the singerly connection, spring 2015
DESCRIPTION
Vol 1. No. 1 The newsletter for members of the William M. Singerly Fire Company, the fire department serving the greater Elkton area.TRANSCRIPT
tain accounts about our many
achievements, pass along news
from the directors and officers,
report on member activities, and
present features that put the
spotlight on what we do so well.
In short, it will keep you well
informed on what is happening,
whether you are a probationary
member or longtime Singerly
veteran.
Phil Scott, President.
On behalf of
the Board of
Directors, I
am pleased to
present the
premier edition of the Singerly
Connection, a newsletter for
members.
Following the annual election
each year the board organizes
for the new term by approving
the selection of non-elected of-
ficers, making committee assign-
ments, and generally strategizing
about our business plans for the
next twelve months.
At the initial March meeting,
Director Frank Lewis suggested
we enhance internal communica-
tions so the board authorized the
creation of this quarterly
product.
The department has numerous
narratives waiting to be broadly
shared so these pages will con-
In this regular column from the
museum, we will chronicle the com-
pany’s past by exploring a range of
historical topics. For the first install-
ment, we uncover information about
how the Company was named.
By Mike Dixon
As you travel around northeast-
ern Cecil County, you notice the
name all over the place. On the
road heading north from the
county seat (Route 213), almost
making a straight line for Pennsyl-
vania, signs let you know that
you’re rolling along on Singerly
Road. When the shriek of an
Elkton fire engine or ambulance
punctuates the calm of the day,
the vehicle markings inform you
that it is an emergency unit from
Singerly Fire Company. If you are
near Union Hospital searching
for a parking spot, glance at the
street signs. Singerly Avenue is
what some say. Pause to pour
over a county map and you will
notice that there is a place called
Singerly.
It is not a popular name for a
community or for that matter a
wide spot in the road. According
to the people who keep track of
such things, the U. S. Geological
Survey, there are only two other
places named Singerly. Compare
Continued on page 3
Welcome to the Newsletter
I N S I D E T H I S
I S S U E :
Welcome 1
Who is Singerly 1
Election 2015 2
Editor’s Corner 4
Event’s
Calendar
5
Antiques raise
funds
5
New Members 5
Halls named 7
Next Issue 8
Chief Hill 8
Who is William M. Singerly?
T H E S I N G E R L Y F I R E
C O M P A N Y
The Singerly Connection S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 1
S P E C I A L
P O I N T S O F
I N T E R E S T :
Antiques have
raised funds for the
company for 30
years.
Nine new
probationary
members
welcomed
Board names the
halls
Thank you for your
service Chief Hill
P A G E 2
SFC Officers 2015-16
President
Phil Scott
Chief
Michele Debold
Secretary
Steve Horah
Treasurer
Norman Marquess
Assistant Chief-EMS
Robert Conway
Engineer
Michael Norman Sr.
1st Vice-President
Joe Zurolo
2nd Vice-President
John Norman
Chaplain
Rev Karen Bunnell
Medical Officer
Dr. Mark Scheiner
Attorney
Clara Campbell, Esq.
Stockholders Elect Leadership for 2015 The annual stockholders meet-
ing was called to order by
President Scott on Feb. 5,
2015. After hearing reports
from administrative and line
officers, voting was opened.
For the 123rd time the
stockholders went to the old
veteran of many elections, the
SFC ballot box, to select com-
pany leaders for the 2015-16
term
After the judges counted the
votes, the following candidates
had been elected for three
year board terms: Donald
Hicks, Fred Hill, Jr., Rob Mul-
ler, and John Norman.
For one-year posts in line posi-
tions, Michele Debold was
elected chief. She
ran unopposed.
The other posi-
tions were: Engi-
neer Michael
Norman, Sr,; and
Assistant Chief of
EMS, Robert
Conway.
At the conclu-
sion of the stock-
holders meeting,
the newly formed
Board of Direc-
tors met as a
corporate body.
