Mike High and his familiar smile and “Hi, may I help you?” will no longer be greeting customers at the lobby counter of the Lake Placid post office. He is retiring tomorrow (Thursday) after 33 years on the job. He will be missed by regular patrons, but a large portrait of Mike, dressed in his post office attire and wearing his trademark grin, will grace the lobby for years to come.

The painting, by Monica Turner, is a fitting tribute to a man who has been the first face you see at the post office for all these years. A gold watch and a plaque he received at a Sunday retirement party are grand, but the painting will serve as a welcome – and as a reminder of Mike – for many years to come.