VGC
LEADERS
SMillions For Research ^ Development
• • Gladys Baker (left) shared with Lucille Foy ap
preciation of camellias, jonquils, hepatica and other Spring
blossoms at the March Meeting of Variety Garden Club of
Firestone (Gastonia). Gladys is current president of the
company-sponsored garden club; Lucille is immediate past
president.
41 Rabies Clinics
GASTON
COUNTY
Gaston County Health Department is sponsoring its an
nual Rabies Clinics in the county, April 30-May 11. All 41
clinics are scheduled in the late afternoons. The dates, time
and places:
April 30: Cherryville City
Hall, 5-5:45; Carpenter’s Food
Mart, 6-6:30; High Shoals School,
5-5:30; St. Paul’s Lutheran
Church, 5:40-6:15; Woodhill
School, 6:30-7.
May 1: Alexis, 5-5:30; Stanley
City Hall, 5:45-6:45; Old Lucia
High School, 5-5:45; Mount
Holly High School, 6-7.
May 2: Tuckaseegee Baptist
Church, 5-5:30; Freewill Baptist
Church on Cherry Street, 5:45-
6:30; Browntown Wesleyan
Church, 5-5:30; North Belmont
School, 5:45-6:30.
May 3: Belmont Averfoyle
Recreation Park, 5-5:45; Bel
mont Junior High School, 6-
6:45; Family Grocery, Smyre,
5-5:45; Groves Gym, 6-6:30.
May 4: McAdenville Swim
ming Pool, 5-5:45; Holbrook
Junior High School, 6-6:30;
Cramerton High School, 5-5:30;
LFO • let’s find out
• No-Fault Auto insurance is a big issue in the news these
days. A lot of people don't understand just what no-fault insurance
is. Would you help?
• • Competition between the tire companies is keen.
And research and development is one area where this com
petitive spirit is strongest.
In the rubber industry, “dra
matic scientific breakthroughs”
don’t happen every day, but
when they do they usually are
well worth waiting for—es
pecially for the companies that
make the initial discoveries and
their customers.
South Point Volunteer Fire De
partment, 5:45-6:30.
May 7: New Hope Presbyteri
an Church, 5-5:45; New Hope
Fire Department, 6-6:30; Spen
cer Mountain Mill, 5:5:30; War-
lick School at Ranlo, 5:45-6:30.
May 8: Bessemer City Central
School, 5-6; Lincoln Junior High
School, 6:15-6:45; Rhyne School,
5-6; DaUas City Hall, 6:15-7.
May 9: Peeden School, 5-5:45;
Myrtle School, 6-6:45; Grier
School, 5-5:45; Robinson School,
6-6:45.
May 10: Davis Park Superette,
5-5:45; South Gastonia School,
6-6:45; Bill’s Superette, 5-5:45;
Chapel Grove School, 6-6:45.
May 11: Firestone Playground,
5-545; Victory School, 6-6:45;
Wray’s Amoco Station on High
way 274, 5-5:30; Costner School,
5:45-6:45.
Firms such as the Firestone
company spend millions of dol
lars each year on research pro
grams to develop new and bet
ter products, which open up
whole new markets and en
courage growth.
Longer-wearing synthetic
rubber, break-resistant plastics,
paint latex and reinforced foam
rubber are but a few of the
products developed by Firestone
researchers in the past two
decades. All are products you
see and use every day.
WITHOUT research, the guar
anteed 40,000-mile tire would
still be a dream instead of a
reality. New-solution synthetic
rubbers developed by Firestone
have helped increase tire wear
significantly and can be used to
give tires additional wet trac
tion.
“Solution rubber is the rubber
of the future,” says Dr. Glen
Alliger, the company’s research
director.
“Because of the new-solution
process, rubber can be tailor-
made for almost any application,
which is not always possible
when other processes are used.”
Firestone’s polyisoprene was
the first solution synthetic rub
ber and the first synthetic dupli
cate of natural rubber. It was
followed by Diene and Dura-
dene, large quantities of which
are used in the manufacture of
tires.
Diene is also blended into
various plastics to give them
high break resistance. Molded
radio cabinets, telephone cases,
power tools, sweepers and elec
tric mixers are some of the com
mon items that contain Diene.
LATEX revolutionized paint
ing. Firestone was one of the
first companies to develop a
latex paint base. Company re
searchers were able to produce
a latex that not only provides
good coverage but is freeze-
resistant, easy to use and nearly
odorless. Today, the company is
a major supplier of latex for the
paint industry.
Firestone also claims credit
for development of a unique re
inforced foam rubber which is
used as carpet backing and in
mattresses, seats and pads. The
rubber is known for its high
“gum” strength.
Alliger said Firestone scien
tists currently are working on
a number of projects which
could result in significant
“breakthroughs.” For competi
tive reasons, he does not elab
orate.
“People immediately think of
sales when they think of com
petition between the rubber
companies. People tend to forget
that research often has a direct
impact on sales and is very com
petitive in its own right.”
The nation's largest and oldest youth organization and the
textile industry are joining forces to promote career explora
tion opportunities for Boy Scouts.
