PAGE FOUR Tirtfton* NEWS DECEMBER 24, 1954 Enlarged Parking Facilities To Replace Firestone Houses Three Firestone Textile-owned houses will be sacrificed to make way for space to enlarge the park ing facilities at the plant, Harold Mercer, General Manager, has an nounced. The proposed parking lot will accommodate 150 cars. Expanded parking facilities are necessary, Mr. Mercer explained, because of the increased number of cars owned by the employees. The parking lot will also alleviate the traffic congestion created on the streets in the vicinity of the plant, and help , to clear spaces around employees’ homes. “We will have sufficient capacity to park 350 cars off the streets when the new lot is completed,” the General Manager said. “That’s a far cry from what we had years ago. When I first came to Gastonia, we had one parking lot that would hold 30 cars.” IN BRIEF TWISTING Staff Sergeant H. L. Dixon, son of Mrs. Nellie Dixon, respool er, and his family returned home Friday, December 17. Sgt. Dixon, his wife and two children have been in England for the past three years. Mr. and Mrs. Otho Chambers spent the week end recently visit ing Mr. Chamber’s mother and father in Lula, Ga. Mrs. Bertha Dodgen visited her mother, Mrs. C. J. Tyler and her sister, Mrs. Sadie Williamson of McCall, S. C., during the week end of December 11. Mrs. Skeet Fletcher, tie-in-hand, spent a recent week end with her father, Nathan Graves of McCall, S. C. Mr. and Mrs. Hobert Aldridge had as their guests Sunday, De cember 12, Mr. and Mrs. William Cosey and their grandson. Sonny Brockman. The women employees of the Twisting Department had their Christmas Party at the Girls’ Club on December 13. A turkey dinner was served and gifts exchanged. Mr. and Mrs. L. E. Stiles spent the week end recently with their son, the Rev. Mr. J. W. Stiles at Brevard, N. C. Mrs, William Cosey, reclaimer, and Miss Margie Cosey, main of fice, entertained at a birthday party in honor of Sonny Brock man, the former’s grandson, who was five years old December 11. Ice cream and cake were served to 19 guests. SHOP Miss Louise Sparrow, student at Warren-Wilson College, Swan- nanoa, N. C. and William Sparrow, student at State College, Raleigh, N. C., are spending the Christmas holidays with their parents, Yard man Frank Sparrow and Mrs. Sparrow. Eight employees completed 15 years service to the Company early in December. In foreground, General Superintendent Nelson Kessell (left) receives from General Manager Harold Mercer the pins which Mr. Kessell presented to those completing 15-year records. They are, from extreme left: Otho J. Chambers, rayon weaving; Garland Fox, carding; William F. Hogan, shop; Marvin Benton, carding; Elam Kaylor, cotton weaving; Bassie Rogers, cotton weav ing; John W. P. Motes, cotton weaving; and Ethel Tate, rayon weaving. The three buildings to be demolished to provide space for a new 150-car parking area are located on South Firestone Boulevard between Franklin and Second Avenue. Electrician Harry Jopp and Ray Kale made a trip to Marion, Ind., recently. They were accompanied home by Mrs. Hubert Brown. Mrs. Brown is the daughter of Mr. Kale and the wife of a former Shop em ployee, Hubert Brown. Lathe Operator Marshall Gilbert has returned to work after several days of illness. The Shop employees will have their annual Christmas banquet on Wednesday, December 22, at the Girls Club. Serving on the com mittee are Rosie Francum, J. G. Tino, Jr., and Rufus Hughes. Lathe Operator Marvin Robin son entered Garrison General Hos pital December 12. Miss Mary Rose Foy, student at Wofford College and Spartanburg General