Melissa Diaz Hernandez has helmed the Town Crier as editor for going on two years now. For the past year, she has championed the causes of missing persons connected with our Hill, each week publishing the information we had on each of the most recent cases and hoping that perhaps some new Town Crier reader might have helpful info for the missing persons’ families.
Admittedly, we co-publishers were becoming a bit numbed by the repetition in the missing-persons pieces, but there is a line between publisher and editor that both endeavor not to cross. Melissa pleaded her case and prevailed — the extensive missing persons coverage carried on.
Shortly thereafter, two nonprofit search and recovery organizations, Fowler-O’Sullivan Foundation and Western States Aerial Search, conducted new searches, encouraged — they said — by the ongoing Town Crier missing persons stories advocated by our editor.
A family now has closure owing to the awareness of these two public-service organizations. Of course, we hope the remaining missing persons will somehow be located in good health.
Our publishers’ hats are off to Idyllwild Town Crier Editor Melissa Diaz Hernandez, with our thanks.
