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Know your news? Test your skills with our News Quiz.

Take our news quiz on Thanksgiving traditions, a beloved garden statue, and Elfreth’s Alley

By

Emily Bloch

Published Nov 28, 2025

Think you know your news? There’s only one way to find out. Welcome back to our weekly News Quiz — a quick way to see if your reading habits are sinking in and to put your local news knowledge to the test.

Question 1 of 10

This nearly 1,000-member Philadelphia union has a tentative deal after months of negotiations with the local school district:

CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.

Philadelphia School District principals have a contract and raises. The tentative, four-year deal was struck Monday night, nearly three months after an August contract deadline for the Commonwealth Association of School Administrators, Teamsters Local 502. The union represents nearly 1,000 Philadelphia principals, assistant principals, climate managers and other workers.

Question 2 of 10

A beloved stone statue in Manayunk’s Bridge Garden named Bridget was vandalized with its head smashed off. Bridget is a:

CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.

Bridget the Dino, a 3-foot-tall costume-sporting stone Tyrannosaurus rex, was ruthlessly beheaded in the garden she calls home. Bridget’s head, still wearing a scarf, was lying at the foot of her stone body in the photo posted by the Manayunk Bridge Garden, the dinosaur’s caretakers. Holod’s, the Lafayette Hill home and garden store, donated a brand new stone dinosaur. Their name is still being decided on.

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Question 3 of 10

Facing mounting personal, legal, and financial pressures, Essen Bakery is closing. What treat was the James Beard-nominated bakery particularly known for?

CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.

Tova Du Plessis, the owner of Essen Bakery, says she couldn’t find a way back after announcing a ‘pause’ in baking operations six months ago. By closing, she says, she has saved her marriage. The bakery was known for its challah, babka, laminated pastries, and seasonal bread.

Question 4 of 10

The Pennsylvania Film Office announced that this TV show will receive a record $49.8 million tax credit, the largest amount the state has granted to a single production:

CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.

Task received the largest tax credit awarded to a single film production, the state film office announced Monday. The tax credit is part of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s efforts to bring more TV and film productions to Pennsylvania. The effort is expected to bring about 3,700 jobs to Pennsylvania as HBO estimates investing $194.1 million into the state economy, including hiring local crews and paying for hotel accommodations.

Question 5 of 10

What color uniform are the Eagles set to wear for Friday’s game against the Chicago Bears?

CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.

The team announced it will don its all-black alternate uniforms for the first time this season. As part of the Black Friday matchup, the Eagles are encouraging fans to ditch their green and instead dress in black for a proper blackout at the Linc.

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Question 6 of 10

Bridal fashion designer and Say Yes to the Dress star Randy Fenoli visited Cherry Hill bridal shop Dress 2 Impress’ new location. He strongly advised potential brides against this one thing:

CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.

Fenoli said the world of bridal fashion has changed “completely” from his mid-2000s Say Yes to the Dress days. Brides show up to appointments with screenshots from Instagram and TikTok videos, asking to try on dresses from unknown designers. Others come with AI-generated images that are impossible to match. He added, “Don’t ever, ever, ever, ever order a wedding dress online.”

Question 7 of 10

Northeast vs. Central High School is one of the longest-running rivalries in the country, but the Thanksgiving game is no longer the spectacle it once was. The halls of the schools don’t buzz in the weeks leading up to it, the parade down Cottman Avenue was canceled years ago, the bleachers aren’t filled, and the trophy is falling apart. What figure is at the top of the trophy?

CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.

The trophy is a wooden horse. Last year, Northeast High won — and broke the horse’s tail in celebration. It was repaired and sat in the school’s trophy case for the year until the anticipated rematch this week.

Question 8 of 10

A group of South Philly dads on Iseminger have organized a weekly activity to improve the neighborhood families’ day-to-day experience. What are they doing?

CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.

The dad trio invested in their own German personal-sized street sweepers and maintains the stretch of street to help with dust, litter, and broken glass. Their block has 18 kids under the age of 14 and eight under the age of 3. The weekly street-sweeping has turned into a community spectacle.

Question 9 of 10

A vacant lot along Elfreth’s Alley will soon be named after Dolly Ottey. What was she best known for championing?

CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.

Plans call for the lot at North Second Street and Elfreth’s Alley to be reborn as Dolly Ottey Park, honoring the woman who first championed preservation of the narrow cobblestone passage starting in the 1930s. Ottey, a resident and owner of The Hearthstone restaurant at 115 Elfreth’s Alley, formed the Elfreth’s Alley Association in 1934 to protect the unique street and save it from destruction.

Question 10 of 10

What major event in 1986 nearly caused the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade to be canceled?

CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.

The 1986 edition of the country's oldest Thanksgiving Day parade was imperiled by Gimbels' liquidation. But the community pleaded for it to continue, and eventually, WPVI (Channel 6), better known today as 6abc, saved the day.

Your Results

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The average reader scored XX out of 10

Seems like you’ve been skimming more than reading there, buddy. There’s always next week.

You’ve read some articles (or made some educated guesses) but we wouldn’t come to you first for our local news recaps. Better luck next week!

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Staff Contributors

Reporting: Emily Bloch

Editing: Molly Eichel, Emily Babay, and Kim Lyons

More Quizzes and Games

Citywide Quest: Do you know where in Philly these photos were taken?

We’ll show you a photo taken in the Philly-area, you drop a pin where you think it was taken. This week’s theme is all about Thanksgiving.

Citywide Quest: Do you know where in Philly these Fall-themed photos were taken?

We’ll show you a photo taken in the Philly-area, you drop a pin where you think it was taken. This week is all about parks.

Citywide Quest: Do you know where in Philly these photos were taken?

We’ll show you a photo taken in the Philly-area, you drop a pin where you think it was taken. This week’s theme is all about elections.

Citywide Quest: Do you know where in Philly these photos were taken?

We’ll show you a photo taken in the Philly-area, you tell us where you think it was taken. This week's theme is all about time.
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November 28, 2025
Leon Bates, charismatic concert pianist and radio host, has died at 76

Concert pianist Leon Bates, whose musical authority and far-reaching versatility took him to the world’s greatest concert halls, died Nov. 21 after a seven-year decline from Parkinson’s disease. He was 76.

An articulate, charismatic presence, Mr. Bates was a Philadelphia born and educated pianist, and while growing up in Germantown, showed talent as early as age 6.

He started formal study at Settlement Music School and graduated from Temple University’s Boyer College of Music, where he studied under the legendary Natalie Hinderas. In his final student recital, Mr. Bates played Ravel’s fearsome Gaspard de la Nuit.

As a leading figure in the generation of Black pianists who followed the early-1960s breakthrough of Andre Watts, Mr. Bates’ dream-come-true career encompassed Ravel, Gershwin, and Bartok over 10 concerts with the Philadelphia Orchestra between 1970 and 2002. He played three recitals with Philadelphia Chamber Music Society and taught master classes at Temple University, where he also gave recitals at the Temple Performing Arts Center.

