Hornell, NY sign says city is "home of Alfred E. Neuman"

[matcom]

<snip>

HORNELL - Celebrity Bill Pullman has been ousted from the Maple City's welcoming signs by pranksters declaring it the home of Alfred E. Neuman.

Someone cleverly covered Pullman's name on the sign on southbound State Route 36, right at the city's northern limit. How long it's been there is anyone's guess - except the culprits'. No tracks lead up to the sign.

Though not actually the home to Alfred E. Neuman, MAD Magazine's perennial freckle-faced, gap-toothed mascot, Hornell was the hometown of illustrator Kelly Freas. Freas, who died in January, was MAD's cover artist for several years in the 1950s and '60s, helping to shape Neuman's image.

Echoing Neuman's catch phrase, the city's not worried.

"Plenty of people do that," said Mayor Shawn Hogan. "People have put their own names up there on those signs."

The mayor said Pullman is not the only famous person to come from the Canisteo Valley, adding the actor wouldn't mind sharing the sign for a while.

http://www.eveningtribune.com/articles/2005/02/02/news/news01.txt

[davidinalameda]

1. Bill who?

Alfred E. Newman I know