4 DECEMBER 2020 EDITOR’S NOTE Over the weekend, I happened to be out holiday shopping, as many are wont to do as soon as Halloween ends. And I noticed that although we are required to wear masks, keep safe distances and continuously wash our hands, people were HAPPY. For a small moment, they weren’t focused on all the “bad,” and the only craziness I saw was a couple of ladies arguing over a Christmas wreath at Hobby Lobby. This month, we are continuing to focus on all of the “happy” things in our neighborhood and around the Valley. Holiday events are happening all over Arizona, with safety precautions, of course – and one thing’s for sure: There will be no “missing out on twinkle lights.” We’ve highlighted a couple of Valley staples, one of which is right in our neighborhood. The Rebel Lounge, once known as The Mason Jar and home to some of the first music shows of a few well-known artists (Green Day, Nirvana and Jane’s Addiction, to name a few), has opened a new venture called Reap & Sow Coffee Bar. The décor inside Rebel was updated, and the coffee shop will offer coffee, pastries, burritos and signature cocktails as the bar area opens later in the day. We all know how beautiful Arizona sunsets can be. But did you know that Arizona also has seven International Dark Sky communities and 10 International Dark Sky parks? Our sky is gorgeous, even when it’s dark out! Read all about it in our story on page 18. I know what we’re all thinking – 2020 has been a whirlwind, and the hope for 2021 is that we can grow from everything that’s happened, as a nation, state and community. We at Arcadia News are so thankful to our readers for your continued support, and we can’t wait to see what the new year brings. Thank you, as always, for reading Arcadia News . – Mallory Gleich – Mallory Gleich UPCOMING THEMES: No one has better coverage in the areas of Arcadia, Biltmore and the Camelback Corridor. Promote your business to 48,000 loyal Arcadia News readers. For more: 602-840-6379 or email roni@arcadianews.com . JANUARY Fitness/Health FEBRUARY Arcadia History MARCH Spring APRIL Outdoors By Rachael Bouley Arcadia High School has a new athletic director who brings his love of sports and academics to the Titan community. Shawn Gatson, who also serves as assistant principal, has embraced the rich traditions that make Arcadia athletics a standout not only across the Valley but throughout the entire state. Gatson said that the move to AHS was an exciting career choice, as he recognized the vital role local educators play in enriching student lives and the community as a whole. “I wanted to come to a school that has high expectations for their programs, but more so high expectations for building student-athletes into outstanding citizens,” Gatson said. Gatson began coaching right out of high school and has continued leading athletes over the last 25 years. He’s coached soccer, baseball, softball, basketball and football, and taught physical education for five years. He most recently was a small business owner in downtown Phoenix. Before that, he spent a decade as the athletic director at Bourgade Catholic High School and has also worked in athletic administrative roles for a nonprofit and local city government. Gatson is no stranger to sports on a personal level, too. Growing up in Phoenix, he loved baseball, football, soccer and basketball. As a high schooler, he had plans to pursue a college football career, but he changed courses after following his grade- school sweetheart to Northern Arizona University. His journey has made him a firm believer that athletics teaches much more about life skills and being a good teammate than anything else. “My number one goal is to instill character development into all of our programs,” Gatson said. He hopes to build on the school’s foundation through programs like the Arizona Interscholastic Association’s “Pursuing Victory with Honor” and the Positive Coaching Alliance. These initiatives help him in all his leadership duties, both athletic and academic. “As the assistant principal, my goal is for the student body to build trust in me that I will be there to support their educational endeavors and will be a fair and sound advocate for their learning,” Gatson said. The current climate for school athletics is much different from a few years ago, but Gatson is up for the challenge. Safety remains the top priority for AHS, including preventing the spread of the coronavirus among student-athletes. Gatson and the athletic department manage daily symptoms and temperature checks, with proper social distancing and personal hygiene measures to keep students safe. Gatson hopes to positively influence students and encourage them to go on and do great things, long after their days of competing for the Titans are over. “What I want most is for these student- athletes to leave Arcadia High School thinking that they had a wonderful experience, and they can’t wait to talk about it with their friends,” Gatson said. “I would also like to see our student-athletes become great parents, outstanding citizens and positive leaders in our community.” AHS athletic director promotes character development Shawn Gatson “Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” — The Grinch TUNE IN! 