Though he maintained residency in Philadelphia with his wife and three children in Mount Airy, Mr. Bates toured the great concert halls of Europe, China, South Africa, and America, often playing 100 concerts a year. His forceful repertoire of Rachmaninoff and Liszt was partly enabled by his hobby — body building — and the stamina that came with it.

“What set Leon Bates apart was his genuine character and the way he focused on the music above all else. He impacted countless lives through his generosity, his example, and the depth of his artistry,” wrote his student of 10 years, pianist Dynasty Battles, on Instagram. Beyond that, added Battles, Mr. Bates showed him how every concert program could be “a journey” and that rich, “radical” elements in music were already there to be found.

Pianist Leon Bates in 2018

Mr. Bates’ sense of communication was illustrated by how he embraced outdoor concert settings. In such acoustically risky circumstances, he performed at Chicago’s Grant Park, played Rhapsody in Blue in the July 4, 1995 Concert on the Parkway at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and, with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, had an audience of 20,000 at Rome’s Olympic Stadium.

In less-recreational settings, Mr. Bates’ Philadelphia Chamber Music Society programs were a high-style mixture of the lesser-known and the familiar: Edward MacDowell and Samuel Barber, for example, were followed by the mighty Liszt Sonata in B Minor.

Most adventurous of all was his 2018 recital that he did not personally perform due to his Parkinson’s diagnosis, but had students and other associates step in to play Ives and George Walker. In his prime, Mr. Bates premiered new works by living Black composers such as Walker’s Piano Sonata No. 3 and the Adolphus Hailstork Piano Concerto No. 1, in performances acclaimed for the same commitment he brought to masterworks of the past.

“When you really are involved in the process of making music, it’s something that’s with you when you’re sleeping, when you’re awake, when you’re relaxing, when you’re truly focused on working at the instrument,” he told Chicago-based journalist Brice Duffie during an in-depth 1991 interview. “It is the sum total of all of that time together that really produces what people get when they see the performer come out on stage.”

Besides being a fine pianist, Mr. Bates was also a great talker. He traveled with two prepared lectures — one on the 1954 Brown v. the Board of Education Supreme Court ruling that declared school segregation unconstitutional, and the other, titled “American Originals,” on modern American composers.

“Leon offered school shows where he often dressed in the local football team’s jersey. No suits or ties — just to connect visually with the students,” recalled his longtime agent Joanne Rile. In his WRTI-FM radio show titled Notes on Philadelphia during the 1990s, Mr. Bates was what Charles Abramovic, chair of the Temple University keyboard studies, described as “beautifully articulate and a wonderful interviewer. The warmth of personality came out. He was such a natural with that.”

And he was fun, says fellow-Philadelphia-born Lambert Orkis, now professor of piano at Temple, who was among the musicians interviewed on the show.

Even during interviews, the Bates body-building regimen didn’t let up with his squeezing a rubber ball for hand exercise, and inevitably exposing his impressive musculature.

When tapped to choose a Steinway piano to reside at the Temple Performing Arts Center, Mr. Bates “was looking for projection and power that were hallmarks of his playing,” recalls Abramovic. The Parkinson’s symptoms were noticed by others before he did — though he bore the onset of the disease with public dignity.

He declared, “My spirit is still there.”

Mr. Bates made numerous recordings and received an honorary doctorate from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va., as well as the Raoul Wallenberg Humanitarian Award from the Greater New York Wallenberg Committee.

He is survived by his wife of many years, Jocelyn; his three sons, Christopher, James, and Jock; and five grandchildren.

Details for a memorial service will be announced at a later date.

November 28, 2025
Where to see the most magical holiday light shows around Philly this season

Philadelphia nearly experienced its own nightmare before Christmas this year, with the closure of the Center City Macy’s and the iconic, beloved holiday light show.

Capitalism can’t stop Christmas traditions, though. The light show is back, and across the region, people are buying Christmas trees, prepping for Hanukkah, and preparing for Kwanzaa events this week.

One simple way to get in the spirit? Visit one of the many holiday light shows, from neighborly displays to events steeped in decades of history and nostalgia.

Philadelphia and its suburbs offer plenty of options. Here are some of the best.

Wanamaker Light Show

The decades-old holiday tradition is back at Center City’s shuttered Macy’s, with a new name and, possibly, an entirely better experience. With more than 100,000 LED lights, the Wanamaker Light Show remains free to the public. What makes the Wanamaker Building so magical is the melodies booming throughout the cathedral-like department store from the century-old organ, one of the largest in the world. Enjoy the massive light show beginning on Black Friday. The show operates Wednesday to Sunday from noon to 8 p.m., through Dec. 11. Starting Dec. 12, there are daily shows from noon to 8 p.m. The final day for the show is Christmas Eve, from noon to 4 p.m.

According to Visit Philadelphia, the Wanamaker Building will undergo renovations after the holidays, and the light show may be on hiatus for several years.

🕒 Through Dec. 24, daily, various times, 💵 Free, 📍1300 Market St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19107, 🌐 visitphilly.com

The Miracle on South 13th Street block party filled with Christmas lights and decorations in South Philadelphia, on Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021.

The Miracle on South 13th Street

Nothing spreads holiday spirit more than neighbors coming together to remind us what it’s all about. Since the ‘90s, residents of the 1600 block of South 13th Street in East Passyunk have transformed their street into a Christmas light show so spectacular that Peco must see a spike in usage. The show opens with a block party on Nov. 29 from 5 to 9 p.m. with face painting, balloon art, and a 6 p.m. special guest from the North Pole.

🕒 Through Jan. 1, daily, 5 to 10 p.m., 💵 Free, 📍 1700 S. 13th St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19148, 📷 @themiracleonsouth13thstreet

It was opening night for Winter in Franklin Square featuring the Electrical Spectacle Light Show presented by PECO.

The Electrical Spectacle Holiday Light Show

Celebrate the holidays in Franklin Square, a park older than the Declaration of Independence, where each year the Electrical Spectacle Holiday Light Show illuminates the plaza along with classic Christmas songs. The event includes mini golf, street curling, and seasonal sweet treats and cocktails at Frosty’s Fireside Winter Pop-Up Bar.

🕒 Through Feb. 23, various times, 💵 Free, 📍200 N. Sixth St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19106, 🌐 historicphiladelphia.org

A man watches a dancing Santa with a similar body language in the lobby of the Comcast Technology Center during a Dec. 15, 2023, holiday video presentation.

The Comcast Holiday Spectacular

Philly’s telecommunications giant has two immersive attractions again this year. Each day, the Comcast Holiday Spectacular at the Comcast Center wows visitors with light shows at the top of every hour. Inside the Comcast Technology Center, which is right around the corner, the DreamWorks’ Shrek’s Festive Flight returns. The show tells the story of Shrek, Donkey, and Gingy’s journey from Philadelphia to the North Pole Bakery.

