Big effort to help hungry kids
Dementia: Seeing through victims’ eyes
PAGE 3
An edition of the East Valley Tribune
INSIDE
This Week
BUSINESS .................... 18
Local business helps employees get in shape.
OPINION ...................... 23 Candidates for Town Council explain why you should vote for them.
SPORTS..........................25 High school football starts Friday and a pair of Higley High defensive linemen have already been attracting attention.
COMMUNITY.................16 BUSINESS ......................18 OPINION ....................... 23 SPORTS ..........................25 GETOUT ........................ 29 CLASSIFIED .................. 34
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Sunday, August 12, 2018
LD12 primary election: Winners take all BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor
I
f the numbers and past history are any indication, the Republican candidates who win their party’s nomination in the Aug. 28 primary in Legislative District 12 likely will be taking their seats in the state Capitol come January. Republicans have a commanding registration lead in LD 12 among the district’s nearly 160,000 registered voters – 72,775 to 32,811 Democrats and 51,265 independents. But that doesn’t mean the GOP primary is without drama as early voting got underway last week. Voters have until Aug. 17 to request an early ballot. In the House race, four GOP candidates are battling for two nominations – incumbent Travis Grantham and challengers Nick Myers, Warren Petersen and Blake Sacha. Incumbent Sen. Eddie Farnsworth is facing a challenge
School board candidates file in GPS, Higley ....................... 6
Dirty tricks alleged in council campaign ...... 10
from Jimmy Lindblom. A three-way battled involves Democrats for the district, which encompasses most of Gilbert and Queen Creek. Joe Bisac(Kimberly Carrillo/GSN Staff Photographer) cia, D.J. Rothans and LynSigns of the times are all around Gilbert, one of many reasons candidates need sey Robinson are seek- to raise cash as they try to get name recognition among voters. ing the nomination while Elizabeth Brown is the only House race, Grantham and Petersen are the Democrat running for Senate in LD12. presumptive favorites with a money and “The winners of this district will likely be name ID advantage. determined in the primary,” said Paul Bentz, “Both survived a bigger challenge two years senior vice president of research and strategy for HighGround public affairs. “In the see LD12 page 14
Local business riding the digital game tide BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor
Z
ach Riding sits before a computer screen with earphones on, his eyes fixated on his character’s avatar in the latest popular shoot-’em-up survival game. It was grand-opening day at Pure Esports near Cooper and Baseline roads, the first esport center in Gilbert, and Riding couldn’t be happier. “I play ‘Fortnite’ at home on my Xbox and TV, a 55-inch Samsung, but the quality is not as good,” the 28-year-old Gilbert resident said. “Playing on a PC monitor is
(Kimberly Carrillo/GSN Staff Photographer)
Victor Valenzuela, 9, tries his hand at one of the 50 gaming stations at Pure Esports in Gilbert recently.
the best way to play a game. Basically, this is how the professionals play.” Pure Esports is Daniel Artt’s flagship
store – one he hopes to replicate with franchises Valleywide. The 2,200-square-foot building, sandwiched between a wig shop and a Chinese restaurant in a strip mall, houses 50 gaming stations. Each station is outfitted with the latest and best equipment, such as an $1,800 computer monitor and a $300 chair to give a professional playing experience, according to Artt. “They have the newest Xbox,” said Riding, who spent five to 10 hours on his day off to game. “And this monitor is probably one of the best, top-of-the-line equipment. These
see ESPORTS page 12