Christmas street light purchased by John Olesky near his former Church Street home

Christmas street lights going up today!

The Monongah Christmas street lights, including 5 new ones to bring the total to 21, are going up today (Friday, November 17).

Mayor Greg Vandetta made the announcement.

Also, His Honor said the ceremony marking the 110^th anniversary of the 1907 Monongah mines explosions will be on Wednesday, December 6.

362 coal miners died that day, the worst coal mining tragedy in American history.

Susan Staron Sanders, the angel of Thomas Street, is the driving force behind the Monongah Christmas street lights.

Mari Lisa Johnson & Adam Michna each purchased a street light.

Mari is a senior accountant at Fairmont Regional Medical Center. She is a graduate of North Marion and attended both Fairmont State and the University of West Florida.

Adam works at Guns and Ammo and is involved with the Knights of Columbus. The 1980 North Marion graduate (after 3 years at Monongah High before it closed) has two former Sts. Peter and Paul School nuns, Sister Rose and Sister Dolores, in the family tree.

Adam’s father, Adam Michna and mother, Ethel Stevens Michna, have three amazing coincidences involving June 11. In 1960 the legendary Father Everett Briggs performed their wedding ceremony. Father Briggs also handled the marriage of another couple on that day: Henry “Dinkle” Martin, who kicked the extra point in 1955 that brought Monongah High one of its five state football titles, and Gloria Jean Nichols.

The two couples remained friends till they passed away. Dinkle died at the age of 53, Jeanie at 57, Adam at 77 and Jeanie at 83.

And Adam Michna’s parents, Francis "Frank" Michna (1887 - 1947) and Katrazyna Dering Wegrzyn (1877 - 1947), died on the same June 11 day in 1947.