🕒 Through Jan. 2, daily, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., 💵 Free, 📍1701 JFK Blvd., Philadelphia, Pa. 19103, 🌐 comcastcentercampus.com

American Heritage’s Grand Illumination

This regional credit union gives back during the holidays with a 400,000-light display accompanied by 40-foot Christmas trees, hundreds of wreaths, and more. Stroll through American Heritage’s campus, where you can snap family photos, enjoy the displays, and take in the winter night air. The events begin on Nov. 29.

🕒 Through Jan. 1, daily at dusk, 💵 Free, 📍2060 Red Lion Rd., Philadelphia, Pa. 19115, 🌐 americanheritagecu.org

Philadelphia Zoo’s nature-inspired holiday tradition, LumiNature, returns for its sixth season of whimsical wildlife scenes come to light.

Philadelphia Zoo’s LumiNature

Philadelphia Zoo’s nature-inspired holiday tradition, LumiNature, returns for its sixth season of whimsical wildlife scenes come to light. Guests are invited to take a spin on the brand new Philly Zoo Pherris Wheel, a 110-foot-tall ride with breathtaking views of the city skyline, grab a drink with Santa inside his warm, cozy lodge, bring their old zoo key (or treat themselves to a new one) to turn on the magic at select displays, play and dance with roaming animal characters, and take in more than a million twinkling lights with family and friends. Guests should note the zoo’s animals will be sleeping in their indoor homes.

Select nights through Jan. 3, 5 to 9 p.m., $20-$29 for tickets, 3400 W. Girard Ave., Philadelphia, Pa., https://www.philadelphiazoo.org/luminature/

Holidays in the Village

Bucks County’s all-in-one holiday shopping experience and attraction is back to bring smiles to all who visit. The Colonial-style Peddler’s Village is adorned with thousands of lights among the dozens of shops and restaurants connected by brick walkways. The annual gingerbread displays will feature 125 creations, and the tunnel of lights is the Instagrammable photo of the season.

🕒 Through Jan. 18, Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., 💵 Free, 📍100 Peddlers Village, Lahaska, Pa. 18931, 🌐 peddlersvillage.com

The West Chester Griswolds

Clark Griswold would be proud of his estranged West Chester relatives’ over-the-top holiday display. Known as the West Chester Griswolds, this family covers their home and property with thousands of LED lights, glowing figurines, nativity scenes, and, if you’re lucky, a glimpse of Santa Claus peeking from a window. Each year, they turn their dazzling display into a charitable effort, raising $400 for the Hearing Loss Association of America in 2023. Don’t forget to tune your car radio to 87.9 FM to enjoy the synchronized light-and-music show. This year, donations are going to LaMancha Animal Rescue in Coatesville.

🕒 Through Dec. 28, Monday to Thursday, 4:45 to 9:45 p.m.; Friday to Sunday, 4:45 to 10:15 p.m., 💵 Free, 📍304 Dutton Mill Rd., West Chester, Pa. 19380, 🌐 westchestergriswolds.com

Colonial Drive Lights

The Harnishfegers on Colonial Drive transform their Bucks County home into Danny DeVito’s from Deck the Halls, equipped with Pixel technology to sync holiday music to the thousands of LED lights and a projector that displays animations across the house. So bright, you could swear satellites can see it from space. Donations will go to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s toy drive.

🕒 Through Jan. 1, daily, 5 to 10 p.m., 💵 Free, 📍155 Colonial Dr., Langhorne, Pa. 19047, 🌐 facebook.com/ColonialLights

Herr’s Holiday Lights Display

Herr’s, the nationwide snack brand headquartered in Philly’s backyard of Chester County, invites families and friends to enjoy a free drive-through holiday lights show. More than 600,000 lights are on display throughout the company’s corporate campus. Visitors should stay in their cars at all times while driving through the show.

🕒 Through Jan. 5, daily, 5 p.m. to 7 a.m., 💵 Free, 📍20 Herr Dr., Nottingham, Pa. 19362, 🌐 herrs.com/visit-us/community-events

People walk through the Festival of Lights at Rose Tree Park in Delaware County on Dec. 22, 2021.

Festival of Lights at Rose Tree Park

Visit Rose Tree Park anytime during the holiday season for a serene nighttime stroll among brightly colored illuminated trees. On Dec. 5, Dec. 7-8, and Dec. 14-15, enjoy food trucks, vendor markets, and live entertainment with Delco Fare and Flair Nights. Friendly, leashed dogs are welcome.

🕒 Through Jan. 4, daily, 5 to 10 p.m., 💵 Free, 📍1671 N. Providence Rd., Media, Pa. 19063, 🌐 delcopa.gov

Manayunk Lights Up

Manayunk businesses are bringing the holiday cheer with more than 80,000 lights lining Main Street — and some friendly rivalry in the annual Manayunk Gets Lit Competition. Stroll through the hillside neighborhood to enjoy festive food, drink, and shopping while casting your votes for the Best Overall, Most Lit, and Most Creative light displays. Participants will also be entered for a chance to win a $200 Manayunk shopping spree. The lights shine daily, but for an extra festive experience, hop aboard the free Jolly Trolley for tours of the displays Thursday through Saturday, now through Dec. 20.

🕒 Through Dec. 31, daily, 💵 Free, 📍Main Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19127, 🌐 manayunk.com

Historic Holidays in Old City

In Philadelphia’s historic district, December is a nonstop holiday celebration with street events, holiday shopping, menorah lighting, light shows, and more. On the Old City District’s website at oldcitydistrict.org is a full schedule of events to attend. Don’t miss the Historic Holiday Tree at the Betsy Ross House.

🕒 Through Jan. 1, various dates and times, 💵 Free to $100-plus depending on event, 📍239 Arch St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19106, 🌐 oldcitydistrict.org

Glow

The trek to Sicklerville, Camden County, is worth it for this award-winning mile-long drive-through holiday light show, marketplace, and Ferris wheel. Glow at Washington Township is one of the largest light displays in the region with 8 million animated lights synced to music playing through the car radio, and it’s perhaps the most costly starting at $40 per car.

🕒 Through Jan. 26, daily, Sunday to Thursday, 5 to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 to 10 p.m., 💵 $50-$75 per vehicle, 📍217 Berlin-Cross Keys Rd., Sicklerville, N.J. 08081, 🌐 visitglow.com

Lights Up Holiday Weekends in West Chester

In West Chester, live music, markets, Santa Claus, and a professional gingerbread competition are happening on the weekends. Free to the public, each weekend will feature different events among the illuminated streets and businesses of West Chester. Find a schedule of events and promotions at greaterwestchester.com.

🕒 Through Jan. 1, various times, 💵 Free, 📍137 N. High St., West Chester, Pa. 19380, 🌐 greaterwestchester.com

November 28, 2025
Trump says one of the two West Virginia National Guard members shot by Afghan national has died

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump said that one of the two West Virginia National Guard members shot by an Afghan national near the White House had died, calling the shooter who had worked with the CIA in his native country a “savage monster.”