Phil Scott was
elected president; 1st VP—Joe
Zurolo, 2nd VP—John Nor-
man, Secretary, Steve Horah,
Membership Secretary Jeannie
Mayes, Chaplain, Karen Bun-
nell, Attorney, Clara Campbell
& Associates.
T H E S I N G E R L Y C O N N E C T I O N
Former Chief McCall drops his ballot in the box as election judge Mayes monitors the vote.
The election judges prepare to count the ballots: Linda Clark, Nicole Norman, Jen McClelan, Jeannie Mayes & Kay Trego.
Who is William M. Singerly:
P A G E 3 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 1
to city markets.
In 1891, a blaze destroyed a section of
Main Street and required that the Wilming-
ton Fire Department rush here on a special
train to help contain the flames. With that,
the citizens of Elkton started working on
organizing the new company. Probably
many of the men worked for Singerly in the
mills and he donated money to help get the
fledgling organization kicked off.
After that the company started serving
the community, but one Sunday evening in
1898 distressing news flashed across the
wires from Philadelphia. William M. Singer-
ly, the man who had brought
a significant measure of
prosperity to the county,
had died suddenly of
“tobacco heart.” The next
day, the headquarters of the
Singerly Fire Company was
draped in mourning. The
Board passed a resolution
honoring the man who was
known for his “many kind
acts of deep interest in the
welfare of the town,” wrote
the company secretary, Fred
C. Ludwig., in the official
records.
The testimonial to the man
who had supported the fire
company with liberal dona-
tions at the time of its organization, read in
part: “In his assistance in the formation of
this Company he realized the great need
for protection of life and property against
the ravages of the fire fiend, and was one of
the first and most generous contributors
towards the purchase of our apparatus and
in honor of whom this Company was
named . . .”
William Miskey Singerly was born in Phila-
delphia, Dec. 27, 1832. He had been mar-
ried twice and left one survivor, Elizabeth
Singerly Blach. There were also two grand-
children, from a deceased daughter. He
died at his resident, 1701 Locust Street,
Philadelphia on February 27, 1898.
staid old town has been undisturbed in its
slumbers by the busy hum of manufactur-
ing industry but now there was another
great Singerly boom,” the newspaper
observed. He was providing work for
nearly 200 men at the two factories.
His mills were about nine miles apart.
When he built them, the road connecting
the two factories was one of the worst in
Cecil. At his own expense, he “piked” the
route, covering the greater portion of it
with crushed stone. After it was built the
Whig said it was confident that there was
one good road in the county, if no more.
With his
enterprises
growing here,
he erected a
handsome
summer cot-
tage for him-
self just a few
blocks from
the railroad
station, over
near Bow and
Cathedral
streets in
Elkton. The
handsomely
furnished
cottage cost
about
$15,000 to
build, an enormous sum for that era (that
is about $300,000 today).
There was some criticism of the capi-
talist, a few saying that he paid lower
wages than other mills. This was not true
for he paid all the skilled laborers $2.70
per day and the unskilled men $1.25 per
day, the Whig wrote.
The last spike was driven on a new
railroad across the county, the Baltimore
and Ohio, in 1886. Near where the
tracks cross Singerly Road, the Company
built a Queen Anne Style Station and
named it after the newspaper publisher.
Mills along the busy Little Elk Creek
hauled goods to the station for shipment
Continued from page 1
that with Elkton, Perryville, Rising Sun. or
Cherry Hill. There are a dozen or more
of each of these across the nation. As for
localities called Singerly, there is what the
survey calls a “populated place” in Cecil
County and another one in Virginia.
It is not even a common family name. A
search of a couple of national telephone
directories on the Internet leaves no
question about that. There is one living
somewhere out in Ohio.
The road, the street, the fire company,
and the “populated place.” How did this
infrequently cited name become so com-
mon here? If you are a student of history
or just someone with a bit of curiosity,
perhaps you have wondered about this
too. So let’s look at the record to see if
we can explain its origin.
