Members arriving at the City of Tonawanda Library for the society's September program found the parking lot filling at an unprecedented rate - a precursor to the evening’s event attended by well over 90 society members, as well as old friends and neighbors of our presenter, Lois Benzino Sonnenberg. The event was a unique combination of society program, community event, and reunion.

With Otis, her husband of 63 years sitting at her side, and with an occasional prompt from her children Dan, Dave, and Meg, Lois related stories of growing up in Gastown, attending Tonawanda High School, the emotional trauma of her brothers going off to fight in World War II, and her career as a nurse, then as a middle school teacher and eventually as an educator.

After her program, Lois signed copies of her new book GASTOWN GIRL while the audience enjoyed refreshments provided by the event committee of Alice Roth, Mary Muscarella, Bonnie Bugbee, Jill Townson, and Carole Barnard. Special thanks to Library Director Mary Muscarella and her staff for their professional  handling of the program logistics.

A small quantity of signed copies of GASTOWN GIRL are now available through the museum gift shop, either for pickup or mail order. For further information, email the museum office at tonahist@gmail.com or call during business hours at 716-674-7406.

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