Pirates Log

Issue date: 2/9/06 Section: News

Media Credit: Adm Golub John Mattos, Olympic stamp designer, left, and Cory S. Scandobal, Post Master of Modesto, unveil the new Olympic U.S. postage stamp.

Local artist John Mattos and the U.S. Postal Service unveiled a new stamp to commemorate the 2006 Olympic Games starting on February 10. The unveiling took place in MJC's Sierra Hall on the West Campus, Feb.8.

Modesto postmaster Cory Sandobal said he was honored to meet Mattos, a former MJC student. Some extraordinary former Olympians also attended the little ceremony.

Lupe Gutierrez was on the 1981-1984 boxing team along side Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield. Dave Ashleigh played with the 1964 and 1968 U.S. Water Polo team. Three members of the Special Olympics team also attended with their director, John Wray. Mattos, a former graphic artist at the Modesto Bee, said, "The stamp is much like the average stamp: very simple." It only took him a day to do it. As the black curtain hanging over the art piece slid off, it revealed a skier sliding gracefully through slalom poles. At first the young woman had red hair out the back of her helmet, but as Mattos said, "It looked like she had fire coming out of her head." The idea for the stamps came last February from a six person board and a woman skier. After Mattos' first sketch was done, it was taken to New Orleans. A week later his stamp was approved and shall now be making its way onto envelopes across the nation- and across the nation a second time!

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools