Your car is often your sanctuary. Sometimes, it's the only thing between you and the real world.

The Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center located in Little Falls New Jersey and has many programs and exhibits open to the public...including this weekend...here's the museum's news release....

Hundreds of pictures for the 60 kids & adults attending...it was no-stop. They loved the props but would then get another round of photos just making faces or being serious...mostly families!

This keepsake strips of 3 photos were the treasured by all and will adorn refrigerators, walls and notebooks forever!

I just never realized how cool a photo booth is to lay with...even comes with its own generator!

Thanks to Uptown Sounds for the dance music and the photo booth! Loren Latham and his soon-to-be wife Epiphanie Reddick....what an entertainment team!

Which is why I have a soft spot in my heart for anyone who has to interact with the public...which can be tricky in today's climate.

So it was nice to have this young lady deliver my food curbside at the Bagel Shoppe in Fishkill by announcing...I am Mida and I'm from Guatemala!

I said hello, nice to meet you...just like the new hit song by Myles Smith!

When I said let's take a picture...she said sure and this is the result. Nice to meet new people who are so friendly!

Email comments to Mike@whud.com

It's called Trax Coffee Roasters at Groveville Mills....and the smell of the coffee beans being roasted is absolutely incredible to me....I can spot the smoke coming out of that smokestack on the right from blocks away! I actually slow down, lower my car windows (even in the winter) so my vehicle is filled with the mouthwatering odor. A nearby factory emits not-so-popular aromas...but that's a story for a different day!

Oh, I forgot to mention that I don't drink coffee...never have but the roasting process creates an aroma that I can't resist!

Oddly, I love the smell of gasoline too but I've never tasted that either! LOL

comments: email mike@whud.com

During Spring Training, Schlitter visited Cats & Caffeine, a cat cafe in Tampa, Florida where the Yanks get ready for the season ahead. Cam's downtime included snuggling kittens and cats, feeding them treats, and giving them pets. It's cuteness overload!

Watch Cam Schlitter's kitty adventure below!

 

 

 

 

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Cam's assessment of cats is that they're usually nicer when they're tired, lol. Spot on, Cam!

Cats & Caffeine sent Schlitter home with some merch, including a hat appropriately embroidered with the word 'meow', that he says is definitely a game day hat for him.

In 2026, Easter falls on April 5, making now the perfect moment to rethink what goes into your child’s basket. While candy still has its place, more families are embracing a mix of fun and functional items that last well beyond the holiday.

But why a basket? And what's up with the bunny?

One widely shared theory traces the Easter Bunny back to ancient spring festivals honoring Eostre, a goddess associated with fertility and renewal. Offerings were often placed in baskets and included eggs or seedlings, both symbols of new life. The rabbit, known for its rapid reproduction, became a natural emblem of fertility.

Another origin story comes from 18th-century German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania. They told their children about the “Osterhase,” a magical hare that laid colored eggs. Children would prepare nests — sometimes in baskets or hats — for the hare to fill.

...and chocolate?

Chocolate wasn’t always part of Easter, but once it arrived, it quickly became central.

European confectioners began crafting chocolate eggs in the early 1800s. In 1842, Cadbury introduced its first “eating chocolate,” and by 1875, the first chocolate Easter eggs were produced. The launch of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk chocolate eggs in 1905 helped solidify chocolate as a seasonal must-have.

Courtesy of nbcchicago.com

I used to have a list of Post Offices that were open late so I could get that required postmark by midnight 4-15! I wish I were kidding.

But now that I claim Buddy as a dependent, I get a refund! (Buddy is our dog and I am just kidding)

So here's to all the tax preparers out there who are working virtually around-the-clock to get everyone's returns done on time! 

I'm way ahead of the deadline this year and I'm awaiting my refund checks from Washington & Albany any day now.

My guy is Peter in Arlington...who handles over 700 filers each year! And he's still smiling!

Comments: email Mike@whud.com

Photo by Mike Bennett

The Vermont singer/songwriter is so hot...he's already sold-out his 2 shows in July at Citi Field.

He also has a popular line of merch...including candles scented with Vermont pine, campfire whiskey and your favorite flannel

Experience the best-selling album "Stick Season" in scent form. The candle even includes a small pack of matches!

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Found out that day that he grew up in Washingtonville where I once worked at Brotherhood Winery!

Since then the Yankees have won two World Series....2000 and 2009....so its been a while!

Maybe today is the start of another World series run...and maybe they'll meet the Mets in October! 

Fans always hold out hope...hope springs eternal as the saying goes! So Let's Go Yanks and Lets Go Mets!