One day in 1880, a prosperous-looking
gentleman from Philadelphia stepped off
the afternoon train at Elkton. He climbed
aboard a carriage for a trip to Providence,
where he carefully examined an old paper
mill on the Little Elk Creek. It had “gone
to wreck under the weight of years,” the
Cecil Whig reported. This stranger soon
procured the title to the property and set
out to build a modern paper mill on the
site. It was not too long before a passerby
on the road from Andora to Fair Hill,
looking down into the “beautiful and pic-
turesque valley,” observed a small village,
in the midst of which was a busy mill, the
newspaper noted.
The visitor was William M. Singerly, the
editor and publisher of a popular one-cent
daily newspaper, the Philadelphia Record.
And he was a wealthy industrialist. He
owned about a thousand houses in the
city, operated a huge dairy farm there, and
had major interests in manufacturing op-
erations.
Having “pitched his tent amongst us,”
the industrialist purchased a wharf and
ground along the Big Elk Creek in Elkton,
where he constructed a pulp mill four
years later. For many years the “quiet and
P A G E 4
Caption describing
picture or graphic.
Singerly Events
Editor’s Corner: Telling Singerly’s Story
Welcome to
the spring
issue of the
Singerly Con-
nection.
Look for
this newsletter quarterly, as we cover
the Singerly beat, bringing you news,
helpful information, and features focused
on our 123-year old public safety organi-
zation. In each issue, you will see sto-
ries from our correspondents and pho-
tographers, as we put together this
product for you.
The volunteers working on this team
effort are turning their attention to the
summer issue now that the inaugural
edition has been distributed. The com-
mittee consists of Eileen Edelin, corre-
spondent, Dave Scarbrough photogra-
pher, and Heidi Coleman, copy editor
and features contributor.
Eileen puts the spotlight on members, high-
lighting the stories of your colleagues as they
join and progress through the ranks, complete
training, achieve certifica-
tions, are recognized for
their contributions, and
much more. Dave, an
excellent photographer,
will give readers through
the lens coverage as he
provides us with photo-
graphs of departmental
activities. And Heidi is
on board as our copyeditor, since as a paralegal
she has an eye for detail.
Be sure to look for regular features and col-
umns from the officers and departments too as
we develop the newssheet and enhance it in
upcoming issues. In the “President’s Corner,”
President Phil Scott will update you on adminis-
trative matters, the members spot-
light by Eileen will feature narratives
about your colleagues, and there will
be the Singerly Story, a column about
the company’s heritage. And we will
have plenty of general company news.
We hope you find our first issue
helpful, as our goal is to publish inter-
esting and informative articles for
Singerly. Please let us know if you
have a company story to share or if
you want to work on the Connec-
tion’s staff. Our contributors are on
constant watch for articles to bring to
you each quarter as we put the spot-
light on our strong organization.
If you have an idea for a story or
something we should cover, send
your ideas to the newslet-
Mike Dixon, editor
May 14 . . Susquehanna Job Fair
Both Hall 1:00 P.M. to
5:00 P.M.
May 16 . . Wedding Reception -
Dinner 6:30 P.M.
May 19. . Blood Bank 12 noon
until 6 PM
May 20 . . Bingo
May 26 . . Auxiliary Meeting at 7:30
PM
May 30 . . Party - Both Halls
June 3 . . Bingo
June 6 Flea Market 8:00 A.M. to 2:00 PM
June 10 . . Bingo
June 13 . . Wedding Reception - Dinner
5:00 PM
By Nancy Caldwell
Below is a list of events for April through June
2015.
April 1 . . . . Bingo
April 4 . . . Flea Market 8:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M.
April 8 . . . Bingo
April 12 . . Open House at Fire Stations
April 15 . . Bingo
April 16 . . Senior Luncheon
Apri 22 . . Bingo
April 28 . . Auxiliary Meeting at 7:30 P.M.
