DECEMBER, 1955
MlWi
Page 7
Plant Paper Has A New Face
Have you noticed the “new
look” in your plant newspaper?
Beginning with the October
issue, Firestone News was con
verted from a twice-a-month,
four page publication to a once-
a-month paper to be issued 12
times a year. With the change
came a “new dress” in the
paper’s appearance, made pos
sible by the equipment of a
Charlotte printer.
When the first issue of Fire
stone News came from the press
on May 5, 1952, Firestone Tex
tiles became the sixth plant in
the Firestone organization to
have an employee publication.
Since that time three more
papers have been added to Com
pany plants in the United States,
and one for the Firestone Com
pany subsidiary in Hamilton,
Canada.
the initial issue of the
plant paper here was devoted
primarily to a review of the
Company’s first 17 years of op
eration in Gastonia. Then, as
^ow, the purpose of the paper is
to publish the plant news con
cerning employees and of hap
penings in the Firestone com-
niunity; to inform of Company
activities, products and process
es; safety achievements, recrea
tion; and other items of general
interest and importance.
FIRESTONE NEWS is issued
under the supervision of the De
partment of Industrial Relations,
with T. B. Ipock, Jr., as Director.
Miss Mary Kerrigan of the
Akron office. Department of
Public Relations, is supervisor of
all Firestone plant publications.
William D. Hines, Akron, is Di
rector of Public Relations for the
Company.
FOR THE THIRD consecutive
year. Firestone News, Gastonia,
has shared with the other Com
pany papers in the United States,
recognition for distinguished
service, through awards of the
George Washington Honor Medal
from the Freedoms Foundation
of Valley Forge, Pa, These cita
tions have been awarded Com
pany newspapers for “outstand
ing achievement in helping to
bring about a better understand
ing of the American Way of
Life.” The object of the Founda
tions awards program is to hon
or outstanding efforts to improve
public understanding and ap
preciation of our basic Constitu
tional Rights and Freedoms in
herent in the American Way of
Life.
fS
Rebecca Mack
Janet Whitener
Michael Brown
Crowned Royalty At Three Harvest Festivals
Three children of Firestone
employees were “crowned royal
ty” at harvest festivals held in
schools in and near Gastonia, on
Halloween, October 31.
Crowned as king of Abernethy
School was Michael Brown, son
of Mr. and Mrs. Luther Brown,
907 West Fifth Street. Michael,
six years old, is in his first year
at Abernethy. His father is em
ployed in the Laboratory.
Rebecca Mack, daughter of
Raymond E. Mack, Laboratory,
and Mrs. Mack, East Oakwood
Road, reigned as queen at Rhyne
School, Jenkins Heights. She is
in the fifth grade.
Janet Whitener, daughter of
Tracy Whitener, Weaving; and
Mrs. Whitener, Rayon Weaving,
was chosen queen at Robinson
School on Union Road, She is in
the fourth grade. The Whiteners
live on Union Road.
employee is instructor
Music Opens New World For Sightless Boy
The strains of Christmas carols drifted from an
accordion, down the tile-covered corridors of the
Orthopedic Hospital. People stopped to listen,
behind that music was Leslie Hill, an 18-year-old
lad who does not see in the physical sense, but
^ho has an undimmed vision of a road ahead.
ever SINCE the Gastonia Lions Club pur
chased for him the accordion it has been more
than Leslie can do to leave the instrument under
his bed.
It was in 1952 when Leslie’s father asked him
if he would like an accordion. The boy would love
it.
Then, for months he struggled along, trying to
*earn through experience. The president of the
Gastonia Lions Club became interested in Leslie.
So he helped make arrangements to have ac
cordionist Angelo Androlake to give him lessons.
ANDROLAKE. in the Multi-Stage Nylon Unit
^t Firestone, has for several months now been
§oing once a week to help Leslie along with his
^’^bition. The lessons, begun last fall, have
^^Iped the boy, though bedridden, to manipulate
the primary stages of learning and to glide
^'^oothly into the secondary.
Leslie has been in the hospital for several
i
months. In a wreck some time ago, he came out
of it with a broken arm and two broken legs.
The arm healed but the legs became infected. So
he is in the hospital, hoping soon to be able to
walk again.
ALTHOUGH sightless since 18 months old, he
has moved up the school ladder with success,
and is now in the ninth grade at the hospital. He
entered the first grade and then was interrupted
until he was 11 years old. When he went back to
school his skill and background placed him in the
fourth grade. He was out several years more be
fore coming to the hospital, where he was placed
in the sixth grade. While here, he has made four
grades.
“I hope to go to Raleigh to the school for the
blind and study music. Then someday. I’ll hope
to be a professional musician,” he says.
Mary Melchor, occupational therapist at the
hospital, has been a great help to Leslie. An ac
cordionist herself, she, before leaving the hos
pital recently for another assignment, took special
pride in helping the youngster solve the prob
lems that confronted him.
And Angelo Androlake, his faithful instructor,
is contributing no small measure to a courageous
boy’s dream of success.
★ ★ ★
LESLIE HILL: FAITH
IN THE ROAD AHEAD
At left, Angelo Andro
lake helps Leslie to ad
vance in skill with the ac
cordion. The teacher, of
the Nylon Dip Unit here,
instructs the boy in a ses
sion once each week.
★ ★ ★
FROM OUT THE DEEP—Ern
est D. Bagwell, overseer in SYC
Weaving, recently took a trip to
Santee-Cooper River in South
Carolina and brought back ample
evidence of his visit. His catch
of striped bass ranged in weight
from five to 12 pounds. Total
weight was 27 pounds.
Party For Women
In SYC Weaving
Mrs. Audrey Mathis, smash
hand, won first prize in the cos
tume contest which was a fea
ture of a Halloween party at
tended by women of first shift
SYC Weaving, at the home of
Mrs. Jane Rice, smash hand.
The party honored the birth
days of Mrs. Myriel Horton and
Mrs. Alene Smith, both battery
hands in SYC Weaving. It had
as decoration motif autumn
leaves, dried plants, balloons and
light from a pumpkin jack-o-
lantern. All who attended wore
costumes.
26 Years Absent,
Son Visits Father
Twenty-six years is a long
time for relatives to suspend
their visits, so thinks Ernest
Case, oiler on third shift Spin
ning. It was a happy reunion
when W. C. Case, son of the
employee here, came visiting re
cently. He brought along Mrs.
Case and their small son. They
live in Alabama.
Industrial Nurses Attend
Quarterly Meeting Here
Twenty-eight members of the North Carolina Association
of Industrial Nurses toured the plant here as a part of the day’s
program, when Firestone was host to the third quarterly meeting
of the Association Saturday, October 29.
The registered nurses engaged in industry heard Dr. G. R.
Miller speak at 11 a.m., and were guests at lunch in the Girls Club
at noon. The plant tour began at 1 p.m.
DURING the afternoon session, A. T. Crumbley discussed
“Nurses’ Relations with Industry, Employees, Doctors, and In
surance Companies.”
A business meeting was conducted at 3 p.m., with Association
President Lois R. Anderson presiding.