COFFEE BREAK
B6 — THE OBSERVER & BAKER CITY HERALD
THuRSDAY, FEBRuARY 10, 2022
Woman can no longer support sister’s decisions in life
DEAR ABBY: For years my
sister has been in a relationship
with a man who treats her ter-
ribly. She works full time and
comes home to find him out par-
tying every day. I have stood
by her and offered advice and a
willing ear, but at this point, her
problems are affecting my mar-
riage as well as my sanity.
His drug problems are getting
worse, and he couldn’t care less
how she feels. She follows him and
sits outside the places he’s hanging
out, which forces him to come out
and talk to her. I have tried my
best to get her to move on. Their
kids are grown, so she can’t use
them as an excuse anymore.
Last night, she told me she
has decided to let him do what he
wants but stay with him because
his health is deteriorating from the
drug use. After 13 years of being
her emotional support because she
never makes an effort to get out,
I’ve reached the end of my rope.
I feel terrible guilt for feeling
this way, but I recently had a
baby, and with my new family,
I no longer have the time or
patience to deal with her drama.
when you do, do not apologize or
feel guilty for doing so. It won’t
make you a bad sister but an emo-
tionally healthier one.
DEAR ABBY: Like so many
others, I am on social media to
stay in touch with family and a
few friends. I come from a large
family with more than a dozen
cousins and two siblings, as well
as nieces and nephews.
Many of them post photos, a
lot of which are about their pos-
sessions — “Look at my new
car, my new house, etc.” And, of
course, they expect you to “like”
everything. I know, however, if
I did the same thing, they would
think I’m being obnoxious. Mind
I know it may be wrong to bow
out, but I need to tell her that her
problems have become my prob-
lems and they’re damaging me. I
don’t think she’s ever gonna draw
the line. — WORN OUT SIS IN
KENTUCKY
DEAR WORN OUT: Because
your sister has tolerated this sit-
uation for 13 years, I, too, doubt
she’s ever “gonna draw the line.”
Had she done it years ago, it
might have been the wake-up call
her partner needed to sober up
and straighten out.
I agree it is time to step back,
quit trying to solve your sister’s
unsolvable problems and concen-
trate on ones you can solve. And
you, I’m not wealthy. I would like
to post some photos of just the
scenery, but if I did even that, I’d
be looked down upon.
What’s the best way to handle
all the likes everyone expects
with the knowledge that they hold
me to a different standard? Some-
times it’s infuriating. — SICK
OF SHOW AND TELL
DEAR SICK: You are enti-
tled to post what you wish, as
well as to “like” or IGNORE
what your relatives post online.
Not everyone has the time to val-
idate every post. If you are asked,
say you don’t spend as much time
on the internet as they do, period.
And don’t apologize.
NEWS OF THE WEIRD
31M Americans to bet on Super Bowl, gambling group estimates
“Now gambling is on every
play. Keep them gambling,
keep chasing action.”
There is a national help
line for people with a gam-
bling problem, or who
think they might have one:
1-800-GAMBLER.
By WAYNE PARRY
The Associated Press
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.
(AP) — A record 31.5 mil-
lion Americans plan to bet
on this year’s Super Bowl,
according to estimates
released Tuesday, Feb. 8,
by the gambling industry’s
national trade group.
The American Gaming
Association forecasts that
over $7.6 billion will be
wagered on pro football’s
championship game set for
Feb. 13.
Both the amount of
people planning to bet (up
35% from last year) and the
estimated amount of money
being bet (up 78% from last
year) are new records.
Bettors include people
making casual wagers with
friends or relatives, entries
into office pools, wagers
with licensed sportsbooks,
and bets placed with illegal
bookmakers.
“Americans have never
been more interested in
legal sports wagering,”
said Bill Miller, the group’s
president and CEO. “The
growth of legal options
across the country not only
protects fans and the integ-
rity of games and bets, but
also puts illegal operators
on notice that their time is
limited.”
When the Los Angeles
Rams and Cincinnati Ben-
gals begin the game in the
Rams home stadium, 30
states plus Washington,
D.C., will offer legal
gambling.
Since last year’s game,
45 million additional people
will be able to bet on the
Super Bowl because their
states have legalized sports
betting over the past year:
Arizona, Connecticut, Lou-
Don’t got Moxie?
Maine’s beloved soda
is in short supply
Wayne Parry/The Associated Press, File
A gambler makes a sports bet at Bally’s casino in Atlantic City N.J., Sept. 5, 2019. A record 31.5 million Americans plan to bet on this year’s
Super Bowl, according to the gambling industry’s national trade group. The American Gaming Association on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, released
its annual predictions for wagering on pro football’s championship game, forecasting that over $7.6 billion will be bet legally and otherwise.
isiana, Maryland, North
Carolina, North Dakota,
South Dakota, Washington,
Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
The association pre-
dicted that:
• 18.2 million American
adults will place traditional
sports wagers online, at a
retail sportsbook or with a
bookie, up 78% from 2021.
