Monday, January 20, 2014

There is a party in this the public knows little about, except perhaps Hoboken itself.

The National Hurricane Center (click here) has warned nearly half a dozen states including New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania to prepare for what many are calling a "Frankenstorm." (Photo : Twitter) 

Cole Garner Hill
Updated: Oct 29, 2012 04:09 PM EDT
Hurricane Sandy reared its ugly head beginning early this morning Oct. 29, and is expected to make landfall near extreme southern New Jersey or central Delaware by late afternoon or early evening, according to Weather.com....
Hurricane Floyd in 199 was a large storm too. The torrential rains started to fall at 5AM and the 'eye' didn't arrive for another day.

By Josh Margolin/Statehouse Bureau
on July 06, 2010 at 8:30 AM 


HOBOKEN — The company (click here) that built New York’s famed Rockefeller Center says it is putting the finishing touches on plans to construct a skyline-altering project in Hoboken’s industrial northern end.

The Rockefeller Group has been talking with Hoboken city leaders for the better part of two years as the firm continued buying up land between Park Avenue and Clinton Street near the Weehawken Cove, according to the company. The full contours of the plan still have not been completed or readied for public announcement. But those familiar with Rockefeller’s working concept say the development is likely to have a number of buildings, including a tower up to 40 stories tall — which would become the city’s tallest building.

The project, which would cost well into the hundreds of millions of dollars, calls for no residential development; instead it would be all commercial real estate, coupled with open space and improvements to the nearby Weehawken Cove....

It seems there was a lot of tension between Mayor Zimmer and this company from the start of her administration. I don't blame her, she was trying to have a platform that would hear the wishes of the people. It is somewhat worrisome there was to be no residential development even in the top floors of the building. But, that is just me, I guess.

..."There have been no negotiations with the Rockefeller Group regarding their project by my administration," she said. "There will be no negotiations until a study has been completed, and a public process including all (residents and property owners) has been completed in order to determine what kind of development our city would like to have in that area."

She said that "given that the Rockefeller Group is a major land owner in the area, we would certainly consider them as a potential redeveloper with respect to whatever project the city determines is appropriate and in the best interests of its residents."

Hoboken, called the Mile Square City, is well known for its pricey waterfront and its nightlife of bars and restaurants. Its government has been struggling financially in recent years and many have suggested that commercial development could prove a gold mine for the taxes that could be generated...

Zimmer ran for Mayor of Hoboken in 2009. She lost to Peter Cammarano in the June runoff by 161 votes. On July 1, when Cammarano was sworn in as mayor, the City Council unanimously elected Zimmer as Council President.
On July 23, 2009, Cammarano was arrested by the FBI as part of a major corruption and international money laundering conspiracy probe known as Operation Bid Rig.

This is Governor Christi's old district as U.S. Attorney. Interesting. As a matter of fact Christie served as the chief federal law enforcement officer in New Jersey from January 17, 2002, to December 1, 2008. During that time he prosecuted most of the people involved with the "Operation Big Rig" which would ultimately place Ms. Zimmer in office.

Operation Bid Rig is an ongoing, long-term investigation into political corruption in New Jersey conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, and the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey since 2002.

It is really quite interesting, isn't it?

Paul J. Fishman was sworn into office as U.S. Attorney on October 14, 2009 after having been nominated by President Barack Obama. He succeeded Ralph J. Marra, who served as Acting U.S. Attorney after the resignation of Christopher J. Christie in December 2008 to run for Governor of New Jersey.

...Rockefeller first came to the city with its original concept nearly two years ago, in the final months of the administration of Mayor David Roberts

"They certainly had come to us," said Roberts’ chief attorney at the time, Steve Kleinman. "They bought up a large number of properties in the northern segment of the town."

Negotiations continued into last July and the start of the mayoral administration of Peter Cammarano III. But the discussions, along with much city business, came to a standstill on July 23 when Cammarano was arrested as part of a massive corruption and money-laundering sting. Cammarano pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to commit extortion by accepting $25,000 in illegal campaign donations from federal informant Solomon Dwek.

Zimmer said that any commitments made during her predecessors’ administrations are not binding....

Indeed.