This is me and my son Michael (to my right) on a NYC Sanitation truck in the 2009 parade!

I still have tickertape from the 2000 parade as a keepsake

Email Mike@whud.com with YOUR comments!

It's called the Versailles Velour and it's being served at Benjamin Steakhouse's restaurant in Midtown Manhattan. The price tag? $1000.

This adult beverage better be made with liquid gold for giving you that kind of sticker shock, right? Well, close enough. According to New York Post, Versailles Velour does come with 24-karat edible gold-leaf shavings. This espresso martini was reportedly “inspired by the grandeur and ceremonial indulgence of the French court", according to Benjamin.

It's beyond a big kid's hot chocolate. The cocktail consists of Mozart Dark Chocolate Liqueur, Bailey’s Irish Cream, Kahlúa, fresh espresso, steamed milk and orange bitters, plus delicately heated Grand Marnier Quintessence and Hennessy Richard cognac, and it really DOES look and sound delicious.

Worth the pretty penny though? Decide for yourself. Feast your eyes on this break-the-bank beverage by clicking this link.

Now she's added producer to her resume as the musical "Freestyle: A Love Story" is coming to The Lovinger Theater at Lehman College in the  Bronx!

She told me the show is set for Wednesday, Thursday & Friday this week 3-25 through 3-28 with Lisa Lisa from Cult Jam among the performers! 

Sounds like a great time...check it out https://www.lehmanstages.org/

Comments: Mike@whud.com is my email

Julie is a 2005 graduate of Briarcliff High School in Westchester and now lives with her husband and son in Dutchess County. Congrats Julie!

While she was here, she was introduced to another "40 Under 40" winner from 10 years ago, WHUD Promotions Director Jimmy Lyles! 

I'm grabbing the lobster ravioli and a bottle of marinara sauce...co-workers have to split the rest!

So here's to National Ravioli Day...I've already put in in my 2027 planner for March 20th!

Comments gladly accepted via email....mike@whud.com 

I joke but the process of ascribing a moniker to a Tropical Storm/Hurricane system is one that is taken very seriously. According to nhc.org, since 1953, Atlantic tropical storms had been named from lists originated by the National Hurricane Center. They are now reportedly maintained and updated through a strict procedure by an international committee of the World Meteorological Organization.

So, how are names decided? The NHC uses six rotating lists of 21 alphabetical male/female names that alternate every year. One year, the alphabet begins with a male name, the next year the alphabet begins with a female name. 2026 will be a gentlemen first season. The list recycles every six years, according to NOAA's National Ocean Service. However, names of storms associated with deadly or costly storms reportedly get retired.  

Below are the 22 2026 Tropical Storm names per National Hurricane Center:

Don't Miss the WHUD Psychic Fair!

You Won't Believe How Much the Average NY Family Now Needs to Live!

ICYMI: WATCH: Martha Stewart's Warning for Bedford, NY Residents [Video]

Become a WHUD Insider

For weather updates wherever you are, download the free WHUD mobile app!

via GIPHY

The announcement acme from MSG boss Charles Dolan:

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN LAUNCHES 

“THANK YOU, NYPD” CAMPAIGN 

BRINGING TOGETHER CELEBRITIES, ATHLETES, 

BUSINESS LEADERS, AND OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES

TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT

Exclusive “Thank You, NYPD” Event To Be Hosted At MSG

Featuring Performances By Chris Distefano, Fat Joe, John Fogerty, 

Cyndi Lauper, Sam Morril And More

New Yorkers Are Encouraged To 

Submit “Thank You, NYPD” Videos At MSG.com/NYPD

Jim Dolan, Executive Chairman and CEO, MSG Entertainment said, “There are times in our culture today when the dissenter’s voice is louder than that of the majority. Such is the case with law enforcement, and in particular, the NYPD. Cries of ‘defund the police’ and other negative statements do not reflect the true feelings of New Yorkers. If that is what our cops are hearing and no one steps up to say otherwise, that can be disheartening. This concert to say, ‘Thank You, NYPD’ is designed to let our police know that we New Yorkers need, respect and appreciate their effort and service. It is not political. Just a sincere ‘thank you’ to our men and women in blue. New York would not be New York without you! Enjoy the show and know that we appreciate you.”

Cyndi Lauper said, “I am happy to show my appreciation for the brave members of the NYPD by performing at this MSG event. We are all New Yorkers, and the NYPD is such an important part of our community. I am a lifelong New Yorker, and we’re at our best when we are supporting each other. I hope my fellow New Yorkers join me in saying Thank You to the NYPD and their families.”

