NORTH COAST
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2015
3A
AND THEY’RE OFF!
Bike Trip America begins its journey
By JOSHUA BESSEX
The Daily Astorian
T
he Bike Trip America crew
began their journey across the
country Thursday morning
with a ceremonial dip in the Pacif-
ic Ocean at Fort Stevens State Park.
The four cyclists — including three
Astoria Boy Scouts — and their
support team, are riding to raise
awareness and funds for Operation
Comfort Warriors, a nonprofit orga-
nization that provides comfort items
to injured, wounded, or ill veterans.
The team plans on arriving in New
York City Aug. 15.
JOSHUA BESSEX — The Daily Astorian
JOSHUA BESSEX — The Daily Astorian
Bryce Nurding, the Bike Trip America crew leader, holds his bike as he prepares to take off from Fort Stevens State Park Thursday.
The Bike Trip America crew dips their
rear tires in the Pacific Ocean at Fort
Stevens State Park Thursday. They
plan on dipping their tires in the At-
lantic Ocean once they reach New
York.
JOSHUA BESSEX — The Daily Astorian
JOSHUA BESSEX — The Daily Astorian
Ryan Tallman hits the bike trail as the team begins their journey.
Bryce Nurding carries his bike across a tide pool near the Peter Iredale shipwreck at Fort
Stevens State Park.
Columbia Memorial
For online updates:
Hospital improves
www.dailyastorian.com
maternity care practice
Skin-to-skin on his or her
mother’s chest is the best
place for a baby to make the
transition to life outside the
womb, and the caregivers
of the Columbia Memori-
al Hospital Family Birthing
Center were recently hon-
ored for their efforts to im-
prove skin-to-skin rates for
babies born at CMH.
The department was the
first recipient of CMH’s
True North Award of $500.
The award honors a team or
individual who has system-
atically improved a hospital
process for better patient
outcomes.
“Although skin-to-skin
time can be viewed as just
a ‘nicety,’ it really is of
medical importance,” said
maternity nurse and lac-
tation consultant Laura
Brown. “Mothers have been
delighted that we encourage
this, and it has made quite an
impression with them. They
often comment about how
important that was to them,
even weeks later when they
return for a lactation ap-
pointment.”
The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention has
set a standard of one hour
of uninterrupted skin-to-
skin for new infants to pro-
mote bonding and help with
breastfeeding. The Family
Birthing Center team fo-
cused first on educating
nursing staff and physicians
in the importance of skin-to-
skin contact, then expanded
their efforts to include sur-
gery caregivers. Now the
topic is part of CMH’s child-
birth preparation classes.
Currently 65 percent of
babies born vaginally at
CMH spend their first hour
in uninterrupted skin-to-skin
contact with their mother.
The Family Birthing Center
is committed to continually
improving this number.
For information about
prenatal and maternity care
at CMH, call 503-325-4321.
DEL’S O.K.
W ayne Le d ford
Wayne will be at the
Pig ‘n’ Pancake in Astoria on
June 20th between 2 and 3 p.m.
All are invited to stop by
for a visit with him.
S ATU R DAY & S U N DAY JUN E 20-21
B ATTERY R USSELL
New display of
ammunition types and
photos of guns that
fired them
N orth w es t H a rdw oods • Lon gview , W A
Contact: Steve Axtell • 360-430-0885 or John Anderson • 360-269-2500
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The Daily Astorian
W A NTED