...Regardless, Ramos, former Hoboken city council president, said the Rockefeller concept is "probably an opportunity worth exploring to say the least. It’s a conversation worth having."

Given this is 2010, the Rockefeller Group, which is a respected firm, was working on this since about 2008. I am surprised they are still hanging in there. But, as a rule architect and engineers who put a lot of time into their creations don't give them up easy. It is unclear to me why they would steer away from some residential housing. The added infrastructure might be an issue, but, if a complex of businesses and water front can't be appreciated by people it loses it's value really. Any water front property would maintain it's value as a high end residential community. So, in some ways that doesn't make sense to me because the city taxes collected on high end property would pay for the added infrastructure and city workers.

Friday, 25 July 2008
By John Covaleski, Commercial Real Estate Direct Staff Writer
 
Rockefeller Group Development Corp. (click here) is under contract to acquire a development site of about four acres in Hoboken, N.J., for $100 million.
Bijou Properties is selling the parcel above 14th Street in a relatively undeveloped area of northern Hoboken near its border with Weehawken, N.J.
Bijou, of Teaneck, N.J., acquired the property a few years ago on behalf of Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, a New York investment group, for about $75 million, and never followed through on plans to develop residences and retail space there, according to a person familiar...

So this is the second failed company to attempt development in this city. Bijou Properties were the first and they actually did want to put residential housing there. What's the problem?

This is 14th Street in Hoboken? Wow. And there is a world financial center on 14th Street, too. Double Wow.

From NJ Turnpike
NJ Turnpike to exit 16E follow signs to
Lincoln Tunnelroute 495. Exit at
Weehawken (last exit in NJ).
At traffic ramp and continue south
on Boulevard East. Make a left at
14th Street in Hoboken.
Go straight for 3 lights and
Consitution Court, Ferry terminal
is approximately one block on the left.


I can understand why Rockefeller doesn't give it up.

Local
Take Washington Street to end make
a right onto 14th Street. Continue
through the next traffic light and make
a right onto Constitution Court. Ferry
terminal is approximately one block on the left.


As of January 20, 2014 the viaduct is closed for repairs.

This project involves (click here) the replacement of the existing 14th Street Viaduct, located in the City of Hoboken, NJ. The existing viaduct is a 31 span structure 1,460 feet in length. Built in 1908, the existing viaduct is  non-redundant, structurally deficient and functionally obsolete. Hudson County has identified the need to correct these deficiencies and provide a safe, reliable crossing meeting current traffic demands and design standards.  TranSystems performed an extensive scoping program to determine the optimum solution to address these issues and to prepare the environmental document to secure federal funding. 

It could be that Hoboken doesn't have the infrastructure for a large office complex.

According to this there was to be 300 condominiums and the project was initiated under the Corzine administration

Monday, January 20, 2014    Last updated: Monday January 20, 2014, 11:11 PM

The Record
- See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/news/Port_Authority_study_favored_politically_connected_builder_for_Hoboken_redevelopment.html#sthash.2AC1b9UV.dpuf
.
The project centers on one of the last hardscrabble sections of Hoboken, which has been transformed in the last three decades from a blue-collar industrial town to one of New Jersey’s most expensive bedroom communities.
In June 2008, Rockefeller paid more than $78 million for the nine properties, which ranged from a large factory to an auto body shop, according to deed records. In January 2009, while Jon Corzine was governor, the state Economic Development Authority approved $750,000 for Rockefeller’s subsidiary in reimbursement of costs to clean up environmental hazards at the properties.
Press reports at the time said Rockefeller had plans to build a $1.1 billion development that would include 1.8 million square feet of office space, 85,000 square feet of retail space and 300 condominium units. No development applications have yet been filed.
- See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/news/Port_Authority_study_favored_politically_connected_builder_for_Hoboken_redevelopment.html#sthash.2AC1b9UV.dpufadministration.
The project centers on one of the last hardscrabble sections of Hoboken, which has been transformed in the last three decades from a blue-collar industrial town to one of New Jersey’s most expensive bedroom communities.
In June 2008, Rockefeller paid more than $78 million for the nine properties, which ranged from a large factory to an auto body shop, according to deed records. In January 2009, while Jon Corzine was governor, the state Economic Development Authority approved $750,000 for Rockefeller’s subsidiary in reimbursement of costs to clean up environmental hazards at the properties.
Press reports at the time said Rockefeller had plans to build a $1.1 billion development that would include 1.8 million square feet of office space, 85,000 square feet of retail space and 300 condominium units. No development applications have yet been filed.
- See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/news/Port_Authority_study_favored_politically_connected_builder_for_Hoboken_redevelopment.html#sthash.2AC1b9UV.dpuf
January 20, 2014
By Scott Fallon