The other day the new phone actually rang and startled me...yes I got one for my house too! At least you know its family calling just to say and not spam or a bill collector!

Don't ask how it works but you hook it up to the internet and there's even dial tone! Each button on the phone dials directly to one of the cousins houses and to me too!

Imagine the new generation getting used.to holding an actual phone... wonders never cease!

comments? email:mike@whud.com

A U.S. family with children needs about $145,000 in income to be considered economically secure, according to a March 16 report from the Urban Institute. About 49% of Americans live below that financial threshold, the nonpartisan think tank found.

In 2024 (the latest available data), the median household income for married couples in the U.S. was $128,700, U.S. Census data shows. 

Ingredients for economic security 

According to Urban's analysis, economic security today includes having enough money to pay for:

• Adequate food
• Clothing
• Housing 
• Health care
• Child care
• Transportation
• Postsecondary education 
• Student loan repayments
• Savings for emergencies and retirement
• Additional costs, such as for personal care products

The research comes as many Americans continue to feel the pinch of rising prices, with even some six-figure households saying they are struggling to pay for basics like utilities and health care.

While Urban's measure differs from the poverty rate, which measures extreme hardship, it signals that even people with good-paying jobs may still not be earning enough to feel as if they are thriving. 

Courtesy of CBS

Here's what Orange & Rockland is reporting this morning:

– Orange and Rockland Utilities continues to restore power to customers after yesterday’s heavy rains and continuing strong winds that are still blowing throughout the service area.

O&R's emergency response crews, which includes 109 Company and Contractor line FTEs, have restored power to more than 12,700 customers impacted since the start of the storm. Crews will continue working to restore service to the remaining 2,200 customers

O&R strongly recommends that all customers report new outages immediately so our crews can restore service as quickly as possible.

Below are the areas currently affected: 

Orange County: 1,350

• Blooming Grove: 427
• Warwick Village: 154
• Woodbury: 252

Sullivan County: 378

• Mamakating: 270

           More than 800 students from over 40 Westchester and Putnam County high schools will showcase their graduate-level science research projects in a competitive poster venue at the 25th Annual Regeneron - Westchester Science and Engineering Fair (WESEF) at Somers High School on March 14, 2026

Participants, mostly seniors and juniors involved in their high school science research programs, will showcase their work via poster presentations, which will be judged by local experts in the fields of life science, physical science, environmental studies, psychology, and engineering.

Twenty top projects will win spots at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), which is a program of Society for Science and the world's largest high school STEM competition. Regeneron ISEF will be held this May in Phoenix, Arizona and will bring together more than 1,700 science fair winners from over 60 countries.

Four additional projects will win a spot at the International Genius Olympiad,where more than 600 students from over 70 countries will compete with projects focused on sustainability in the areas of energy, environment, engineering, and global health.

The public is invited to view student presentations from 3:30pm – 4:30pm

Awards Ceremony - Wednesday, March 18, 2026, 6:30pm–8:30 pm at Somers High School



 

The zoo said on Wednesday that the fox - a two-year-old male weighing roughly 11lb (5kg) - is currently in the Animal Health Center with animal and veterinary teams.

"Once the veterinary team determines that the fox is healthy, the zoo will work with wildlife experts to identify an appropriate long-term home for the animal," the zoo said in a press release.

The fox was detected among the ship's cargo by US officials at the Port of New York and New Jersey, and was brought to the Bronx Zoo on 19 February.

It is not clear how the animal managed to gain access to the ship while it was docked at the English port city.

The zoo said initial examinations suggested the fox appeared to be in good health and that additional results from a separate routine health screening were pending.

"He seems to be settling in well," Keith Lovett, the zoo's director of animal programs, told the Associated Press. "It's gone through a lot."

Courtesy of BBC news.

In Beacon where I live, the recently refurbished kids area at Memorial Park was busy as the nice weather brought many people out of their homes.

You likely have something similar to Memorial Park in your community...I watched my 3 children play baseball & softball there plus there's basketball, soccer and even a skateboard area that was also recently refurbished.

The park also serves as the location for July 4th fireworks and other community gatherings...complete with picnic tables, grills and a pavillion!

Even the public restrooms have colorful murals painted on them!

BTW SPRING officially arrives on Friday March 20th at 10:46am....not that I'm counting down LOL

Comments: my email is Mike@WHUD.com

If you're like me and have never changed the oil in your car YOURSELF, you've come to expect going to a place and being bombarded with techs who try to up-sell ...tell you you need 4 new tires...that the cabin air filter is really dirty and should be replaced...and your framisgat (I made that up) is loose and must be repaired...when all you want is new oil

So imagine my surprise when I went to Fishkill Tire yesterday and got an oil change in 30 minutes and that was it. A miracle? Nope, just a long standing business that treats its customers with respect and skips all the other stuff. They even had snacks and beverages in the waiting room.

