When I heard that Milan Dragway was hosting a Detroit Dragway reunion on May 19th it immediately reminded of the days when I was an active drag racer back in the 80’s and 90’s with my friend Jeff Wagoner. Jeff was an audio engineer here at CBS 62 and CW50. We became friends back in the mid 80’s when I came to Detroit as a weather anchor on the 10 o’clock news. I discovered we had a common interest in cars and drag racing. Jeff had a 1980 Malibu that he wanted to turn into a race car and he asked me if I was interested in helping him build it. I didn’t hesitate to say, you bet! It took a year but we accomplished our mission.

The car had a tube chassis and all of the safety gear that was required to race with. We ended up with at 540 cubic inch big block Chevy engine with a Holly Dominator carburetor, a Ford 9-inch rear end and Broadax heads.

Ok, enough of the technical talk. Jeff and I raced for ten years at the strip until it closed at the end of 1998. During our race days at the track we got to know a lot of fellow racers. The names that come to mind are GTO George, Terry Sutterland, Little Man, the Moon family and Bob and Charlie Scott to name a few. It was a great time we had on those Saturdays. We never won any of the bracket races but the car was fast. We were able to do the quarter mile in 9.45 seconds. It was such a rush leaving the starting line.

The bottom line is we were there to have fun with our hobby. Warehouses now stand at the corner of Sibley and Dix in Brownstown Twp. We were totally bummed out that the track was no longer there. Jeff ended up selling the car and bought a 1966 Nova street car. The staff at Detroit Dragway wanted to open a new strip south of Metro Airport but that never materialized because the township didn’t want it.

The Detroit Dragway reunion at Milan Dragway on May 19th would have been Jeff’s 63rd birthday, sadly, Jeff passed away on June 19th of 2010. I’m sure he would have loved to attend the upcoming reunion. I’m also sure Jeff would agree that Detroit needs a Dragstrip of its own since we are known as the Motor City.

Follow Randy on Twitter @FFMRandy.

Now, that room inside a church is being brought back to its former glory, all for the community to enjoy.

Watch WWJ’s Kathryn Larson’s exclusive story below:

Frostburg State University in Maryland has offered “The Science of Harry Potter.”

Now, Michigan State University is offering a new course called  “Surviving the Coming Zombie Apocalypse – Catastrophes and Human Behavior.”

Students are put in survivor groups and will undergo simulated catastrophic events.

The instructor says this is a class about human behavior, since the students are learning to survive.

Class starts this May.

Now, why didn’t I have a class like this in college!

It’s a local program that aims to give children with cancer or other debilitating diseases a chance to feel pretty — and like themselves again.

WWJ’s Kathryn Larson visited Wigs 4 Kids just in time for their big fundraiser, “Tribute Artists Salute Our Country Stars.”

She had a chance to meet with 5-year-old Ella Middleton from Wixom and her brother Gavin. Each year, Ella receives a new wig from the organization.

Wigs 4 Kids is holding their fundraiser on Friday, February 24 at Lakeland Manor in St. Clair Shores at 6:30 p.m.

Celebrity impersonators will represent artists such as Tim McGraw, Reba McIntire, Willie Nelson and many more!

Tickets are $35 and can be purchased at the door.

Information about how you can help Wigs 4 Kids is available at wigs4kids.org.

According to the Chrysler Super Bowl ad featuring Clint Eastwood, “This country can’t be knocked out with one punch. We get right back up. And when we do, the world is going to hear the roar of our engines.”

Is Chrysler really on that amazing an upswing?

WWJ-TV CBS Detroit, First Forecast Mornings News Anchor Syma Chowdhry went to Golling Chrysler to find out if the Super Bowl ad is driving consumers in or are they just “kicking the tires.”

Bill Golling from Golling Chrysler said of the ad, “I think it’s going to give people some hope. Certainly it’s good for our city. It’s good for our car company.”

The ad quickly became controversial with the “halftime” theme leading some Republicans to say it was a thinly veiled attempt for Chrysler to endorse President Barack Obama, who is running for his second term in office. Obama pushed for the auto bailout that rescued Chrysler in the depths of the Great Recession, something Republicans — including Michigan’s own former governor’s son Mitt Romney – object to.

The ad emphasizes what’s going on with today’s Chrysler, where profits are trickling down to employees. This is the first year since 2005 that employees will receive profit sharing checks.

Golling added, “Jefferson Ave. is adding a third shift. And beside the assembly plant — you have to now supply the parts too.”

Autobeat Reporter Jeff Gilbert brings some perspective on the issue adding, “Chrysler says that it expects to make about a billion and a half dollars this year. And that’s going to start it down the real road to profitability.”