Monday, January 20, 2014    Last updated: Monday January 20, 2014, 11:11 PM

The Record
- See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/news/Port_Authority_study_favored_politically_connected_builder_for_Hoboken_redevelopment.html#sthash.2AC1b9UV.dpuf

Monday, January 20, 2014    Last updated: Monday January 20, 2014, 11:11 PM

The Record
- See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/news/Port_Authority_study_favored_politically_connected_builder_for_Hoboken_redevelopment.html#sthash.2AC1b9UV.dpuf
...The project centers (click here) on one of the last hardscrabble sections of Hoboken, which has been transformed in the last three decades from a blue-collar industrial town to one of New Jersey’s most expensive bedroom communities.


In June 2008, Rockefeller paid more than $78 million for the nine properties, which ranged from a large factory to an auto body shop, according to deed records. In January 2009, while Jon Corzine was governor, the state Economic Development Authority approved $750,000 for Rockefeller’s subsidiary in reimbursement of costs to clean up environmental hazards at the properties.

Press reports at the time said Rockefeller had plans to build a $1.1 billion development that would include 1.8 million square feet of office space, 85,000 square feet of retail space and 300 condominium units. No development applications have yet been filed...

...Sullivan said his team dealt mostly with just Hoboken officials, with whom his firm had worked on past, unrelated projects. “The bill may have been paid by the Port Authority, but in our minds we were working for the city,” he said.
The money for the study was drawn from a fund that the New York and New Jersey governors tap into for pet projects in each state.

The developer did not donate directly to Christie’s reelection fund or the Republican Governors Association, which Christie chairs, according to state campaign finance reports and IRS documents. Two employees of the firm donated a combined $1,500 to Christie’s primary fund, according to state records....

It has been known in New Jersey for as far back as I can remember that eventually New York would sprawl into New Jersey because real estate values would be more attractive in NJ and it is just a fact of life as NYC has less room to expand the land across the river would be inviting. September 11, 2001 moved that forward quite a bit. Those attacks scared people, especially when one firm lost so many. The development of New Jersey was preferred for several years after the tragedy in Lower Manhattan. So, this doesn't surprise me.

There are many, many large political personalities involved in all that comprises this topic of concern. But, it doesn't surprise me there are many large personalities involved either. These projects bring in the best of the best on many an occasion. These projects have status and are valued so those who care about the city/state will seek to participate.

This investigation is going to take some time. There are a lot of pieces to the puzzle and no one is going to mow down prominent people until all the facts are in and it is determined there were crimes committed. 

I am sorry the project hasn't gone forward. It has been in the works for a long time and the NY-NJ Port Authority has already conducted a study to be sure it's a good project that is justified according to their standards. The reason 'stallworts' are involved here, is because they have a lot of experience in dealing with Port Authority rules and regs. When experienced people are involved the project goes smoother and quicker, than someone from the outside that has little to no experience with these issues.

I look forward to any conclusion by the US Attorney, but, someone needs to get this project underway for the people of the city and state. It will generate construction jobs initially and then a long standing sustainable economy will follow.

