Moving to Mesa, Arizona? Then you're going to need to keep up with what's going on. The locals may be able to get by just by talking to their circle of acquaintances and hearing about how active ETFs are doing that way, but since you're new, you don't have a circle of acquaintances yet. In this case, reading the local newspaper is essential. It can act as your introduction into society in your new city. In Mesa, the paper you'll want to read is the East Valley Tribune.

The East Valley Tribune is an amalgamation of the four newspapers that once served its catchment area - the Mesa Tribune, the Tempe Daily News, the Scottsdale Progress, and the Chandler Arizonan. Now there is one paper that serves all of the eastern suburbs of Phoenix and provides a place for local businesses to advertise their sewage pumps and nail salons. The paper comes out every day, with a special issue on Sunday. The paper has been in existence since 1891 and was recently acquired by Cox Enterprises.

About 100,000 people read the East Valley Tribune, so chances are that at least some of the people you meet during an ordinary day in Mesa, like the plumber you call to fix your on demand hot water heater or the store clerk ringing up your groceries, will have read the paper too. This gives you a great opportunity to strike up conversations with locals and help integrate yourself into the community. That's why we recommend subscribing to or at least picking up the occasional copy of the East Valley Tribune.

What will you find in the East Valley Tribune? The paper is mostly concerned with local news and events that concern the eastern suburbs of Phoenix. You might learn that a local company has developed a new biosolids application or that the county is shutting down a particular bridge temporarily. There's also state, national, and world news, of course (only the biggest stories), sports, business, opinions, and weather. There's even a special supplement for local varsity sports results. You can subscribe to the paper for less than a dollar a day, so it's worth your while.

If you're not big on the paper part of the newspaper, you can get all of the content you'd find in the printed paper (minus the ads for commercial mortgage lending) on the paper's website - www.eastvalleytribune.com. You'll also find special online content like videos, polls, and blogs, as well as comment forms you can use to make your opinion heard. There's even a classifieds section you can use to buy or sell things, which can be helpful if you've just moved in and need a bed.