4 OCTOBER 2020 EDITOR’S NOTE Okay, everyone! You have the October edition of Arcadia News in your hands. Take a breath and pat yourself on the back – we’ve made it to month 10! Kids are officially back in school, most restaurants are open, and life is (almost) getting back to normal. Well, as normal as it can be right now. I decided to branch out and try something new, partially because Oktoberfest events have been canceled this year and because I needed a new and different hobby. I bought myself a “brew your own beer” kit and attempted to make my own hefeweizen (a German wheat beer). I was able to talk to Dave Burkle, O.H.S.O.’s brewmaster, and Four Peaks’ Zach Fowle to get the low-down on beer making – I even got to help Dave out while he was putting together a new batch. I am happy to report the beer turned out delicious – but I’ll let the experts handle it from here on out. Read about the process on page 28. Normally, Arcadians would be gearing up for all sorts of events, from the G.A.I.N. picnic, Shemer’s Furry Friends Fine Arts Festival, haunted houses and breast cancer awareness 5Ks. Halloween will be a little different this year, but we’re offering a few ways to keep it safe and fun. Make sure to tune in to our next Arcadia Podcast, which will be available in the coming weeks and will feature Chef Chris Collins of Collins Small Batch Kitchen, The Macintosh and Wally’s American Gastropub – to name a few. We love staying in touch with our community, so please send us your story ideas to editor@arcadianews.com. Happy Halloween, and as always, thank you for reading Arcadia News . — Mallory Gleich — Mallory Gleich “Reading is the key that opens doors to many good things in life. Reading shaped my dreams, and more reading helped me make my dreams come true.” — Ruth Bader Ginsburg even got to help Dave out while he was putting together a new batch. I am happy to report the beer turned out delicious – but I’ll let the experts handle it from here on out. I am happy to report the beer turned out delicious – but I’ll let the experts handle it from here on out. Serving the Arcadia area since 1958          Find us on Facebook! Member Since 1959      •  •    •    •    •         4855 E Thomas Rd, Phoenix AZ 85018 | www.ingleside.com Book Your Holiday Boarding Today!! BRIAN A. SERBIN, DVM • KATHERINE HEWITT, DVM SAMANTHA MIELKE, DVM • KARISSA SCIACCA, DVM HOSPITAL 602-840-3446 | GROOMING 602-952-1754 Grooming OPEN Tues - Sat www.ingleside.com To ensure the safety of our clients & staff, we are performing curbside assistance. By Cody Kennedy Three Arcadia High seniors were recently named semifinalists for the 66th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Max Lunifeld, Calvin Eng and Mary McManus are among 16,000 students nationwide to advance in the program, and three out of 14 selected in the Scottsdale Unified School District. National Merit semifinalists are picked based on their PSAT scores taken during their junior year. Students are then notified in September of their senior years if their scores qualify them to be semifinalists. “I scored 1510 out of 1520, placing me above the cutoff for the award. From here, I will have to apply with an essay to be considered for finalist status, and ultimately the National Merit Scholarship itself,” Lunifeld said. The National Merit Scholarship is a $2,500 scholarship awarded to about 7,000 students nationwide every year. These students are selected from the pool of semifinalists based on their applications. “While the scholarship itself is not a huge amount of money,” Lunifeld said, “the prestige that comes with the award often prompts schools to provide scholarships for applicants that have earned it. Many schools offer half-tuition, free tuition or potentially a free ride for National Merit recipients.” Lunifeld plans on majoring in biomedical engineering in college and hopes to ultimately earn a master’s degree. “I’m looking at several engineering- oriented schools, such as Rice University, USC, Johns Hopkins, UT Austin, Texas A&M, UW and ASU Barrett,” he said. Lunifeld was part of the Arcadia Boy Scouts Troop 6, earning his Eagle Scout distinction as a freshman. His project involved installing a bike rack, a small patio and landscaping at a homeless medical clinic called Circle the City. Eng is also part of Troop 6. For his Eagle Scout project, he planted trees and removed invasive species of plants in the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area. “In the future, I would like to become a professor. I am not sure of where I would like to go to college, but I would like to study a science, most likely biology,” Eng said. McManus is currently president of Arcadia’s National Honor Society, whose goal is to serve the community and give back to the school. “Recently, most of our volunteering has been virtual K-12 tutoring for all students in the Arcadia learning community. The pandemic has hit students very hard, making school work difficult in many different ways, so we believe this is one of the best and safest ways for us to give back right now,” McManus said. She is also a member of Arcadia Unitown, a club working toward ending bigotry and spreading positivity on campus. McManus said she’s not sure where she will attend college. “I would love to be in the New England area, studying psychology and possibly political science as well,” she said. “My goal is to become a professor of psychology and conduct research through a university.” To continue in the merit competition, the semifinalists must now submit detailed applications that include their academic records, participation in school and community activities, examples of leadership, employment history and honors/awards they have received. Congratulations to these scholars! AHS seniors named National Merit Scholarship semifinalists Calvin Eng Mary McManus Max Lunifeld