As part of his Thanksgiving call to U.S. troops, Trump said that he had just learned that Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, had died, while Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, was “fighting for his life.”

“She’s just passed away,” Trump said. “She’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now. Her parents are with her.”

The president called Beckstrom an “incredible person, outstanding in every single way.”

Trump used the announcement to say the shooting was a “terrorist attack” as he criticized the Biden administration for enabling Afghans who worked with U.S. forces during the Afghanistan War to enter the United States. The president has deployed National Guard members in part to assist in his administration’s mass deportation efforts.

Trump suggested that the shooter was mentally unstable after the war and departure from Afghanistan.

“He went cuckoo. I mean, he went nuts,” the president said. “It happens too often with these people.”

Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe and Specialist Sarah Beckstrom.

The shooter worked with U.S. forces in Afghanistan

The suspect charged with the shooting is Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29. The suspect had worked in a special CIA-backed Afghan Army unit before emigrating from Afghanistan, according to two sources who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, and #AfghanEvac, a group that helps resettle Afghans who assisted the U.S. during the two-decade war.

Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, declined to provide a motive for Wednesday afternoon’s brazen act of violence which occurred just blocks from the White House. The presence of troops in the nation’s capital and other cities around the country has become a political flashpoint.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Webster Springs, where Beckstrom is from, will hold three prayer vigils Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings, according to a Facebook post from the Webster County Veterans Auxiliary.

Pirro said that the suspect, Lakanwal, launched an “ambush-style” attack with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. The suspect currently faces charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Pirro said that “it’s too soon to say” what the suspect’s motives were.

The charges could be upgraded, Pirro said, adding: “We are praying that they survive and that the highest charge will not have to be murder in the first degree. But make no mistake, if they do not, that will certainly be the charge.”

The rare shooting of National Guard members on American soil, on the eve of Thanksgiving, comes amid court fights and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem.

Trump issued an emergency order in August that federalized the local police force and sent in National Guard troops. The order expired a month later. But the troops have remained in the city, where nearly 2,200 troops currently are assigned, according to the government’s latest update.

The guard members have patrolled neighborhoods, train stations and other locations, participated in highway checkpoints and been assigned to pick up trash and guard sports events. The Trump administration quickly ordered 500 more National Guard members to Washington following Wednesday’s shooting.

The suspect who was in custody also was shot and had wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

Shooting raises questions about legacy of Afghanistan War

A resident of the eastern Afghan province of Khost who identified himself as Lakanwal’s cousin said Lakanwal was originally from the province and that he and his brother had worked in a special Afghan Army unit known as Zero Units in the southern province of Kandahar. A former official from the unit, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, said Lakanwal was a team leader and his brother was a platoon leader.

The cousin spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. He said Lakanwal had started out working as a security guard for the unit in 2012, and was later promoted to become a team leader and a GPS specialist.

Kandahar is in the Taliban heartland of the country. It saw fierce fighting between the Taliban and NATO forces after the U.S.-led invasion in 2001 following the al-Qaeda attacks on Sept. 11. The CIA relied on Afghan staff for translation, administrative and front-line fighting with their own paramilitary officers in the war.

Zero Units were paramilitary units manned by Afghans but backed by the CIA and also served in front-line fighting with CIA paramilitary officers. Activists had attributed abuses to the units. They played a key role in the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from the country, providing security around Kabul International Airport as the Americans and withdrew from the country.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe said in a statement that Lakanwal’s relationship with the U.S. government “ended shortly following the chaotic evacuation” of U.S. service members from Afghanistan.

Lakanwal, 29, entered the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country, officials said. Lakanwal applied for asylum during the Biden administration, but his asylum was approved under the Trump administration, #AfghanEvac said in a statement.

The initiative brought roughly 76,000 people to the U.S., many of whom had worked alongside U.S. troops and diplomats as interpreters and translators. It has since faced intense scrutiny from Trump and others over allegations of gaps in the vetting process, even as advocates say there was extensive vetting and the program offered a lifeline to people at risk of Taliban reprisals.

The Philadelphia region played a crucial role in supporting the largest resettlement effort since the end of the Vietnam War, as the United States evacuated thousands of allies from Afghanistan as Kabul fell to the Taliban.

Philadelphia International Airport served as the nation’s main arrival point for more than 25,000 evacuees, about 1,500 of whom needed immediate medical attention for everything from diabetes to gunshot wounds. The flights to Philadelphia came from first-stop, emergency evacuation centers in Germany, Bahrain, Qatar, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, and elsewhere.

Most arrivals to Philadelphia were bused from the airport to temporary living quarters at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in South Jersey. Others went to seven other military installations being used as “safe havens,” from where they were resettled in communities across the country.

At one point more than 11,000 Afghans were living in a tent city, christened “Liberty Village,” on the South Jersey base. The Trump administration recently designated the base as one of two military sites where it intends to hold immigration detainees.

Ultimately at least 600 evacuees were resettled in the Philadelphia area, many of them living in the Northeast, which already had a significant Afghan population.

Almost everyone who came to Philadelphia and to this country served the United States in a military, diplomatic, or development capacity, or was the family member of someone who did. Others worked in media, women’s organizations, or humanitarian groups that faced Taliban retaliation.

Lakanwal has been living in Bellingham, Wash., about 79 miles north of Seattle, with his wife and five children, said his former landlord, Kristina Widman.

Wednesday night, in a video message released on social media, Trump called for the reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees who entered under the Biden administration.

The director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Joseph Edlow, said in a social media post Thursday that Trump directed him to review the green cards of people from countries “of concern.”

Edlow didn’t name the countries. But in June, the administration banned travel to the U.S. by citizens of 12 countries and restricted access from seven others, citing national security concerns. Green card holders and Afghans who worked for the U.S. government or its allies in Afghanistan were listed as exempt.

Attack being investigated as terrorist act

FBI Director Kash Patel said the shooting is being investigated as an act of terrorism. Agents have served a series of search warrants, with Patel calling it a “coast-to-coast investigation.”

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, has previously questioned the effectiveness of using the National Guard to enforce city laws. Last week, a federal judge ordered an end to the deployment there, but the judge also paused her order for 21 days to allow the administration to remove the troops or appeal.

On Thursday, Bowser interpreted the shooting as a direct assault on America itself, rather than specifically on Trump’s policies.

“Somebody drove across the country and came to Washington, D.C., to attack America,” Bowser said. “That person will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

Staff writer Jeff Gammage contributed to this article.

November 28, 2025
After a difficult 2025, Philly Thanksgiving Day parade attendees still share their gratitude

At the last minute on Thanksgiving morning, Chontai Diggs and her daughter decided to leave their Mount Airy home.

