Friday, November 21, 2025
This letter carrier is following in his dad’s TV show footsteps
The son of Mr. McFeely from ‘Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood’ delivers to the show’s real-life location
It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood for Letter Carrier Alex Newell.
He delivers mail to the ZIP Codes of Squirrel Hill, an area of Pittsburgh that is home to the beloved children’s television program “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”
Newell’s route has another special connection — his father, David, played the show’s mail-delivering character, Mr. McFeely, known for his memorable “speedy delivery!” tagline.
“It’s very ironic that I’m a mailman actually delivering to Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood and everyone knows who I am on my route,” said Newell, who began his postal career in 2016.
He enjoys passing by landmarks including WQED, the public television station where the Emmy Award-winning show was taped, and the home where the show’s host, writer, composer and producer, Fred Rogers, lived with his wife and two children.
Newell fondly recalls helping his dad prep for the show as he took him and his siblings to school.
“I would go over the script with him in the car along the way. I visited the show’s set all the time. I didn’t really think about it that much at the time, but as I got older, I appreciate how cool that was,” he said.
Prior to USPS, Newell went to school for sports management at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. After working for sports teams throughout the United States, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue the acting bug he caught from his dad.
He worked as a production assistant on a few reality shows and acted in a couple of short films before deciding to return to Pittsburgh.
“I came back here seeking a stable job. I looked into USPS, and I applied. I love working outside. It’s been a wonderful, good-paying job with great benefits,” he said.
Newell’s parents, who still live in the Pittsburgh area, are both supportive of his career path and think his delivering role is fitting.
“[Alex] could’ve had any assignment in Pittsburgh, but he got that area. I delivered to the television neighborhood, and my son is delivering in the real neighborhood. He really enjoys it,” he said.
Rogers died from stomach cancer in 2003. Almost 1,000 episodes of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” were made during its run from 1968-2001 with David Newell.
Rogers appeared on a 2018 Forever stamp and he also visited USPS headquarters in Washington, DC, in 1984 to interview Assistant Postmaster General Gordon Morison for his show.
David Newell thinks Rogers would approve.
“I think Fred would get the biggest kick out of it,” he said. “He would’ve probably had Alex on the show had he still been living. He would have done some story for the neighborhood or worked it into the show if it was still on.”
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News Quiz
Trying to stem the tide
How much do you know about the Postal Service’s 2025 financial results?
“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that lets you test your knowledge of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end.
1. What primary factors increased the Postal Service’s fiscal year 2025 operating expenses?
a) Compensation costs and other operating costs
b) Increases in USPS vehicle insurance premiums
c) Increases in workers’ compensation claims
d) Rising fuel prices and vehicle maintenance
2. On what Hawaiian island is the Hoolehua Post Office, which is famous for helping customers decorate and mail coconuts?
a) Kauai
b) Maui
c) Molokai
d) Oahu
3. When he came upon the scene of a vehicle accident, how did San Antonio Letter Carrier Ernest Fuentes lend a hand?
a) He called 911 and helped keep onlookers at bay.
b) He called the victim’s wife to notify her.
c) He helped direct traffic until police arrived.
d) He pulled the victim from the flipped vehicle.
4. If employees and contractors receive suspicious texts on their USPS-issued phones, they should send them to the Inspection Service at what number?
a) 6344
b) 7726
c) 8190
d) 9922
5. True or false: Open season, which runs from Nov. 10 through Dec. 8, is the only time that most USPS employees can make changes to their health insurance coverage for the upcoming year.
a) True
b) False
Answers: 1) a. 2) c. 3) d. 4) b. 5) a.
New postcard emphasizes holiday season readiness
A postcard focusing on the Postal Service’s bright outlook for the 2025 holiday season was recently mailed to employees’ homes.
The card highlights modernization achievements during the past four years — including increased daily package processing capacity, expanded turnaround service, updated facilities and the rollout of new delivery vehicles — that will help the organization shine during the holiday season and encourage customers to choose USPS all year long.
It also has a QR code linking to the Holiday Newsroom website.
In addition to being sent to employees’ homes, postcards about USPS transformation efforts can be downloaded from LiteBlue.
Each card addresses a different topic and features information that employees can reference when discussing the transformation plan with co-workers and customers.