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November 28, 2019
Peoria’s Hometown Newspaper
Casino pushes in chips, looks for full house BY ERIC NEWMAN
Peoria Times Staff Writer
The owners of the Valley’s newest casino are pushing $400 million worth of chips into the pot. Now, they need another 1,300 workers for a full house. With the opening approaching, Desert Diamond Casino West Valley’s hiring campaign boosted with a Nov. 19 event. Executives had a hard time keeping poker faces at a ribbon-cutting for an employee café. Indeed, casino management doubled down, saying the new cafe will help attract employees and “raise the bar” in the casino industry. The Break-Away Café offers a full-ser-
vice dining menu, several tables around an open lobby and even comes with several employee convenience stores. General Manager Don Ayres previously worked for some of the top casinos in the world, including some high stakes casinos in Las Vegas. He said this is the most spectacular dining facility for employees he has seen. He said some long-time workers were moved to tears of joy about the facility. “We know for a fact this place is only as successful as our customers’ experience is,” and how good “our employees are treated,” Ayres said. The café is just one of many features to the new Desert Diamond Casino West Valley, which a press release said will
Peoria pitcher follows father’s ASU footsteps
open in Glendale Feb. 19. But, the new employee lounge isn’t the only spectacular new feature at the new Desert Diamond Casino. The $400 million, 1.2 million-squarefoot casino will have a 75,000 square-foot gambling floor, featuring slots, bingo, card games and other gaming favorites. There are no card tables in the interim space, only a variety of slots and video game machines, so the new games and tables will be a welcome addition. There will also be five new restaurants, including an Italian restaurant, steak and seafood restaurant, sports bar, 24-hour café and a food court for visitors, to keep SEE CASINO PAGE 2
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Peoria Times Staff Writer
SPORTS ........ 14 Liberty High football powers to title game
OPINION.......................... 10 BUSINESS........................ 12 SPORTS............................ 14 CALENDAR...................... 22 FEATURES........................ 24 RELIGION......................... 28 YOUTH............................. 30 CLASSIFIEDS.................... 35
Brock Peery is staying home. On Nov. 13, National Signing Day, Peery signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Arizona State University. Peery, who lives in Peoria, is a standout senior at Glendale’s Mountain Ridge High School. ASU is deep in his blood. Not only is Brock Peery the son of former ASU pitcher Noah Peery, but he was also named after the late Jim Brock, the legendary Sun Devils coach and member of the College Baseball Hall of Fame. “ASU has always been my dream school,” SEE BASEBALL PAGE 7
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