Reader Write: April 15, 2021

Five seasons?

Dear editor:
I love living in Idyllwild. Having lived all of my 70 years in Southern California, four seasons is a new but welcomed experience. After five plus years of living up here, I have boiled down the changes to a few words.
Ah spring: The pollen. The weeds. The winds.
Summer: The bugs. The more and more frequent sweltering heat and the continuous threat of fire.
Autumn: Light rain, heavy rain and the sometimes very scary wind.
Winter: Shoveling snow, slippery/dangerous ice and fighting the bitter cold.
Am I complaining? Well, maybe a little. Most of my life I lived in an area of the planet that has very minor weather changes — two seasons at most.
As for the fifth season, well, it’s not really a season. When growing up we used to say they had a season and it’s always in the back of our minds: Earthquakes.
Let’s hope we don’t have to talk about them the way we talk about the weather.

Gary Erb
Fern Valley

Medicare for All

Dear editor:
People are waking up to the need for Medicare for All, a transformative health care reform that would provide quality care to all people, regardless of wealth, age or employment.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal introduced the Medicare for All Act of 2021. This legislation comes at a time when nearly 70% of Americans support expanding this proven program.
The Medicare for All movement is snowballing, and no wonder! Millions of people in America do not have access to health care because they simply can’t afford it.
We’ve heard enough stories: the person who delays a test because of high copays and deductibles; a single parent who skips doses to stretch out her/his expensive prescriptions; or a family in distress turning to bankruptcy and GoFundMe to deal with outrageous medical bills.
The U.S. is the only industrialized nation where its citizens file bankruptcy due to medical debt. COVID-19 will only exacerbate the need for comprehensive health care.
To realize Medicare for All, health care activists are organizing to build a grassroots movement and persuade legislators to pass this lifesaving reform. Call your congressional representatives and encourage them to co-sponsor or thank the representatives that have already co-sponsored the Medicare for All Act.

Susan Maroko
Oceanside

Search for Roy Prifogle

Dear editor:
I tip my hat to the Idyllwild Town Crier for its community services.
The weekly updates to the Idyllwild community about the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department ongoing search efforts looking for the missing on the mountain, especially Roy Prifogle are admirable.
It is important for the local community to know that they are respected and cared for by the local authorities and newspaper.
Roy was my neighbor. It was a joy to watch Roy always busy with his garden, doing everything with great predisposition. Since I moved to Pine Cove about four years ago, Roy was always there for me. He had an answer for almost anything (never accepted any money).
When he went missing last year, I became a close friend with his father, Charles (Chuck) Prifogle. Chuck sold me Roy’s house —a place I consider to be special (used to be Roy’s grandmother’s house). Then Chuck did not come back to visit. I learned that he had passed away.
I will be attending the Sunday, April 18 search for Roy. I will dedicate the day to Roy’s joy for life and love for the mountains that perhaps became his forever home. More than looking for him, I will be there experiencing loving kindness (Metta) toward Roy’s life, fulfilling the air with love.
For those who may be interested, I as a practicing Buddhist, will be doing walking meditation before the search in the area. That helps to be in the present moment, and with loving kindness become fully aware of Roy’s presence in the forest so he is not alone.
Chuck, his dad, cried all the time because he wanted to find closure. Wanted for his loving son to R.I.P. Without disturbing his final resting place but sharing our love for him while looking for his remains, I am honoring my friend Chuck, too. If we happen to be successful in our search, it will be joy. If not, it will be joy anyway. Roy is with us every day and we miss him.
If anyone is interested in doing walking meditation with me before the search, please contact me through Facebook (oldest account), write on my timeline or leave a message.

Florinda Mintz
Pine Cove