A6
THE ASTORIAN • TuESdAy, dEcEmbER 1, 2020
FIELD TEST
Candidates Wanted
URGENT NOTICE: You may be qualified
to participate in a special Field Test of
new hearing instrument technology
being held at a local test site.
Tom Banse/Northwest News Network
From left, Oregon State University researchers Andrew Williams, Katherine Lasdin and Susanne
Brander collected mussels and whelks in Yachats in 2019. Before the coronavirus, Brander
conducted research in the lab and in the field. But pandemic restrictions have forced her to adapt.
Coronavirus threatens
researchers in Oregon
populations in rural southern Oregon using a
crew of budding scientists from all over the
world. But this year, as the pandemic was
During the early days of the coronavirus breaking out, they came to a stark realization.
pandemic, whether or not you had a backbone
“We cannot be vectors into rural commu-
could have been the difference between life nities where we do this work,” said director
John Alexander.
and death. At least if you were a lab animal.
“(Oregon State University) would let
The observatory told its crew to stay home
you take care of fish during the shutdown, and, consequently, for the first time in 25 years
but invertebrates were not considered to be, the bird counts didn’t happen.
I guess, important enough,” said Susanne
“It’s a huge setback when you have these
Brander, an ecotoxicologist at Oregon State long term datasets to miss a year of data,” said
University.
science director Jamie Stephens.
She studies how microplastics and chem-
The stakes are high, she said. A recent
ical pollutants affect sea life — including the study found that the U.S. and Canada have
lowly spineless mysid shrimp that plays a big lost 3 billion birds in the past 50 years, and the
role in the ocean food web.
Klamath Bird Observatory’s long-term data
Not being able to access her lab was a big provides the backbone for policy changes that
problem, so she had to come up with a solu- could help reverse the trend.
tion on the fly.
“It’s just incredibly urgent right now. It’s
“The best place to put them was my base- just all getting a little behind when we don’t
ment,” she said.
have time to get behind.
The 10 gallon tanks
We need to be taking
lived there for several
actions like a decade ago,”
‘IT’S HARd
months — thanks in part
she said.
to her own junior lab
The same goes for
bEcAuSE IT’S NOT
assistants.
research connected to
AS IF yOu cAN
“My kids were happy
ocean and climate change.
to feed them a couple
Ed Dever, of Oregon State,
ASK A FuNdING
times a day and help me
oversees the Ocean Obser-
vatories Initiative, an off-
out,” Brander said.
AGENcy THAT’S
shore array of stationary
By summer, the shrimp
GIVING yOu A
were back home on the
sensors and underwater
Corvallis campus, but
GRANT FOR mORE gliders that measure phys-
ical and chemical condi-
things were not back to
mONEy. SO yOu
tions off the Pacific North-
normal — and they still
west — things like ocean
aren’t. Fewer researchers
HAVE TO KINd
acidification and low-ox-
can access the lab at the
ygen dead zones (called
same time and all the work
OF STRETcH IT
hypoxia), which are
stations have been spaced
OuT ANd mAKE
already hurting Oregon’s
out.
Like so many profes-
fisheries and are expected
IT WORK, EVEN
sions across the Pacific
to continue to get worse.
Northwest,
scientific
THOuGH yOu’RE The goal is to collect data
advancement has run
over a long period of time
mISSING A THREE to understand how ocean
headlong into the disrup-
tions of the pandemic.
are changing
OR FOuR mONTHS conditions
Their work to understand
in response to climate and
and help solve some of the
cHuNK OF TImE.’ other factors.
most important environ-
“Our data set is at its
mental and social prob-
Susanne Brander | ecotoxicologist
most useful if it’s not bro-
ken up,” Dever said.
at Oregon State University
lems the region faces
But keeping the flow of
— like climate change,
data coming requires reg-
pollution and homeless-
ular upkeep of instruments buoyed out in the
ness — has taken a hit.
Disruptions in access to facilities and middle of the ocean, which is not most the
research materials are common, but the real hospitable of places for electronics. Batter-
concern for Brander is money. Much of her ies die. Extreme weather damages equipment.
lab’s research — staffing and supplies — is Sensors get crusted over with marine life.
The initiative requires crews to service all
funded by grants.
“It’s hard because it’s not as if you can ask the instruments twice a year.
a funding agency that’s giving you a grant for
“A lot of the work that we do is off ocean-
more money. So you have to kind of stretch ographic research vessels, a pretty enclosed
it out and make it work, even though you’re environment. And it is a place where, if
missing a three or four months chunk of COVID-19 got loose, a lot of people could get
sick pretty quickly,” he said.
time,” she said.
Funding agencies are giving extensions on
The spring work cruise was canceled, and
deadlines to get research projects done, but bit by bit the data stopped coming in.
not more resources to do the work.
