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East Oregonian
Saturday, March 21, 2020
Casino quandry: To bet or not to bet?
Casinos and
gamblers weigh
virus concerns
By WAYNE PARRY
Associated Press
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.
— Gamblers and vaca-
tioners, who had planned
to visit U.S. casinos,
expressed a mixture of
disappointment and relief
over a wave of closings in
at least 15 states as offi-
cials worked on slowing
the spread of the coronavi-
rus pandemic.
Some said they still plan
to visit casinos.
Many casinos, where
hundreds or even thou-
sands of people touch the
same slot machines and
gambling chips, remain
open. The casinos that
remain open say they are
stepping up cleaning and
sanitization efforts.
Sherry Giordano, an
Atlantic City casino reg-
ular from Willow Grove,
Pennsylvania, has a trip
booked for this weekend
that will be canceled. But
she would have been hesi-
tant to go even if the casi-
nos had been open, because
of her husband’s health his-
tory that could make him
more susceptible to the
virus.
“I’m less concerned
with my own safety, and I
think a lot of people have
a tendency to think that
way, which is both kind of
stupid and selfish because
we can endanger others,”
she said. “I not only love
gambling, I love meet-
ing people and escaping
reality.
“Atlantic City is very
important to me and my
husband,” she said. “But I
think it’s the right thing to
do. I would rather err (on
the side of) caution rather
than jeopardize a life.”
For most people, the
virus causes only mild
or moderate symptoms,
such as fever and cough.
For some, especially older
adults and people with
existing health problems, it
can cause more severe ill-
ness, including pneumonia,
and death. The vast major-
ity of people recover.
Tom Brown, of Edison,
New Jersey, canceled a Las
Vegas trip last week, and
then canceled the rebooked
trip for late March that
AP Photo/Wayne Parry
A roulette dealer waits for bets to be placed at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, N.J. Hard Rock is canceling live
entertainment at all its U.S. properties for 30 days in response to the coronavirus outbreak, one of many steps casinos around
the country are taking in response to the outbreak.
would have replaced the
first one. He acted because
of concerns over the poten-
tial for the virus to sicken
his wife, who as a can-
cer patient undergoing
infusion therapy has low
resistance.
“We will likely wait sev-
eral months before consid-
ering another casino jun-
ket,” he said.
Troy
Wildasin,
an
Emmaus,
Pennsylvania,
casino patron, said that
even in the best of times,
the sanitary state of casi-
nos left a lot to be desired.
“Not only would this
help the chance of decreas-
ing the virus outbreak,
but this will also give the
opportunity to give the
casinos a fresh cleanup,”
he said. “There is not one
casino, regardless of city,
that is clean. Hard to do
properly when they are
open 24/7.”
Michael
Magbaleta,
of Jersey City, New Jer-
sey, frequents casinos in
Atlantic City, Las Vegas
and Pennsylvania but said
he won’t be going in the
AP Photo/Wayne Parry
Gamblers playing slot machines at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City N.J. As of
March 16, 2020, casinos in at least 15 states had shut down due to the coronavirus, including
Atlantic City’s nine casinos, which were due to close that evening.
near future.
“I’d feel a bit antsy and
paranoid going on a casino
trip now,” he said “As it
is, Wind Creek at Bethle-
hem, Pennsylvania, closed
down, and they have a huge
customer base traveling
from New York City to that
resort. I’m glad they are
taking extreme measures
to protect the employees
and public.”
Sherry
Cannon
of
Toledo, Ohio, is canceling
a Las Vegas trip planned
for mid-May.
“I am not comfortable
going to any casino any-
where in the world right
now,” she said. “It makes
me sad, but I would rather
myself and my 80-year-
old mother stay alive and
not spread anything to
anyone else. I am glad
the casino here in Toledo
closed, and I’m happy
the ones in Detroit closed
because if they hadn’t, my
mom would be trying to
get me to go.”
Don Battista of Austin,
Texas, had been due to fly
to Laughlin, Nevada, this
week, but has since thought
better of the trip.
“Our group decided
while we are not elderly,
and all healthy, it would be
irresponsible to possibly
spread to someone in that
danger range,” he said.
Shelly Bittner plans to
leave Breezewood, Penn-
sylvania, in early April to
visit Las Vegas, virus or no
virus.
“We still plan on going
unless they stop the planes
from flying,” she said.
“Just use common sense.
Wash your hands, and use
sanitizer.”
The shutdowns could be
a boon to casinos in states
where internet gambling is
legal, including New Jer-
sey, where online gambling
revenue has been soaring
for years.
On Monday, New Jersey
Gov. Phil Murphy ordered
the closure of Atlantic
City’s nine casinos as of
8 p.m. EST, after days of
allowing them to remain
open. The governors of
New York and Connecticut
did likewise, also including
bars, restaurants and movie
theaters.
It will be the fifth time
that Atlantic City’s casi-
nos have shut down since
gambling began here in
1978; only hurricanes and
a government shutdown
have caused such closures
before.
