Letter from the Editor:

Welcome to the Fall/Winter edition of Cecil County Life.

In his story, “A new life for an old landmark,” writer John Chambless takes a look at how the Sonetta Community Market adds a new chapter to the history of a well-known red barn in Cecil County. When you’re taking over a local institution, it’s best to keep what works and improve where you can. Nick and Sue Thrappas are doing just that with the landmark red barn on Jacob Tome Memorial Highway near Perryville, known by generations of bargain hunters as Hunter’s Sale Barn. There have been big changes there over the past year, and anyone driving past will see the bright banners, huge steel entrance gate and landscaping that is marking the debut of the Sonetta Community Market. It’s a bright new chapter for an auction and flea market business started by Norman and Carol Hunter in 1975 and run continuously until 2019.

This edition also features a story about the Fair Hill Equine Rescue Ambulance. The force behind the organization is JoAnn Bashore, a retired Fair Hill Park ranger. During her time as a ranger, she was frequently called to respond to equine emergencies. Now, the Fair Hill Equine Rescue Ambulance plays a critical role in responding to equine emergencies in the area.

Cecil County goes back a long ways. Writer Gene Pisasale offers a comprehensive look at the history of Cecil County, including how its heritage dates back many centuries.

Writer Richard L. Gaw profiles George Turak, who along with his wife Michelle has created Mount America Foundation, a sanctuary for veterans and their families in Cecil County and beyond.

In this edition’s photo essay by Moonloop Photography, we take you to Conowingo Models, where Chris Coarse has resurrected that bygone era in the form of his HO and O scale craftsman kits designed for those who have turned parts of their homes over to their passion for model railroading.

In our Q & A, we talk with Juli Sebring of Appleton Equestrian.

We also talk to Cecil County resident Susan W. Green about her new book. Before Green retired in late 2018, she spent 35 years in the banking industry. She worked hard to write her first book, a romance novel titled Crystal Lake Inn, which is now available on Amazon.

We're very pleased to be sharing the stories in this issue of Cecil County Life with you, and we hope you enjoy them as well. We always welcome your comments and suggestions for stories to be included in upcoming issues of the magazine. We’re already hard at work planning the next issue of Cecil County Life, which will arrive in the spring of 2022.