People

September 2005

Collecting Motorcycles—
109 of Them!

When Les Snavely was 20, he saw a photo of his grandfather astride a 1911 Wagner motorcycle. That small, back-and-white image struck a chord in him and prompted what would become Snavely’s 42-year hobby of collecting antique bikes, all of them arranged neatly today in his garage in Bowman, North Dakota.

People travel long distances to gaze at those 109 bikes. Snavely has a sentimental attachment to each one—especially the 1911 Wagner, the same model and make as his grandfather’s. It took the collector seven years to find that one.

Snavely is quite accustomed to large collections. For 30 years he worked as a librarian at Bowman  High School, caring for more than 30,000 books—the largest library in the region.  

Since retiring in 2002, Snavely misses many aspects of education, especially the daily interactions with students. But retired life has its perks too. “By far the best part is not working by the bell,” he says.

With his spare time, Snavely has gotten involved in local politics, travel, and the NDEA Retired Association.

“Everyone should get involved just a little bit,” Snavely stresses. “When working in the classroom, teachers don’t have much time, but they do have needs. Luckily, retired educators have the time to participate and are now demanding to be involved.”

—Daniel Moise

Painting Her Town Red, Blue, Green,…

Maine  retiree Claudia Mahlman was instantly enamored of the coastal fishing village of Lubec when she moved there 35 years ago. “My house is on top of a hill, and when I look out, I’m surrounded by water on three sides.” she says. “This area is just one gorgeous view after another. I thought to myself, ‘I’ll never run out of things to paint in Lubec.’”

But duties as a librarian at the William S. Cohen School and community activities left little time for Mahlman to explore her love of art. That changed in 2001 when Mahlman retired after 34 years in education and enrolled in a class with a local artist. Soon she was painting all the picturesque seascapes and foliage that Lubec had to offer.

At press time, Mahlman had completed 59 paintings. Several have been displayed in lighthouse galleries and many have been sold at substantial prices. “I was surprised when my paintings went up on the wall with those of people who have been painting much longer!” she says.

Mahlman says she never thought she would be this busy in her new life, but “It just seemed to fall into place that a hobby would become profitable in my old age.”

—D.M.