Gritty turns 1 🎂; A lawyer and his former Montco firm battle over an $11 million legal fee | Morning Newsletter
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We’ve seen Gritty rappel from the ceiling of the Wells Fargo Center, get “nakey” and streak during the Flyers’ Stadium Series game, punch a ref, assault Santa, and shoot a man in the back with a t-shirt cannon. All that in just one year. The Flyers’ (in)famous mascot turns one today, and we’re not quite sure what’ll be in store for year two. Also, a lawyer is fighting with his old law firm over a referral fee that could total over $11 million.
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— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Philadelphia — and, frankly, the world of sports mascots — changed forever a year ago today. Gritty was born. And the Flyers mascot has come to showcase pretty much everything we love about Philly (and everything outsiders love to hate).
Our reporter Stephanie Farr (who has covered all things Gritty from the very beginning) sent Gritty a few questions for his birthday. The responses are typical. For example, the Philly neighborhood Gritty most identifies with is apparently “Airport, mostly.” We also took a look back at the highs (and lows) of Gritty’s first year with us.
A 17-year-old girl was catastrophically burned in North Philadelphia when a propane tank exploded on the food truck where she was working. And ultimately, she got a share of what became the largest individual pre-verdict settlement in Pennsylvania history — about $71 million.
The only thing left to take care of in the case is a fight over a massive referral fee. The victim’s lawyer says it should be his. Meanwhile, his old firm says it’s theirs. The outcome of the fight, which has lasted 18 months, could mean a difference of over $11 million.
Lancaster County was once a historic capital of hemp in the U.S. and is now, unsurprisingly, leading the cultivation of the crop in Pennsylvania. It’s also home to the nation’s largest Amish settlement, with an Anabaptist population of nearly 40,000.
The Amish and the “English” (how the Amish refer to non-Amish people) have been working together to grow and harvest the crop, which began in the first week of September.
What you need to know today
Former Vice President Joe Biden and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker were both in Philadelphia for fundraisers on Monday. Most of the attention was on Biden, who spoke at the Franklin Institute with a message that mixed calls for uniting the country with a promise to “punch back” against President Donald Trump.
Last week was Philly’s first dry week in over 10 months. But fall is already off to a particularly steamy start.
The disappearance of a 5-year-old girl from South Jersey is still a mystery as the search enters its second week.
Residents of Bucks, Montgomery, and Gloucester Counties will participate in a national health study about the impact tainted drinking water can have on human health. They’re three of seven sites across the country that got the funding for health studies.
A South Jersey police officer testified Monday that the Bordentown police chief routinely used racial slurs, compared black people to ISIS, and said that President Trump “is the last hope for white people.”
Here’s how the CEOs of Subaru of America and American Water are pushing back against criticism of New Jersey’s controversial tax breaks.
Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly
It doesn’t seem like there’s an end in sight for days that you can spend on the Schuylkill River. Nice shot, @someguyinphilly.
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
Following the Eagles’ loss on Sunday, a couple of passionate fans went viral. One is Penn’s dean of admissions who was caught emphatically jeering the refs. The other ripped an Eagles wide receiver during a TV interview in which he described a fire rescue.
A few Rittenhouse Square food updates: Michael Solomonov’s K’Far is serving up casual Middle Eastern dinners, Suraya has opened a Mexican-inspired coffee shop in the neighborhood, and Swiss Haus Bakery is returning with a new Sansom Street location.
What happened to “Penny Franklin," the giant tribute to Ben Franklin made out of pennies and fiberglass?
Who is behind the Fashion District’s murals? Meet 11 local artists.
Inquirer reporter Erin McCarthy writes about how losing her finger (and nearly her life) during a rafting accident changed her perspective. She also reports on one of the things that has helped her since the accident: trauma therapy.
Opinions
“No amount of lead in a child’s blood is safe. Because of a combination of the old housing stock in Philadelphia, lax enforcement, and high poverty rate, lead poisoning among Philadelphia’s children is more prevalent than among those of Flint, Mich.” — The Inquirer Editorial Board writes about the bill Philadelphia City Council looks poised to pass to protect children from lead poisoning in Philly’s rental properties.
Former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Margolies writes about why America’s debt should be an issue that 2020 presidential candidates should be asked about.
Brooke Feldman is a person in recovery, a harm reduction advocate and social worker. Shannon Farrel-Patkis is the president of the Harrowgate Civic Association and an advocate for children with disabilities. One supports an overdose prevention site. One does not. But they can still find common ground.
What we’re reading
Lanternfly earrings anyone? Philadelphia magazine covers a West Philly woman who’s turning the dead bugs into jewelry.
The New Republic examines “cancel culture” through the lens of comedy and expands it to look at its impact on other areas of culture and politics.
PBS NewsHour has the full video of Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg’s speech to world leaders.
Your Daily Dose of | Mancini (x4)
If you look at a cross country leaderboard during a race that LaSalle is running in, you might think there’s been a mistake. The name Mancini will pop up not once, not twice, but four times. The sisters pace the Explorers’ squad and hail from Media, Pa.