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Q: Spark time series data generation I am trying to generate time series data in Spark and Scala. I have the following data in DataFrame which is hourly data
sid|date                             |count
200|2016-04-30T18:00:00:00+00:00     | 10
200 |2016-04-30T21:00:00:00+00:00    | 5

I want to generate time series data for the last 2 days hourly by taking the max time from the input. In my case the series data should start from 2016-04-30T21:00:00:00+00:00 and generate hourly data.Any hour without data then it should put the count as null. Sample output as follows
id|sid|date                          |count
1 |200|2016-04-28T22:00:00:00+00:00  |
2 |200|2016-04-28T23:00:00:00+00:00  |
3 |200|2016-04-29T00:00:00:00+00:00  |
--------------------------------------
45|200|2016-04-30T18:00:00:00+00:00  |10
--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
48|200|2016-04-30T21:00:00:00+00:00  |5

Thanks,


The only sign on Massachusetts Ave, leading into the Central Business District by way of Dupont Circle, Thomas Circle, Embassy Row, and The 14th Street Corridor. Magnificent demos, this ONE OF A KIND UNIT captures the overflow traffic on New York Ave, the new Convention Center and is surrounded by many hotels and the trendy 14th Street Corridor. Dominant center-city sign, visible from the DC Convention Center!
40 feet tall by 30 feet wide. Must produce on Mesh Vinyl. 3" pockets on the top and bottom. Grommets every 18" on the left and right sides. Bleed the pockets and grommets.


As part of the Imago Dei School's participation with the Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) in a new Student Services program, our high school and transitions students had their first day of work at Salt Creek Grille in Valencia.
The manager of the restaurant, Jennifer Chadwick, put them to work. She taught them how to properly polish the silverware and how to roll it tightly and neatly into a black cloth napkin.
The four students, along with their teacher, Mr. Smith, took the city bus to and from the job site. They will be working every Tuesday and Thursday from 9-11am. They will work 100 hours with Salt Creek and then rotate to another business. The DOR pays the students for their work with participating businesses.
Since Imago Dei has A Great Dei T-Shirt Company, students took the initiative to make t-shirts to wear as their "uniform" at Salt Creek, personalized with the restaurant's logo and each of their names. Ms. Chadwick, who is a graduate of The Master's University and has a heart for our students, said that she is going to see if they can order some of the shirts from A Great Dei to sell at the restaurant! She also commended them for their work ethic.
As for the students, Mr. Smith was happy to report that they really enjoyed their time working at Salt Creek and that Leo said, "I learned that a knife is not a toy!"


The Artésien class included five French 3rd rate ships of the line, built at Brest to a design of Joseph-Louis Ollivier. They were armed with 64 cannons and had a designed crew of 570-580 men. They were armed with 26 24–Pounder guns in the lower deck, 28 12–Pounder guns in the upperdeck, and 10 6–Pounder guns in the quarterdeck and the forecastle.After being captured off the coast of Spain by Lord Robert Manners, the Protée was commissioned in the Royal Navy as the third rate HMS Prothee. She was converted to serve as a prison ship in 1799, and broken up in 1815. Eight of her small cannons were purchased by John Manners, 5th Duke of Rutland and are currently at Belvoir Castle, Leicestershire. The cannons are still fired on special occasions, such as weddings and the Duke's birthday.The ship base, ship card and ship log are printed on two sides–the game dataof a second ship is printed on the back. This ship pack can also beused to represent the British Caton Class ship–of–the–line "HMSArgonaut 1782."Designed to be used with the tactical ship-to-ship game system created by Andrea Angiolino and Andrea Mainini, each Sails of Glory Ship Pack is a ready-to-play model, painted and assembled, 100% compatible with any other Sails of Glory game product.In each pack you will find all you need to play the ship: a special base with gaming stats, a ship log and, a specific deck of maneuver cards.


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Famous Las Vegas Weddings, Many Also End in Las Vegas Annulment or Divorce
Many celebrities have tied the knot in Las Vegas, including Elvis, Britney Spears, and Angelina Jolie. However, in true celebrity fashion, many of these marriages have been short lived.
In May 1967, Elvis married Priscilla at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas, but they were married only six years before divorcing in 1973. Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thorton were married on May 5, 2000 at the Little Church of the West, and Jolie filed for divorce on July 17, 2002, citing irreconcilable differences.
Some celebrity marriages were even shorter than that. Britney Spears married Jason Allen Alexander on Jan. 3, 2004, but the marriage was annulled 55 hours later. Hotel heiress, Nicky Hilton, married Todd Meister on Aug. 15, 2004, and a judge granted an annulment in Las Vegas less than three months later.
An annulment is different than a divorce. Annulment voids a marriage, treating the couple as if they were never legally married. A Las Vegas annulment requires two main things. First, one spouse must have lived in Nevada for at least six weeks prior to filing or the spouses must have been married in the state of Nevada. Second, the spouse filing for an annulment must have the proper grounds for annulment. A divorce lawyer in Las Vegas can help you know if you have the proper grounds for annulment.
However, not all Las Vegas celebrity marriages ended quickly. Bruce Willis and Demi Moore married in November 1987 in Las Vegas, separated in 1998 and filed for divorce in October 2002. Michael Jordan married Juanita Vanoy on Sept. 2, 1989 at the Little White Wedding Chapel, and 17 years later on Dec. 29, 2006, they filed a joint divorce petition. And most notably, Paul Newman married Joanne Woodward in 1958 and they were still married when he died 50 years later.
A divorce lawyer in Las Vegas can help you get your divorce started if you decide it is time to end your marriage. Of if you think you meet the requirements or want to know if you meet the requirements for an annulment in Las Vegas, contact a divorce lawyer in Las Vegas.
The divorce lawyers at Shumway Van & Hansen always offer free consultations so if you have a divorce situation that you are dealing with please call now to schedule yours!
#ShumwayVan #LasVegasLawyer #Divorce

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The first video the network ever aired was pretty meta — fittingly so, considering all the Gen-X viewers it inspired. "Video Killed the Radio Star," by British synthpop group The Buggles, aired on August 1, 1981 — the official debut date of Music Television. True to its word, MTV then proceeded to kill the radio star. Some 20 years later, once it mostly stopped playing music videos, it would pretty much kill the video star too. At least we still have Snooki.


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Tammi Daubenspeck
Sherman, Texas, USA
When you think of the women's rights movement, who comes to mind? Most people think of Susan B Anthony, but in my opinion, Elizabeth Cady Stanton revolutionized the movement for women's rights although she did not receive as much recognition as Anthony. That is why I chose to honor Elizabeth.
In my quilt, I included sunflowers because Elizabeth wrote under the pseudonym "Sunflower" and also because the sunflower became a symbol of the suffrage cause. Most people thought of Elizabeth as a serious person, but in actuality, she had a sense of humor that can be shown through a couple of quotes and a letter to Theodore Roosevelt on the quilt. The bible at the bottom is The Woman's Bible that Stanton and her daughter wrote. I choose to use the colors purple and yellow because those colors were representational to the suffragists that fought for women's rights.
I believe Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a woman before her time. Although she passed away before women won the right to vote, she inspired many women's rights activists and her descendants are active in today's fight for equality.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a suffragist who fought for women's rights. She organized the first women's rights convention and was the first woman to run for Congress.
Home machine for applique, top stitching and quilting, drawing and painting
Fabric and trim, fusible, acrylic paint, ink dye, fabric pins, inktense blocks
Credit: Kaylea Daubenspeck, technical and mental support.


