Dear Ed,
Our family would like to thank you for the excellent article you did on my Uncle, Wayne Hall, and his trophy deer in your Winter 2006 Issue. The North East VFW was so good to let it be displayed there and since your article, he has had many calls and congratulations – and has even been asked to sign your article.

We look forward to your magazine, and we hear so many wonderful comments from others on what an interesting magazine you publish. Thank you again for helping my Uncle to relive his accomplishment and for making him a North East Celebrity.

Sincerely,
Beverly Mast and Family
Oxford, PA

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Dear Mr. and Mrs. Belote
Our sincerest appreciation for the kind article which was published in the Winter 2006 edition of the Cecil Soil Magazine. We have received many phone calls and positive comments about the article, which is certainly an indication of the growing circulation and readership of your fine magazine.

It was a pleasure working with Mike Collins, your contributing writer, who was professional and thorough during our meetings. Please convey our appreciation to Mr. Collins for a job well done. Keep up the good work for Cecil County and the entire area.

Sincerely,
Henry R. “Hank” Passi
North East, MD

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Hi Ed and Carol,
Just a quick note to say how much I enjoy reading your magazine, as do all the patients in our office (Dr. Beste, Newark, DE). It's wonderful reading material for our patients while they wait patiently for our wonderful doctor and nurse practitioner to see them for their appointment.
It really is nice to pick up a fabulous local magazine that has enjoyable stories along with great advertisements. Actually I am on my way out to give "Ripples" some business. Oh, by the way, I was in Woody's Restaurant, and your magazine (the fire fighter cover) was being passed around from patron to patron, nice job.

Thanks Again!!!
Cindy Hill
Elkton, MD

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Hello Mr. Belote,
We would like to compliment you on the Cecil Soil Magazine; it is great! You give a lot of information about small businesses, fine dining, and places to just get away. There is a lot of content about things that are important to the community. We picked up our copy from the Union Hospital and could not put it down.

We would like to invite all Cecil Soil Magazine readers to our Fourth Annual Community Hymn Sing on July 8th from 1 pm to 6pm in our spacious backyard at 100 Main Street in Warwick, MD. So bring a lawn chair and join us to hear our featured guest, The Cash Family from Felton DE, soloist/ speaker Pastor James McCaulley from Indiana, PA, and other local talent. There is no admission and refreshments will be served. Bring your own lawn chair. In case of rain we will have our event at the Warwick Fellowship Hall. Please phone 410-755-6642.

Gene & Paige Montgomery
Warwick, MD

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Hello,
My name is Nancy Colby. I am proud to say that I am Raymond Cook’s daughter. Mom called me this morning and was telling me about your magazine, Cecil Soil. She told me you had written an article regarding my Dad. She read part of it to me and it made me feel proud to be a part of him and also to have been born and raised in Cecil County, Maryland. We now reside in the mountains of PA and though it is beautiful here, I long for Cecil County and “home”. I just want to say thank you for your article. I look forward to obtaining my own copy. My heart is warmed knowing that others can see the beautiful warm light of love that surrounds my father.

Sincerely,
Nancy Colby
Pennsylvania

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Hi Ed,
I was talking with my mother in Florida this morning and she is so happy that all her neighbors are still reading the article you did for us. I just thought you would enjoy that little fact! My parents live in a terrific community of wonderful people and they all share their family stories – you gave them one in print!

Just wanted to say – Thank you again,
Kathy Bender-Jones
Bender Music
Elkton, MD

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Dear CSM,
Your magazine really captured my imagination and my future goal, i.e., to retire in Cecil County (perhaps Harford or Baltimore county). I went to school in Washington, DC, my dad went to the Naval Academy, and I still have tons of friends in MD and VA some of whom I visited over Thanksgiving. I stayed in Havre de Grace at the Currier House (a lovely B&B, by the way) and picked up your magazine at a convenience store. My goal is to retire in the next 10 years and in the meantime, I'm trying to get to know that area both in person (by visiting at least once a year, maybe twice) and just through research, which is where Cecil Soil Magazine comes into play. I'm trying to focus on communities that have a small "downtown" or central business/govt. district that people can walk to, as well as trying to pick a community where preserving the natural beauty is as important as commercial development. If you have any ideas, let me know. In the meantime, I look forward to the next issue.

Sandy Schriever in Dallas

P.S. The next time I'm in the area, I hope to visit one of the local (versus chain) real estate companies that you featured in the autumn issue if they would be interested in helping someone like me who is not concerned with an immediate home purchase.

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Dear Ed,
Ever since your magazine hit the stands, I have been an avid reader and look forward to each issue. But of course, I might be a little prejudiced as my husband, Herb, is featured in every issue.

I was especially taken by the last issue and the article about the banana trees. I have been a grower of banana trees for the past 30 years or so. It started out when a lady my sister used to work for gave me one. After the first year, I had about 5 or 6, which I planted in my back yard. The next year, I had 10 or 12… my place looked like a tropical paradise. It became too much work so I gave most of them away and kept one going.