To say I'll be back is an understatement...now instead of dreading it, I can't wait to get my next oil change!  Life is hard enough, right? 

Comments: my email is Mike@WHUD.com

And viewers loved hit...so much so that Season 2 is coming out today and actor Camrus Johnson is proud to join the cast as the evil "Mr. 5".

Camrus is anything but evil as I found out in our recent interview. A Georgia native who moved the New York City and soon found success as "Luke Fox" on Batwoman and now on "One Piece"

So check him out in the second season...I invited him to visit the beautiful Hudson Valley...we'll see if he has time!

Comments: my email is Mike@WHUD.com

I'm lucky enough to have my nephew Dan who's so tech savvy he can do anything with images....a little scary but he does it all with love!

This is my parent's wedding picture...Ellen Edge became Mrs. Matthew Bennett in Brooklyn.

They're both gone now but when I look at this photo....I'm moved by their beauty and knowing how their family has grown over the years, I'm confident they would be immensely proud of their legacy!

A motorist from Long Island, New York named Seth Bykofsky has been in a fight with the state Department of Motor Vehicles who issued a direct order that he return a custom license plate that reads:

(Thinkstock/Canva)

"Pee Before We Go". Come on, now. How EPIC is that?

The NY DMV reportedly flagged the 69-year-old granddad of four's plate as 'inappropriate' but guess who didn't agree? The one and only state Governor Kathy Hochul! She calls the custom plate 'a public service', according to USA Today, and said she "thinks everybody should be reminded to pee before you go."

"I have kids and grandkids", stated Hochul, "and I support the effort wholeheartedly."

Hochul personally reached out to Seth to give him the good news that his "PB4WEGO" license plate was allowed to stay put.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Governor Kathy Hochul (@govkathyhochul)

All's well that ends well!

Although he never said his name, the voice of Dr. Paul Devantier was recognized by many listeners who were early risers since "By The Way" aired at 4:25am for decades. His soothing voice brought inspiring messages of hope and the love of God. Although he died late last year, By The Way continued to air on WHUD until last Friday, when his veteran engineer revealed his passing. Then his son John voiced the final show last Saturday.

As someone who listens to WHUD on my drive to work every morning, I always found By The Way to be refreshing and uplifting with a soft-spoken host I had never met or talked to. I didn't know his name either ...until I read this on the By The Way website:

The Rev. Dr. Paul Walter Devantier, former executive director of Communications for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), died on Nov. 30. He was 79.

Devantier was a native of Wausau, Wis. At the time of his death, he had been married to Ellen (Stapel) Devantier for 55 years. The Devantiers were blessed with five children and, over the course of their marriage, cared for more than 80 foster children.....12 grandchildren too.

I will miss that special 60 second message that so many of us looked forward to every early morning on 100.7 WHUD.

Comments: my email is Mike@WHUD.com

The show is called Off Weeks and it stars Ben Stiller and Oscar winner Jessica Chastain. According to iMDb, the limited-series centers around Gus Adler (Stiller), a divorced professor juggling shared custody of his children while pursuing a passionate romance with the enigmatic Stella West (Chastain), leading to mounting tensions between his parental duties and personal desires.

While Stiller is known more for his comedic roles, Off Weeks is described as a romantic drama and that definitely has my attention. I love when actors play against stereotype.

via GIPHY

Stiller and Chastain were reportedly spotted filming scenes for Off Weeks at the little but mighty C.J. Cullen's Tavern on Pelham Road in New Rochelle. So cool!

(Google Maps)

I can't wait to see C.J.'s and New Rochelle celebrated on TV in the same way Westchester and Beacon have been in the series Four Seasons.

Off Weeks also stars Richard Gere and John Cho. The show remains in production and there's no release date scheduled yet on Apple TV but we'll keep you posted!

*WARNING: NSFW*

Whether it's a sweatshirt or photograph, burning items that remind you of your ex is nothing new. It's a way of jilted lovers exorcising the demons of their own broken heart. But two funny firefighters from West Pierce Fire & Rescue out of Washington are offering alternatives to burning those items in effigy, and they clearly have a sense of humor. So, if the idea of love, happiness, and couples celebrating Valentine's Day (or worse, watching your ex move on and celebrate like you never existed), take a look at the hilarious video they made below and maybe take out your rage in a safer way that still has the same effect as lighting all that crap on fire, lol.

 

 

 

 

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Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!