I've been rather silent of late - probably the longest interval between blog entries in, well, ever. I'm not entirely sure why I lost my muse for a bit, but I can reaffirm that I didn't much enjoy it. My fingers feel best when they're massaging an Apple keyboard, or exploring the controls of my Nikon, or holding the bar ends of my oh-so-pink Specialized wonderbike deep in a turn as I pound the pedals and accelerate toward the next curve. So tonight it's the Apple keyboard's turn, and it feels good. Let's do this, shall we?
Disclosure: I have a day job that allows me to wander into radio and television studios and talk about geeky things. Sometimes I even get woken up early to talk about geeky things from the darkened comfort of my home. Hopefully the dog remains asleep when that happens, but there are unfortunately no apps that can mute the sound of an excited schnauzer at 6 a.m. Or any other time, for that matter.
Once upon a time, the geeky things in my geeky world were separate and distinct from the decidedly non-geeky things that make the top of the evening newscasts. Those days are apparently over, as technology is increasingly woven into the very fabric of the everyday stories that make the mainstream news. Geek news is no longer the exclusive domain of geeks, and every story, whether we like it or not, always seems to have a geeky dimension that matters in some way to the average folks who lead average lives. Pocket protectors no longer define "tech".
The short-story version is this isn't just something that affects the rich and famous. We must all worry about it, too, because even little people like us are generating lots of data that someone will find valuable.
The list of people involved is huge - and I have a feeling it'll ripple out even further by the time additional analysis is done - and released - on the full 11-plus-million pages of leaked information. The list includes Iceland's Prime Minister, Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, Pakistan's PM, Nawaz Sharif, Ayad Allawi, ex-interim PM and former VP of Iraq, Ukraine president Petro Poroshenko, Argentine President Mauricio Macri (who had campaigned against corruption), Alaa Mubarak, son of Egypt's former president, and even actor Jackie Chan.
Beyond the names themselves is how easily even the most routine of fiscal transactions can be tracked and ultimately shared publicly. All it takes is a leak here, a leak there and before you know it your entire financial history can be laid bare for all to see.
The Wikileaks/Edward Snowden leaks should have been our biggest clue that anyone and everyone can fall victim. This time it's a who's who of political and business people whose private affairs are on display. But what it it's one of us? What stops an angry ex-spouse, business partner or employee from digging around and surfacing similar data on us?
We're inadvertently laying the foundation for something just like this to happen to us, everything we do is now stored, saved and tracked. And we aren't asking questions about what's being done to keep all of that information - OUR information - safe and secure.
Q1 - This is being called an "unprecedented" leak of millions of documents from the database of Mossack Fonseca, the world's fourth biggest offshore law firm. How does a breach of this magnitude even happen?
A1 - We can talk about how even the most seemingly secure data can be quickly and quietly stolen thanks to staggeringly obvious gaps in internal security. I could easily walk into an office with a USB drive and walk out, undetected, with tons and tons of unencrypted, damning data. What I do with it afterward is anyone's guess.
Q2 - So it's Vladimir Putin. What does a data breach scandal involving one of the world's most notorious politicians have to do with you and me?
A2 - We can talk about how even ordinary citizens can be victimized. Our data is being gathered and stored everywhere - banks, retailers, governments, tech companies - and we're all one breach away from being exposed. There is no such thing as "below the radar" anymore. Everyone's data is valuable to someone, and we're all at risk. You don't have to be an oligarch and one-time communist spy to become a victim. We should all be worried.
Q3 - How hard can it be to connect the dots between millions of documents? Who has the time to analyze all of this and build a damning case against us?
A3 - Not that long ago, it would have taken years of grinding, extensive, complex analysts to paint a picture. Now, increasingly sophisticated, automated analysis and search tools - something like Google for Forensic Analysis - make short work of looking at a giant blob of data and telling a fascinating, potentially damaging story. With a USB drive in one hand and the right app in the other, even a semi-skilled hacker could easily go to town on pretty much anyone he/she wants.
Q4 - Are the risks getting worse?
A4 - Yes. Think of how much more we rely on apps, systems, web/cloud services today compared to just a few years ago. Think about the Internet of Things, and how the amount of data being collected from our day-to-day lives will increase exponentially and even logarithmically over the next few years. That data - our data - is valuable. And more of our data is being stored and exposed with each passing day.
Q5 - Can we protect ourselves?
a) Don't overshare. Don't grant access carte-blanche. Question companies/apps/services that request blanket accesses to your information, and be prepared to delete apps or close services when you think they're overreaching.
b) Encrypt everything. Virtually every device, app and service now offers enhanced security via end-to-end encryption. Go into the settings and turn it on. Also use dual/multi-factor authentication whenever possible (i.e. add fingerprint/voice/swipe/etc. authentication to existing password-based access methods. Two locks on a door are better than one.
c) Be password-smart. Use hard-to-guess passwords, change them regularly and use different ones for different apps and services. Never share them.
d) Clean up old devices, apps and accounts. Don't leave old data hanging around. Take deliberate steps to ensure it isn't easily harvested by criminals. Properly dispose of old hardware, too.
f) Google yourself. Every once in a while, go online and do basic searches for yourself to see what's out there - and whether or not that makes you nervous.
It all sounds really scary! As you say, it could be us next time! And I really get my socialist soul up in arms when I learn about all these really really rich people evading paying tax. I have a feeling that if everyone in the UK paid the tax they should, then the economy would be on a roll, and care homes, schools, the NHS, police, and all the organisations that are scraping the barrel to provide a service, would be much better off, and we, as a country, would be doing what we should be doing, and caring, educating and welcoming all those who form the largest part of our population.
Good to see you back, Carmi!
My take is that the rich are different from you and I.
They don't have to pay taxes.
Is there such thing as too much coffee?


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Scottish government seeks views on succession regime
The public is being asked for their views on how the law covering succession in Scotland could be made fairer.
A newly-launched consultation asks how an estate should be split when there are both a surviving spouse and children.
It also considers what rights cohabitants should have regarding succession, and whether step-children should have the same inheritance rights as biological or adopted children.
The consultation also seeks views on a potential change in the law to allow anyone charged and convicted of murder and other crimes to be removed from being executors for their victims' wills.
Community safety minister Ash Denham said: "The make-up of families in Scotland is vastly different today than it was when these laws were passed over half a century ago, including significantly more families made up of cohabiting couples and an increased number of step-families.
"This issue affects all of us and we want our reforms to reflect the views of 21st century Scotland. The law should be fair and representative so it is important we hear from people of all ages and backgrounds. I hope that people will take this opportunity to share their opinions and experiences."
Convener of the Law Society of Scotland's Trusts and Succession Law Sub-Committee, Gordon Wyllie, said: "We welcome the opportunity for further consultation and reform of succession law.
"It is important that the law reflects the needs of modern society, and we strongly encourage reform in areas where the law has struggled to keep up with societal and technological changes.
"We believe that changes to inheritance rules are required and we look forward to engaging with the government on this issue."
Respond to the consultation on succession


Suffragan diocese of Lisbon, Portugal, established by Pope Julius III in 1550. Its first bishop was Julian d'Alva, a Spaniards, who was transferred to Miranda in 1557. On 17 July, 1560, Andiz' de Noronha succeeded to the diocese, but he was promoted to Placencia in 1581. Frei Amador Arraes, the next bishop, was the author of a celebrated book of "Dialogues"; he resigned in 1582, and retired to the college of his order in Coimbra, where he remained till his death. Lopo Soares de Albergaria and Frei Manoel de Gouveia died before receiving the Bulls confirming their nomination. Diego Conra, nephew of the Venerable Bartholomew of the Martyrs and Bishop of Ceuta, became bishop in 1598, and died on 9 October, 1614. Among the bishops of Portalegre during the seventeenth century was Ricardo Russell, an Englishman, who took possession of the see on 17 September, 1671, and was subsequently transferred to Vizeu. The present bishop is Antonio Mutinho, transferred from Caboverde in 1909. The diocese contains 197,343 Catholics, 16 Protestants, 148 parishes, 286 priests, 447 churches and chapels.