Gilbert also comments on the new Chevrolet post-apocalyptic ad, “This shows that healthy competition is back and that shows that people don’t have to stand together to protect themselves, they feel like they can go out there and fight in the marketplace. Which is a good thing.”

So what do you think — Did Clint Eastwood nail it — or not?

Mile after mile of construction, cameras caught the new Parkway in Windsor coming to life. Demolition began about six months ago to create a 10 lane highway that would curb noisy trucks and create a new way to the border.

That new way is through the International Bridge Crossing, a project that Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis said is raring to go.

“The shovel’s in the ground on this side. The project’s proceeding, it’s a construction zone out there, and we’re quite confident and hopeful that things will be approved in Lansing,” said Francis.

Meantime, more than 9,000 homeowners like Joe Di Giorgio sold their homes to the Canadian Government to make way for the new transportation solution.

“It’s a pretty big construction scene. There’s going to be 10 lanes of highway going in and quite a bit of property had to be cleared out in order to start the building process,” said DiGiorgio.

As DiGiorgio walks around the property he built from the ground up, he said he got a fair market offer for his home and has no hard feelings — no matter what happens to his home.

“It’s necessary. I think what we’re going to get here is way better than what we’ve had. I’ve lived in this neighborhood my entire life and I’m used to the trucks and the truck noise but now I think, since the highway is going to go below grade, that it’s actually going to be much better for the residents of the area,” said DiGiorgio.

Keep up with the Windsor Essex Parkway on their official site, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.

Watch Part 1 of this story, here.
Watch Part 2 of this story, here.

Governor Snyder’s International Bridge appears to be a done deal. At least that’s what Windsor says. WWJ’s Kathryn Larson has part one of her three-part series.

By tunnel or bridge, when thousands are crossing every single day — two ways over are simply not enough. And that’s why Canada has taken action.

Canada is literally laying the groundwork for that second bridge as Mayor Eddie Francis explains, “It’s cleared the environmental hurdles on the Canadian side and the American side. And as a result of clearing those hurdles on the Canadian side, as you can see, the construction has already started.” Francis continues, ”… there will be two types of construction: one on a new road bed connecting to the national highway system and that will be a 1.7 billion dollar construction. The homes have been torn down. The trees have been taken out.”

It’s called the Windsor Essex Parkway. And as the Ministry of Transportation Garfield Dales points out the new bridge plan on the map, Mayor Francis says their side is ready to make things happen, without Michigan’s money.

Francis comments on the costs and benefits of the new bridge, “Michigan taxpayers will not be on the hook because of the work of the governor. Michigan taxpayers will benefit from thousands and thousands of jobs that are created as a result of this bridge being built.

The plan puts the bridge about two miles south of the Ambassador Bridge in the Delray neighborhood. The Ministry of Transportation say it will curb a traffic nightmare.

At this point Windsor’s youngest mayor says it’s up to Lansing to fix the final hang up and sign off on the new bridge.

Keep up with the Windsor Essex Parkway on their official site, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.

Watch Part 2 of this story, here.
Watch Part 3 of this story, here.

First Forecast Mornings weather reporter Jill Washburn toured the North American International Auto Show to get the scoop on new cars and trucks that are tailored to the family. More specifically, she checked out automobiles that meet a mom’s needs.

You know her for weather forecasts on WWJ-TV and CW50 weekday mornings, but in real world, she’s a wife and a mom. Here are some of her favorite Mom rides from the North American International Auto Show.

Ford Escape

For years it’s been the most popular SUV in America, but now it’s been re-styled with a sleek new look and some convenient features, like a hands-free liftgate. You don’t even have to touch the vehicle to operate it. Just swipe your foot under the bumper and the door opens or closes. That makes it easy when your hands are full.

Chrysler Town & Country

Once you become a mom, you become an expert at schlepping gear. Nothing beats this Chrysler Town & Country minivan with flip-and-fold seats when it comes to fitting all your stuff in. Whether you’ve got sports gear, or groceries, or even luggage for a week-long vacation — you can fit a ton of stuff in the back of this vehicle.

And all moms know TVs are essential because most kids lose their cool in the car after about two hours. You can take even longer road-trips when you have a few favorite TV shows or movies packed. This vehicle’s got you covered with a built-in video system.

Toyota Rav-4 Electric

This Toyota Rav-4 EV is all-electric. With a range of 80 to 110 miles on a single charge — that’s going to stretch a buck. That makes it mom’s favorite color: green.

Cadillac

You know mom is low-maintenance, but she’s not no-maintenance. Every once in a while she wants a little luxury. A Cadillac with a supercharger will get you to soccer practice fast. It’s hard to fight with your siblings when you’re pinned to the seat with 0-60 in 4.0 seconds of acceleration.