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5 DECEMBER 2020 Jim Rogers, Wayne Gretzky and Tony Knowles at the 2004 Arizona Coyotes “99 hours of Hockey” event that they held for Gila River Arena’s grand opening. PHOTO COURTESY OF JUSTIN ROGERS By Mallory Gleich In early October, the Arcadia neighborhood mourned after finding out that the long-time owner of AZ Ice Arcadia, Jim Rogers, had passed away. Hockey had been a passion of Rogers’ from childhood, one that grew so much that he was known as the godfather of hockey. AZ Ice Arcadia, located on 40th Street and Thomas, initially opened as the Ice Palace in 1966. In the early 90s, Tower Plaza and the Ice Chalet owned it until 2001, when Rogers took over. The grand opening of AZ Ice took place on September 11, 2001 – a day remembered for a very different event. “Everyone was calling him and letting him know what was going on – we ended up closing and opening up the next day, and it was slower than anticipated, but every day it got bigger and stronger, and we’re still here,” Rogers’ son Justin said. Rogers was born in Long Beach, CA. He had asthma, which led the family to move to Phoenix when he was three. Rogers started working at AZ Ice at 14 years old as a rink attendant. “He lied about his age so he could get a job here,” Justin said. “He always wanted to play hockey, but his parents looked at him like he was crazy, so he did everything he could to get involved with hockey and skating.” Rogers worked his way up, and by the time he was 18 years old he was the general manager of the Arcadia location. “He worked as the GM, the hockey director, the figure skating director – he worked every position,” Justin said. Rogers eventually transitioned to the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum at the Arizona State Fairgrounds. He worked his way up from ice runner (running intermissions and concession stands) to the vice president of hockey operations and general manager for the Roadrunners semi-professional team. He was there when the league won their championship in 1988, and from there, made his way back to Arcadia. “Everything he did in life; he did with passion,” Justin said. “He was a multisport athlete growing up: football, basketball, soccer, baseball, bowling – you name it, he did it. And he had varsity letters for every single sport.” Rogers also initiated the hockey program at Arcadia High School, where he graduated in 1982. Since Rogers wasn’t able to participate in hockey growing up, it drove him to become involved in any other way he could. He helped coach the hockey leagues at AZ Ice Arcadia. “He built youth hockey in Arizona. When he first started 40 years ago, there were three 12-year-olds, three 10-year- olds and three 8-year-olds, and he made the team out of that,” Justin said. “It was a unique way to start it, due to the lack of hockey at the time. And now, it’s grown into seven local associations in the Valley alone.” Justin said that Rogers wanted to give children a chance [to play hockey] that he never had. “That was his driving force. Not only to help the most elite but to help the minimalist who wouldn’t normally have that chance,” Justin said. Rogers was a coin collector who would give out gold or silver dollars to all of his players – for something even as fun as “having the sweatiest head.” “The looks on the kids’ faces. It could have been a practice where a kid scored his first goal ever or a player’s first goal in a game. He would carry around a backpack full of gold dollars to hand out to the kids,” Justin said. He explained that the tradition has and will be carried on in the future. When he wasn’t on the ice, Rogers was bowling, fishing or golfing. If he wasn’t actively doing something, he and his family relaxed at home. In the future, the team at AZ Ice are looking to do more theme nights for their public sessions and enhancing their “learn to skate” and “learn to play hockey” programs. Rogers had recently set up an initiative to get 1,000 new hockey players or skaters to try one of the programs. Rogers also started the Valley of the Sun Hockey Association around 35 years ago that set up a scholarship fund that would go toward player fees, gear and equipment. Eventually, Justin wants to expand the opportunity to all players in Arizona, not just the Valley. “The community has become a hockey family,” Justin said. “Every player looks up to their parent as being the rock star, so the amount of support we’ve received since my dad passed has just been amazing. I’m so thankful that my dad put me in this world.” azice.com/arcadia Community remembers the “godfather of hockey” SELLING YOUR HOME? Ask me about my comprehensive online and print marketing program that exposes your home to the largest pool of qualified buyers. 2020 TAVAN SCHOOL DISTRICT SALES RESULTS (1/01/2020-10/31/2020) Active Homes - 48 Homes Homes Sold - 197 Homes Average Sale Price - $761,000 Average Sold $ Per SF - $317 Average Days On Market - 62 days There is currently 3 months of home inventory. (based on 2019 sales results) 2020 home sales have increased 10% this year. (based on 2019 sales results) 2020 home prices have increased 14%. (based on 2019 sales results) 2020 $ Per Square Foot prices have increased 13%. (based on 2019 sales results) 2020 Homes are taking 32% 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 (1/01/2020-10/31/2020) Active Homes - 125 homes Homes Sold - 295 homes Average Sale Price - $1,698,000 Average Sold $ Per SF - $429 Average Days On Market - 103 days There is currently 5 months of home inventory. (based on 2019 sales results) 2020 home sales have increased 13% this year. (based on 2019 sales results) 2020 home prices have increased 20%. (based on 2019 sales results) 2020 $ Per Square Foot prices have increased 14%. (based on 2019 sales results) 2020 homes are taking 12% less time to sell. 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