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Home»Arizona Hoop Review Scouting Report»Big Things Come In Small Packages
Big Things Come In Small Packages
By Anthony Ray November 17, 2021 Updated: November 11, 2022 No Comments6 Mins Read
Big things can come in small packages. This is definitely the case when you see Mesquite High School's talented and hard-working junior guard Cohenj Gonzales perform. Standing at a mere 5-foot-8 in height, Gonzales gets everything out of his smaller size and is one of the state's best overall guard performers and prospects for college coaches to take a very hard look at. Gonzales is a walking bucket as a player and is also one of the state's toughest overall players in the state. Coming from an amazing basketball family, this young man is definitely one to watch in Arizona's 2023 Class, and set to have a terrific junior season for Head Coach Shawn Lynch.
Gonzales has become one of the our staff's favorite players and prospects over the past two seasons. After watching him develop over the past two years, and then following his play this past spring and summer, I have been very impressed with his play and development as a player. He has become one of my favorite prospects to watch perform, and our staff absolute loves him. Through my consistent evaluations of him as a player, I am assured that this young man will make a college program absolutely proud at the next level. After speaking with his family, I am sure of it.
I caught up with his father Josh Gonzales, who was a terrific player himself in his day. His father played at Phoenix College on a loaded ball club in the early 1990's, before going on to play for a terrific team at Grand Canyon University, which included Mexican-born basketball star Horacio LLamas (Phoenix Suns). Josh went on to play professionally, while his wife also was a standout performer for the women's basketball team as well. Josh advised me that he has raised his family to play at the highest level of sports, and he has invested countless hours and money into the training of his children. He advised me that Cohenj is an absolute gym rat and works tirelessly on his game and body daily.
"Cohenj put up 700 shots today before the game," stated Josh Gonzales. "He is always working."
When you watch Cohenj play, it is obvious, as this young man plays with inspired effort throughout every game I have watched him compete in, and never stops running. He competes at a very high level all game, and plays much bigger than his smaller size suggests. His smaller frame does not matter, and he is among the state's best shooters and scorers of the basketball - able to break down defenders at any time in the offense, and always a threat defensively, as he possesses a very strong physical compact frame. While he is only 5-8 in height, he is able to play both guard positions on the floor, as needed. He is a floor general with the basketball in his hands and makes plays for himself and others, almost at will. His quickness is very difficult to match, but his intensity on the floor is what makes him so unique. He competes hard, regardless of what other players throw at him. He is an absolute dog on both ends of the floor, and, as a result, he will have a very bright future in the sport and in anything he decides to do in life.
After following and watching Cohenj perform this summer in the backcourt with his longtime friend and club teammate, Campo Verde High School's gifted junior guard Isaiah Kai on their Team Arizona club program, I was very delighted to watch their team play against top competition, as they finished with a 9-3 record in July, without much size on their team, and against some stiff 17U elite competition at Pangos and Hoop Circuit events. This team competed at a very high level and raised their individual recruitment as a result.
This high school season, Cohenj will have a big junior year for Mesquite HS longtime highly successful Head Coach Shawn Lynch, as he teams up again with one of the state's elite overall talents in the backcourt again - 6-foot-3 senior guard Nate Calmese. Calmese and Cohenj make up one of the state's elite backcourts and are a very difficult guard combination for team's to defend. This exciting duo will be a handful all season, and will be a favorite to go very deep into the 4A State Playoffs, and has an amazing opportunity to finish in the Final Four and even further this season.
Cohenj is still growing a great deal and could see one last major growth spurt. His older brother and sister both grew a great deal in the senior seasons, so he still has time. His older brother grew from 5-8 as a junior to 6-2 in his senior season. If this same result happens for Cohenj, watch out. If he grows to even 6-0 in height, he will be even more of a handful for opposing guards, as he is already dunking the basketball now at 5-8. He gets the absolute most of his abilities, and more height for him will only make him much more attractive for college programs.
Currently, many college programs have been impressed with this young man's abilities and are paying close attention to him. I expect him to see his college recruitment really take off this season, while he helps to lead the very talented and high-powered backcourt of him and Calmese. While Calmese should see his recruiting stock soar this season, so will Cohenj, as college coaches see this young man compete.
I have become a complete fan of this young man, on and off the court. He is an excellent example for younger players today, that it does not matter what size you are, but rather the size of your heart and determination. Work hard and good things will happen. No one works harder than Cohenj, and it shows in his play and preparation.
I will continue to watch and follow Cohenj closely this high school season, as I simply enjoy watching this young man compete, and will bring you any recruiting updates on him as they begin to develop over time.


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Is a national pharmacare program any closer to reality?
André Picard
Published December 9, 2019 Updated December 9, 2019
We've just had a federal election, a conference of provincial and territorial premiers and a Speech from the Throne, a trifecta for policy wonks.
Has the flood of political rhetoric and promises in recent weeks left us any closer to a national pharmacare program – or any reforms in health care, for that matter? By all appearances, the answer is no.
In academic and political health circles, pharmacare has become the Holy Grail and appears just as elusive.
"Pharmacare is the key missing piece of universal health care in this country," according to the Throne Speech of the new minority Liberal government. "The government will take steps to introduce and implement national pharmacare so that Canadians have the drug coverage they need."
One would be hard-pressed to imagine a more vague promise, especially when it involves an issue that has been discussed for at least half a century.
The Liberal election platform was no more precise: $6-billion over four years as a down payment on bolstering pharmacare, expanding mental-health services and improving access to family doctors.
In contrast, the New Democratic Party had pledged to $43.1-billion over four years for a national pharmacare program, and the Green Party had said its pharmacare plan would cost $27-billion in the first year alone. (The Conservative Party and Bloc Québécois made no specific promises on pharmacare.)
There is a theory out there that the NDP can use its leverage in a minority government to force the Liberals to implement a national pharmacare program, but it's delusional to think the Liberals will act anything other than slowly.
While the purported savings are compelling, shifting spending from private drug plans to the public treasury is much less so.
Not to mention that the provinces are, at best, lukewarm about the idea.
At the Council of the Federation meeting in Mississauga last week, their disinterest was palpable.
"Don't start broadening health care when you can't get it right now," said Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister. The Premiers of British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Quebec sang from the same hymn book: "We have pharmacare now."
That's a reminder that pharmacare means ensuring that everyone has affordable access to essential medications. It doesn't necessarily mean drug coverage must be provided by a centralized, government-run program, even though that was the recommendation of the Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare.
If Ottawa wants to embrace the approach, it has to be willing to spend, and spend big – $15.3-billion annually by the time the program is up and running, according to the report from Dr. Eric Hoskins.
The clear message the premiers delivered was, "If you plan to go that route, show us the money." Nothing but nothing is more predictable in Canadian politics than the provinces taking a Jerry Maguire-esque stance.
But in their final communiqué, their thinly-veiled message was that pharmacare is well down their list of spending priorities: "Premiers also discussed national pharmacare and emphasized that any program must be developed in partnership with provinces and territories." Yawn.
What they did ask for is an increase in the Canada Health Transfer, the money Ottawa allocates to the provinces and territories for health spending. Currently, the federal transfer is about $40-billion and increases by 3 per cent each year.
The premiers want the escalator to increase to 5.2 per cent before they even consider pharmacare.
They may well get that, given that health spending is increasing at about 4 per cent annually, and that's likely to increase with the aging population and the new technologies coming down the pipe.
The premiers also said that, if a national pharmacare program is proposed, there must be an opt-out clause. Of course, that's a non-starter. Pharmacare has to be an opt-in program, meaning you don't get any money unless you get on board.
That's how medicare began, way back in 1957, when Ottawa offered to pay 50 per cent of the provinces' hospital costs. What we often forget is that it took 15 years before the final province, Quebec, signed on in 1972.
As frustrating as it is, go-slow is the Canadian way. Parliament buildings are currently being renovated, a project expected to last at least a decade.
The pilgrimage toward national pharmacare will probably take as long. Along the way, we need to keep building, filling in the gaps and getting drug coverage to those who don't have it, brick-by-brick, till it's done.
About 20 per cent of Canadians, or more than 7.5 million people, are estimated to be either uninsured or underinsured for prescription drug costs. A national pharmacare plan would address that, and aim to save billions of dollars. Globe health reporter Kelly Grant explains.
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Ontario focused on rare disease drugs ahead of national drug plan talks
NDP calls for higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy to secure support for 2020 budget Subscriber content
NDP lays down requests for Trudeau while beginning its own election postmortem
Follow André Picard on Twitter @picardonhealth