As of Monday, casino
closures also had been
implemented or announced
in Maryland, Nevada,
Michigan, New Mex-
ico, California, Alabama,
Rhode Island, Massachu-
setts, Indiana, Ohio, Illi-
nois, Pennsylvania and
New York.
The ABC’s of whole grain’s satisfying versatility
By KATIE WORKMAN
Associated Press
NEW YORK — We all
know by now that whole
grains are good for us and
that we should be eating
more of them. Anyone who
has dipped a toe (or spoon)
into the world of farro,
brown rice and quinoa also
knows how satisfying and
versatile the arena of whole
grains can be.
But what are whole
grains exactly, and which
ones should you stock in
your pantry?
The Whole Grains Coun-
cil, a nonprofit consumer
advocacy group, defines
whole grains as those that
contain all the essential
parts and naturally occur-
ring nutrients of the grain
seed. When grain is pro-
cessed (for example, by
cracking, crushing, roll-
ing or cooking it), some of
those healthy qualities can
be stripped away.
Nutritionists have long
touted the health benefits
of whole grains. Especially
today, when many people
are cutting back on meat,
whole grains can provide
texture, flavor and often
protein.
Some of the whole grains
you might experiment
with are amaranth, barley,
corn (including popcorn!),
oats, farro, sorghum, mil-
let, spelt, bulgur, wheatber-
ries, cracked wheat, quinoa,
rye, teff, and brown and
wild rice. Besides eating the
AP Photo/Katie Workman
Nutritionists have long touted the health benefits of whole grains. Especially today, when
many people are cutting back on meat, whole grains can provide texture, flavor and often
protein.
whole grains whole, con-
suming things made with
whole grain flours is another
way to get at the good stuff.
Read labels carefully:
Some products might say
“made with whole grains”
or “made with whole grain
flours” but the amount of
whole grains in them might
be very small. “Multigrain”
is another possibly mislead-
ing term — multiple grains
doesn’t mean that all or
even any of them are whole
grains. Look for labeling
that says “made with 100%
whole grains.”
Whole grains can star in
a casserole or grain salad,
be served up as a side dish,
and bolster all kinds of reci-
pes from meatloaves to frit-
ters. The grains are often
cooked before they’re used
in a recipe, usually in water
or broth. They can also be
used in baking, both savory
and sweet. Whole grains
soak up sauces beautifully,
and can be made ahead and
frozen.
A handful of whole
grains to explore
Brown Rice: Switching
to more brown rice instead
of white is one of the sim-
plest ways to get more
whole grains happening at
the table. Brown rice is rice
with the inedible outer hull
removed but with the germ
and outer layer intact. It is
more nutritious than white
rice, and has a denser, chew-
ier, nuttier grain. It takes
longer to cook than white
rice, about 45 minutes, and
the ratio of water to rice is
about 2.5:1.
Quinoa has been a star
of the whole grain world
for quite some time now.
Although it might seem
trendy and modern, how-
ever, it was a staple in the
diet of the ancient Incas.
Quinoa is actually a seed,
but is treated and cooked
like a whole grain. It takes
beautifully to all kinds of
seasonings and uses. When
cooked, it has a light and
fluffy texture, and a lightly
nutty flavor. It’s got a high
protein count (8 grams in a
half cup of cooked quinoa),
a nice dose of fiber, and is
gluten-free.
Millet (actually, a mem-
ber of the grass family) can
be cooked as a cereal, made
into flour, served as a side
dish, made into pilafs or
stuffings, you name it. It can
even be popped like corn.
It’s rich in protein, fiber,
vitamins and minerals, easy
to digest, and has a slightly
sweet, nutty flavor. Use
millet in soups, salads and
stews.
Teff, a mainstay of tra-
ditional Ethiopian cook-
ing, is becoming popular
worldwide. The grains are
tiny, about the size of poppy
seeds, but they are packed
with fiber, iron, calcium and
protein. You can use teff
in many ways, cooked like
oatmeal or polenta, or dry-
cooked in a pan and sprin-
kled on salads.
Farro is often called
spelt in the United States,
where we are just discov-
ering its charms, but the
Italians have been creat-
ing farro masterpieces for
centuries. The grain origi-
nated in western Asia. It is
similar to barley, but denser
and chewier. Farro is low in
gluten, but not gluten-free.
There is more than one way
to cook it, even on the stove-
top. Some people prefer
cooking it like rice, with just
the right amount of liquid to
be fully absorbed. Others
cook farro in a lot of water,
like pasta, and then drain it.
Bulgur Wheat: A sta-
ple in Middle Eastern and
Mediterranean regions, bul-
gur wheat is whole wheat
grain that has been cracked
and partially precooked. It’s
terrific in side dishes, soup,
pilafs, casseroles and salads
(grain salads and green sal-
ads alike).
It can be added to meat
dishes like kibbeh and
meatloaf to boost nutrition
and bulk them up. Many
people have encountered
bulgur as the backbone of
Middle Eastern Tabbouleh
salad. It is high in fiber, low
in fat, with a nice amount of
protein and a lovely nutty
flavor.