April 29 . . Bingo
May 2 . . Flea Market 8:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M.
May 6 . . Bingo
May 9 . . SFC Banquet
May 13 . . Bingo
June 17 . . Bingo
June 20 . . EHS Alumni Banquet
June 24 . . No Bingo - Convention
week in Ocean City
June 30 Auxiliary Meeting 7:30 PM
N E W S L E T T E R T I T L E
“The Company
has plenty of
stories to tell
and the
Connection
plans to put the
spotlight on
them.
Antiques Raise Funds for 30 years
P A G E 5 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 1
An important fundraiser, the An-
tiquea Show, opened for the 30th
year over Valentine’s Weekend
2015 (February 14 & 15) at Station
13.
It featured over 40 quality dealers
from throughout the mid-Atlantic
region, offering a range of items
from furniture, china, collectibles,
dolls, dinnerware and much more.
The show was originally launched
to pay for the cost of restoring the
company’s two 19th century hand-
pumpers and aid in underwriting
the cost of the 100th anniversary in
1992.
Today, the important fundraiser
helps with general operating costs.
It is now managed by Steve
Leonard and Ben Petty, who
assumed the responsibility from
Rosemary Culley, a few years ago.
Co-chairs Steve Leonard & Ben Petty check out some of the merchandise.
Macon & Heidi Coleman work the door.
Dave Caldwell and Jane Peterson kept things moving in the kitchen.
Photo Left: In the Museum, they had the boot out for donations. (l to r) Bob McKinney, Will Moncrieffe, & Tom McMahon Photo Right—Heidi Coleman displays one of the dealers Oyster boxes.
P A G E 6
Ca
pti
on
Member News: New Probationary Members Welcomed By Eileen Edelin, Personnel Director
Since November 2014, nine new probationary
members have been added to the rolls. Please
join the Board in welcoming these new mem-
bers.
Matthew Jay Lutz -- A 1999 Graduate of St.
Mark’s High School in Newark, DE. He is em-
ployed at New Castle County Fireboard. For
the past 13 years, he has been a member of
Christiana Fire Co. and he moved to Elkton in
May 2012 with his wife and infant. They now
have two children. He was the Safety Officer in
the Operation Division. He was formerly the
Assistant Chief. He is the husband to fellow
Probie Sheri Lutz. He is assigned to Station 14
and his membership is fire.
Sheri Lutz -- A 1993 Graduate of Glasgow
High School Glasow, DE, Sheri attended Dela-
ware Technical and Community College for
two years. She is employed at A.I. DuPont
Hospital for Children, as an EMT.
A member of Christiana Fire Co. she moved to
Elkton in May 2012 with her husband and infant
son. She is the wife of fellow Probie Matt Lutz.
Sheri is assigned to Station 14 in the EMS divi-
sion.
Barry Gregg -
- A 2010 gradu-
ate of the
Tome School
and a 2014
graduate of
Salisbury Uni-
versity. he is
employed at
Buffalo Wild
Wings located
in Newark, DE.
Barry is as-
signed to Sta.
13, in the EMS
division.
Reynolds ( R.J.) Davis -- (not present for
photo) He is a graduate of the
paramedic program at Albert Ein-
stein EMS Academy in 1999. He is
employed at Plymouth Communi-
ty Ambulance located at 902 W.
Germantown Pike, Plymouth
Meeting, Pa. as a paramedic for 6
years. Reynolds is assigned to
Station 13
in the EMS
division.
Brian DE
Busk, Jr. --
Employed at
Blue Beacon
Truck Stop
in Elkton,
he graduat-
ed from
Griggs In-
ternational
Academy in
2011. He is
certified as
a FFI and
Rescue
Tech. Brian
is assigned
to Sta. 14 in the Fire/EMS divi-
sions.