“One of the things we’re really interested
While concerns over funding and produc- in is the development of hypoxia over the Ore-
tivity are widespread, in some cases, the inter- gon and Washington shelves, and that mainly
ruption of the research itself is the most acute is a seasonal phenomena that happens at the
loss.
start of summer. We were pretty bummed to
Every summer, the non-profit Klamath not have things working at their best at the
Bird Observatory monitors migratory bird start of summer,” Dever said.
By JES BURNS
Oregon Public broadcasting
Ross: State lifted ban on commercial evictions
continued from Page A1
lawyers argue Atlas has pursued. Atlas’s law-
yers argue that Ross has also refused to sub-
lease space, blocking new projects at the
plaza such as a Chipotle Mexican Grill and an
expansion of Providence Health & Services’
Warrenton clinic.
Lawmakers in Salem extended a ban
on residential evictions until next year. But
despite a push from hotels, restaurants and
other small businesses, the state lifted the ban
on commercial evictions.
Atlas claims Ross wracked up more than
$70,000 in unpaid rent during the moratorium.
The back-due rent during the moratorium is
not part of Atlas’ lawsuit but comes due by
April.
The fight between Ross and Atlas is part of
a larger trend of national retailers temporarily
closing locations during the pandemic and not
fully paying rent.
Less than one-third of retail companies
paid at least 75% of rent in June, according
to a study in September by the National Retail
Federation and financial adviser PJ Solomon.
That figure nearly doubled to 65% in July.
Nearly three-quarters of retailers who missed
payments planned on paying at least half of
back-due rent, according to the study.
“Genuine rent relief through this unprece-
dented period, whether it is landlord- or gov-
ernment-driven in the future, will hopefully
provide sufficient runway for many of these
retailers to maintain liquidity long enough to
continue serving their customers and paying
their employees until the pandemic’s most
severe effects have retreated,” Jeff Derman,
managing director at PJ Solomon, said in a
statement about the study.
An industry leader in digital hearing devices is
sponsoring a product field test in your area next
week and they have asked us to select up to
15 qualified candidates to participate. They are
interested in determining the benefits of GENIUS™
3.0 Technology in eliminating the difficulty hearing
aid users experience in difficult environments, such
as those with background noise or multiple talkers.
Candidates in other test areas have reported very
positive feedback so far.
We are looking for additional candidates in
Warrenton and the surrounding areas.
Dates: Dec. 1st - Dec. 4th, 2020
Miracle-Ear Center
Youngs Bay Plaza
173 S. Hwy 101
Warrenton, OR 97146
(503) 836-7921
Miracle-Ear Center
2505 Main Ave N, Suite C
Tillamook, OR 97141
(503) 836-7926
In an effort to accurately demonstrate the incredible
performance of these devices, specially trained
representatives will be conducting testing and
demonstrations during this special event.
In addition to an audiometric hearing evaluation,
candidates will receive a fiber-optic otoscope exam,
a painless procedure that could reveal common
hearing problems such as excessive wax or damage
to the eardrum, as well as other common cause of
hearing deficiencies.
Qualified Field Test Candidates:
• Live in Warrenton or the surrounding area
• Are at least 55 years of age or older
• Have experienced some level of hearing difficulty,
or currently wear hearing aids
• Don’t currently work for a market research
company
FIELD TEST
PARTICIPANTS
Will be tested and
selected same-day.
We have a limited supply of the GENIUS™ 3.0 test
product currently on hand and ready for testing.
We have also been authorized to offer significant
discounts if you decide to take the hearing
instruments home. If you choose not to keep them,
there’s no risk or obligation of any kind.†
TO PARTICIPATE:
1. You must be one of the first 15 people to call our
office Mention Code: 20DecField.
2. You will be required to have your hearing tested
in our office, FREE OF CHARGE, to determine
candidacy.
3. Report your results with the hearing instruments
to the Hearing Care Specialist over a three week
test period.
Qualified candidates will be selected on a first-
come, first-served basis so please call us TODAY
to secure your spot in the Product Field Test.
Participants who qualify and complete the product
test will receive a FREE $100 Restaurant.com Gift
Card* as a token of our thanks.
AVOID WAITING – CALL AND MENTION CODE: 20DECField
*One per household. Must be 55 or older and bring loved one for familiar voice test. Must complete a hearing
test. Not valid with prior test/purchase in last 6 months. While supplies last. Free gift card may be used toward
the purchase of food at participating restaurants where a minimum purchase may also be required. See
restaurant.com for details. Not redeemable for cash. Promotional offer available during special event dates only.
†If you are not completely satisfied, the aids may be returned for a full refund within 30 days of the completion of
fitting, in satisfactory condition. See store for details.