I wish everyone well.
The project centers on one of the last hardscrabble sections of Hoboken, which has been transformed in the last three decades from a blue-collar industrial town to one of New Jersey’s most expensive bedroom communities.
In June 2008, Rockefeller paid more than $78 million for the nine properties, which ranged from a large factory to an auto body shop, according to deed records. In January 2009, while Jon Corzine was governor, the state Economic Development Authority approved $750,000 for Rockefeller’s subsidiary in reimbursement of costs to clean up environmental hazards at the properties.
Press reports at the time said Rockefeller had plans to build a $1.1 billion development that would include 1.8 million square feet of office space, 85,000 square feet of retail space and 300 condominium units. No development applications have yet been filed.
- See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/news/Port_Authority_study_favored_politically_connected_builder_for_Hoboken_redevelopment.html#sthash.2AC1b9UV.dpuf
The project centers on one of the last hardscrabble sections of Hoboken, which has been transformed in the last three decades from a blue-collar industrial town to one of New Jersey’s most expensive bedroom communities.
In June 2008, Rockefeller paid more than $78 million for the nine properties, which ranged from a large factory to an auto body shop, according to deed records. In January 2009, while Jon Corzine was governor, the state Economic Development Authority approved $750,000 for Rockefeller’s subsidiary in reimbursement of costs to clean up environmental hazards at the properties.
Press reports at the time said Rockefeller had plans to build a $1.1 billion development that would include 1.8 million square feet of office space, 85,000 square feet of retail space and 300 condominium units. No development applications have yet been filed.
- See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/news/Port_Authority_study_favored_politically_connected_builder_for_Hoboken_redevelopment.html#sthash.2AC1b9UV.dpuf
I think there is a poll that shows this scandal has tarnished Governor Christie's image when asked about elect-ability in a race with Hillary Clinton. That is not conclusive either. After Bill Clinton's exposure to a scandal with Jennifer Flowers while he was running for the party's nominee he went on to win the presidency. There is no fixed circumstance that is conclusive to any political ambition when that person is a presidential candidate. There is too much political clout at that point in a career. The people become invested in what they know about a potential candidate as a person capable to be President of the USA. Everything in regard to Christie's political future is still inconclusive.

Keeping the eye on the prize.

At some point in time all these accusations and counter accusations become detrimental to the State of New Jersey. The investigation can go on with everyone being in the spotlight.

Right now it is all he said she said and while the Mayor of Hoboken's PERSONAL evidence is important and adds to the investigation, it is not conclusive. 

I believe an outside party needs to audit the Sandy Funds. A private company should be distributing the funds or at least overseeing that distribution. It is the only SAFE route for everyone at this point. Unfortunately that is extremely expensive and cuts into the Sandy Fund that the State now holds.

I have stated before this doesn't have to be reported on a daily or weekly basis to inform the citizens of New Jersey about the progress of the investigation to all these allegations. The more this is in a spotlight the more there will be a political backlash from the Right Wing. Not only that, but, there will political careers that will suffer on both sides of this if this grandstanding doesn't stop.

By Ellen Wulfhorst 
New York 
January 20, 2014

(Reuters) - New Jersey's lieutenant governor (click here) on Monday denied a claim by the mayor of Hoboken that Governor Chris Christie's administration linked release of Superstorm Sandy relief funds to approval of a Hoboken development project.
Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer has said that Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno told her Christie would withhold disaster recovery funding if Zimmer did not support a bid by the New York-based Rockefeller Group to build on several blocks in the city.
The Democratic mayor's claim has added to political woes for Christie, who is widely seen as a Republican contender for the White House in 2016. Christie already is grappling with a scandal tied to his top aides who seemingly punished the mayor of Fort Lee, New Jersey, by orchestrating chaotic traffic jams at the George Washington Bridge....

As an example, the former mayor of New York City, Mr. Guiliani is crying witch hunt based on the idea Governor Christi could win with a Presidential race in 2016 if the opponent was former Secretary of State Clinton.

I reject this is a witch hunt and the former Mayor Guiliani is completely wrong to attempt to suppress an investigation through political plays that are completely predictable.

The closure of the GWB in Fort Lee is PROOF this is not a witch hunt. Something went wrong. Was it illegal? That hasn't yet been proven.

By Steve Strunsky/The Star-Ledger
January 19, 2014 
The lawmaker leading an Assembly investigation (click here) into September's George Washington Bridge local access lane closures rejected a call by Rudolph Giuliani for the lawmaker to recuse himself from the probe because of remarks that Giuliani said demonstrate a bias in the case.
“I don’t think Mayor Giuliani is aware of all the facts," the lawmaker, Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex), who chairs a special Assembly investigative committee, told The Star-Ledger in an interview. “I have expressed my skepticism over what the governor has said, and it has been a healthy dose of skepticism that has led to where we are. I have not passed judgement on anyone.”...

Edward Snowden double agent, an amazing man.

