matlick

Stan Matlick of Bishop accepts citizen award from Bishop Mayor Dave Stottlemyre.

Stan and Roberta Matlick of Bishop quietly and consistently gave of their service, money and moral support to Bishop and the Eastern Sierra over the years. Monday night the Bishop City Council honored them.

Roberta had died in January.  Stan and daughter Margaret attended the meeting.  Councilwoman Susan Cullen read a statement about the Matlicks and why the Council chose them for the Quarterly Citizen Award.

Cullen listed the many community activities of Roberta – Laws Museum, Good Old Days, teaching and touching the lives of countless students, service with the Community Concert Association and Inyo-Mono Area Agency on Aging.

Councilman Jeff Griffiths said he will miss Roberta the most at the community Christmas dinners where she used to play and sing Christmas carols.

Cullen spoke of Stan Matlick’s years of service with the Laws Museum board, Bishop Homecoming and Labor Day Association, the VFW, the Lions Club and the Sewer District.  Cullen said, “He has been a strong supporter of the Bishop Friendship Center and Methodist Soup Kitchen.”  She added that Matlick fought to prevent new DWP wells on the Bishop Cone to preserve the environment.

In fact, it was Stan’s father and family back in the 30s, who went to court and won the Hillside Decree, an historic court order that prevents the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power from pumping water for export in a wide area in and around Bishop and nearly down to Big Pine. The DWP tried to defeat that order in the 80s, but Stan fought back.  He personally stood up to Los Angeles and funded the legal battle to protect Bishop.  It is the only area of the Owens Valley with these protections.

Even when it wasn’t popular, Matlick  stood up at scores of meetings over the years on behalf of the Owens Valley environment.  His famous quote  years ago haunts Inyo County today.  When citizens fought against the Inyo-DWP Long Term Water Agreement, Matlick said, “You will find this agreement isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.”

There were many others in the area this week who privately commented how the Matlicks had supported them in a time of need, changing the course of their lives for the better.

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