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By Wyn Jenkins2010-10-05T00:00:00+01:00
The tax breaks, the talent and the regulatory advantages are attractive, but access to European business is the main appeal of Switzerland as a domicile. As a glut of reinsurers form operations in Zurich, we look at what its growing influence as a hub could mean for other jurisdictions
The news that three reinsurers – Amlin, Catlin and Tokio Millennium Re – have formed new European reinsurance businesses should not be surprising. A solid European base, and the new business and clients that will bring, represent a natural complement to the existing portfolio of each company.
But the fact that all three have moved to Zurich – as opposed to a German or French city – and that Amlin and Catlin have done so partly at the expense of their Bermudian operations, have led their competitors and market observers to ponder on some of the wider advantages that being based in Zurich must bring.
These benefits are not straightforward and cannot be distilled into one or two financial or regulatory advantages revolving around either tax or the well-documented fact that Switzerland is exempt from Solvency II. Other influences, such as talent, personnel and distribution, are at least as significant.
It is also clear that the trend of reinsurers forming Swiss operations is far from new. Switzerland has 70 supervised reinsurance companies, according to Swiss financial regulator Finma, which generate more than Sfr30bn ($30.3bn) of gross written premium a year. Twenty-five of these are so-called professional reinsurance companies, while the remainder are captives.
However, Finma says that, given the international nature of the reinsurance business, it is not possible to talk about a Swiss reinsurance market. "The pure business with risks stemming from Switzerland has always been relatively small when compared with the business as a whole, and many reinsurers have long had a very strong international focus," the regulator's website reads.
Gaining ground
Rating agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) points out, in its September report on how reinsurers choose a domicile, that Ace moved its ultimate holding company from the Cayman Islands to Switzerland in 2008. In the same year, Flagstone merged its Swiss and Bermudian operating facilities into one flagship operating facility based in Switzerland, making its Bermudian subsidiary a branch of the Swiss company.
It seems that having a Bermuda facility as a subsidiary to a Swiss-based legal entity is also the intention of Amlin and Catlin. S&P says in its report that this is because of the regulatory capital flexibility the Swiss regime offers.
"Switzerland is also gaining ground as an attractive domicile for (re)insurers," says the report. "This trend among Bermudian (re)insurance groups of forming European flagship companies while maintaining operations and staff in Bermuda (through either wholly owned operating subsidiaries or Bermuda-based branches) has helped to increase companies' regulatory capital flexibility while maintaining Bermuda as a key underwriting centre."
Deloitte insurance partner Stephen Ross believes that Switzerland's exemption from Solvency II is an important consideration for reinsurers, but not for obvious reasons. He points out that the Swiss Solvency Test is both robust and well established.
Reinsurers moving to Switzerland, therefore, have a greater element of regulatory certainty than some other jurisdictions in Europe. "The Swiss Solvency Test has been developed further and embedded more deeply compared with many regimes," Ross says. He adds that Switzerland is one of the only countries, along with Bermuda, to be involved in the first round of achieving equivalence to Solvency II, and is on track to be aligned by 2013.
J.P. Morgan analyst Michael Huttner expands on this point. "The Swiss Solvency Test is more advanced in its readiness than Solvency II," he says. "Although it seems likely that the Swiss will ultimately more or less align their own model with Solvency II, it also seems that companies will be more likely to be allowed to get the use of internal models approved.
"This should mean that reinsurers will be more able to realise the benefits of diversification than they would under Solvency II, which will not allow you to reduce capital because of operations overseas. The Swiss model should mean more flexibility and some benefits as a result, which will suit many companies."
Being located in Switzerland does also mean some tax benefits, which cannot be ignored. But, again, these might not be the kind of benefits you might assume.
Analysts and accountants are nonchalant about the benefits at a corporate level. While not discounting advantages, they point out that the size and complexity of the reinsurers in question mean that it is almost impossible to directly quantify such benefits and that it depends on which of Switzerland's 26 cantons (states) a company is based in. Each has a level of autonomy in terms of tax.
Huttner believes, nevertheless, that Switzerland's tax regime remains more favourable than other parts of Europe. "They might achieve perhaps a 2% difference in terms of the corporate tax they pay. It is not massively significant but it is still lower than in Germany, for example."
However, some in the industry feel that Switzerland's favourable personal tax regime may be a greater pull for companies than any corporate tax benefits. "It is a very favourable regime and helps a lot in terms of attracting talent." Ross says.
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) insurance partner Mark Humphreys agrees that the attraction of talent is a critical factor in companies moving to Zurich. "The tax regime helps when trying to recruit," he says.
"But it is also helpful that these companies are locating in a place where there is already a pool of talent in every field of reinsurance. I think you will see some of them building teams around the lines of business they want to target, and at least some of those staff will come from rivals already based in Zurich."
Huttner at J.P. Morgan agrees that the local talent pool is a big attraction. "The talent is strong and there is plenty of office space since Converium moved out. Zurich's personal tax regime is very favourable, and it is also a nice place to live and work. People want to be located there. That really helps."
He points out that many Converium staff were keen to remain located in Zurich when the company merged with Paris-based SCOR in 2007.
This sentiment has also been borne out by what the companies themselves have said about the move.
"One of the key drivers was the availability of good-quality, experienced underwriters with an in-depth knowledge of the European markets," Amlin Re Europe chief executive Philippe Regazzoni said recently.
But while it seems the tax and regulatory breaks do stack up and talent management should be easier as a result of being based in Zurich, all agree that distribution remains a pivotal factor behind the move.
Think local
Much of the business placed by European cedants does not leave the European mainland and never makes it to the London market or Lloyd's, never mind Bermuda or the USA.
As Catlin spokesman James Burcke put it in an interview with Global Reinsurance in July: "Reinsurance business from the smaller European cedants does not typically cross water. People like to buy locally. If you want to write this business, you have to join the market."
Ross at Deloitte agrees. "The main reason for most (re)insurers going to Zurich will be a distribution play," he says. "This type of business cannot be accessed through the Bermuda and London reinsurance hubs."
Echoing this point, Humphreys at PwC says: "This is mainly to do with a cycle of expansion for these players, and Europe is the next natural step for many to expand into. You can't get the same penetration from London because of the broker market and the nature of the close relationships formed in Europe.
"On the back of those considerations, I am sure companies have looked at things like tax and Solvency II, but there are too many uncertainties and moving parts to make those things the main reasons for going there."
Humphreys also highlights an additional potential bonus stemming from the implementation of Solvency II. "It could mean that insurers need to buy more coverage," he says. "They will certainly likely seek a more diverse panel of providers, which will benefit the newcomers."
Despite the benefits of their new domicile, entrants into Switzerland should not expect an easy ride. "The real challenge will be for these new entrants to differentiate themselves in the market and cope with the challenge of the existing players," Ross says.
The move of so many companies to Zurich, seemingly at the expense of Bermuda, has also led some to question the island's future as a reinsurance centre. "We believe other Bermuda-based companies could move to do the same in the coming years, although many remain committed to Bermuda as their primary domicile," says S&P in its report.
But few are convinced what is happening can truly harm the importance of the Bermuda market. "We are talking about shifting the legal entity of operations. The people and talent and capacity are all still there. Bermuda will remain and important reinsurance hub for the foreseeable future," says Humphreys. GR
AWAC to trade Bermuda for Switzerland
(Re)insurer plans to shift domicile by end of this year
GlacierRe unveils new COO
Zdrenyk takes over from Campbell following run-off announcement
Catlin appoints European reinsurance CEO
Peter Schmidt will also run new Swiss unit