Hospital School of Nurs ing, is spending the Christmas Holidays with her parents. Lathe Operator Edgar Foy and Mrs. Hazel Foy of the Twisting Depart ment. CLOTH ROOM Gordon Wilson, fixer, and Mrs. Wilson, visited their son in Sumter, S. C., recently. Jack Morris and Mrs. Morris, visited relatives in Gainesville, Ga., for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Section Man Jack Moore’s mother has returned home from the hospital after a serious opera tion. QUALITY CONTROL Baler Lake Quinn and Mrs. Exie Quinn, inspector, have as their guest, Mr. Quinn’s mother, Mrs. Emma Quinn of Murphy, N. C. Mrs. Jerry Strickland, inspector, and her husband and daughter visited in Canon, Ga. Mrs. Betty Thomas, inspector, spent a recent week end with her daughter, Mrs. Robert Harris in Raleigh, N. C. Leroy Bentley, strobatac opera tor, and his family visited his sis ter, Mrs. Effie Crawford in Tay lorsville, N. C. PERSONNEL Mrs. Nellie Stowe had as dinner guests on December 12 Mr. and Mrs. Fred Thompson, who recent ly moved to Gastonia from Min neapolis, Minn. MAIN OFFICE NEWS The personnel of main office welcome two new members to the department: Mrs. Pansy Falls and Donald Rhyne. Mrs. Falls, wife of Cicero Falls of the Shipping De partment, lives at 1019 West Franklin Avenue. Mr. and Mrs. Falls have one daughter, Hollis, who is six years old. Mr. Rhyne, married to the former Anne Prestwood, lives in Dallas. The women of the office person nel entertained recently in honor of Miss Edith Lewis, Payroll De partment, whose marriage to Ray Crawford will be an event of De cember 25. Miss Sue Van Dyke had charge of the entertainment and Mrs. Nellie Stowe supervised re freshments. Miss Lewis was re membered with a shower of mis cellaneous gifts. Miss Helen Spencer, main office, has accepted the position of organ ist for Ranlo Baptist Church, Ran- lo, N. C. Mrs. Margaret Spencer, former employee of main office, has re turned to work in the Payroll De partment on a temporary basis. Mrs. Eula Wilson, Payroll De partment Supervisor, and Miss Evelyn Mayfield, Laboratory, at tended the Community Chorus ren dition of Handel’s “Messiah”, Sun day, December 5, at the First Methodist Church in Charlotte, N. C. BIRTHS Raymond Varnadore, Weaving, and Mrs. Varnadore announce the birth of a daughter on December 9. A daughter, Sharon Yvette, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A- Grant, at Garrison General Hos pital, Gastonia, December 9. FIRESTONE NEWS Volume III, No. 20, December 24, 1954 Published by The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company Firestone Textiles Division Gastonia, North Carolina Department of Public Relations CLAUDE CALLAWAY, Editor Department Reporters CARDING—Edna Harris, Jim Ballew, Jessie Westmoreland. SPINNING—Ray Thomas, Mary Turner, Maude Johnson. SPOOLING—Nell Bolick, Helen Reel, Rosalee Burger. TWISTING—Pearl Aldridge, Dean Haun, Carrie Johnson, Lorene Owensby, Dorothy Baber, Kathleen Clark. SALES YARN TWISTING—Bonnie Dockery. SYC WEAVING—Vivian Bumgardner, Lucille Davis, Sara Davis, Nina Milton, Juanita McDonald. CORD WEAVING—Roy Davis, Irene Burroughs, Mary Johnson. QUALITY CONTROL—Dealva Jacobs, Leila Rape, Louella Queen. WINDING—Mayzelle Lewis, Dorcas Atkinson, Ann Steven«on, Chris tine Stroupe. CLOTH ROOM—Margie Waldrop. SHOP—Rosa Francum. WAREHOUSE—George Harper, Albert Meeks. PLASTIC DIP—Frances Huffman MAIN OFFICE—Mozelle Brockman. SUPERINTENDENT’S OFFICE—Sue Van Dyke. PERSONNEL OFFICE—Barbara Abernathy. FIRESTONE TEXTILES P. O. BOX 551 GASTONIA, N. C. SEC. 34.66 P. L. & R. U. S. POSTAGE PAID GASTONIA, N. C. PERMIT NO. 29 Form 3547 Requested