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Drexel Hill Thanksgiving tradition marks 60 years; 2 cops sue Philly Police over anti-Semitism | Morning Newsletter

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From left, Mike Schanne, Russ Hendricks, Brian Smyth, Denis Dunphy, Bud Tosti, Jim Stewart and Gerry Collins gathered for lunch to reminisce on the annual Thanksgiving Day Drexel Hill football rivalry between St. DotÍs and St. BernieÍs. The Meeting took place at the Lamb Tavern in Springfield, PA. Thursday, November 8, 2018.
From left, Mike Schanne, Russ Hendricks, Brian Smyth, Denis Dunphy, Bud Tosti, Jim Stewart and Gerry Collins gathered for lunch to reminisce on the annual Thanksgiving Day Drexel Hill football rivalry between St. DotÍs and St. BernieÍs. The Meeting took place at the Lamb Tavern in Springfield, PA. Thursday, November 8, 2018.Read moreJOSE F. MORENO / Staff Photographer

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Get out those holiday sweaters: this Thanksgiving in Philly could be the coldest in over a century. Guess you'll just need extra turkey to keep you warm. Something else to warm you up: reporter Frank Fitzpatrick's story on a Delaware County tradition for the ages. Each Thanksgiving, thousands of fans descend upon a Turkey Bowl matchup between two elementary schools in Drexel Hill, and tomorrow marks a big anniversary.

This newsletter will go quiet over the holiday, returning to your inboxes Monday, Nov. 26, but you can always find the latest news at Philly.com. Until then, I hope you enjoy time with your loved ones and plenty of food.

Reading this online? Sign up here to get this newsletter delivered to your inbox every morning.

— Aubrey Nagle (@aubsn, morningnewsletter@philly.com)

» READ MORE: St. Dot’s vs. St. Bernie’s: A Drexel Hill football tradition spanning six decades

Tomorrow a special tradition will mark its 60th anniversary at Steel Field in Havertown: The annual Thanksgiving Day football game between St. Bernadette and St. Dorothy elementary schools.

It started out as a dare in 1958, but over the years the "Turkey Bowl" has become as popular as any of the local holiday match-ups, drawing thousands of spectators  despite the fact that it pits seventh and eighth graders on fields without grandstands and sometimes even a scoreboard.

» READ MORE: 2 Jewish cops sue Philly Police Department claiming anti-Semitic acts by colleagues

Two Jewish police officers have filed a federal lawsuit against the Philadelphia Police Department claiming a pattern of anti-Semitism by colleagues in their Franklintown-based district.

In the suit, the officers allege that racist comments and anti-Semitic acts by a supervisor and more than 10 officers created an unsafe working environment and violated their civil rights.

The acts included the scratching of a Nazi "SS" symbol into a locker, drawing a Star of David onto a door of a patrol car, as well as ethnic slurs and daily jokes at their expense.

» READ MORE: Philadelphia announces hiring of new library staff, expanded branch hours

In September, the Philadelphia public library system announced that only 23 of its 54 branches would open on Saturdays this school year due to a lack of funding.

The news was disappointing to communities with the affected branches and, apparently, to Mayor Kenney; his office worked with Free Library leadership to reallocate staff and identify unfilled vacancies.

Now, officials announced, the library system will be hiring for 62 vacant positions, enabling it to open 35 of the 54 neighborhood branches six days a week. But advocates say more needs to be done to help the system thrive.

Join us for a memorable evening of recognizing Philadelphia's most iconic business leaders, including our beloved H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest, on Wednesday, Nov. 28 as we induct them into the Inquirer Business Hall of Fame! Reserve your tickets here.

What you need to know today

  1. Romaine lettuce in any form is unsafe to eat, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday, and should be thrown away. The alert comes in response to a new outbreak of illness caused by a dangerous E. coli contamination.

  2. Philadelphia's Thanksgiving Day parade starts bright and early tomorrow morning so you'll want to be well-versed in the parade route and road closures. This weekend also marks the start of holiday events across the city.

  3. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia will start with $25 million to $30 million in its fund to compensate victims of Catholic clergy sex abuse whose claims are too old for court. They could start paying claims in 60 to 90 days.

  4. President Trump's new statement about the gruesome murder of Jamal Khashoggi sides with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after the CIA concluded he ordered the Washington Post journalist's assassination.

  5. A pipeline project coming to their backyards has some Upper Bucks residents digging in to fight while others plan to sell their homes and move on.

  6. Three years after a state agency found that New Jersey's used car industry was full of fraud, consumers are still getting ripped off, investigators say in a new report.

Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly

Thanks for spreading the 🌞, @hswphilly.

Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and we'll pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout out!

That’s Interesting

  1. The chairman of Philly-bred Bayada Home Health may have already won the season of giving. He's just announced he's giving $20 million away his employees.

  2. Becoming a physician is stressful, but one Temple student has found a way to melt the stress away: drawing funny cartoons of herself working through med school.

  3. Some of Creed II is set in Los Angeles, but you can thank $16.7 million in Pennsylvania tax credits for the appearance of local scenery in the latest Rocky franchise film.

  4. Ridley Township is the first in Pennsylvania to get a Lidl store, part of a popular German supermarket chain. Two more could be on their way to Philly, too. 

  5. The latest in the Sixers' Markelle Fultz saga: on Tuesday, his agent said he would not practice or play until he sees a shoulder specialist … then he participated in a workout anyway.

  6. Are you ready to be on your best behavior around your relatives on Thanksgiving? This hilarious quiz should help you prepare.

Opinions

"Library Friends work closely with our beloved librarians and support staff. We've seen that a healthy community library isn't built on overworked staff who know their location could close if they have to take an earned sick day."
— Erica Zurer and Betty Beaufort of the #FundOurLibraries organizing committee on why Philly libraries need to be fully staffed.
  1. District Attorney Larry Krasner's reforms, which include violent crime, are the kind that will move us toward ending mass incarceration, writes staff writer Abraham Gutman.

  2. Philadelphia is home to 40,412 unused open lots. Columnist Ronnie Polaneczky met one horticulture educator who hopes that turning them into gardens tended by drug users will unite Kensington.

What we’re reading

  1. It may sound odd, but it is possible to go mountain biking in Philadelphia proper. Yes, mountain biking. The experts at Grid Philly know where to go.

  2. The midterm elections may be over, but you'll still want to read Billy Penn's look at how unopposed Philly Democrats spent more than $1 million running against … well, no one.

  3. PlanPhilly asks an interesting question of South Street: is its "retail apocalypse" over? After all, Federal Donuts typically is a good omen, wherever you are.

  4. If you're struggling to unplug from work ahead of Thanksgiving, you might want to read through Fast Company's guide to managing your workload during the holiday season.

  5. Since it's nearly shopping season, gift guides and "best-of" lists are on their way, too. Bookworms can get a head start with The New York Times' and Washington Posts' book lists featuring hundreds of tomes combined.

Your Daily Dose of | Joy

You may think the subway is just part of a joyless commute, but one family sees each train as a dance floor made for spreading smiles.