Photos and story by William Smith
Long-retired Des Moines County Sheriff Sgt. Steve Parker is a bit of a magician.
He’s also a huge Mister Rogers fan.
As the national voice for McGruff the Crime Dog for the past four decades, Parker has dedicated his life to children. He runs an ice cream truck in the summer, featuring his own homemade milkshakes. He helped orchestrate the Safety Town program for years, teaching children traffic rules as they entered kindergarten. He and fellow Burlington resident Marvin Coon even constructed an exact replica of the long-defunct Naifeh's grocery store, just because Parker used to work there as a kid.
Saturday, Nov. 20, Parker entertained a room full of children and their parents at The Danville Station – a combination library and Anne Frank exhibit. He’s a puppeteer and ventriloquist as well and has combined those talents into a unique blend of children's entertainment.
Emulating the titular character from the PBS program, “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” Parker held conversations with a miniature tiger and pun-crazy alligator, sang songs about the benefits of reading and being kind, and performed a few well-practiced magic tricks.
As usual, Parker made sure a few of those tricks were obvious duds, inspiring peals of laughter before awing his young audience by magically tying loops of rope.
Parker even revealed a bit of his own life to the crowd, creating a familiar zone of comfort as he slowly removed his shoes and donned a very Mister Rogers-esque cardigan sweater.
“I was born in an elevator between the fifth and sixth floors of Mercy Hospital,” he said. “I was premature.”
After nearly an hour of binding the kiddos to their seats – no chiding necessary – Parker reluctantly ended the show. But everyone in the room insisted on a group picture, and Parker was happy to oblige.
