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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.

March/April 2008

Ed and Carol, Hi Mr & Mrs Belote, This is Nancy Harris (Raymond Cook's daughter in PA). Hope you are both well and happy. I was just reading over the Cecil Soil edition that was printed in honor of my mother. It made me think of you and how good of a friend you are to Dad. I want you to know that your friendship is cherished and appreciated by our entire family. This will be our fi rst holiday season without Mom. It's not going to be easy for us, but I know that for Mom, it will be a joyous time that she could never even fathomed while alive. That does help to ease our pain, but I still miss her more than I ever thought possible. Someone sent me this touching story "Meet Me in the Stairwell". I just wanted to share it with you. Actually, God wanted me to share it with you, so I am being obedient and doing what He has asked me to do. God Bless and Take care. Love, Nancy Publisher's Reply: Thank you very much, Nancy. "Meet Me in the Stairwell" is very touching and we will put it on our website when this book goes out. I know I do not have to tell you this, but your parents, Louise and Raymond Cook are the salt of the earth, and we love them very much. Louise reminded me so much of my mother especially in the way she loved and cared for all you Cook children. Take care. Love, Ed & Carol

Louise and Raymond Cook

Dear Mr. Belote,

I just wanted to tell you that I received many phone calls and letters about this recent issue of Cecil Soil Magazine. Precious friends from my childhood called or wrote to say that seeing my picture as an eight year old caused them to take a walk down "Memory Lane" to the little two room school house in Colora, Maryland. It was there in the 1940s and 1950s where Miss Helen Gifford and Mrs. Beatrice Price led us in prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance every morning and then taught us to obey and honor our parents, respect our elders, honor our county's Founders, our present leaders and respect our neighbor's property rights. It was a time when parents loved their children enough to teach them right from wrong. It makes me sad that so many of this generation are being cheated out of having such blessings and our nation is poorer because of it.

Our dear friends, Schiller and Betsy Martin, who are the present owners of the Graybeal-Miller homestead where Kenny was playing his banjo on the cabin porch, told me that they are framing the article and it will be displayed in the cabin for generations to come.

Thank you so much for all the good that you do. We can't wait to read the next issue of Cecil Soil Magazine!!

Sincerely,
Dottie Fogleman Miller
Rising Sun, Maryland

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Belote,

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Belote, I want to thank you for printing my story in your magazine. I loved the pictures that you chose, too.

I sent a copy to several cousins, one in Texas and two in Pennsylvania and they were delighted. My cousin in Texas was so pleased to see the pictures of her Uncle John.

I love Cecil Soil Magazine and it is such fun looking through each issue to see if I recognize anyone. By the way, Aunt Verdie was the aunt of my sister-in-law, Frances Beal.

Keep up the good work and I eagerly look forward to future issues.

Sincerely,
Catherine Beal
North East, Maryland

Dear Ed,

As a teenager in high school at Calvert, we were excused to participate during WWII in the airplane spotting program. The site was on the property now known as Fairwinds Farm. We had a clear view of the surrounding sky and when we spotted a plane we would record it and phone it in.

This would make a great story. I don't remember details as to the agency responsible.

Ralph Reisler
Rising Sun, Maryland

Mike and Myra Breyer in front of daughter Norma's Christmas tree lot. Myra helps to make garland, wreaths, grave blankets and in selling trees.

Hi to all in Cecil County,

I would like to tell you how much I enjoyed the two Cecil Soil Magazines my sister mailed to me last fall. I think the best part was that some of my 1963 Rising Sun High classmates were in some of the stories. I lived for 26 years in Cecil County in Colora, Rising Sun and Port Deposit. As a teenager my family and I lived on the farm in Port Deposit where the Extreme Makeover Show just rebuilt the horse barn and the new house.

I moved to Michigan in 1972 after Mike and I were married. I enjoy getting back home to Cecil County, and I have family and friends there.

I am looking forward to the next Cecil Soil Magazine, and I can say this is the only magazine I have ever sat down and read from cover to cover - there was so much I knew about and I learned even more.