5405 E Calle Ventura • $ 2,395,000 4 Bedroom/ 4.5 Bath • 3,723 square feet QUINTESSENTIAL ARCADIA RANCH 2020 TAVAN SCHOOL DISTRICT SALES RESULTS (1/01/2020-8/31/2020) Active Homes - 58 Homes Homes Sold - 142 Homes Average Sale Price - $720,000 Average Sold $ Per SF - $309 Average Days On Market - 63 days There is currently 3 months of home inventory. (based on 2019 sales results) 2020 home sales have increased 0% this year. (based on 2019 sales results) 2020 home prices have increased 10%. (based on 2019 sales results) 2020 $ Per Square Foot prices have increased 11%. (based on 2019 sales results) 2020 Homes are taking 28% less time to sell. (based on 2019 sales results) 2019 TAVAN SCHOOL DISTRICT SALES RESULTS Homes Sold - 221 Homes Average Sale Price - $651,000 Average Sold $ Per SF - $276 Average Days On Market - 91 days Arcadia Real Estate Stats 2020 HOPI SCHOOL DISTRICT SALES RESULTS (1/01/2020-8/31/2020) Active Homes - 156 homes Homes Sold - 210 homes Average Sale Price - $1,665,000 Average Sold $ Per SF - $429 Average Days On Market - 110 days There is currently 6 months of home inventory. (based on 2019 sales results) 2020 home sales have increased 0% this year. (based on 2019 sales results) 2020 home prices have increased 18%. (based on 2019 sales results) 2020 $ Per Square Foot prices have increased 14%. (based on 2019 sales results) 2020 homes are taking 6% less time to sell. (based on 2019 sales results) 2019 HOPI SCHOOL DISTRICT SALES RESULTS Homes Sold - 312 homes Average Sale Price - $1,362,000 Average Sold $ Per SF - $371 Average Days On Market - 117 days Free MLS Access: visit TommyAtkinson.com SELLING YOUR HOME? Ask me about my comprehensive online and print marketing program that exposes your home to the largest pool of qualified buyers. Walt Danley Realty Cell 602-625-6020 www.tommyatkinson.com 5 OCTOBER 2020 By Mallory Gleich | PHOTOS: JOHN BESSER The coronavirus put a damper on nearly everything. Folks struggled to put a smile on their faces while not being able to leave their homes. Arcadians John Besser and Candice Gohman decided to do something about it and turned their front yard into Bear and Minnie’s Many Adventures. Candice and John’s home is located at 42nd St. and Hazelwood. It became a stage where stuffed animals Minnie, Bear, Baby Bear, Kong, Coco, Patty Star and friends would act out fun scenarios such as watching a football game, fixing a bicycle or celebrating a holiday. People driving, biking or walking by can see a fun surprise when passing the house. John and Candice are transplants to the Arcadia area and have lived here on and off for almost 30 years. “We love the environment; the green grass and large trees,” Candice said. “The people in this area are also some of the happiest. Everyone is friendly, and chitchat seems welcomed by people. About 10 years ago, we moved from Arcadia to Union Hills and the 101 – the neighborhood was not as friendly, so we were back after 12 months!” The pair run a property management company, and Arcadia is a central location for the business. “The time the commute added had a huge impact on our quality of life,” Candice said. “We work the whole metro area, and Arcadia is a 20 to 40-minute trip to just about everywhere we needed to go.” Bear and Minnie’s adventures came as a result of their granddaughter’s stuffed animals taking up space. “We only had Bear and Minnie at the beginning, and they are pretty big. I needed to vacuum, and the weather was so nice, so I would open up the French doors on the front of the house and place Bear and Minnie looking outside,” Candice said. One day, Candice noticed cars were slowing down as they passed their house, and parents were rolling down the back windows so their kids could look out and see the stuffed animals. In March, when the pandemic forced people to quarantine at home, Candice and John decided that everyone could use a little bit of a happy feeling – with no “strings” attached. Candice explained, “The happy look on the little face of the child on the driver’s side of the car got me thinking, how could we keep giving them ‘the happy’?” Due to the pandemic, Candice was out of work and needing something to keep her busy. “I love solving problems and figuring out what to do with Bear and Minnie was a problem I could solve. Bear and Minnie also solved my problem of not having something outside of myself to do,” she said. John and Candice explained that some of the themes were planned, while others were thought of on the spot. Some of the ideas sprouted from what the neighborhood, state and world were going through. “Stuff like working from home, science class, daycare, protests and the household maintenance,” John said. “When Bear and Minnie took the gang for a bike ride, it was inspired by a large group of people, parents, and children that would ride by daily.” Most of the animals are Isabel’s – John and Candice’s granddaughter – but a few belong to their youngest daughter, Elizabeth, or they are Candice’s, collected from over the years. A few were even added to complete Bear and Minnie’s Adventures. The pair say that most themes take around two hours to set up, though some themes take longer, depending on how intricate they are. “The chess match took the longest. We were up building the board until about midnight – and up again at 6 a.m. for the staging,” John said. John’s favorite theme happened on May 23, when the animals escaped from quarantine. This came after the shutdown ended, and they had to “evict” the group from the front room for Isabel’s first birthday. Candice’s favorite was the tea party on April 6, which was the first time Bear and Minnie were set up. “I was not prepared for the largely positive reaction, and that fed me,” Candice said. “The response has been amazing and unexpected. We have met more people than we have in the seven years we have been in this home, and even when Bear and Minnie are not out on the lawn having an adventure, they are always in the window and still have visitors coming by to see what is going on.” “It has meant as much to us as people tell us it has meant to them. We hope to continue this as long as possible,” John said. Bear and Minnie have their own Facebook page so people can stay updated on their adventures. John and Candace plan to set the gang up during Halloween and Christmas, so if you’re in the area, keep your eyes peeled for Bear, Minnie and the rest of the group. For more: visit Bear and Minnie’s Many Adventures Facebook page. Bear and Minnie’s adventures bring joy to the neighborhood