This North Davis home features 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a private front courtyard and a quaint rear yard that backs up to open space. One full bedroom and bathroom downstairs, upstairs laundry, laminate flooring and vaulted ceilings make this home feel spacious. The ample-sized kitchen looks out the back yard. This house is ready for you to call it home!


text:
Willowdale: The Almost Impossible Dream
Grand Ridge Golf Club in 2019.
It took 5 years to plan and create this place in the swamplands of St. Charles where people live and play today. This is the story of those efforts.
By ALLEN LOTTINGER as told by John Weinnig and other members of Willowdale Country Club in the St. Charles Herald-Guide, Saturday, May 24, 1997
Willowdale – the golf course and subdivision that at one time was almost hidden back in the swamp some 1-1/2 miles off U.S. 90 – was the product of desire and determination almost unmatched in St. Charle Parish history.
It was not likely that the finger ridges built up by the overflow of the Mississippi River in pre-levee days would ever be inhabited by anyone, much less become the center of one of St. Charles Parish's fastest growing residential and recreational areas.
Located in one of the West Bank\'s premier neighborhoods, Willowdale Country Club grew out of a group of avid golfers\' love for the game. Their dream – to have an 18-hole, private, family-oriented golf course – is a reality today. (Courtesy St. Charles Herald-Guide)
But today it is a spot of scenic beauty, a natural habitat where young alligators can be seen swimming in the ponds and, sometimes, even sunning on the banks. Eagles have roared past the many oaks and cypress trees that align the fairways. And a variety of Louisiana swamp birds peck their way along the area's terrain. How it got started is a fascinating tale of how a group of people happened to find this spot of natural splendor and turned it into the object of their dreams. That object was the golf course to satisfy their desire to play the sport that was nurtured at Fashion Golf Club, a nine-hole course in Hahnville that was built in the fifties.
Fashion provided the facilities needed by the local golfers for some time because there were not many of them, according to John Weinnig, one of the founders of Willowdale. Fishing, baseball and Friday night football took care of the recreational and entertainment needs of most residents. But then the big chemical plants began moving personnel in from other area of the country. And many of them were golfers. The local population also began to change its ways. Many switched much of their leisure activities to the sport of trying to get a little white ball into a four inch hole.
Cover of the Willowdale brochure.
It was soon apparent that Fashion's nine holes on a narrow strip of sugar cane land would not satisfy the growing demand for fairways and greens. And the next golf course was 20 miles away. The events that led up to the creation pf Willowdale actually started at a meeting one night at Pascal's Bar in Hahnville, recalled Weinnig. On the agenda was the prospect of adding nine holes to the Fashion course south of the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks
After negotiations with the owner of the course, it became apparent to the group that the expansion of Fashion was not feasible. It would alway be a nine-hole course.
But the desire for an expansion of the golf links in the parish did not go away. A group got together and started talking about an 18-hole, private family-oriented country club. The immediate problem was not interested people; it was land.
They decided to make a list of would-be members, and not just golfers. Each person would be asked to put up $500 as a start to help finance the acquisition of land. Lamar "Buga" Landry was designated to receive the applications at his business place, Landry Lumber in Luling.
Though St. Charles Parish had a good salary base per capita, it was not the high stakes country club set. So that began to set the options of how expensive the land could be.
Weinnig was a new resident in the parish and travelled most of the time, which put him at a disadvantage in recruiting new members. So much of that task was left to local businessmen like Landry and others who were here most of the time. They got others interested, such as Donald Samaha at Monsanto Chemical, Gene Wandling and Ed Hartman with Union Carbide, A.J. Marchand with American Cyanamid, Rod Plattsmier, and Stanley Tinney and Rusty Debroca who spoke it up at their tavern on U.S. 90 in Boutte. The list quickly grew to 90 prospects.
This was the time that residential golf course communities were springing up across the country. Timberlane Country Club in Gretna was almost complete; Ellendale in Houma was starting construction. And a failed development around Ama was history.
During the year 1965, Weinnig spearheaded the search for land for the club. He studied and visited every new and old golf development from Lake Charles to Panama City, Fla. The information and help he received was overwhelming.
His first approach to land acquisition was along the river. And he claims this was his first mistake. Not that there was anything wrong with the land, but it was cut up into long narrow strips that required the negotiation of more than two parties, he says. "We were competing against possible chemical plants that had big bucks, and we had nothing but dreams and good intentions. I combed the land off Highway 90 from Westwego through Bayou Gauche. There were good potential sights but no interested parties." So the search went on.
One day, in a casual conversation with Tinney, a longtime resident of St. Charles Parish who knew a lot of land owners, Weinnig got a lot of valuable information. The two were playing golf at Fashion Golf Club when Tinney suggested buying the property owned by Rathborne Land Co., east of what is now Lagattuta Subdivision, where his hunting club had a lease. The only entrance was by the Texaco road that ran parallel to the Cousins Canal.
Weinning's next door neighbor in Mimosa Park was Dr. Sidney Simoneaux Jr., also a member of this exclusive hunting club. "It was my understanding that people like Y.A. Tittle, a star NFL football player, and Palmer Long, Huey's son, were members," Weinning recalled. "I remember being in court in Hahnville one day paying a traffic ticket when the judge was giving holy hell to two Westwego teenagers caught hunting back there. They would never do it again after the dressing down they received."
Through Simoneaux and Tinney, Weinning got permission to go on the land and see "Jim," a resident of the area who was known to every hunter and kid in St. Charles Parish.
"I never knew his last name," Weinning point out. "He lived in an old shack that was the last structure remaining from the cypress logging days back in the early 1900s. Jim was a trapper, hunter and guide and knew every trail from his cabin to Lake Salvador. All the trails had names after the hunters that used them in their quest for deer, squirrels, ducks and other game.
Jim rode with Weinning in his car on the two-wheel-wide roads that covered miles of beautiful tree-wooded terrain. Every now and then, they would come to an open area with bermuda grass and see cows grazing with the wild deer.
For Weinning, a city boy, this was a great experience. Jim talked very passionately about the people and the hunting experiences of his life in those beautiful woods.
"I could see the development of a par five around big live oaks; a picturesque par three over a marshy area," said Weinning. "The more I looked at this land, the more I fell in love with it, and the more I became interested."
Tinny and Simoneaux agreed that the land was the place they needed for the gold course. Two or three hundred acres out of this vast track would not diminish that fabulous hunting ground much.
At this time, Weinning informed some of the small interested groups about his finding and they shared his enthusiasm. He approached the Rathborne company about acquiring the property but ran into a dead end when asked to put up $25,000 as talking money. His group had no money. A few days later, one of the company's vice presidents called and told him not to give up and to keep in touch.
Weinning then reported his failed mission to Jim, who had told him about another tract containing several thousand acres, own by John Lvert, just north of the Rathborne tract. The two rode around the property on the two-wheel track. It was just like Rathborne's.
John Levert, president of Levert Land Co., was also vice commodore of Southern Yacht Club where Weinning was a member. This relationship stirred up talk about SYC politics and activities, rather than the prospective gold course during their first meeting in November 1965. During a second meeting December, Levert said he would talk it over with this board of directors at their meeting in January.
This seemed to be the right approach, because Levert called back in January and said his board showed some interest. He asked for further details of the proposal.
