Published in the May 24, 2018 edition

By DAN TOMASELLO

NORTH READING — The tradition will continue after all.

After getting an earful from residents living in both Lynnfield and North Reading, Lynnfield school officials reversed course last week and decided to play the 60th annual Thanksgiving Day football game between the North Reading Hornets and Lynnfield Pioneers on Thanksgiving morning. Lynnfield school officials originally scheduled the contest for Thanksgiving Eve.

“This is a community event and if the community wants the game played on Thanksgiving, the administration 100 percent supports that decision,” said Lynnfield Superintendent Jane Tremblay in a phone interview.

Tremblay said the decision to originally move the game to Thanksgiving Eve came in the wake of a conversation between her, Lynnfield High School Principal Bob Cleary, and Lynnfield High Athletic Director Mike Bierwirth.

“We were talking about how great the Friday night games have been and a more recent trend of schools moving the game to Wednesday night,” said Tremblay. “We decided to put a survey out to see if people would be amenable to moving the game to Wednesday. We purposefully did the survey around Thanksgiving so it would be on people’s minds.”

Lynnfield School Committee Chairman Jamie Hayman wrote on his Facebook page: “The original survey was done with no hidden agenda and the administration was just as happy to keep the game on Thanksgiving Day as they were to trying a one-year pilot on Wednesday night.”

In an email sent to parents and guardians last week regarding changing the game to Thanksgiving eve, Tremblay said, “over 700 people responded to the survey with a strong interest in piloting this for one year with the intention of a follow-up survey.”

After the football decision went viral on both the North Reading Community Connection and Lynnfield Community Group Facebook pages, Tremblay decided to resend the survey due to the “recent outpouring of concern.” She said a number of parents and townspeople reported that they “did not see the (original) survey or did not have an opportunity to fill the survey out.”

“Within 24 hours, we had received over 600 responses with 75 percent saying they were not in favor of moving the game,” said Tremblay in a phone interview.

North Reading Superintendent Jon Bernard expressed his appreciation for Lynnfield school officials deciding to reverse the decision.

“I am pleased for both communities,” said Bernard. “Lynnfield and North Reading have enjoyed a good, healthy and spirited rivalry. I am looking forward to having the traditional Thanksgiving Day football continue no matter who the host community is.”

North Reading School Committee Chairman Mel Webster, who led the social media revolt in Hornet country, agreed.

“North Reading residents are thrilled that the 60th matchup between these border rivals will be played on Thanksgiving morning,” said Webster. “It’s been a long-standing tradition and we are glad to see it continue. I appreciate Superintendent Tremblay revisiting the decision and opening it up to additional community input.”

Parents in both towns welcomed the decision with open arms on social media.

North Reading has won the last two Thanksgiving football games. The Hornets stung the Pioneers 27-13 last year.

Editor’s note: In last week’s issue on the matter, the Transcript was being printed at the same time Tremblay reversed the decision.