The 16 Monongah Christmas street lights have been installed for the 2016 holiday season.

Susan Staron Sanders, Class of 1971, an administrative assistant at Personnel and the angel of Thomas Street who spearheaded the Charge of the Lights Brigade for a 2^nd year, reports:

“The lights are up and so happy to see them. There is one pole that was not hooked up and it was near Amelia Zentz's house, which really bothers me. The light is hung but electric has to be hooked up to it. I will get ahold of the Electric Co. Monday morning and make sure it's done for her. She was so excited about getting her light and I will not let her down. Enjoy my friends and again thank you all for helping make this happen.

“Thank you, my angels, Linda McCullough, Mareca Savonarola, Andrea Besares King, Shelly Yankie Elf Josh Scritchfield. Kitty Morrison, Sheila Mills. I love you all.”

Amelia’s Christmas street light is on Shenasky Lane, named for her parents, P.P. “Pete” Shenasky and Neil Shenosky Shenasky (honest! Nell only changed one letter in her name when she got married).

Debbie Gilson Thomas, whose mother is Marcella Pulice Gilson and whose grandmother is Mary Kendzior Pulice, is delighted.

Writes Debbie:

“My grandmother who is 92 was born in Monongah. I would love to show her pictures! My Grandpa, Grandma and Mom all were born in Monongah.”

Debbie is a graduate of Covina (California) High School, in the town where the Catania family moved after World War II and the surviving siblings still live.

Debbie works at Azusa Pacific University, her alma mater. Azusa is a Los Angeles suburb.

Debbie’s family moved to Covina in 1952, about the time that Angelo Catania convinced his father Mandala Catania and siblings Mary Catania Heywood and the late Alex and Josephine Catania to join the move West from Thomas Street on Monongah.

Angelo’s sister, Carmella Catania Allard, Class of 1947, wound up in San Antonio because her husband, Omer, still was in the Air Force when the Catania migration took place.

Angelo married a Monongah girl, the late Pauline Layne Catania. Debbie has been married for 22 years to Tim Thomas.

The photos for the montage were posted by Monongah Town Recorder Patty Steele McCombs, who keeps the Monongah Town News Facebook site humming.