Remember Providence Journal columnist John Hanlon and a character he wrote about , " Sonia Fillo " nightly on duty at famous Haven Brothers diner

I do remember this guy . More later. John Hanlon's book titled " Is that all you write..one story a day ? " is on the book shelves of the Cranston Public Library . COPYRIGHT 1983 The Providence Journal Company . Just yesterday I read " Sonia's Haven " standing up browsing . I recognized the character Hanlon identifies as{ " Sonia Fillo , 65 and widowed , whose walk is a slow and bent-over shuffle , who does indeed sweep the streets and pick up liter near Haven Brothers diner , which parks nightly before city hall. She is a highly visible part of the downtown scene as venerable in her fashion as is Haven's , the oldest established movable dogcart in the land ". " Had she ever applied for welfare ? " ' Yeh , Sonia said , with disgust in her voice , ' I went once. They asked you too much. They want you to tell them your life history . I said ' aah and I left ". " Why every night , is the old woman sweeping the streets late at night ? " " Her answer is half fact and half the sad cry of all the Sonias of the world " . ' It helps to pass the time away " , she said .