The plan was to organize Willowdale Country Club, with a minimum of 100 members, and purchase some 200 acres measuring 20-by-10 acres. It would be initially financed with a stock issue of $300 and an initiation fee of $200. Residential sites would be sold from the acreages to members with restrictions of $25,000 minimum cost and 1,800-square-foot homes.
The best piece of advice the golf course's founders got was don't cut the trees down till you have to. The cypresses that line the course are quintessential Louisiana. (Courtesy of the St. Charles Herald-Guide)
Construction of the golf course would cost $3,000 to $5,000 per hole, which would allow them to lay out nine holds initially with the remaining nine scheduled for a later date. A swimming pool would also be built initially at a cost of $15,000 to be financed through lot sales.
With the letter, Weinning sent Levert a copy of a brochure about the recent development of Ellendale Country Club, some 35 miles west of the Willowdale site.
Levert was interested and the organizers of Willowdale began to realize their dream.
During the period following when he was negotiating with Levert, Weinning drove Ernest Pinfold, a Scottish Golf Professional with Colonial Country Club for many years, around the property. Pinfold had been giving lessons an doing some construction work at Fashion Golf Club.
"We spent one Saturday afternoon driving the two-wheel roads and walking the hunters' paths," Weinning said. "He was very complimentary about the land and shared his enthusiasm. He said if his health was better and much younger he'd be ready to go to work. He offered one piece of advice – use the natural lay of the land, keep it simple and don't cut a tree down till you have to."
A few weeks later, Pinfold visited Weinning at his home, bringing him some books and pamphlets by Alister MacKenzie, John L. Lowe and Max Behr. All three were early golf course designers with ideas similar to Pinfold's. They all aid that some obstacle should be between the tee and green and the more natural the better.
In the meantime, negotiations with Levert got serious. The club would get its 18-hole course and the land company would get is profits later once the following agreement was fulfilled:
The club agreement with Levert provided for the purchase of some 243 acres for $72,000 on a note for 20 years with no interest for the first 10 years and 5 and 1/2 percent interest during the remaining 10. The club was to complete and 18-hole course in four years and leave all outside building sites for Levert's use with all utilities furnished by the club to be available for use by Levert. The agreement also allowed the club to purchase property around the course for homesites at a cost of $350 per acre, which would be applied to the purchase price.
Roland Bernard of Survey Inc. prepared drawings to help in the act of sale. The deal was finalized by the club's attorney, Leon "Sonny" Vial of Hahnville, at no cost to the club.
Much to members' surprise, the land was shaped like a parallelogram instead of a rectangle. with the unofficial drawings, they got busy laying out cut-out models of fairways, tees, greens and lakes. their purpose in doing this was to get some idea of what they were dealing with in area size.
Weinning called a meeting of interested people who could help prepare a list of prospective members. Include among those attending were Gene Wandling, Lamar Landry, Donald Samaha, Ed Hartman, Leon Vial, Norman Pitre, Rod Plattsmier, A.J. Marchand, Roland Bernard and Drs. Freeman Heck, Joe Isolani and Matt Huff.
Vial and Weinning explained the proposed agreement with Levert and describe the work that Bernard was doing that would allow them to finalize the agreement.
The group voted in favor of both. They also agreed to elect a board of directors, preferably from among local residents interested in the project. It was suggested that some of the board members be on the staffs of the chemical plants in St. Charles Parish to give a wide range of exposure to their membership drive.
The name of Willowdale Country Club was adopted at Weinning's home, at 327 Wanda St. in Luling, was selected as the temporary official address. A drawing by Joan Zammitt showing a weeping willow tree with a flag on a green was adopted as the club's logo.
First officers and board members elected at the next meeting a few weeks later were John Weinning, president; Roland Bernard, vice president; Donald Samaha, vice president, chemical engineer, Monsanto Chemical; Leon Vial, secretary, attorney; Lamar Landry, treasurer, part owner of Landry Lumber Co.; Norman Pitre, board member, attorney; Ed Hartman, board member; purchasing agent, Union Carbide; John Hill, board member, assistant plant manager, Union Carbide; John Hill, board member, assistant plant manager, Union Carbide; A.J. Marchand, board member, engineer, American Cyanamid, and Bob Wensch, board member, engineer, Hooker Chemical.
That night, Weinning started the financial ball rolling by giving the newly elected treasurer his check for $500. His stock number was to be No. 1 and, as members deposited their $500 in the St. Charles Bank, their numbers would follow in that order. It was agreed at that meeting that Rod Plattsmier and Bob Derveloy would be custodians of the funds, and no money could be spent without their release. Within a few weeks, the club had $80,000 on deposit in the Bank of St. Charles.
The new club could not afford a golf course architect, so they signed a contract with Central Industries of Lafayette, which was building a course in Baton Rouge, and doing engineering, construction and layout work at other courses. This was the least expensive way to proceed, because it allowed them to break down the construction in phases.
The board appointed a building committee consisting of Ed Hartman, Art Robinson, Samaha, Bernard and Weinning.
Now 27 years later, the club is in the midst of a rebuilding program to improve fairways, install underground drainage and upgrade fairway irrigation. (Courtesy the St. Charles Herald-Guide)
Weinnig hand-delivered the first drawings prepared by Bernard in May 1966 to Central Industries and told them that entrance to the property would probably be about 600 feet east of the northwest corner. One reason for this was that the club had verbal commitments from the three land owners to the west to enter the property at this location from Third Street in Mimosa Park across the Cousins Canal or from the Texaco Road from U.S. 90. Also because there was a large stand of live oaks in this ridge area. That area is about 180 yards off the Number 2 tee going west to the Number 2 green and a section over Levert and Weinning Drive.
Weinning also delivered some drawings he had made for talking purposes to the company. He told Central that they wanted the two nines to be as different as possible, but to get the maximum amount of lots as possible.
"Central was waiting for a topographic drawing of the land that gave elevations so their early design work was limited," said Weinning. "We felt we picked the best portion of land available to us, which offered more ridges and less swamp area. Roland confirmed this with his survey crew."
Progress continued as the club's charter, prepared by Pitre, was received on May 16, 1966. A line of credit was established at the Bank of St. Charles.
At that time, all of the officers and board members were busy on their project. Sonny Vial was working on land documents, Bernard was doing survey work. The building committee was going forward, interviewing engineering firms. And everyone was talking positive.
The club announced that a meeting would be held in Mimosa Park Schools' auditorium in June and asked members to bring a friend. It was well attended. Officers explained what was going on and that construction would be starting soon.
"We always had or skeptics and negative people around," said Weinning. "One local businessman told his customers, 'They will never build anything in that swamp, you can kiss your $500 goodbye.' At the Mimosa School meeting, a gentleman stood up and asked me what I was getting out of this. May answer was that my feelings were the same as most of the people in the audience – to get an 18-hold golf course. I would buy one share of stock and one lot, that is how it remains to this day."
Thins were going well and everybody was upbeat. The board agreed to let the bank invest their funds on deposit in short term securities at no cost to Willowdale. This provided $6,000 profit.
At that time, entrance to Willowdale was from the southwest corner, which is now at the intersection of Cottage and Beaupre drives. The club had permission from Rathborne to cross its land at that point. It was the only access from Texaco Road, which provided a route to U.S. 90 along Cousins Canal. Draglines, dozers and survey and construction equipment were headquartered at this location. At one time, there were five different contracting firms working simultaneously.
Pictured in 2018, Willowdale Country Club is now owned by members of the community and renamed as Grand Ridge Golf Club.