Diggs, 35, had always watched Philadelphia’s Thanksgiving Day parade on TV, despite being born and raised in the city. But this year, her 9-year old, Zaria Roscoe, wanted to see the towering inflatable floats up close. She grinned as the minutes ticked away, squinting as sun drenched the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Once it was finished, mom and daughter needed to get back home to cook some dishes for their Thanksgiving meal, they said. Zaria was looking forward to eating “ham and mashed potatoes and cornbread and pumpkin pie.”

On a brisk morning when floats threatened to break free in the wind, but for their determined handlers, many families lined the route of the 106th 6abc Dunkin’ Thanksgiving Day Parade, the nation’s oldest.

Large floats present a towering start to this year’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia.

Kamila Bond, 29, and Alex Vaz, 32, were thankful they even got a chance to see the parade. The two University of Pennsylvania medical residents said they’re usually working on Turkey Day but were happy to see some communal joy, a welcome respite from what they normally see inside the hospital.

They were grateful for their own health this year and said they were excited to finally spend some time with friends and family on the holiday.

“And sleeping,” Vaz said, coffee in hand.

Thanks after a hard year

Philly’s parade has been running since 1920, when Ellis Gimbel of the once prominent Gimbel Brothers department store on the 800 block of Market Street came up with the idea to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Until 1986, the parade ended with Santa Claus climbing into an eighth-floor store window, but now finishes with a procession up the Parkway to the Art Museum. Today’s parade might be much larger and influenced by its sponsors, but it still holds a distinct Philly flair.

“Go Birds! Happy Thanksgiving! Gobble gobble!” said a parade participant in a clown costume, dressed like the original Gimbel employees.

Sharina Sims, of Center City, and her kids were bundled up for the parade.

Little brought as much joy to the crowd as when float carriers relented to chants of “spin it!” and turned their displays around in a 360-degree circle. Second in popularity were the free pink Dunkin’ beanies handed out by the parade sponsor.

Missing from the celebration was the Temple University marching band. The 200-member ensemble was one of only 11 selected to participate in the 99th edition of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, and the only band from Pennsylvania.

It was Temple’s first time performing in the New York parade, a fitting year-end celebration for the band, which marked its own 100th anniversary this year. High school bands from as far as Alabama and Indiana filled their place with their own perfectly polished silver tubas.

Anna Reynolds, 16, an 11th grader, is keeping warm with her fellow color guard members before the start of the wind-chilled Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia. The parade started at 20th Street and JFK Boulevard, traveled east to 16th Street and then north to the Parkway, with the procession ending on Eakins Oval at the Art Museum.

Perhaps for the good of the festive mood, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman was not in attendance. Though 6abc advertised his appearance alongside Monday Night Football broadcast partner Joe Buck, the pair merely gave a taped message that aired during the parade’s television broadcast.

This turkey was not the edible kind, but one that nonetheless entertained parade onlookers on 16th Street near LOVE Park. The parade started at 20th Street and JFK Boulevard, traveled east to 16th and then north to the Parkway, with the procession ending on Eakins Oval at the Art Museum.

For reasons that are unclear, Aikman shouted out the Philadelphia Professional Football Cheerleader Alumni group, a collection of former Eagles cheerleaders who strutted down the Parkway wearing jackets displaying what appeared to be the years they last cheered for the team.

When they reflected back on 2025, some attendees conceded that it had been a difficult year for them and the country. Sarah LaBruce, 46, from Fishtown, said she was hopeful that things would be better going forward — and already had her bright-red Christmas leggings on.

(From left to right) Dawn Simons, of Lawnside, camden County; Ann Marie Laun, of Northeast Philadelphia; and Lori Aument, of Oreland, Montgomery County, take a photo with the Mandalorian with the 501st Legion before the parade got underway.

James Govan, 64, is already eyeing his retirement next year, when he plans to leave Philadelphia. He’s a federal worker, and has been able to hold onto his job during all of the recent tumult in the government.

But until then, the Northeast resident said he was thankful for the everyday parts of life, including the plate of greens with smoked turkey and macaroni and cheese he had prepared for the day. He figured that he would swing by the parade this year, he said, because you never know when it could be your last chance to experience it.

“Let me see this Santa Claus guy,” he joked, before turning a bit more serious, a walking cane in his right hand.

“When we’re young, we take it for granted.”

November 27, 2025
FBI raids homes after two National Guard members were shot near the White House

WASHINGTON – The FBI searched multiple properties in Washington state and San Diego on Thursday in what officials said was a terrorism probe into an Afghan national suspected of shooting two National Guard members, who remained in critical condition.

Investigators seized numerous electronic devices from the suspect’s house in Washington state, including cellphones, laptops, and iPads, and interviewed the suspect’s relatives, FBI Director Kash Patel told a news conference in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C. Jeanine Pirro identified the two wounded Guard members as Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24.

Pirro said the suspect ambushed the Guard members while they were patrolling near the White House on Wednesday afternoon. Armed with a powerful revolver, a .357 Magnum, he shot one member who fell and then shot again before firing multiple times at the second member.

Suspect worked with U.S. forces in Afghanistan

Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News the U.S. government planned to bring terrorism charges against the gunman and seek a sentence of life in prison “at a minimum.”

At her briefing, Pirro said the gunman faces three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and a charge of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.

He could be charged with murder in the first degree if either of the Guard members does not survive their injuries, she said.

Patel described the shootings as a “heinous act of terrorism,” but neither he nor Pirro offered a possible motive.

The assailant appeared to have acted alone, said Jeff Carroll, executive assistant chief of the Washington Metropolitan Police Department.

The suspect has been identified by authorities as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who lived in Washington state with his wife and five children.

Lakanwal, who was wounded in an exchange of gunfire before he was arrested, had been involved with U.S. partner forces during the war in Afghanistan, Patel said.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe told Fox News and the New York Times that Lakanwal had worked with CIA-backed local units in Afghanistan.

“He drove his vehicle cross-country from the state of Washington with the intended target of coming to our nation’s capital,” Pirro told the news conference.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, Lakanwal entered the U.S. in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden-era program to resettle thousands of Afghans who assisted the U.S. during the Afghanistan war and feared reprisals from Taliban forces who seized control after the U.S. withdrawal there.

President Donald Trump, who was at his Florida resort at the time of the attack, released a video statement late on Wednesday calling the shooting “an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror.”

It was unclear if the shooting would lead to changes to how the Guard operates in cities. Members typically patrol in small groups, including on foot, mostly armed with pistols.

Lakanwal approved for U.S. asylum this year

Trump said his administration would “re-examine” all Afghans who came to the U.S. during Joe Biden’s presidency.

Pirro and Patel blamed the Biden administration for improperly vetting Lakanwal, although they offered no evidence to support this assertion.

A Trump administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity said Lakanwal applied for asylum in December 2024 and was approved on April 23 this year, three months after Trump took office. Lakanwal, who resided in Washington state, had no known criminal history, the official said.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said on Wednesday it had halted processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals indefinitely, “pending further review of security and vetting protocols.”

FBI Director Kash Patel, center, and District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser, left, speak after two National Guard soldiers were shot near the White House on Wednesday, Nov. 26.

