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November 11, 2005Mr. McFeely in neighborhoodYo-yo expert also to appear at Dennos MuseumTRAVERSE CITY - Mister Rogers "Speedy Delivery Man" Mr. McFeely will visit Dennos Museum Center Saturday in conjunction with an exhibit based on the long-running children's show, "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood."Mr. McFeely's appearance will be part of Family Day at the museum, which is on the campus of Northwestern Michigan College, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Also appearing will be Yo-Master Zeemo, a yo-yo artist who does a multitude of tricks on different types of yo-yos and even shares some history of the popular toy. McFeely, played by David Newell, was a fixture on the program from when it started in 1967 to when they filmed the last episodes in 2001. Rogers died in 2003. Like the show itself, he lives on in repeats of select episodes from the popular series' 34-year run on PBS. "I thought I had a job for one year when we started," said Newell, 64, in a telephone interview. Mr. McFeely, the character who took his name from the middle name of the show's star Fred Rogers, is often in a hurry when seen on the show. After all, he is the Speedy Delivery Man, a line Newell still uses to sign on and off phone calls. At times, that trait has been a jumping-off point for lessons, including how children can deal with grownups in their lives who are always in a rush. "Other times he wanted children to be able to take their time and think about what they're doing," Newell said. Unlike his TV persona, however, Newell won't be in a hurry during his appearance. "People may bring their cameras and I'll bring some pictures to autograph," he said. Throughout the years, Newell also worked on the show's production and is proud of what the show did and stood for. He continues to do similar work with Family Communications Inc., which makes videos and other educational materials for families, educators and child-care professionals. "We've taken a lot of the concepts he's thought over all the years," Newell said. Meanwhile, the show is still seen throughout the week on PBS stations and will continue to run indefinitely. "It was a goal of Fred Rogers that there be a library of programs that could go on," Newell said. Rogers' soft-spoken way of teaching children about themselves, the world around them and ways to deal with problems "still serve a purpose," Newell said. Mr. McFeely will be at the museum from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will give an interactive presentation at 1 p.m. Zeemo will do a presentation at 11:30 a.m. and be available throughout the day for demonstrations and to display his yo-yo collection. Admission to family day is $4 for adults, $2 for children under 12 and free to museum members. A replica of Mister Rogers' television house and Neighborhood of Make Believe is on display at the museum through Jan. 8. For more information, call 995-1055 or visit www.dennosmuseum.org
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