Snowden must have been reeling in the bucks. He was not only hacking into government sites for Carlyle, he was also passing everything to Russia. Amazing. Do you think his girlfriend was in on it? I don't know why she was and is stripping for a living if she was in on this stuff. I guess the bucks are good either way you look at it.

By Eric Schmitt and David E. Sanger
January 19, 2014
WASHINGTON — The heads (click here) of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees suggested on Sunday that Edward J. Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor, might have been working for Russian spy services while he was employed at an agency facility in Hawaii last year and before he disclosed hundreds of thousands of classified government documents.

The lawmakers, Representative Mike Rogers, Republican of Michigan, and Senator Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California, offered no specific evidence that Mr. Snowden had cooperated with Moscow. Since Mr. Snowden’s disclosure first became public last spring, there has been much speculation that he was collaborating with a foreign spy service....


Oh, see, Ms. Mills was another female victim of USA media sterotypes and harassment. 

WEDNESDAY, JUN 12, 2013 11:20 AM EDT
...It appears unlikely (click here) to my trained eye that Mills was a stripper, or, if she was, remained one for long. Her YouTube videos show a graceful and strong pole dancer, but most of her routines are performed barefoot, and she uses certain transitions that are definitely more like traditional dance than the exotic variety. But the distinction is somewhat moot. All women who supply visual evidence of using and enjoying their bodies are subject to savage critique by the public. She could be a softball player or a Pilates instructor or a competitive weightlifter and the comments would be the same....

What Rep. Rogers and Sen. Feinstein doesn't seem to appreciate is that it doesn't matter if Russia was involved in the spying. The spying was occurring within the permission of Carlyle. It was occurring with the permission of the USA government and if Russia was in on it, then why the hell was it permitted in the first place?

...Intelligence officials say they have no doubt that Chinese and Russian intelligence have obtained whatever information Mr. Snowden was carrying with him digitally. They also say it is possible that much of the data Mr. Snowden took is stored in an Internet cloud service....

Exactly !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mr. Snowden is NOT the problem, he is the symptom !!!!!!
There is a gross difference between investment and greed. Please understand and know the difference. 

One is moral because it brings wealth to all in the way of a Middle Class, expanding consumer markets and the opportunity to upward movement. 

The other immoral because it brings wealth to few and leaves all others to beg for their lives.

Capitalism for the sake of capitalism allows both, but, governments should allow only one.

Thank you.

Johnson & Johnson is splitting up? New Jersey needs to pay attention. This is not a good sign.

January 19, 2014
by Zacks
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) (click here) has received a binding offer for its Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics (OCD) business from The Carlyle Group(CG). The Carlyle Group is looking to acquire the OCD business for $4.15 billion....

The solution is simple if the State takes an initiative to maintain J&J. They are short on capital. They need a zero interest loan.

...Johnson and Johnson had been looking at different strategic options (including divestment) for its OCD business for quite some time. The divestment, if it goes through, would allow the company to maximize shareholder value and focus more on core and higher growth areas (including companion diagnostics, which supports pharmaceutical pipeline development). We are positive on the potential disposal of the OCD segment....

Selling off their Diagnostics is not the answer. The company WANTS to expand into an area of 'delivery' of their products to customers. THAT in and of itself is not going to lead to greater profitability or an arm of the company that will realize profits. Maintaining their current baseline of profitability and market penetration is vital to enhancing their delivery ambitions. J&J is playing with 'their best place' when realizing they are between a rock and a hard place to find liquidity to pivot to MAINTAIN or increase market share.

The 'old world' delivery methods of J&J causes concern by the Board and CEO. It is more or less concern for maintaining their current market share outside of diagnostics. Therefore, they need liquidity and to achieve it they are taking the lesser of two evils. No American company the size and prestige of J&J should have to choose between two evils. The State of New Jersey needs to ask if it can help J&J rather than having it disappear to corporate raiders.

...GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) divested several non-core brands from its Consumer Healthcare segment....

Who's next Squibb? New Jersey needs to pay attention. It's economy revolves around these companies. Health care is hot right now. It is also very difficult for stable and long lived companies to compete in a market place where Super Billionaires can cause them difficult competition. This is still another problem caused by the 1% and 0.1%. They have destroyed many companies that were not CORE to economies around the country and substituted big box stores. They have eliminated manufacturing in the USA and caused greater poverty. 