Banana trees only live about 5 or 6 years. Once they get a bloom and sometimes get bananas, they die. A few years ago, a friend told me that it was not necessary to pot the tree in the fall. You only have to dig it up, cut the leaves off, as they will die over the winter, and put it in a plastic bag and place it in your basement. In the spring, I just replant it again. It won't look very nice for a while, but it will eventually come back to life and be beautiful again. Repeat this process every year until it blooms.

I will look forward to your next issue with anticipation. Ed, if there is anything else you want to know, just let me know.

Eleanore Benjamin
North East, MD

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Dear Cecil Soil,
Some time ago, you published a photo in “Cecil Scrapbook” showing a group of young lady softball players. I believe that they were employees of GM although I could be wrong. At any rate, one of the women, Rose Aielo, is the great aunt of my little stepdaughter. Because of the last name I questioned my stepdaughter's Granma about it and she was so excited that there was a picture of her sister from that era. Unfortunately, my husband recycled (shared) the mag before I could put the article into my daughter's scrapbook. Is there any way that I could get a copy of that article or magazine again? It would so delight my daughter and her family!

I so enjoy your magazine and grab it every chance I see it! Thanks for all the wonderful new and "old timey" information and articles.

Sincerely,
Beth Langston Bishop
Newark, DE

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Dear CSM,
I’d like to thank you for your article in the Cecil Soil Magazine on LTC Flora Freed. She has broken many barriers for women as well as Hispanic in the military. I enjoyed the article and was happy to see her being recognized in such a fashion.

Being in the military for 23 years I have seen the transformation of what was considered a male-dominated organization to what it is today, a diversified and united military. It is incredible to see how far women have come, from being nurses to flying helicopters. It doesn’t surprise me to hear that LTC Freed has paved the way for many. It wasn’t an easy task but she has the enthusiasm and motivation to succeed as whatever she sets her mind on. Again thank you for the article on a well deserving soldier.

Miriam Jennings CW4
MDARNG

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Dear Ed,
It’s hard to put into words how great your magazine is. We are Lancaster County, Pennsylvania residents who bought a cottage in the North East area of Cecil County about 12 years ago. Both my husband and I wish we had discovered Cecil County 30 years ago in our late twenties and early thirties. However, at least we finally found this paradise in our early fifties.

I discovered your magazine while having breakfast at the Highborne Café in North East. They had Volume I and Volume II – I took both and read them from cover to cover. What you have done is gently given a history lesson to those of us who do not know of Cecil County’s past and a reminiscence to those who do. Also, you have introduced various personalities in the community, past and present, and have informed the public of what is and what the future of Cecil County might be. This last issue has so many more advertisements than in the first issue, and I read them all to learn of places to dine, shop, etc.

I would like to have a banana tree “pup” this fall. I can’t wait to carry “HER” thru the winter and plant “HER” in 2007.

Susan Zang
Akron, Pennsylvania

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Dear Ed,
I spoke with you this morning about the placement of our two business ads: C. Jones Construction and Debbie's Design. You are welcome to be as creative with them as you like.
I want to thank you at Cecil Soil for a professional and pleasurable interaction with my advertisement placement. I have a degree in graphics and from what I have seen in other advertising that I have had published elsewhere, Cecil Soil has some of the nicest display ads around. It's wonderful to see a business still take pride in itself! Thanks so much!

Debbie Jones
Colora, MD

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Hi!
I was wondering if you could possibly help me. In your Winter 2006 issue of Cecil Soil, I found a picture of my grandfather taken in 1910. It was the Red Men's Coronet Band taken in North East, Md. Is there any way I could get a copy of this picture? I would love to have it enlarged and give to family members. My grandfather's name is Aldridge Craig. (His brother and a few cousins are in the picture too.) My mother and aunts would be so thrilled to see this picture. (I would need to enlarge the picture since my mother has macular degeneration and would only be able to see it if it were larger). It is also possible that Elmer Reynolds - the person who provided the photo, might be a relative of ours. Small world!

Any info you could give me would be wonderful. It was just by chance I saw this article. And that is another story ... it's called being in the right place at the right time! Thanks so much!

Nellie Krams
Wilmington, DE

Thank you so much for sending me the picture of the North East Coronet Band in the winter issue of Cecil Soil!

My husband picked up a copy at Woody's in North East. He was glancing at the pictures when he read my grandfather’s name. Then we found a great uncle and several great cousins and who knows what other relatives there were in that band!! I was so excited. I picked up a couple of extra copies to give to my cousins and my children.

I love the old pictures you carried. I plan to look for the spring issue of your magazine...who knows what I'll find in that one!!

Again, many thanks! (and thanks from my kids and lots of my relatives.....I have sent this picture on and on and on........) See what you have done for our family? Thank you!!

— Nellie Krams