• 18.5 million plan to bet
casually with friends or as
part of a pool or squares
contest, up 23%. The asso-
ciation said there is some
overlap among those two
groups.
• 76% say it is important
for themselves to bet
through a legal operator, up
weather
He said legal sports
betting is increasing a
public health crisis in
America involving problem
gambling.
“One out of two people
struggling with a gambling
problem contemplates sui-
cide, and one out of five
will attempt suicide,” he
said. “I am one of those
one out of five.”
Levant said the rapid
rise of in-game betting
feeds into a compulsive
gambler’s desire for more
and faster opportunities
to bet.
“No longer is gambling
limited to who’s going to
win the game,” he said.
sportsbooks report sim-
ilar breakdowns on bets
received thus far.
The Super Bowl is also
one of the most perilous
times of year for people
with a gambling problem.
Harry Levant, a public
health advocate from Phil-
adelphia and a recovering
gambling addict, is an offi-
cial with the group Stop
Predatory Gambling. He
said the ongoing wave of
sports betting advertising,
and numerous incentives
to get people to bet, is rem-
iniscent of the tobacco
industry’s efforts to get
people to smoke and con-
tinue to do so.
11% from last year.
• 55% plan to bet on the
Rams, with 45% backing
the Bengals. That contra-
dicts data from numerous
individual legal sports-
books that shows more
bets and total money being
wagered on Cincinnati
thus far.
FanDuel, the official
odds provider for The
Associated Press, says 59%
of spread bets are on Cin-
cinnati to cover the 4-point
spread as an underdog.
Among moneyline bets
that do not involve a points
spread, 76% of bets pre-
dict the Bengals will win
the game outright. Other
| Go to AccuWeather.com
AROUND OREGON AND THE REGION
Astoria
Longview
39/57
Kennewick
38/57
St. Helens
37/58
Hood River
35/53
38/58
Condon
40/59
39/59
FRI
SAT
SUN
MON
Partly sunny
Mostly sunny
Mostly sunny
Showers of rain
and snow
18 40 15
Comfort Index™
La Grande
7
22 45 21
Comfort Index™
7
38 21
Eugene
3
1
0
39/55
42 29
42 30
40 29
3
2
0
46 26
36 30
5
6
0
6
TEMPERATURES Baker City La Grande Elgin
NATION (for the 48 contiguous states)
High Tuesday
Low Tuesday
High: 87°
Low: -19°
Wettest: 0.92”
28°
2°
43°
19°
43°
16°
PRECIPITATION (inches)
Tuesday
0.00
Month to date
Trace
Normal month to date 0.17
Year to date
0.38
Normal year to date
0.87
0.00
0.29
0.35
1.56
2.02
0.00
0.64
0.68
4.57
3.95
AGRICULTURAL INFO.
HAY INFORMATION FRIDAY
40%
NNE at 4 to 8 mph
5.0
0.05
RESERVOIR STORAGE (through midnight Wednesday)
Phillips Reservoir
Unity Reservoir
Owyhee Reservoir
McKay Reservoir
Wallowa Lake
Thief Valley Reservoir
2% of capacity
29% of capacity
21% of capacity
38% of capacity
23% of capacity
40% of capacity
STREAM FLOWS (through midnight Tuesday)
Grande Ronde at Troy
1020 cfs
Thief Valley Reservoir near North Powder
1 cfs
Burnt River near Unity
16 cfs
Umatilla River near Gibbon
171 cfs
Minam River at Minam
113 cfs
Powder River near Richland
79 cfs
Anaheim, Calif.
Angel Fire, N.M.
Houlton, Maine
OREGON
High: 77°
Low: 2°
Wettest: Trace
Brookings
Baker City
North Bend
Powers
47/74
SUN & MOON
FRI.
7:01 a.m. 7:00 a.m.
5:12 p.m. 5:14 p.m.
11:41 a.m. 12:21 p.m.
2:56 a.m. 3:57 a.m.
MOON PHASES
Full
Feb 16
Last
Feb 23
New
Mar 2
Grants Pass
First
Mar 10
Jordan Valley
29/50
Paisley
26/62
24/58
Frenchglen
30/56
41/72
Brookings
34/69
28/42
Klamath Falls
23/61
Lakeview
23/61
McDermitt
29/56
RECREATION FORECAST FRIDAY
SAT.
Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W
57/39/s 60/40/s
57/24/s 57/26/s
43/27/pc 44/27/s
67/45/s 63/44/s
55/23/s 49/21/s
63/41/s 64/39/s
54/31/s 55/32/s
42/17/s 38/17/s
48/21/pc 43/22/s
55/35/s 56/35/s
53/31/pc 51/29/s
53/35/s 54/33/s
50/30/s 53/32/s
53/27/s 53/26/s
45/23/s 46/26/s
53/29/s 47/27/s
61/21/s 62/21/s
61/23/s 61/24/s
Grand View
Arock
28/49
30/54
Shown is Friday’s weather. Temperatures are Thursday night’s lows and Friday’s highs.