So, now that they have destroyed segments of commercial marketing to consumers they are turning to WHAT IS LEFT and that is the stable and long lived companies in the country. The trade agreements will finish them off and the American consumer will be seeing their brand name products disappear while new product names from abroad replace them.

The Obama Administration needs to realize 'the trend' with companies like Carlyle. To begin, Carlyle has caused a national security problem. They don't care about any of it. They want what they want and that is more money at any cost. Then when watching the trends of this company there is no finding of returning a company to prominence while holding a large stock share. That is what investment companies are suppose to do. They are suppose to bailout companies, return their competitive edge and reap the profits of being a large stockholder. That is not what is happening. Companies like Carlyle are buying off parts of companies to raid their treasuries and sell off their assets. 


Ortho Diagnostics is a huge company located in the Raritan-Branchburg area of New Jersey. It has been around for decades. It has supplied stable jobs manufacturing HIGH QUALITY products. To allow this company to be bought up as an investment by Carlyle is sincerely dangerous. Carlyle sees the TPP and wants J&J Diagnostics more than gold. This is very dangerous. Ortho Diagnostics employees 4500 people globally with operations in Rochester, NY; Pompano Beach, Fla. and Wales.

If state and federal authorities don't take an interest in the companies that are at the core of the USA economy, the country will find itself a growing Third World nation.

The beauty of these companies is their stability. Their longevity has brought them to a place that can't be replaced. If Ortho Diagnostics closes it's doors, it can't be replaced in the USA. The COST of opening a new Ortho is out of reach on today's dollar. What will occur is substitutions from China and the other BRIC countries. The products will be poorer quality, ask the Chinese. Currently, a Chinese family pays have their income to purchase The West's baby formulas, because those manufactured in China can cause physiological damage to their children. 

There should be a war between companies like Carlyle and the governments where these companies exist to maintain the companies fiscal integrity. It is vital to keep them as they are to insure a functional future to Americans. 

If J&J wants to compete in a greater way then the state and federal government should be just as interested in that ambition.

There is a reason Warren Buffet is wealthy and it isn't because he destroys companies. The companies Buffet carries in his investment portfolio are some the most stable companies in the USA. Their products carry loyalty by the American consumer and companies have a good profit margin for stockholders. Greed has very little to do with Buffet's investment portfolio.

It is a beginning to peace in Iraq.

By Tim Arango and Kareem Fahim
Jan. 19, 2014

...Mr. Maliki (click here) has backed away from a military assault on Anbar after intense lobbying by American officials, Sunni leaders and moderates in his government....

The Iraqi central government has to listen to the people. If they want to dissolve Iraq to allow separate nations to evolve from the current provinces then it needs to happen.

There is every indication there are four authorities in Iraq, the Sunnis in Al Anbar, the Kurds in the North, the Shi'ites in the South and Maliki in Baghdad.

End the Civil War in Iraq.

Great leaders find the power of non-violence. They should be celebrated and memorialized.


People worldwide (click here) should honor the memory of Rev. Dr Martin Luther King Jr. by making Monday a "no shots fired" day and ringing church bells in support of non-violence, urged the daughter of the slain U.S. civil rights leader.

Church services and tributes will be held across the United States to commemorate King's 85th birthday on Monday, a federal holiday. At the same time, there is a push for a new monument and possibly a major movie production from director Oliver Stone....



Nobel Peace Prize of 1964

Martin Luther King Jr. - Biographical (click here)

Born in 1929, by today's longevity standards he could still be with us if hatred didn't take him away.

"Good Night, Moon"

Waning Gibbous
86 % of Full
18.3 day old moon
• One week until the traditional January Thaw
• One and a half weeks until the beginning of late winter
• Two weeks until cardinals start to sing before dawn
• Three weeks until doves join the cardinals
• Three and a half weeks until the first red-winged blackbirds arrive
• Four weeks to the first snowdrop bloom and the official start of early spring
• Five weeks to major pussy willow emerging season
• Six weeks to crocus season
• Seven weeks to the beginning of the morning robin chorus before sunrise
• Eight weeks to daffodil season