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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.

May/June 2008

Dear Ed and Carol, The cover of the March/April 2008 issue of Cecil Soil was overwhelming! Our Father, at the age of 20! When I was a teenager, I remember our Mother telling me that when they were dating, our Dad looked like a movie star. I thought her comment quite silly at that time but after seeing the photo, I now understand what she was saying. Your memorial article on page 6 brought on a rush of pleasant memories. Eddie, you and I had the greatest parents. Dad provided for us, and Mom and Dad together provided us the love, life's bearings of honesty, ethic for hard work, sense of humor, and all that goes into raising seven children to become successful adults. Our family photos, pages 56 and 57, brought back many wonderful memories and some new memories from photos I had never seen before until now. You are so thoughtful to dedicate the March/April issue of Cecil Soil to our parents. They were wonderful parents, and this is a wonderful memorial to them. Carol and you have worked hard to publish this memorial - our parents would be proud of you both. And I thank you. Love from your sister, June (Belote) Hall Georgetown, Maryland

June, to the far left, Christmas 1960

Dear Ed and Carol,

I've been intending to write you for many months expressing my joy of obtaining every one of your magazine publications. With the Milburn family now in its eighth generation living and farming here in wonderfull Cecil County, we are truly made of "Cecil Soil". Myself being 67 years old, remember or know many of your fabulous people you write of. It also brings back my childhood memories of my father, who was born in 1901, telling me of all the friends and neighbors he had remembered. Keep up the GREAT work! (it must be alot of work!)

In your Jan.-Feb. issue on page 57, bottom right side, picture of the 1959 Delegates to State Convention of American Bureau: Front 2nd row 1st left is my father, John W. Milburn, Appleton Rd; Back row, third from left is Fred Martenis, AppletonRd.

Again, always eagerly looking forward to your next issue!!

Evan B. Milburn,Grower
Milburn Orchards Inc.
Elkton, Maryland

Dear Ed and Carol,

Thank you very much for running the story about my good friend, Elsmere barber Frank Terranova, in the recent issue of Cecil Soil. It was very kind of you to arrange for your art designer (Neeley Spotts) to complete the page with Frank's story before the rest of the magazine was ready to be published, so he could read it.

Frank passed away on Sunday evening, February 24, 2008, at his home. His family members framed a copy of your Cecil Soil page and displayed his story during his viewing.

Frank's family wanted me to express their thanks to Cecil Soil for printing the tribute to Frank, which they will keep as a remembrance of their loving relative and good friend.

Thanks again for your kindness,
Ed Okonowicz

Dear Ed and Carol,

I am so glad that we found your magazine in which to advertise our community, all-volunteer band. The Upper Chesapeake Community Band could not have made a better choice regarding where to advertise. We had tried it all - newspapers, radio, TV, cultural event programs, and web sites. But since we decided to start advertising in the Cecil Soil last May, we have received more exposure and response than ever before. Your crew has done a beautiful job of creating an attractive ad for us. But the January/February issue's article on the Upper Chesapeake Community Band was a super job.

Paula Kelly put in much time and effort to interview me and other members of the band. Then she gave more time to show up at a concert site and get a nicely done picture of the group. The script was informative and the members quoted correctly. Thank you for considering our organization worthy to be showcased in the Cecil Soil Magazine.

We shall continue to advertise with you. You are doing a great job - please continue to publish this wonderful magazine.

Mary White,
Director, UCCB

My husband, David, shared some memories of your parents when he stayed at your house for a few summers. He remembers the summer he spent with you, and these memories are from that time.

He said your Mom was a wonderful cook, and he loved the chocolate milk she always served. He remembers your family happily eating dinner together on the porch your father enclosed. He said, "I went there an 80 pound weakling, and left at 120 pounds of muscle. Your mother was a great lady, very kind, smart, and always made you feel at home, but could talk a hole through you."

About your father, David remembers the hotdog incident - he was eating a hotdog, and started choking. He panicked, got up, and started running around the house, and your father, Grice, ran after him. When your father got a hold of him, he dislodged the hotdog. And to this day, David swears he would not be here today if Grice had not been there, and chased him down.

