magazine and see if I could get the copies. I told her if she could come back on Friday after 5 PM, I would have the magazines for her if I could get them.

First thing the next morning I called, and spoke to Ed at Cecil Soil Magazine, and told him the story, and what I needed. I didn’t have to ask twice. Mr.Belote offered to personally deliver the magazines to me for Friday evening between 4:30 and 5:00 PM; I was so happy.

It is a wonderful feeling to give someone something they really want and at such a small cost … a little time. A little time to let a stranger know that you noticed them and you care. This small deed I set out to do for this lady was passed on to Ed who delivered the much wanted magazines and in turn will pass the gift of giving and caring on to all of you, who I hope will pass it on as well to someone who is in need. Thank you Ed and Carol for caring about your readers so deeply. The most wanted gift we can give is our time.

Gini LaForte
Lincoln University, PA

Dear Mr. Belote,

First, I want to tell you how much we enjoy Cecil Soil Magazine. It is a real treasure for our county!

Secondly, I want to tell you how surprised I was when I looked at the picture (page 49 of the November/December 2007 issue) of the crowd at Lucy and Alex Campbell’s wedding. In the front row – bottom left corner – there was my childhood picture (8 years old). I remember it being taken and how shy I was. I never dreamed that it had survived all of these years. Thanks for the memory.

Sincerely,
Dottie Fogleman Miller

Dear Mr. Ed Belote,

I really enjoyed talking with you Friday about Mr.Alex and Miss Olabelle. I enjoyed the article about them, and learning that Miss Jane is writing a book about them. As I mentioned, Mr. Alex and the North Carolina Ridgerunners, were the fi rst musical concert I ever saw. I went to their show at Woodleaf, North Carolina School, in 1944. Miss Olabelle, of course, had not joined the band at that time. I really enjoyed Mr. Alex’s and the Ridgerunner’s music immensely. I regret that I did not meet him, and the band, but I was a rather bashful and timid 14 years old. In addition to enjoying Mr. Alex and the group’s picking and singing, I deeply appreciated the fact that they put on such a clean show. I wish I could remember more of the songs and tunes they performed that night, but I only remember them doing the “Knoxville Girl” for certain. But I believe they also did the “The Ballad of Omi Wise”. When Mr. Alex was announcing that they were going to sing the “Knoxville Girl”, he mentioned that it had 21 verses, but he then told the audience not to worry, they are not going to do nearly all of them.

I am really sorry Mr. Alex’s health is not good. I will be praying for him, Mr. Ed. Thanks a million for taking the time to talk with me Friday and give my best to Miss Lucy and Miss Jane, and if I can help in any way with her book, I will be more than happy to do so.

Sincerely,
Ben Niblock
Smithfield, NC

Dear CSM,

I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your article in the November/December issue, “A Veteran’s Day Tribute” by Robert Hazel. I would love to hear more stories like John and Nick’s. I am 23 years old, and my husband is 24, a member of the Delaware Air National Guard based in New Castle, Delaware. Before he left in July for basic training, I never really paid much attention to such holidays as Veteran’s Day or Memorial Day, but now I know better.

When my husband joined the Air Force, my eyes and my heart were opened to all of the painful, necessary sacrifi ces that military personnel and their families make on a daily basis. I know I am lucky to be getting my husband back in 2 months, while others don’t have such reassurance. What these people do is incredible: I feel bad now for not noting it before. I’d like to tell all the military and their families, current and veteran, that I greatly admire and appreciate you for your service to me and our country. I had no idea what it was all about, but the truth is, we owe these people our very lives. I look at my husband with awe and respect for just making it through basic and tech school. It’s hard being separated, but I wouldn’t trade it in. If not for this, I never would have realized why some people cry (now me included) when they hear “The Star Spangled Banner” or “God Bless the USA.” May God Bless every single soldier overseas, and bring peace to their families.

Rebecca Edwards
Elkton, Maryland

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