Winter 2005...

I get many phone calls from folks in the county about Cecil Soil Magazine, but unless I take notes during our conversations, most of them are lost. People are very much excited about our stories and photos. They tell me, “I knew these people; I worked with him; I was there…” and of course the most popular one, “I remember when…”

I enjoy these calls and look at them as gems, but I lament the fact that we cannot share them with more people in the county. So let’s get those emails and letters out to us and create some excitement!

— Ed Belote, Sr.

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Cecil Soil Magazine’s premier issue was a most excellent read. I honestly could not put it down until I had read it cover to cover. Your first issue left me anxious for the next, and I look forward to the release date--anticipating yet another ‘warm and fuzzy’ feeling from this down-to-earth magazine packed full of Cecil County roots.

Thanks to Cecil Soil Magazine and Ed Belote, and keep up the great work!

Sincerely,
Patricia Sparks, Executive Coordinator
Cecil County Chamber of Commerce

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In my traveling salesman days, I once found myself on the front porch of a home in a well-kept neighborhood in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Most residents were older, not the ideal prospects for my product, and many of them weren’t home that morning. That was the case at this home, which had a screened front porch, allowing a salesman to be unnoticed from
the street.

Neatly stacked on a table was a plentiful supply of Yankee Magazine, with which I was unfamiliar. Not being inclined to hustle around a block of mostly vacant houses, I browsed through several of the magazines. (There was a comfortable wicker chair with thick cushions.)

It occurred to me that these magazines weren’t bundled up to be thrown away. Maybe they were awaiting a relative, or friend, or neighbor. I suspect they were in some stage of recycling. That puts them in the realm of National Geographic. I don’t think anyone throws them out. They’re not necessarily of great monetary value, unless you happen to have the November 1947 issue, which would complete a set for a friend of mine.

Don’t you find it comforting when a waiting room has an old issue of Reader’s Digest to page through, regardless of whether you’ve read it or not? These issues of Yankee were filled with homey articles, vignettes of New England life, and had that timeless characteristic that precludes them from being haphazardly tossed in the waste basket.

It’s too early to pass judgment, but I suggest you hold onto your issues of Cecil Soil Magazine. You may have an unknown visitor; perhaps even a salesman, decades from now, who will be infatuated with its contents.

John A. Styer
North East

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Yes, I saw Cecil Soil when it was "hot off the press.” It was everything you promised it would be. Keep the human touch and interesting stories about the wonderful people in Cecil County. There are so many stories to tell. Best to you and your family.

Phyllis Kilby
Colora

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Hey Ed and Carol...
Just want to thank you for sending us a copy of your first Cecil Soil Magazine. It's great!  We read it from cover to cover and totally enjoyed it.  We were very impressed with how well it was done. The subjects, the lay-out—and all the writing are very professional. Thanks again for sending it, and good luck with future issues. I'm sure they will be just as good, if not better.

Nancy and Bob Simpkins
Piedmont, SC

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I am the guy that was sitting in Nutter's store about mid-December and you personally handed me a copy of Cecil Soil Magazine. You introduced yourself as Ed Belote, Sr., and suggested that if I liked the magazine, to email you and let you know. I took the magazine home and started reading the articles, and I was particularly interested in the advertisement for R. Brooks Mechanical Inc. I had been calling all the local contractors about purchasing a replacement electronic air cleaner on my furnace and no one would call me back with a price or even an estimate of the cost. They all wanted to come out and charge me a $69.00 visit to look over the situation. R. Brooks quoted me a price over the phone and within a week it was installed (a first rate installation) at the cost quoted. I am very pleased with your magazine and its advertisers.

Thank You, Mr. Belote!
Dean A. Boshart 
Newark, Delaware

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The first edition of your magazine has been a welcomed addition to the Cecil County scene. Although I am not a resident of this county, I have spent the last 4-1/2 years learning more about the interesting people and places that make up this unique area that many 'agricultural folks ' call home.

A fine magazine should reflect interesting characteristics of the residents it serves. You have succeeded in your first issue to capture an essence of pleasant people to get to know and places to experience. Having reminders of friends and family through stories and photos and how they shaped this county is a good way for new residents to get to know their neighbors, and those who have lived here before.

Cecil Soil is offering an excellent way of reaching the folks living in a growing county in a small town way. For a county that doesn't care for big changes, your magazine has been the welcomed new kid on the block. Keep up the good work.

Eileen Boyle
Cecil Co Horticultural Consultant

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My husband and I are yearly visitors to Elkton in beautiful Cecil County. We did enjoy the Winged Adventure story but would suggest a brief map, as we are visitors.
Thanks to your advertiser Steak & Main for a wonderful meal.

Pete and Carol Schmitz
Pittsford, N.Y.