One of the adjacent property owners, however, would not give the club a right-of-way without stipulations and payment in acreage along the golf course, which was unacceptable to the club. So the board agreed to change the entrance to the north side on property owned by Levert, which accepted, provided the main road in the subdivision would lead to the company's property on the south side of the subdivision. The Club agreed to that.
An entrance road was then built on the newly acquired right-of-way from U.S. 90 by P&L, a local contracting firm, at a cost of $80,000. It is the same one that exists today. The roadbed was formed by laying trees cut down along the route across the width of the road. This was topped with river sand, then shell. It was rough, messy and dusty, but it was a start. It has since been blacktopped and overlaid several times by the parish.
By this time, Central Industries had its topo drawing and was proceeding to finalize the golf course and subdivision lots. with the company's cooperation, the club made a change in the layout to provide a true dog leg par 5 and opened up the back nine to give the course a more picturesque look instead of the confinement between houses. Central suggested the club install a 15-inch low lift pump with an outer perimeter canal to do as much drainage as possible before starting construction. A pump with a Waukesha engine that could run on gasoline, natural gas and LPG was installed on a platform about where the cypress trees now stand on the Number 13 fairway about 150 yards from the green. The outside ditch and pump cost approximately $27,600. Central dug the ditch and installed the pump. The pump was automatically operated from a float signal that started the engine, clutched it in and out, and shut down automatically. In May 1967, a 10,000 GPM 15 hp electric pump was purchased and the engine pump was relocated at the present site of Willowdale pump station by the back of the Number 14 green. This two-pump system provided a primary and standby system.
The club fueled the engine with LPG from a tank that was furnished free by the LPG company. The big problem was getting the tank and future fuel with a reasonable location to the engine. The back nine was not cleared and much of the fairways 13, 15, 16 and 17 were in a swamp area. This is why the pump was located off the Number 13 fairway, to assure a good flow of water.
The first thing Central Industries did was dig a canal or big ditch around the entire property. When this was finished, and a few drainage ditches were connected, the canal filled up with water. The LPG tank was delivered empty and put in the canal at the southwest corner where Willowdale and Rathborne properties meet. The tank was floated to its location by a survey boat with an outboard motor provided by Bernard. Central Industries put it in place on a platform with a dragline.
A 1-1/4 inch pipeline was laid along the east levee to about where the Number 13 tee is now. McMillan dozed a path to this location for the fuel truck to make deliveries. Water was pumped out day and night, and it wasn't long before the area started to dry out and construction could continue. The pie is still somewhere under the present levee.
The building committee was busy interviewing engineering firms. DeLaurel Engineers of New Orleans was selected to handle all of the interior and exterior utility work, as well as interior roads and drainage. The firm was engineer for St. Charles Parish at the time and familiar with parish codes and other local factors.
With an arm full of drawings and a letter from DeLaurel Engineers, Weinning appeared before the policy jury. He gave each member a copy of the club's sales brochures and requested approval to start work. They asked a few questions, were very courteous, and wished the new club good luck.
Drawings of the golf course and subdivision lots were displayed in all the local banks and Fisher Furniture Store. They, along with Pioneer Plan numbers one and two, were also mailed to members explaining the procedures of selecting lots based on stock number. Also indicated were lot sizes and building restrictions.
In late September, the club had its big meeting with 116 members in attendance. It was a success with 67 members buying $201,000 worth of lots. Good advance preparation provided a smooth selection procedure.
"We announced at that time that changes could be made on an individual basis and lot sales would be limited to members only until further notice," Weinning noted. "It was a demonstration of blind faith when you consider that over 90 percent of the people who purchased lots that night were never on the site. How could we fail in the future?"
The bulldozers, dredgeline and various other equipment were in full swing in January 1967, and it was going to be this way all year. The sale brochures listing all 174 charter members were circulating around the parish. The board set May 31 as the final day that lots would sell for $3,500. They would increase to $4,000 on June 1 and that price would be re-evaluated when 25 more lots were sold.
Mel Borey was appointed chairman of the swimming pool committee and asked to present his committee and future plans at the next board meeting.
During this period, the title transfer for lots went off as planned, and members had clean titles on the 68 lots sold. Willowdale had clean title on 74 other lots that had been released at that time. Around July 1, P&L was finishing the entrance and roads on the west side. McMillan Dozer Service was clearing the first nine holes of the golf course and Survey, Inc. had started staking out lots on the west side with numbers and sold signs.
Carnival season arrived and the club decided to celebrate with a dance. They rented the St. Charles Recreation Building. "Bea Hartman, Joan Zammett, Lou Robinette and Ann Maroney decorated this building like you'e never seen before," said Weinning. It was a BYOB party and Rod Plattsmier handled the set up and ice Member's sons were waiters.
A group from Monstanto made George Russell king and paraded him around on an elevated throne. He waved his scepter to all his subjects as they hoisted their BYOB glasses in response.
And that was the start of the Koon Ass Ball, which became an annual event. It was the wackiest part of the year in St. Charles Parish.
The club signed a contract with Clement Betpoe Jr. & Co. for the laying of sewage, gas and water lines at the Bank of St. Charles in the presence of all parish utility managers present. The work, which would take eight months, was $178,711 for sewage, $88,173 for water, $22,434 for gas and $29,000 for surveying and engineering.
Everything was going fine until Ed Harman suggested the club plant rye grass on the finished fairways for aesthetic purposes. They tried it on Number 2 and, when it came up, it was impressive. So they had Central plant the seeds on the other first nine holes and, by December, the club had a good stand of rye grass.
But then, Harry Posts' cows that roamed on adjacent lands, got the scent and came out of the woods in all directions, leaving hoof prints from 4 to 9 inches deep all over the fairways. The finished fairways on the front nine were a disaster and they could not do anything about it until spring.
When club officials went back to Levert to see what could be done about the cows, he said that Post was a good tenant and he was there first. So Weinning approached Post about buying his cattle lease. The answer was no because the woods, which were 10 degrees warmer than open fields, were needed for winter grazing. It helped the cattle retain their body heat and fat.
So they only solution was to build a fence, which the club did at a cost of $2,400. It has since been removed.
But the fence did not solve all of the problems. Post called Weinning one morning to inform him that about 10 of his cattle were out on U.S. 90 because the club had failed to put a cattle guard at the beginning of the entrance road. Post gave the club a two-car cattle guard, which was installed promptly.
Winning got some good advice from golf pro John Fister who was a greens superintendent and Houma Golf Club and was supervising the construction of Ellendale Country Club near Houma at the time. Fister walked the new Willowdale course with Weinning and Rod Plattsmier. He suggested they hire a professional greens superintendent at that time since the greens and tees had the basic dirt in place but were not yet shaped or dressed. So the search began.
The first pro they interviewed turned the club down because members would be allowed to use private carts. This has always been an issue with golf pros because club-owned golf carts usually provide a good income for the pros who get a cut. At some clubs, the pros even own the carts and get all of the income.