Porsche Panamera

Is it wrong to have a car seat in a Porsche? Not anymore! Plus, it doesn’t hurt that dad will be insanely jealous of your hot ride. This Porsche Panamera is the company’s first four-door sedan. Best yet? It has built-in car seats.

Get more Detroit Auto Show coverage.

Connect with First Forecast Mornings on Facebook.

Sure, they’re attractive and usually wearing something sparkly, but as Syma Chowdhry of First Forecast Mornings learned, don’t call the women on stage at the North American International Auto Show “models.”

Nissan product specialist Tia Conner set the record straight.

“Our title is product specialist and we are very intelligent, friendly people and we have to know our brand,” said Conner, who has a master’s degree in business administration.

Conner said the best thing about her three-week job is “I’m able to interact with so many different people, and it’s such a wonderful time.”

But what is the pinnacle of the job?

“Driving the car, we get to drive the vehicles, so we get to know the feel of our product,” Conner said.

So visit her at NAIAS, which opens to the public Saturday. But don’t call her a spokesmodel.

“We actually have to be well-versed in product knowledge on all of our vehicles, be friendly and answer any and all questions…There’s a lot of work entailed,” Conner said. “We are all on it. We’re all well-prepared.”

Get more Detroit Auto Show coverage.

By Kathryn Larson

Forget the supermarket this Thanksgiving — head to Livonia. That’s where we went to find the plumpest, juiciest turkeys around.

It’s time to talk turkey …

And the perfect place to do that is Ropertis on 5 mile. For more than sixty years now, owner Christine and her family have owned the turkey farm that this year has nearly 2,400 big birds to sell.

Believe it or not, they eat eight tons of feed once a week.

And Christine says the feed is what sets their turkey farm apart from the rest. A week before Thanksgiving they eat nothing but corn in order to fatten them up.

Christine says for the last two years they’ve sold out of their smoked and regular style turkeys before Thanksgiving day. Thier storage room is filled to top with the big birds. Christine says their birds start at 20 pounds and go up from there.

So what will the Ropertis eat this holiday? Christine admits, “We have filet mignon. We have homeade gnocci.”

So where’s the turkey? Christine explains, “My family, we work very hard you know, 12 – 15 hours, and they don’t want to see another turkey.”

Fortunately, most of us only eat turkey a couple times a year — so we’re all craving it.

Kathryn Larson reports for WWJ Newsradio 950 and First Forecast Mornings on WWJ-TV and CW50.

Need to buy a turkey? Check out our list of the Best Places To Buy A Turkey Near Detroit.

Are you a high school student looking to make a difference? Then grab your camera and start shooting for the 2012 Courageous Persuaders commercial competition.

All you have to do is create a 30 second spot warning teens about underage drinking and you could win scholarship money. The competition is open to high school students nationwide. Be persuasive! Get courageous! And remember, when it comes to underage drinking these kids will tell you, “… that ain’t cool!”

For more information on the contest visit couragouspersuaders.com.

Family Feud host, radio personality, comedian and author Steve Harvey visited the set of First Forecast Mornings at CW50 in Detroit on Friday, Oct. 14, 2011. Meteorologist Lori Pinson shared the chroma wall with Harvey during an extra fun weather forecast.

The #1 nationally syndicated Steve Harvey Morning Show debuted nationwide in 2005 and is in its sixth year on air. Today it can be heard on more than 60 radio stations by more than six million weekly listeners. The show is co-hosted by Shirley Strawberry, Nephew Tommy and Carla Ferrell.

Watch Steve Harvey on Family Feud weeknights at 7 and 7:30 p.m. on our sister station WWJ-TV CBS Detroit.

Related content:
The Steve Harvey Morning Show Broadcasts From Detroit
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More on First Forecast Mornings On CW50 and WWJ-TV

The Family Feud host, comedian and radio personality will also appear on First Forecast Mornings on WWJ-TV’s sister station CW50 on Friday, October 14 from 8 to 9 a.m.

The No. 1 nationally syndicated Steve Harvey Morning Show debuted nationwide in 2005 and is in its sixth year on air. Today it can be heard on more than 60 radio stations by more than 6 million weekly listeners. The show is co-hosted by Shirley Strawberry, Nephew Tommy and Carla Ferrell.

Watch Steve Harvey on Family Feud weeknights at 7 and 7:30 p.m. on WWJ-TV CBS Detroit.

Harvey also recently appeared on First Forecast Mornings via satellite to talk about Family Feud and his other endeavors.

Summer Ellison won a 2-year lease on a 2011 Subaru Impreza in a sweepstakes sponsored by Glassman Subaru,  107.5 WGPR (Mason Radio) and Universal Circus. Ellison received keys to her new Impreza from Glassman Subaru on Friday September 23.