A cooperative program prepared by Boy Scouts of Ameri
ca and textile industry leaders was announced recently.
The new project centers around the revised Textile Merit
badge pamphlet.
Scouts may earn the Merit badge in textiles by complet
ing requirements under supervision of Merit Badge Coun
selors from the textile industry. Through this process. Scouts
learn about the textile industry, its contribution to the na
tion's economy and career opportunities that it offers.
MINGLED
WITH ALL OF
APRIL’S DELIGHTS
FOR FUN
& ADVENTURE
No-Fault auto insurance is
a pretty controversial issue.
Several states already have
no-fault plans in effect.
Some others are considering
it.
Although these plans often
differ from state to state, the
principle of no-fault insur
ance is the same everywhere.
Under no-fault coverage,
YOUR insurance company
would pay promptly for
medical expenses, lost wages
and other economic losses up
to specified limits.
The other driver’s com
pany would pay HIS eco
nomic losses, with no regard
• Does your Social Security
married?
Never. The number stays the same, but in the case of a
woman’s marriage, her records need to be updated to in
dicate change in name. Mrs. Eula Wilson, plant payroll
supervisor, says that in such case, you should notify either
Payroll here or your local Social Security office as soon
as possible.
as to who is at fault. Within
the limits of a no-fault plan,
it becomes unnecessary to
determine who is at fault
before compensations are
made.
Those who favor no-fault
auto insurance point out that
it meets the consumer’s need
for prompt and certain pay
ment of claims. Also, it can
provide immediate relief
from spiraling auto insur
ance costs.
Estimates for first-year
savings range from 10 to 15
percent under some no-fault
plans.
number change when you get
Adventure is always in season. But for travel,
April’s a delight. The land’s alive, and in “Fire
stone Textiles Country” (where the company
has production plants), it’s a world of flowers,
sports events, festivals, exhibits, house-garden
tours, entertainment. And all the scenic wonders
and perennial attractions on a trip near home,
an overnight or more extended vacation trip. Go.
Enjoy.
Bluegrass Music, Easter Programs, Spring
Tours • A major item of travel news is Caro-
winds, a family recreation complex which opened
in late March, on NC-SC line a few miles south
of Charlotte.
Carowinds is described as “legend, history and
song; animals, thrilling rides. . . a place of days
gone by, yet a place of Tomorrow.” Carowinds
Park is open weekends April and May, 10 a.m.-
8 p.m.
Among major seasonal events in April: Fishing
contest at Fontana, 15-28; annual Southern Pines
Homes-Gardens Tour, 18; Old-Time Fiddlers Con
vention at Union Grove, 19-21, also Fiddlers and
Bluegrass Festival, same community, 19-22;
Moravian Easter Sunrise Service at Old Salem,
22; Pre-dawn Easter Program at Fields of the
Wood, Murphy, 22; Spring Flower Hiking Week
at Fontana, 23-27; Sports Car Hill Climb, Chim
ney Rock, 28-29.
A Rose Festival, Pageant and a Steam-Up •
In South Carolina, Orangeburg’s Rose Festival,
April 27-29, is “Miss S.C. Queen of Roses” Beauty
Pageant, plus country music, square-dancing,
garden tours, a parade—and more.
Wagons to Wagener community, April 27-29,
celebration programs a beauty pageant, dances, a
parade, flea market, barbecue and contests.
Cheraw has its Spring Festival, 27-29. Tours
and arts-crafts exhibits. Included is the “Acres
of Antiques” Steam-Up, a combination of an
tique steam, gas, kerosene, man, mule, air, dog
and water-powered equipment exhibited and
operating among thousands of cultivated bloom
ing flowers. Spectacular!
Other S. C. events in April: Easter House
Tours, Charleston, 21; Easter Sunrise Service at
Charleston and Myrtle Beach, 22.
Fishing, Folksong, a Historic Inn • April’s time
in Kentucky for the annual Croppie (fishing)
Festival on Lake Kentucky , and Lake Barkley.
Year-round country-folk music shows are pre
sented Saturdays at Danville, Defoe Hodgen-
ville and Renfro Valley, Square-dancing year-
round on Saturdays at Danville and Paducah.
Auto racing at state fairgrounds, Louisville,
Fri.-Sat. nights, began March, continue through
September. Craftsman Fair, Louisville, April
28-29.
Suggested places to visit in Kentucky: “Won
derful World of Wax” at Mammoth Cave Wax
Museum, Cave City; historic Old Stagecoach Inn,
with its “Well of Sweet Water”, Guthrie.
Previewing May • N. C.: Camping Show,
Fayetteville, 4-6; Ramp Convention, Waynes-
ville, 6. S. C.: Hell Hole Swamp Festival, James
town, 4-6; Green Spring Festival, Charleston, 6.
Ky.: Country Music Festival, Owingsville, 6;
also May Day Festival, 12.
FIRESTONE TEXTILES
COMPANY P.O. Box 1278
• Gastonia, N. C. 28052
BULK
RATE
U. S. POSTAGE PAID
at Gastonia, N. C.
PERMIT NUMBER 29
ROBSRT PASSMORE
1011 V. SECOND AVE.
GASTONIA. N. C.
23052