You can receive Featurettes by e-mail daily, weekly or monthly by request. We can e-mail by your choice of topic or all stories as you may prefer. To make it even more convenient for editors to use our stories, NAPS has added an RSS syndication feed to our Web site. Simply hit the RSS button on our site for automated updates on available content. Please contact us to arrange to receive Featurettes in the format that works best for you at (800) 222-5551 or e-mail your request to us at printmedia@napsnet.com. We can provide Featurettes on CD-ROM or you can download it online at www.napsnet.com. Gary Lipton Media Relations Manager Phone: 1-(800)-222-5551 Fax: 1-(800)-990-4329 Web site: www. napsnet .com e-mail: printmedia@napsnet.com #2678 North American Precis Syndicate, Inc., 415 Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10017 Interviewing Veterans—Enriching For Every Generation (NAPSA)—More and more Americans are looking forward to the holidays—and other occasions—as a way to look back. That’s because they’re seizing the opportunity to interview some of the older members of their family, preserving the insights and highlights of their lives. Making this especially meaningful—and simple—is the Veterans History Project (VHP) of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. According to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs statistics, nearly 22 million war veterans currently reside in the United States. Each one has a unique story to share, if only someone would ask. During this holiday season and beyond, VHP asks volunteers, including students in grades 10 or higher, to record veterans’ interviews or to submit veterans’ original wartime photos, diaries, correspondence and other documents, which will be preserved at the Library of Congress for posterity. The Project’s congressional mandate is to collect, preserve and make accessible the wartime stories of America’s veterans who served during World War I and through the recent conflicts. The goal is for future generations to hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war. VHP holds nearly 89,000 collections, of which over 12,500 are digitized and fully accessible through its website, www.loc.gov/vets. Veterans Benefit “As a veteran, I understand how important it is to share your experiences and preserve them for generations to come. Veterans who participate in the Library of Congress Veterans History Project have the opportunity to share Photo courtesy of the Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress. Interviewing a friend or family member about his or her life can be a terrific holiday tradition, especially if the interviewee is a veteran. A free kit can help. their stories in their own words, in their own way,” said Bob Patrick, project director. Students Benefit Educators agree that not only does participating in the VHP process help create a lasting legacy for each veteran, it also provides an opportunity for students to experience history up close and personal—a lesson they won’t soon forget. “Our students have the opportunity to leave their classrooms, go out into the community and hear firsthand accounts of combat and life during wartime from the people who actually made that history. Talk about bringing history alive!” said Eileen Hurst of Central Connecticut State University. Learn More To find out how to participate in this national preservation effort, visit www.loc.gov/vets. From there, you can search a database of veterans’ stories, watch a 15-minute instructional video and download a field kit, a how-to-record-a-story booklet. Flu-Fighting Facts For Parents (NAPSA)—Did you know that over 200,000 people in the U.S. are hospitalized each year for illnesses related to the flu, and that the virus kills about 36,000 people each year? Children are more susceptible to the flu, and once they catch the influenza virus, it can spread like wildfire. To help stop the spread of the flu in the home, parents can take four simple steps: Parents can keep the playroom from becoming a playland for the influenza virus. 1.) Clean: Wipe down hard surfaces, including toys, counters, toilets and sinks with a household cleaning agent, such as Lysol, to rid them of germs. 2.) Dry: Allow surfaces ample time to dry completely before disinfecting them. 3.) Disinfect: Once a toy is clean and dry, apply a disinfectant to rid the surface of bacteria and viruses. But make sure to carefully read a product’s label for instructions. Bleach is only effective if diluted properly by water. 4.) Remember: Use these tactics for all shared surfaces. Learn more from the cleaning experts at Aftermath, the only national company specializing in crime scene cleanup and sanitizing serious biohazards such as MRSA and HIV. Visit www.aftermath.com/flufacts or call (877) 872-4399 for more information. Comfort Food Fun (NAPSA)—During the chilly months, many people like to have some warm comfort food with family and friends. To make the most of that idea, you may care to consider a fun if slightly offbeat way to feed a crowd with little fuss: Throw together a delicious little “barbecue bar” and let guests go wild building their own scrumptious dishes. Start with a tray of mouthwatering pork BBQ surrounded by assorted popular toppings for personalized barbecue platters ready to go. Once the BBQ sandwich basics are all laid out, you’ll be surprised at how just a few more trimmings can open up a world of choices for your guests. From tangy BBQ nachos to a light, layered BBQ salad, the options are almost limitless. For example, add some pita bread and leaf lettuce for filling BBQ pita pockets or bring some baked potatoes, green onions, sour cream and cheese into the picture for hot BBQ stuffed spuds. Here’s the recipe: BBQ Stuffed Spuds 2 cups Byron’s Fully Cooked Pork BBQ, heated according to package directions 4 baking potatoes cup sour cream 4 green onions, finely chopped and divided cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese Preheat oven to 425 F. With a package of BBQ pork, you can make many marvelous appetizers, such as these delightful BBQ Stuffed Spuds. Poke holes in potatoes and wrap in foil. Bake potatoes in oven for 45 to 60 minutes, until tender. (Or, poke holes in potatoes and microwave on high for 10 minutes, turning potatoes after 5 minutes.) While potatoes cook, combine sour cream and 2 tablespoons green onions; set aside. Slice potatoes lengthwise and fluff them with a fork. Top potatoes with pork BBQ, sour cream mixture, cheese and remaining onions. Serves 4. These are made with Byron’s Fully Cooked Pork BBQ. Available at Sam’s Club, it easily delivers authentic smokehouse barbecue from the freezer to the table. Each 4-pound package of hand-pulled, hickory-smoked pork BBQ comes fully cooked in an aluminum tray and needs only to be reheated, so it’s ready at a moment’s notice. Learn More Further information and other recipes can be found at www. byronsbbq.com.