Ellison expressed her appreciation saying, “I don’t have to worry about making a monthly payment and I’m a single mom of 4 kids, it’s a beautiful blessing.”

Excited about the giveaway, George Glassman, owner of the Southfield dealership said, “… with all the support we’ve got from the community it’s nice to help out nice people and I’m looking forward to doing this for a lot of years to come.”

Video: George Glassman and Summer Ellison

In combination with the efforts of the City of Detroit, WWJ-TV and CW50 aired an Emergency Preparedness TV Special entitled ”Ready Detroit” on WWJ-TV, September 2 at 7:30 p.m. and CW50 on September 3 at 8 p.m.

The special is hosted by First Forecast Mornings’ host Syma Chowdhry.

Learn more about the Detroit Emergency Reference Guide.

The memorial includes a piece of steel from the World Trade Center and serves as a permanent memorial to the victims of the September 11 World Trade Center terrorist attack.

Grand River Avenue will be closed from Main Street to Cross Street. A shuttle service will be available from the nearby Meijer parking lot.

The ceremony will be on Sunday, September 11 at 9 a.m. at the Brighton Fire Station 31 located at 615 W. Grand River Ave. in Brighton, MI.

For more info call 810-229-6640 or visit www.brightonareafire.com.

DETROIT (WWJ) – Our Woodward Dream Cruise coverage continues as WWJ’s Kathryn Larson visits a Church in Berkley that’s holding a special drive-in service made for classic car lovers.

For many, the Woodward Dream Cruise is a Religious experience and when car lovers are looking for a spiritual moment they head to Berkley for a “Drive-in” unlike any other. WWJ’s Kathryn Larson spent some time at CANA Lutheran Church on Catalpa learning more about the event.

It’s one of a kind, and the service at the Lutheran CANA drive-in on Catalpa attracts the cruisers.

Event Coordinator Terry Carlson says the Lutheran CANA drive-in on Catalpa is entering its 14th year and it’s as strong as ever. Carlson continues saying that car fans are drawn to the message and the music.

16 year old Anastasia Rogers is part of the choir and says the cruise themed lyrics are easy to pick up.

Carlson says this year the sermon is about using cars as a spiritual vehicle to get closer to God and adds that the outdoor service is not a gimmick. It’s their way of including the cruising community.

Click here to view a gallery of Woodward Dream Cruise Photos.

And if you have any pictures you’d like to see on our website, send us an email at WWJNewsroom@cbsradio.com.

FARMINGTON HILLS (WWJ) – Move over Miss Cleo! If you’re worried about the stock market — fear not! A Financial Astrologer peeks into his crystal ball to give us his reading.

Forget reading the tea leaves. If you’re worried about the economy and the nose-dive stocks are taking, turn to world-renowned Farmington Hills’ Financial Astrologer Ray Merriman. WWJ’s Kathryn Larson has the psychic hook-up.

On any given day you’ll see stock trader Ray Merriman combing through financial papers, but he’s always searching the signs of a market meltdown.

The zodiac says the big bad bear market is here to stay, but Merriman does predict the dow jones will rally a few times before tumbling down to 9000, where he fears it will remain until 2013.

The 30 year astrologer said stocks will rise in the coming weeks, and those nearing retirement should sell, but be cautions if you can afford to stick around.

Merriman said eventually the stars will align, and while it may not be an age of Aquarius, we’ll recover.

Meteorologist Lori Pinson delivers an accurate weather forecast. Dressing your kids for school? You’ll know if they’ll need an umbrella or sunscreen. Traveling up north? Lori has that covered. With First Forecast Mornings, you never have to walk out the door unprepared.

Traffic is a major concern in Metro Detroit. Randy Bhirdo brings his enthusiasm and a dose of humor to help you dodge the orange barrels. Watching First Forecast Mornings will help you avoid accidents with the most up to date traffic information available.  If there’s a road closure, you’ll know about it, along with the best alternate routes.

Get the news headlines that matter. Syma Chowdhry and the First Forecast Mornings team scour through the latest happenings and filter out the extras. The result is a quick newscast that’s a lot of fun.

Start your weekday mornings with Lori, Randy and Syma on CW50 from 7-9am.

CW50 broadcasts under the call sign WKBD and is a sister station to WWJ-TV CBS Detroit.

Read more: About – CW50 Detroit

Read more: First Forecast on CW50

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Connect with the First Forecast team!

Syma on Twitter @FFMSyma 
Randy on Twitter @FFM Randy
Lori on Twitter @FFMLori
First Forecast Mornings on Twitter @FFMDetroit | Facebook

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Get an insider’s perspective of the First Forecast Mornings production at WWJ-TV CBS Detroit.