But Willowdale was committed to its membership, many of whom owned their own carts. Upon Fister's recommendation, Weinning and Donald Samaha interviewed Everett Alleman, who accepted the job as the club's first pro. From that day on, Alleman took over seeing to the construction of the greens on the first nine, and construction of the back nine. He suggested they use trees and lakes for hazards in lieu of sand traps to keep maintenance to a minimum. He stressed the importance of installing a good irrigiation system to all greens. This job was given to Russell Daniels Irrigation Co. of Florida at a cost of $70,000. When the first nine was ready, they put in the pump and pump house, and finished the job on the back nine in 1970. It was an electric system and fully automatic.
Willowdale was the first course in the area to use dwarf tifton on greens and aprons. When the course opened in August, it had the best greens in the area.
Alleman was a big help with his broad knowledge and ability to maintain the course with a minimum crew, Weinning noted. "He got along well with our contractors, and we made deals with other contractors like Leonard Lauve and P&L to work for lots or lake spoils in lieu of cash."
The early acquisition of Everett gave the club many cost savings such as disposal of unburned stumps. The mounds seen on seven of the fairways are the burial grounds of the remains of those stumps. They add character to the flat fairways.
All fairways meet or exceed the U.S.G.A. regulations of 30 yards wide. Wennning said they would have liked to clear some trees out of the roughs that would lend the course a more spacious appearance. But Alleman pointed out that those problems could wait.
Just as a point of information, the big dip on the Number 5 fairway is Bayou DeSalle and the bank on each side of the highest elevation in Willowdale, 5.5 feet. The lowest level is Number 15 lake – 1-foot.
As Alleman pointed out early in the construction, good greens required a lot of care; plus good grass, good drainage and an abundance of water. Even though the area gets a lot of rain, controlled watering is very essential, so the club used its rough clearing fund for a good irrigation system.
"We found out in the early stages that even though we were practically surrounded by water, we didn't have enough in dry seasons," Weinning said. "That is why Number 14 lake is connected to Number 15 and a drainage ditch was dug to Number 1 lake pump house. We also installed a self-priming pump with an electric motor on pump platform to take water from the swamp to supplement our water shortage during dry seasons. We own the platform and pump at this time and later turned them over to the parish."
Weinning made a trip to Baton Rouge where LSU Forestry Department representatives advised him to keep the water table up in the outer ditches to save the cypress trees. Wildlife and Fisheries representatives gave advice on stocking the lake with fish.
Glen Douglas built the first house in Willowdale subdivision and had to use LPG gas until a favorable ruling the by the Louisiana Supreme Court gave the LGS Company the right to pipe gas into the subdivision. Douglas was an avid golfer and went on to spearhead some of the cartpath tournaments.
The club started charging $15 per month dues in August and met with little opposition from members. Only one member reneged at first, but later came back into the fold.
The club bought a used trailer for $85, which was used half for a pro shop and the other half for a 19th hole with a bar, two tables and chairs. When the first nine holes were opened for play, the club had spent $67,000 on fairways and $26,000 on greens.
Twelve new Pargo golf carts were purchased for $900 each and put into a little pre-fab shed behind the pro shop where six of them stayed with seat wrappings still in place for three or four months. At that time, members used pull carts. The Pargos could have been returned for a refund, but instead the club lowered the rental price from $5 to $4 for 18 holes. From then on, they were in constant use.
The back nine was coming along, but lot sales were slow. New membership picked up a little, but not enough. The swimming pool and cabana cost $106,000 and was due to open June 15. A big luau was held in August to celebrate the opening. The party was put on by Bobby and Pat Vedros.
George Tonry wrote the bylaws and Bob Glasener was appointed chairman of the real estate committee that would help keep the subdivision in order. In the early days, some golf tournaments were held in spite of bad weather and a constant surge of mosquitos.
The ladies started playing bridge on Thursday, organized by Ms. Willie Mae Cook, and golf on Tuesday, guided by Ms. Marcella Bernard. Alleman began giving lessons to some members who had never been on a golf course. The Duffers Mixed Golf Tournament was held in October, and it was such a success that the last Sunday of each month except December would be set aside for this occasion.
Eual Landry Sr., a retired Air Force colonel and high school principal, took care of the 19th Hole under the direction of Roland Bernard and Donald Samaha and enjoyed every minute. The club closed out its year successfully with a Christmas Dance set up by Melvin and Regina Borey, Joan Zammitt, Bea Hartman, Lou Robinette and Ann Maroney.
Bernard took over as president in 1969 from Weinning, who remained on the board and building committee. It was estimated that $90,000 to $100,000 would be needed to finish the back nine. Lot sales sagged and membership was slumping which delayed some of the construction. Bernard introduced several sound financial proposals to get things going, but feelings that were lot sales would pick up. But they didn't.
Late in the year, a bond issue was implemented and construction was continued. The club did manage to build the pro shop and 19th Hole with tables, chairs, a large bar and porch. The tennis courts were completed, and Bernard kept things going with barbecues, covered dish parties and a big Christmas dance.
Alleman announced the back nine would be playable in early summer of 1970. The club's commitment to Levert Land Co. to build an 18-hole golf course in four years was realized. It was inspected and accepted on July 15, 1970 by the new president of Levert Land Co., Ramon E. Billeaud.
"There is one gracious lady from the beginning that was a booster, organizer and worker," said Weinning. "There wasn't a ladies tournament, social event, dance or ball she did not have a hand in. And this went on until she passed away on June 5, 1986. We, of Willowdale, will always remember Ms. Lou Robinette."
"We all should thank Leon Vial and Roland Bernard for their cooperation. We should thank Lamar 'Bugga' Landry for his unselfish contributions. He was probably the man who signed up more members than anyone else. Ed Hartman had to leave us because of a company transfer, but he and Bea were with us at the right time. In their quiet way, papa and mama Gene Wandling, along with many others, got things done on various committees. Norman Pitre helped us a lot with legal matters and Donald Samaha and Art Robinson patiently did their job to conclusion. Thank God for Mel Borey's machine shop, which kept our used equipment running. I would like to thank all the board members for their cooperation and help. We had quite a number of them from 1966 to 1970."
Weinning said that there were a lot of people who experienced the ups and downs as Willowdale developed from a dream into reality. Their goal was an 18-hole golf course, and they got it.
One story Weinning likes to tell is the story about the construction of the bridge over the connection between the lakes on the 14th and 15th fairways. Bobby Vedros formed a construction company called B.B.&S. Construction Co., standing for beg, borrow and steal, with several other members of the club. One day materials for the bridge mysteriously appeared in the area where it was to be constructed, without bills of material, invoices or paperwork of any kind. Apparently the company had received several donations. Vedros and his partners also appeared and built the bridge in a weekend.
The other workers were Charlie Smith, Jamie McWilliams, E.E. Cook, Henry Hoffman, Gus Gustafson, George Russel, Paul Robert and Bill Tyree.
Ray Tilyou took over as president in 1970 and a ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the completion of the first 18-hole golf course in St. Charles Parish at Willowdale.
Now, 27 years later, the club is in the midst of a rebuilding program to improve fairways, install underground drainage and upgrade fairway irrigation. Members are looking forward to an improved golf course in the near future.
But the natural beauty of its fairways has been there throughout those 27 years. That has resulted from much research and planning and following the advice of a Scottish golf Pro "to use the natural lay of the land, keep it simple and don't cut a tree down till you have to."
It worked and paid off in one of the most beautiful settings to be found anywhere in the South.
Click the images for caption information.
Willowdale Swim Team
Willowdale Swim Team in July 1979.
Willowdale Country Club Friends
Willowdale Country Club in the 1970s. Jean and Travis Downs.
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Cookie Gomez – Willowdale Country Club from SCPhistory.org on Vimeo.
Oral History: James Rodney from SCPhistory.org on Vimeo.
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