Vance defends immigration policy

Vice President JD Vance, who was in Kentucky on Wednesday, said on social media that the shooting proved the Trump administration’s immigration policy was justified.

“We must redouble our efforts to deport people with no right to be in our country,” he said.

Critics of the administration’s immigration policy say it has employed harsh and illegal tactics and swept up immigrants indiscriminately, including many with no criminal history and others in the U.S. legally.

The two Guard members from West Virginia were part of a militarized law enforcement mission ordered by Trump in August and challenged in court by Washington, D.C., officials. Trump ordered 500 more troops to be deployed in the capital in the wake of the shooting, joining about 2,200 already in the city as part of the president’s immigration and crime crackdown targeting Democratic-led cities.

Trump, a Republican, has suggested repeatedly that crime has disappeared from the capital as a result of the deployment, an assertion at odds with the police department’s official crime statistics. (Reporting by Leah Douglas, Jana Winter, Phil Stewart, Ted Hesson, Lucia Mutikani, Jasper Ward and Tim Reid; Additional reporting by Idrees Ali, Jeff Mason, Steve Gorman; Writing by Julia Harte and Rod Nickel; Editing by Ross Colvin and Deepa Babington)

Philadelphia role in Afghan resettlements

The Philadelphia region played a crucial role in supporting the largest resettlement effort since the end of the Vietnam War.

Philadelphia International Airport served as the nation’s main arrival point for more than 25,000 evacuees, about 1,500 of whom needed immediate medical attention for everything from diabetes to gunshot wounds. The flights to Philadelphia came from first-stop, emergency evacuation centers in Germany, Bahrain, Qatar, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, and elsewhere.

Most arrivals to Philadelphia were bused from the airport to temporary living quarters at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in South Jersey.

At one point more than 11,000 Afghans were living in a tent city, christened “Liberty Village,” on the South Jersey base. The Trump administration recently designated the base as one of two military sites where it intends to holds immigration detainees.

Ultimately at least 600 evacuees were resettled in the Philadelphia area, many of them living in the Northeast, which already had a significant Afghan population.

Almost everyone who came to Philadelphia and to this country served the United States in a military, diplomatic, or development capacity, or was the family member of someone who did. Others worked in media, women’s organizations, or humanitarian groups that faced Taliban retaliation.

Inquirer staff writer Jeff Gammage contributed to this article.

November 27, 2025
Hong Kong inferno puts a spotlight on the risks of bamboo scaffolding

HONG KONG – Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in three decades has highlighted its risky use of flammable bamboo scaffolding and mesh for building work in a tradition dating back centuries to mainland China. Authorities have not determined the cause of the blaze, but images from the scene showed the fire spreading rapidly across green netting covering the scaffolding erected around the housing complex.

Some of the bamboo lattices crashed to the ground in flames. For decades in the skyscraper-strewn former British colony, bamboo has been the material of choice for scaffolding – cheap, abundant and flexible – bound together with nylon cords.

The craft originated on mainland China where bamboo, viewed as symbolizing grace and moral fortitude, has since ancient times been a cornerstone of architecture, even reputedly used for scaffolding and tools in the building of the Great Wall.

Hong Kong fire poses test for China’s grip on the city

Metal scaffolding becoming more prominent

Now, though, it has largely been phased out in Mainland China for sturdier metal scaffolding and clamps. But Hong Kong, despite its modernity, still has around 2,500 registered bamboo scaffolding masters, according to official figures.

The number of metal scaffolders is around triple that. Small teams of scaffolders scrambling up vertiginous gleaming facades to sheathe a building in a matter of weeks is a familiar sight in the global financial hub.

The bamboo lattices are also often used alongside green construction mesh to prevent debris from injuring passers-by, as was the case in the tower blocks at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in Hong Kong’s northern Tai Po district.

Scaffolding checks promised

The fire that began Wednesday afternoon killed at least 55 people with nearly 300 missing. Hong Kong police said on Thursday that “the building’s exterior walls had protective nets, membranes, waterproof tarpaulins, and plastic sheets suspected of not meeting fire safety standards.”

The city’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said it had launched an investigation, while Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee said a task force had been set up to investigate the cause of the blaze. He said the government would check whether scaffolding mesh materials meet fire retardant standards and other safety standards on other projects.

Police arrested two directors of the contractor responsible for the renovation of the building and a consultant on manslaughter charges after finding materials were used in construction that did not meet safety standards.

The company, Prestige Construction & Engineering, did not answer repeated requests for comment.

In March, the government said 50% of new public works contracts would be required to use metal scaffolding going forward.

But the emphasis appeared to be more on worker safety rather than fire risks. There were 22 deaths involving bamboo scaffolders between 2019 and 2024, according to official figures.

A firefighter works to extinguish the blaze that broke out at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong.

Lee told reporters on Thursday that Hong Kong’s government was considering mandating the use of metal scaffolding in the future and had met with industry to discuss a phase-out of bamboo. In October, a massive bamboo scaffolding caught fire at the Chinachem Tower in the Central business district. Fire consumed construction netting and bamboo poles, leaving windows burnt out and external walls badly seared.

The Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims in Hong Kong said in a Facebook post that there had been at least two other fires involving bamboo scaffolding this year.

Protective nets, screens and tarpaulins or plastic sheeting installed on the face of scaffolding “should have appropriate fire retardant properties in compliance with a recognized standard,” says the Hong Kong Labour Department’s Code of Practice for Bamboo Scaffolding Safety.

Whistle-blower points to risks in other housing blocks

Jason Poon, a whistle-blower who has previously exposed shoddy construction work in Hong Kong, said in a Facebook post on Wednesday that fire hazard risks existed in scaffolding at many housing complexes.

He said he had reached out to various government departments last year concerning the lack of fire retardant in scaffolding nets at another complex, but he was ignored.

Firefighters work to extinguish the fire at Wang Fuk Court on Wednesday.

Hong Kong’s fire and building safety regulators did not respond to a request to comment.

“Of course, in terms of material, metal scaffolding is less flammable. That’s a fact,” said Chau Sze Kit, chairman of the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union. But he said the fire risk for bamboo scaffolding could be limited if a construction management team takes the right steps.

“Fires on scaffolding usually happen because construction debris accumulates on it – things like paper, towels, clothing, or other flammable materials,” he told Reuters. “Poor management leads to these incidents.”

November 27, 2025
Hong Kong fire poses test for China’s grip on the city

HONG KONG/BEIJING – A huge fire still burning in a Hong Kong high-rise apartment complex that has killed at least 55 people with almost 300 missing poses the biggest test of Beijing’s grip on the city it has transformed since the mass pro-democracy protests of 2019.

Under sweeping legislative changes, pro-democracy voices and other critics have been silenced and elections limited to “patriotic” candidates, with the next legislative council poll set for December 7.