Anna L. Green -- Employed at
Performance Food Group, locat-
ed on Rte. 279 Elkton, MD, Anna
is a former member of Chester-
town Vol. Fire Co. She has
completed certification as a FFI,
Rescue Tech. and Haz. Op’s. She
is a former member of the Com-
munity Fire Co. of Millington,
MD. where she completed EMT-
B certification and held the posi-
tions of Board of Director and
Fire Recorder. Additionally she
served as EMS Captain and Assis-
tant Secretary. From 2009 to
2013 she served as Secretary of
Kent and Queen Anne’s Fire
Rescue Squad Association. She
was employed as a part time
EMT-B/ Driver at Kent and
Queen Anne’s Fire Rescue
Squad Association from 2011
until 2013. In 2007 she re-
ceived the “Frank Embert Jr.
Award” from Millington Fire
Co. for most outstanding
member of the year. She also
was in the top ten responders
for five consecutive years.
Anna is assigned to Sta. 13 in
the fire/EMS division.
Michael Cody Hopkins --
Employed as an Operator at
Delaware City Oil Refinery, he
is a member of Galena Fire Co.
and former member of Chesa-
peake City Fire Co. He relo-
cated to Elkton in December
2014. Cody held the position
of EMS Lieutenant in 2010 at
the Chesapeake Fire
continued on page 7
N E W S L E T T E R T I T L E
Matthew Jay and Sheri Lutz
Barrry Gregg
New Probationary Members Welcomed
P A G E 7 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 1
continued from page 6
Co. His certifications include: EMT-B, Haz
Mat Ops, Hazmat Tech, Fire I, Rescue Tech
Site Ops, Vehicle Rescue, Machinery Res-
cue, Public Fire Safety Educator I. Michael is
assigned to Sta. 13 in the fire/ems divisions.
Karen Bashore Bathras — Formerly she
was a career Fire Lieutenant in Howard
County, Md. and retired in 2004. She com-
pleted her Fire and EMT-B certification thru
MFRI & MIEMSS. Karen completed the Para-
medic course at Cecil College in August
2012 and holds that credential. Karen is
assigned to Sta. 3 in the fire/ems division.
Cara Morgan -- Self -employed as a Day
Care Provider, Cara has CPR & First Aid
certification. She is the wife of Ben Morgan
and daughter in law of SFC Past President
Walt Morgan. Cara is assigned to Sta. 13 in
the administrative/fire police divisions.
L to R: Brian De Busk, Jr., Anna Green, Cody Hopkins, Karen Bathras, Jacob Hinderhofer (resigned) and Cara Morgan.
The Singerly Board has named the two halls. The
large hall was named the “SFC Banquet Hall” and
the small hall was named the “SFC Memorial Hall.”
Anyone interested in working events in the SFC
Memorial Hall, please contact Linda Clark, Jim
Ewing, Eileen Edelin, Frank Lewis or Tracy Streets.
Members working the events earn fundraising
hours.
Members work the halls
for a range of
fundraising events.
Here Carl Edelin,
Danielle Kelly, Eileen
Edelin, and Tyekla
Viars work the bar
during an event.
Singerly Halls Named
Our correspondents, photographers and editors
are busy now working on the summer issue.
Singerly Names First Female Chief in Cecil
County
New Ambulance Acquired
Spotlight on Members
The Singerly Story from the Museum
President’s Corner
Calendar of Events
Much More
Look for the summer issue in July,
The Singerly Connection Staff
PO Box 444
301 Newark Avenue
Elkton, MD. 21921
410-398-7300
www.singerly.com
Singerly Fire Company
In the Summer Issue
After commanding the company’s emergency response operations for two years, Chief Fred Hill, Jr. decided not to seek a third term in 2015. He is shown here waiting to speak at the dedication of Station 13 in April 2013. Chief, we thank you for your service. Look for a story spotlighting the leadership transition in the summer issue.