Your New Reader,
Myra Breyer
Houghton Lake Hts., Michigan

Dear Friends,

I enjoy the Cecil Soil Magazine very, very much. Keep up the good work.

I recently moved and my back issues have been misplaced. So I am glad to be able to replace them. Again, thanks for a great magazine on local people and activities of Cecil County.

Sincerely,
Julia W. Busick
Elkton, Maryland

Dear Ed and Carol,

How delighted I was to receive our copy of Cecil Soil Magazine on January 14. I immediately started to read it, and was delighted to learn that copies were available for all the back issues.

We've only become aware of the magazine this past year when we received our first copy from our sister who lived in Perryville. There was an article she thought we'd enjoy. We not only enjoyed the article but became hooked on the whole magazine, I even enjoy the advertisements!

My husband and his family were born in the Providence area of Elkton, so reading all the local stories brings back lots of memories for them and I love reading how it was "way back then."

I called and spoke to Ed about the back copies. He graciously guided me to page 69 to place my order. Being the impatient person I am, I read I could order by credit card, called back and spoke to Carol who says she will mail me my copies fi rst thing tomorrow morning. How great is that!

Keep up the nice work and we hope your subscriptions continue to grow.

As requested, picture included. And don't blame me Ed if you lose any subscribers, HaHa. Have a great day and many thanks.

Sandy and Charles Magaw
Cape Carteret, North Carolina

Dear Maggie,

Reading your "Meandering with Muddy Maggie" In the January/February issue jarred my memory with something I meant to do back in December. I could blame it on holiday business but really it was a senior moment.

Back in December we had dinner at Rumbleway Farm and as I told Mark and Robin Way and Shirl Casey (one of our table dining mates) the reason we came was because of your write-up in the September/October 2007 issue of Cecil Soil Magazine. When I mentioned it to Shirl, she told me that you would now be a regular on the staff. Last time I spoke with you at the Arts Council you were just going to contribute articles and hoped some would be chosen. This long winded note is to say "CONGRATULATIONS" on being on staff and we look forward to your Meandering with Muddy Maggie - enjoyed your January/February article.

Maggie, your "In Memoriam" to your Mom was wonderful! After reading it we know she would be proud to see where life is taking you and the article you wrote about her. We can tell you have many of her endearing qualities.

Wishing you a Healthy and Happy New Year and continued success with all of your many adventures.

Cheers,
Ronnie Smith and Roger Kirkey
Chesapeake City, Maryland

Dear Shirl,

Congratulations on winning the 50/50 raffl e at Rising Sun Lions Club Christmas dinner. A well-deserved treat for you.

We saw the notice about your winning in the January/February 2008 issue of Cecil Soil Magazine. Also, enjoyed reading your restaurant review about Rumbleway Farm. We've received a couple phone calls from friends who read your magazine and when they spotted our names mentioned they called us for our input about Rumbleway and of course, we couldn't say enough good things - "the power of the press and word of mouth advertising"!

Also, great and well-deserved write up about you from Ed.

Before closing tell Bill I tried Nonnies in Havre de Grace - on my quest for the Philadelphia hoagie. It was good. So, I'm still having a lot of fun seeking out the perfect hoagie - for me.

Wishing you and Bill a Healthy and Happy New Year and hopefully our paths will cross in '08.

Oh, a place we visited in December also was Dove Valley Winery - found interesting - bought some wine for Christmas gifts and a bottle for ourselves, which we have yet to try. We enjoyed their sales room and they have many interesting plans for '08. Understand there is another winery due to open as soon as they get labeling settled. Move over Napa Valley, here comes Cecil County wine!

Cheers,
Ronnie Smith & Roger Kirkey
Chesapeake City, Maryland

Please send your letters to: Cecil Soil Magazine, P.O. Box 645, Rising Sun, MD 21911. You may also fax them to 410-658-3242 or use this handy form. All letters become the property of Cecil Soil Magazine and Back Porch Publications, LLC, and may be edited for clarity or space. All letters received are given due consideration for publishing. Beginning in January 2010, writers of letters selected for publication in future issues will receive a free one-year subscriptions to CSM, or extensions to their existing subscriptions, when applicable.
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