City
Astoria
Bend
Boise
Brookings
Burns
Coos Bay
Corvallis
Council
Elgin
Eugene
Hermiston
Hood River
Imnaha
John Day
Joseph
Kennewick
Klamath Falls
Lakeview
Diamond
32/54
Fields
Medford
50/67
Boise
27/43
Silver Lake
Chiloquin
FRI.
On Feb. 10, 1980, snow closed interstate
highways in Alabama and Dallas. Exactly
one year later, spring-style tornadoes dam-
aged schools and shopping centers from
Texas to Alabama.
THU.
42/62
28/52
23/60
REGIONAL CITIES
WEATHER HISTORY
Sunrise
Sunset
Moonrise
Moonset
Beaver Marsh
Juntura
25/55
26/62
21/57
Roseburg
Ontario
29/46
Burns
Brothers
42/66
Coos Bay
Huntington
24/52
30/57
Oakridge
22/42
28/47
Seneca
Bend
Elkton
TUESDAY EXTREMES
ALMANAC
Lowest relative humidity
Afternoon wind
Hours of sunshine
Evapotranspiration
Florence
Council
18/40
27/53
28/56
42/63
Comfort Index takes into account how the weather will feel based on a combination of factors. A rating of 10 feels
very comfortable while a rating of 0 feels very uncomfortable.
23/47
John Day
28/55
Sisters
40/57
45 23
22/41
Baker City
Redmond
40/60
42/59
Halfway
Granite
36/54
Newport
37 18
5
28/55
39/61
39/59
Corvallis
Enterprise
22/45
27/47
Monument
35/58
Idanha
Salem
38 16
5
27 47 25
Comfort Index™
Enterprise
5
25/48
La Grande
34/52
Maupin
Mainly clear
Elgin
Pendleton
The Dalles
Portland
Newberg
Lewiston
35/50
33/49
33/51
TIllamook
TONIGHT
Forecasts and graphics provided
by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2022
Walla Walla
32/53
Vancouver
36/60
37/62
Baker City
PORTLAND, Maine
— Depending on whom
you ask, Maine is in the
midst of either a curse or
a blessing — a shortage of
Moxie.
Moxie, a polarizing bev-
erage that is the state’s offi-
cial soft drink, is in short
supply because of supply
chain woes. The soda is
beloved by thousands of
Mainers and is the subject
of a summer festival, but
it also has detractors who
say it tastes like medicine,
or worse.
Coca-Cola Bever-
ages Northeast, the local
bottler of Moxie, told
WGME-TV that supply
chain issues have delayed
its delivery of Moxie con-
centrate for months. The
bottler said it looks forward
to “being able to stock the
shelves with Moxie as soon
as possible.”
Moxie originated in
the 19th century, when it
was indeed sold as a kind
of medicine, replete with
dubious claims of health
benefits. The soda is avail-
able elsewhere in New
England, but is especially
ingrained in the culture
of Maine.
It’s not all bad news for
Moxie lovers. Moxie Fes-
tival in Lisbon is coming
back this July after two
years off because of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
City
Lewiston
Longview
Meacham
Medford
Newport
Olympia
Ontario
Pasco
Pendleton
Portland
Powers
Redmond
Roseburg
Salem
Spokane
The Dalles
Ukiah
Walla Walla
FRI.
SAT.
Hi/Lo/W
50/32/pc
57/35/s
45/22/pc
69/33/s
60/42/s
52/35/s
46/30/pc
54/31/s
51/29/s
59/39/s
74/45/s
55/24/s
62/39/pc
59/33/s
42/27/pc
59/35/s
50/24/pc
49/31/pc
Hi/Lo/W
52/34/s
58/32/pc
42/26/s
68/34/s
62/43/s
56/33/pc
43/28/s
50/28/pc
49/30/s
58/38/s
73/45/s
61/25/s
63/39/pc
60/35/s
43/26/s
57/34/s
53/27/s
45/30/pc
Weather(W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain,
sf-snow fl urries, sn-snow, i-ice
ANTHONY LAKES
PHILLIPS LAKE
Partly sunny
Increasing clouds
35
19
48
19
MT. EMILY REC.
BROWNLEE RES.
Partly sunny
Partly sunny
43
27
49
22
EAGLE CAP WILD.
EMIGRANT ST. PARK
Partly sunny
Cooler
34
11
44
16
WALLOWA LAKE
MCKAY RESERVOIR
Mostly sunny
Cooler
45
23
49
29
THIEF VALLEY RES.
RED BRIDGE ST. PARK
Partly sunny
Partly sunny
40
15
47
25