Saturday, Oct. 31, was a wonderful day in Fountain Hills. When we awoke that morning and began driving to our weekend destinations, the major difference was all the barricades were down on the newly-paved (and striped) Saguaro Boulevard and the new fountain display at the east end of the Avenue of the Fountains was working.

The weather was great with temperatures in the 70s for the annual Halloween in the Hills event on the Avenue. Diane and I were amazed at the number of people who turned out for the event. We’ve missed the last two events because we were out of town.

Saturday, we went about 6:30 and the Avenue was filled with adults and children dressed in their favorite costumes. I would say this has become the premier family event of the year. Well, you could say the front page story and my column on Editor Mike Scharnow leaving at the end of the year was certainly the biggest news in Fountain Hills last week.

Everywhere I went, people would stop and ask me about the situation.

It was the most asked question at our booth at last Wednesday’s Community Expo.

A common question was, “Now, can you tell me the real reason why Mike is leaving?”

I was just as surprised as anybody when he came into my office, shutting the door behind him, and said he needed to discuss something with me.

I can honestly say it is just as Mike said in the paper last week. He felt it was time for a career change.

Mike felt after 32 years of working at a newspaper he needed to change careers. Now he will pursue a career as a financial advisor for a company called Thrivent Financial.

It is a large, national Christian-based, not-for-profit financial services organization. I wish him well with everything.

As you may have seen on the front page of this week’s edition of The Times, I have made the decision to promote from within rather than go outside and search for Mike’s successor.

Ryan Winslett will assume the editor’s position as of January 1.

He joined our staff 10 years ago after graduating from Northern Arizona University with a degree in journalism. His senior year he served as editor-in-chief of The Lumberjack, that university’s weekly news publication.

Now 33, he has primarily covered sports and schools, which he will continue to do. He has won awards for his writing and coverage of the local high school sports teams both on the state and national levels.

His feature story on the high school’s special education department and its director earned him a second place in the National Newspaper Association’s Better Newspapers Contest for newspapers in our circulation category. The award was announced at the association’s annual convention in St. Charles, Mo.

Incidentally, as Mike, Business Manager Kip Kirkendoll and I were discussing Ryan’s possible promotion to editor, it dawned on Kip that there was something “quirky” about the timing of his promotion.

He is paralleling Mike’s career. Just as Mike was promoted to editor after working here 10 years, Ryan is doing the same at the same age Mike was -- 33.

How about that for something strange?

Ryan’s new position will begin on Jan. 1. He will be working with Mike in the meantime.

Congratulations, Ryan.