While airline meals may be a thing of the past, many carriers still offer a snack or a beverage. Today’s busy flight schedules often see planes leaving the gate within minutes of pulling in with the last load of passengers, which means there’s no time for cleaning. If eating from a tray others (who knows how many?) have already used makes your stomach do flip-flops, a new product may put your mind—and your tummy—at ease.

TrayGuard, introduced by Jason Drebitko of Woodstock and Alexys Wilbur of Cornish, is a cover made from antimicrobial fabric that simply slips over the airline tray table in front of you. The covers retail for less than $10 and are available locally at Woodstock Pharmacy and in Hanover at Eastman’s Pharmacy. Utilizing local and regional vendors is important to Upper Valley residents Drebitko and Wilbur: the covers are being manufactured in Johnson, Vermont, with fabric made in Hampton, New Hampshire.

Elliott Newman Estate and Fine Jewelry is proud to introduce From Soldier to Soldier, an awareness and fundraising campaign supporting wounded veterans and their families. The campaign is based on the sales of a designer version of the survival and friendship bracelets worn by many U.S. and allied soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. For every bracelet sold by Elliott Newman, $25 will be donated to Homes For Our Troops and other organizations supporting returning wounded veterans and their families. The campaign is part of a national effort to raise significant funds for veterans’ aid organizations and bring attention to the special needs of returning heroes.

“We are very pleased to partner with Elliott Newman in support of this unifying cause,” says Niels Christiansen, CEO of Lovelinks America, the Massachusetts company behind the national campaign. “From Soldier to Soldier is neither pro- nor antiwar. It is pro our young men and women who put their lives on the line for our country and make horrific sacrifices. It is about the survival, friendship, and commitment symbolized by these bracelets.”

The bracelets are braided by soldiers using parachute cord. They are known as survival bracelets because they can be unraveled and the cord can be used for many purposes in a pinch. They are also exchanged among the soldiers as friendship bracelets. Often a uniform button is sewn on and used as the clasp. The designer version has a sterling silver clasp shaped like a uniform button and is extremely tightly braided. Sterling silver and gold-plated sterling silver heart clasps with and without a small diamond are also available. The button clasp symbolizes the uniform. The clasped bracelet symbolizes the bond among the soldiers that can never be broken. To some, each knot in the bracelet symbolizes a fallen hero.

For more information, visit www.fromsoldiertosoldier.org. Pick up a bracelet at Elliott Newman Estate and Fine Jewelry, 12b Central Street, Woodstock, Vermont. (802) 457-2344, www.elliottnewman.com.

Local company receives national honor

The Vermont Flannel Company of East Barre, Vermont, recently received the Made in the USA Foundation’s Hall of Fame Award. The company was recognized for its dedication and commitment to manufacturing its apparel in the United States.

“We’re honored to receive this award,” says Mark Baker, president of Vermont Flannel. “The Vermont Flannel Company’s induction and recognition into the Made in the USA Hall of Fame makes all the hard work of over 20 years seem worthwhile.”

Vermont Flannel has been manufacturing flannel apparel at its East Barre facilities for more than 25 years. The Made in the USA Foundation Hall of Fame Award is given to companies that refuse to outsource, strive to export, and continue to improve quality. “When most textile companies went to China, Vermont Flannel stuck to Made in the USA against all advice from the experts,” says Baker.

“We have considered hundreds of worthy nominees, but have selected only 20,” says Joel D. Joseph, Foundation chairman. “All of the companies that we have named to the Hall of Fame are exemplary American companies that produce very high quality products. All of these companies also export their products around the world.” For more information on The Vermont Flannel Company, visit www.vermontflannel.com.

WOODSTOCK MAGAZINE CELEBRATES

BY E. SENTEIO

As the world slid into the 21st century and people around the globe worried about what effect the year 2000 would have on computers—and therefore humankind—residents of Woodstock, Vermont, had a more auspicious and tangible event to look forward to: the premier issue of Woodstock Magazine. This year we celebrate our 10th anniversary. Over the past decade, we have shared with our readers the individuals, businesses, places, and attitudes that are the very foundation of this community—a community that encompasses not only Woodstock, Quechee, Bridgewater, Barnard, and Pomfret, but also places beyond our borders, where we may have been or only dream of going. Yet, as much as we enjoy traveling with you, together we have always returned to the place we love best. Our readers have allowed us into their homes and into their lives. Over the years, we have helped you set your table for the holidays, with pinecones from your yard and lace made in Vermont. We’ve provided savory recipes and told you where to buy the perfect complement of wine. On our pages, we introduced you to new crafts or put a twist on old favorites. We’ve visited festivals, gone wassailing through neighborhoods, and skiing on Suicide Six. We told you how to keep warm, stay healthy, and be happier. You told us about children who change the world and adults who change the lives of children. You let us know what you found interesting, funny, or poignant. Together we have gone fiddling and farming, blueberry picking and snowshoeing, hiking mountains and walking trails. Artisans have shared their talents: quilters and potters and glass blowers and storytellers. The works of nationally renowned artists have graced our pages, as well as our covers, in all manners of mediums from painters and photographers to woodworkers and sculptors.

We’ve had winter fun and we’ve been delighted by fall foliage. We’ve visited sugar shacks in springtime and farmers’ markets and horse races in summer. We’ve seen nighttime creatures and been awed by skies filled with stars and shelves filled with books and homes filled with love. We have marveled at how things have changed; and stood on covered bridges that have withstood the ravages of harsh winters and countless years and pondered how very much they stay the same. You’ve told us what is important to you and we’ve put it in words and in pictures, then tied it with a bow. If it’s of interest to you then it’s a topic for us. So, just as Y2K became a fixture in our lexicon of words, Woodstock Magazine has become a fixture in, of, for, and by the community. Thank you for a decade of loyal readership; if you are new to Woodstock Magazine, welcome to the family. Pick up a copy, put up your feet, and stay a while.

Reduce your waste and nourish your garden

Think twice before you toss those kitchen scraps in the trash! The same foods that nourish your body can also nourish your lawn and garden. Start a compost pile to create rich organic material to feed your soil.

Getting Started

Choose a level area with good drainage that gets half-day sun. Avoid placing your pile too close to a wooden building, as the compost can rot the wood. All compost piles need carbon and nitrogen to feed bacteria and other microorganisms in order to decompose. Fallen leaves and branches provide carbon, while food scraps and green materials provide nitrogen. Water and air are also necessary—add water to your pile and turn the pile regularly with a pitchfork.

What You Can Compost

In addition to fruit and vegetable scraps and leaves/yard trimmings, the following items also make great compost:

• Cardboard rolls
• Coffee grounds and unbleached filters
• Dryer and vacuum cleaner lint
• Fireplace ashes
• Pet fur.

What Not to Compost

There are several items that may be harmful to you or your plants or attract pests:

• Meat or fish bones or scraps
• Dairy products
• Fats, lard, or oils
• Pet waste
• Yard trimmings treated with chemical pesticides.

Remember that compost should not be used as potting soil for houseplants; it contains weed and grass seeds. Spread the rich, black organic matter in your gardens and on your lawn to suppress plant diseases and pests, eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers, and improve the quality of your soil.