The fire struck as Hong Kong braces for the sentencing of media tycoon Jimmy Lai – the most prominent of hundreds of pro-democracy figures and activists facing lengthy jail terms under national security and protest-related charges.

“I think Beijing is attaching great importance to two issues – number one, how will the government handle this tragedy? And secondly, will we see a changing perception of the citizens on the Hong Kong government,” said Sonny Lo, a political scientist who has written several books on Hong Kong politics.

“The government has done well on national security, but national security includes a human security dimension.”

The leadership of both the Hong Kong government and China’s Communist Party moved quickly to show they attached utmost importance to the tragedy, with police targetting the construction company in charge of the renovations.

Hong Kong’s sky-high property prices have long been a trigger for discontent and the tragedy could stoke resentment towards authorities despite their efforts to tighten political and national security control, analysts said.

From faulty fire alarms to workers smoking cigarettes and the risks of traditional bamboo scaffolding, many residents questioned whether risks were ignored and safety systems installed and operational.

As they huddled in shelters, some criticized what they saw as negligence and cost-cutting as a cause of the fire, echoing similar sentiments online.

Around 10 p.m. on Wednesday night – with flames still shooting out of windows – Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing urged an “all-out effort” to extinguish the fire and to minimize casualties and losses, according to state media reports.

Xi “expressed sympathy to the families of the victims and those affected by the disaster” and “attached great importance to the accident and immediately sought updates on the rescue efforts and casualties.”

Four hours later, Hong Kong leader John Lee held a news conference after touring shelters for survivors of the blaze.

Some 4,600 people live in the complex’s eight towers, seven of which caught fire.

“The priority is to extinguish the fire and rescue the residents who are trapped,” Lee said. “The second is to support the injured. The third is to support and recover. Then, we’ll launch a thorough investigation.”

But at 5:54 a.m., only three hours after Lee’s news conference and before the fire was fully under control, police announced the cause of its spread and said three officials from the construction company had been arrested.

As well as the towers being covered with sheets of protective mesh and plastic that may not meet fire standards, some windows on one unaffected building were sealed with a foam material that had been installed by a construction company carrying out maintenance work, police said.

“We have reason to believe that the company’s responsible parties were grossly negligent, which led to this accident and caused the fire to spread uncontrollably, resulting in major casualties,” said Eileen Chung, a Hong Kong police superintendent.

Three men from the construction company, two directors and one engineering consultant, had been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter over the fire, she added.

Questions of accountability

While protests are relatively tightly controlled in Hong Kong, a full range of online forums remain accessible and are likely to offer an early barometer of the public mood.

Analysts say public anger and concern may spread beyond the construction firms to the government’s fire safety and building regulators and pressure is likely to build for extensive and open investigations into what happened.

Traditionally, the Hong Kong government has staged open inquiries into large-scale tragedies, often headed by an independent judge.

One comparison raised by experts is a commission of inquiry into a fire in a Kowloon commercial building that killed 41 people in 1996, a year before the handover of Hong Kong from Britain to China.

That inquiry sparked new building and fire safety laws and regulations. But it may no longer be enough.

“I believe we need to seriously review fire safety and site safety management across the entire industry, including government oversight,” said Chau Sze Kit, chairman of the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union.

November 27, 2025
20 local holiday events to add to your calendar | Inquirer Lower Merion
Hi, Lower Merion! 👋

Happy Thanksgiving! While all eyes are on Turkey Day today, the winter holidays aren’t far behind. We’ve rounded up 20 events you’ll want to add to your calendar. Also this week, the former business manager of a Bala Cynwyd church has been charged with stealing over $1.1 million, a Bryn Mawr birth center is closing its doors, plus SEPTA will get new funding to tackle its Regional Rail car repairs.

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20 holiday events you won’t want to miss this season

Santa will make stops throughout Lower Merion this year, including at Suburban Square.

The holiday season is officially upon us and with it, a slew of festive events. Whether you’re looking to snag a picture with Santa Claus, catch an ice skating show, see a menorah lighting, or tour a decked-out historic house, there’s no shortage of things to do in Lower Merion.

We’ve rounded up 20 holiday festivities this season, including shopping pop-ups, holiday movie screenings, festivals, and more.

See the full list of holiday events here.

💡 Community News
- Reminder for residents: Trash and recycling collection will operate on an altered schedule for the holiday. See your schedule here.
- The 60-year-old former business manager of St. Matthias Catholic Church in Bala Cynwyd has been charged with stealing more than $1.1 million from the church between 2018 and 2024. He allegedly used the funds for personal expenses, including vacations.
- Bryn Mawr prenatal care and birth center Lifecycle Wellness is shutting down operations in mid-February as it faces growing financial pressures. It offered “homelike” births to about 600 patients a year.
- Main Line Health, along with the University of Pennsylvania Health System, were handed down a $35 million jury verdict last week after a cancer misdiagnosis at Lankenau Medical Center in Penn Wynne led a patient to undergo a full hysterectomy. Main Line Health previously settled with the patient, meaning the system won’t have to pay its share of the verdict.
- A judge denied a former Narberth doctor’s parole request this week and ordered her to serve five more months in jail. Amy Lauren Cohen was sentenced in March to 11 1/2 to 23 months of jail time after pleading guilty to charges of arson, stalking, and terroristic threats for setting a 99-year-old Lower Merion woman’s home on fire in November 2023. (Main Line Times)
- WMMR has announced that longtime Philadelphia radio host Matt Cord will return to the station to take over late Gladwyne resident Pierre Robert’s midday show, starting Monday, with Cord adding, “Nobody replaces Pierre.”
- Gov. Josh Shapiro is sending $220 million to SEPTA, funds that will help the transit agency repair its Regional Rail cars. Problems that arose while SEPTA inspected its Silverliner IV fleet caused a painstaking return to service and commuter delays. With the fresh capital, SEPTA aims to return service to normal capacity in the next few weeks.
- Make-A-Wish Philadelphia, Delaware & Susquehanna Valley opened its new headquarters in Bala Cynwyd last week. Located at 251 St. Asaphs Rd., The Vince and Lynne Laino Wishing Place features a tree house, a LEGO room, and a wishing fountain in addition to serving as the nonprofit’s offices.
- In case you missed it, last week Lower Merion moved forward with an ordinance that will ban gas-powered leaf blowers starting in 2029.
- Need a little help tackling your holiday gift list? We’ve put together a guide to over 70 very Philadelphia ideas, complete with a quiz to find the perfect one for yourself or your hard-to-shop for friends and family.
🏫 Schools Briefing
- Schools are closed today and tomorrow for Thanksgiving. LMHS is hosting its “Maroon Madness” on Tuesday ahead of the winter Keystone testing window, which starts Wednesday and continues until Dec. 17. See the district’s full calendar here.
- The Education Foundation of Lower Merion is seeking new members to join its board of directors for three-year terms. Learn more here.
🍽️ On our Plate
- Mama’s Pizzeria in Bala Cynwyd is closing its doors this week after 65 years in business. The shop, known for its signature cheesesteak, plans to shutter Friday or Saturday.
- Mexican fast-casual chain Chipotle opened at 229 City Ave. in Merion Station earlier this month, where it has a drive-thru pick-up lane.
- Earlier this month, Fox29’s Morgan Parrish visited The Brew Room in Ardmore to chat with the husband-and-wife team behind the specialty Greek café and what inspired them to bring the flavors of the Mediterranean to the Main Line. See the segment here.
🎳 Things to Do