He remembers getting a horse stuck between two trees and Nancy getting real mad about it. For the most part he remembers being off playing or doing something with you kids.

This is all I got out him and I'll keep trying to get more. (He is getting old and his memory isn't as good as it used to be. LOL)

Sincerely,
Barbara & David Belote
Hagerstown, Maryland

Dear Ed,

Just wanted to thank you for putting our grandparents' pictures in your magazine. I have not seen them in 30 years and I want to thank you.

Your Cousin,
Robert L. Marshall
Machipongo, Virginia

Dear Rick Barton,

Thanks for a great article! I have already heard from almost all of our club, and everyone who has read the article thought it was well done. It was very nice to work with you on this, and I look forward to reading all of your future articles.

Thanks from Paul McGuigan and the Conowingo Lions Club

Dear Carol & Ed,

Before I find just the right thank you card, I am thanking you by email. What an honor it is to be part of the March and April, 2008 Cecil Soil edition! Students are thrilled and quite pleased with pages 26 & 43 as they show their friends.

I brought the edition to the Longwood Gardens Advisory Board meeting last night. The board members were very excited about the connections RSMS has with Cecil Soil.

May I stop by to pick up 40 copies? We will use them for the Cultural Events activities and I would like to distribute copies to the "Art Studio" students.

Thank you for your interest and support of the arts at RSMS.

Carol Mangano, Art Teacher,
Rising Sun Middle School

Dear Ed,

An acquaintance of mine sent me a copy of Cecil Soil Magazine with a note attached to check out page 46, the article on Herb's Barbershop. Looking at it I got excited as I went to school with Herb. Then noticed the web site and got to the computer. The website came up and reading the articles with the pictures, I decided to print them all out. That I did for all of the pages. Then noticed about an inch on one side of the paper was cut off. I Talked to my son who is a computer geek, and he said it was the network not my computer. But I did really enjoy reading all the pages and hope to be able to save them on my computer somehow. I lived in North East and graduated with the class of 1951. But I joined the Air Force after graduation and ended up marrying a Sailor, that's why I live here in California. He sadly is no longer with us but my family lives here - so here is where I'll stay. I thank you so very much for the article, and to the acquaintance that sent it to me; it was most enjoyable to read about some of my classmates from high school.

Sincerely,
Gertrude McMillan Stewart
Lemoore, CA

The Bench
The bench sits in the dappled shade
We sat there often. Plans were made
It, now, seems sad. The tree is bare
It's winter time and you're not there
I sit alone and think of you
Memories bring back the sun, the view
The years will pass and so must we
Nothing left, but the bench, the tree.

Dear CSM,

I want to renew a subscription for my brother, Hammersley Taylor - A great magazine. I got a lot of feedback on my two stories that you printed.

Thank you,
Joyce Taylor Boland

Ed and Carol,

Don't want to miss any more issues of Cecil Soil Magazine. While thinking I would pick up current issues I missed the one that means a lot. That would be the magazine that featured the New River group. We know the Campbell family. So please send me the November/December 2007 Issue and a year's subscription.

Louise Tomlinson
Nottingham, Pennsylvania

P.S. I know how much work you two do to make this magazine.
Thanks so much.

Dear CSM,

I just love your magazine. It has so very many interesting stories, and articles inside. Thanks so much.

Beverly Chapman
Elkton, Maryland

Dear Ed and Carol,

It was nice to meet you both on that wintery day last week. I had missed the last issue of Cecil Soil Magazine and had to get two copies because my husband and I both do the puzzle, he is much faster than I am.

In that issue we enjoyed the articles on Dr. Taylor, our family doctor till he retired, Rumbleway Farm, and since I work at Perryville High, the article on Mr. LoPresto.

One of your issues made its way to Lake George, New York. We stop at the American Legion and while talking found out the commander was stationed at Bainbridge Navel Training Center. Several issues later you had an article on Bainbridge. We took a copy up the next year for him. He enjoyed reading what is happening at Bainbridge.

Keep up the good work. Looking forward to your next issue.

Sincerely,
Fran Woll
Colora, 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.
IMPORTANT: YOU must call 410-658-3286 to claim and arrange for receipt of your free subscription!!

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