Mike Smith looks the part of an outlaw biker from the 60s with his long gray beard and ponytail. Without knowing, one wouldn't expect him to say he's the U.S. Postmaster for the city of Molalla.

Actually, he is both of those things. One was a vocation the other an avocation. After 34 1/2 years with the U.S. Postal Service, at age 55,he is going back to the "hobby" he is very passionate about -- antique motorcycles.

Smith began his career with the Post Office as an air conditioning mech-anic in Los Angeles. He advanced to engineer and took on increasingly more responsible positions while moving to Denver, Sacramento and finally, to Portland, where he was manager of engineering.

While he was moving up the career ladder he and his wife Rozanne were busy having children. The couple has five grown sons -- all of whom were home-schooled."My wife is a homemaker. She was blessed with lots of skills and we were very busy raising them." They were so busy, in fact, that they didn't have time for things like television.Smith said he and his wife discussed completely "unplugging" their kids from TV one evening and the kids agreed.

"We talked with them about time and the value of spending time together and they agreed." As the children's grew older, their mother was charged with their academics while Smith's was in charge of hands-on learning in the shop.In 1986, with his position being fazed out, he was faced with moving again, his sons were all high school age although even in high school they were taking classes at the local community college. "We sent them to Clackamas Community College to supplement their education," he said.

"I was offered a high level job at (Washington D.C.)," Smith said. "I elected to step out of engineering for a few years and they offered me the job in Molalla as Postmaster. I wasn't willing to relocate," he said because he and his wife didn't want to move their sons again.

Although he planned to stay at the Molalla post for a relatively short period of time, that plan didn't come to fruition."I planned to do the Postmaster thing for about four years but I've done it for 12 years," he said smiling.

"At one time the Postmaster was a highly respected individual in the community. What it has become, as commerce has evolved, is a sounding
board for the community, a way for the boss to implement the budget ... he (the Postmaster) has to handle craft employees and their unions. Which means he has his boss, the community, craft employees and the union all yelling at him," Smith said.

"It's a thankless job. I think Postmasters out there are unsung heroes, for our organization, for all they have to put up with. All I can say to Molalla is `please support he or she,' " he continued. "A Postmaster can really go through some hardships that (people) may never know about." Yet, Smith said he will miss the people in the community and "some of the workers."

"I almost wish I could retire part time," he said grinning and running his fingers down his beard as he thought. "I never thought I'd say that."

With his 12-inch long, gray beard and his salt and pepper hair pulled back into a ponytail, he looks the part of the biker outlaw. Laughing he said he gave up the outlaw part after becoming a born again Christian. He didn't, however, give up his love of motorcycles. During the past several years he managed, with the help of his oldest son, Matthew, to run a business manufacturing parts for antique motorcycles as well as restoring them. At this point it's a thriving business and Smith plans to do some traveling to promote the business all over the world. "We make 3,000 different parts for American-made motorcycles manufactured between 1900 and 1930."

Smith said for quite a while people were into restoring motorcycles so that now, "a restored original is worth more than a fully restored motorcycle. You can restore it as many times as you want but it can never go back after it's been restored."

At the 11th annual Las Vegas Vintage Motorcycle Auction at the end of the month, Smith is selling a restored 1913 Henderson four cylinder and a 1912 Harley Davidson twin unrestored original as well as many other motorcycles. "The unrestored originals have gone the other way now," Smith said. "They're now like a fine piece of art." And despite their age, Smith said they ride the antique bikes hard.

"Typically when we're on these tours, they're three days long and up in the mountains we ride them hard -- a 120 miles." Even the models being built in the early 1900s were made to handle speeds from 50 to 80 mph.

"By 1912, Excelsior was producing a model that would do 100 mph.Smith plans to leave his son in charge of the business -- and do a lot of traveling, bike tours, conventions and a chance to meet up with old friends, and meet new ones.

"I plan to travel a bit this year. We're going to travel around the United States this year and Hawaii. Next year we're going to Australia next year and New Zealand the next year."

Smith said although he hasn't any idea who the next Postmaster will be, he believes the office will probably only be vacant for 90 days at the most.

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