🍬 Day After Thanksgiving Edible Art Camp: Kids ages 5 to 12 will make four winter-themed edible treats. ⏰ Friday, Nov. 28, 10-11 a.m. 💵 $21.20 📍 The Candy Lab

🍿 Zootopia: Catch a screening of the 2016 animated film about Zootopia’s first bunny on the police force, who partners with a fox to solve a case. ⏰ Friday, Nov. 28, 1-3 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Penn Wynne Library

👸 Cinderella: Catch a screening of the ultimate Disney classic. There will be a second screening on Dec. 13. ⏰ Saturday, Nov. 29, 11 a.m. 💵 $6.75-$7.75 📍 Bryn Mawr Film Institute

🩰 Israeli Dancing: This drop-in class will teach you some moves set to traditional Israeli music. ⏰ Wednesday, Dec. 3, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. 💵 $15 📍 Kaiserman JCC

✡️ Hanukkah Crafternoon: Kids can create a holiday-themed craft during this drop-in event. ⏰ Wednesday, Dec. 3, 3-5 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Gladwyne Library

🏡 On the Market

A stately six-bedroom center hall home

The home’s entry is flanked by two-story columns.

This six-bedroom brick Gladwyne home exudes old world vibes thanks to its center hall layout and two-story pillar columns. Inside, the home feels contemporary. Some features include a formal living room with a double-sided gas fireplace, a formal dining room, an eat-in kitchen, and a first floor primary suite. The finished basement also has a fireplace and an ensuite bedroom. There’s an open house on Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m.

See more photos of the home here.

Price: $1.399M | Size: 4,258 SF | Acreage: 0.83

🗞️ What other Lower Merion residents are reading this week:
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
November 27, 2025
17 local holiday events you won’t want to miss | Inquirer Greater Media
Hi, Greater Media! 👋

Happy Thanksgiving! With one holiday here and several others fast approaching, we’ve rounded up over a dozen events you’ll want to add to your calendar. Also this week, the Delco-set HBO series Task will return for a second season, SEPTA is getting additional funding for Regional Rail car repairs, plus a gift guide with a very Philly twist.

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Over a dozen holiday events you won’t want to miss this season

Christmasland returns to Linvilla Orchards, where visitors can cut their own tree or pick a pre-cut one.

The holiday season is officially upon us and with it, a slew of festive events. Whether you’re looking to snag a picture with Santa Claus or be dazzled by light displays, there’s no shortage of things to do in and around Media.

We’ve rounded up more than a dozen holiday festivities this season, including shopping pop-ups, holiday parades, cookie swaps, and more.

See the full list of holiday events here.

💡 Community News
- Trash and recycling pickups are operating on an altered schedule this week for the holiday. For more information on pickups, check the Media, Middletown Township, or Swarthmore websites, or for Nether Providence Township residents, check with your private trash collector.
- Heads up for drivers: Valley Road between Darlington and New Darlington Roads will be closed from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. next Wednesday through Friday for water main work.
- Good news for Task fans: The Delco-set HBO series has been picked up for a second season. The show has been awarded a record $49.8 million tax credit, the largest amount Pennsylvania has granted to a single production. While we don’t know when the crew will be back in town for filming or when the new season will debut, expect plenty more local scenes from creator and Berwyn native Brad Ingelsby.
- Gov. Josh Shapiro is sending $220 million to SEPTA, funds that will help the transit agency with repairs to its Regional Rail cars. Problems that arose while SEPTA inspected its Silverliner IV fleet caused a painstaking return to service and commuter delays. With the fresh capital, SEPTA aims to return service to normal capacity in the next few weeks.
- A pair of Swarthmore residents last week were accused of causing $130,000 in losses to a company after allegedly stealing and using corporate credit cards for their own purchases. They were arrested last week before being released on unsecured bail. (Patch)
- Swarthmore College will continue its test-optional admission policy for up to five more years as many schools continue to de-emphasize SAT or ACT scores in admissions decisions. (The Phoenix)
- Need a little help tackling your holiday gift list? We’ve put together a guide to over 70 very Philadelphia ideas, complete with a quiz to find the perfect one for yourself or your hard-to-shop for friends and family. Or check out columnist Stephanie Farr’s gift guide of the most Philly things around, including a Wawa snow globe.
- Speaking of shopping, 6abc recently visited Swarthmore thrift store Heart & Soul’d to chat with owners Terry Crossan and Kristen Mancini about their mission. The sisters’ shop, which sells an array of donated goods, helps benefit foster and adoptive services in the county, something close to their hearts given both have adopted daughters themselves. Watch the segment here.
- Those shopping in Swarthmore’s town center will get free parking on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays starting this weekend and running through the end of the year. In Media, the borough will have free daily parking at the Baltimore Avenue garage today through New Year’s Day.
- Looking to avoid the crowds on Black Friday? Here’s a guide to some of the region’s walking and hiking trails.
🏫 Schools Briefing
- RTMSD is closed today and tomorrow for Thanksgiving.
- WSSD is closed today and tomorrow for Thanksgiving. Keystone testing dates begin Wednesday.
🍽️ On our Plate
- In case you missed it, Media is getting a new Mexican BYOB. Taquero features authentic dishes from around the country, including street foods and tacos, and is now planning to open on Monday.
- That’s not the only dining news in Media. Maris, a Mediterranean restaurant from Loïc Barnieu, has opened at the former Two Fourteen space on West State Street.
🎳 Things to Do

🎭 Annie: The Media Theatre kicks off its run of the beloved Broadway hit about an orphan who finds an unlikely champion in a billionaire. ⏰ Friday, Nov. 28-Sunday, Jan. 4, days and times vary 💵 $27-$47 📍 The Media Theatre

🎶 The Whitewalls: The nine-piece horn Philadelphia party band specializes in R&B, funk, pop, disco, and Top 40 tunes. ⏰ Saturday, Nov. 29, 8:30 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Shere-e-Punjab

🏡 On the Market

A brick ranch with a three-season room

The home spans 3,300 square feet and has an above-ground pool.

Built in 1957, this updated brick ranch offers single-floor living with a living room, dining room, kitchen, and four bedrooms all situated on the ground level. It also has an enclosed rear porch leading to a fenced backyard, where there’s an above-ground pool. There’s also a finished basement. There are open houses this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m.

See more photos of the property here.

Price: $675,000 | Size: 3,300 SF | Acreage: 0.27

🗞️ What other Greater Media residents are reading this week:
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
November 27, 2025