John was born in July 1939 in Castleisland, Co. Kerry, Ireland, emigrated to the USA and found his way to San Francisco in 1957. After working as a park ranger in Tilden and the East Bay Regional Parks, John became and remained a successful plumber. Throughout his life, John loved his family, friends, animals, music, dance and nature. He will be greatly missed.

Friends may call on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 at 5:00 p.m., wake at 7:00 p.m. at Duggan's Serra Mortuary, 500 Westlake Ave, Daly City. A funeral mass will be held on Wednesday, March 23 at 11:00 a.m. at Saint Gabriel's Church, 2559 40th Ave, San Francisco. Interment in Holy Cross Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the ALS Foundation Forbes Norris Research and Treatment Center or the San Francisco SPCA.

Published in the San Francisco Chronicle, March 18-20, 2016.

The post John Hickey Obituary (2016) – San Francisco, CA appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

John P Galvin

February 3, 1928 – December 2, 2019

At home in San Francisco, December 2, 2019, at age 91. Beloved brother of Jim (Louise), Pat (Bunny) (both deceased), Helen (Gordon, deceased), Rainville, Neil (deceased) (Eleanor) and Dennis (Rita). Cherished uncle to many nieces and nephews and their families.

John was a native of San Francisco and graduated from St. Paul's Grammar School and Mission High in 1946. He was a U.S. Army veteran who served in the Korean War. He was a member of Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 38 and served as plumbing superintendent at the San Francisco Airport for many years before retiring in 1990.

John was known for his good nature, sense of humor, generosity and love of nature. He was an avid outdoorsman whose life revolved around waterfowl and big game hunting, fishing and habitat conservation. John was a founding member of the Oakland Associates Duck Club in Willows, California, where his happiest times were spent hunting and laughing with his closest friends, including his best friend Dave Schurba. He hunted at Oakland Associates every weekend until his 90th birthday, but then had to stop for health reasons.

Outside of duck season, John hunted deer at his camp in Mendocino County and eastern Nevada. John and his brother Pat were deckhands on San Francisco Bay as a youth and later owned a fishing boat that they docked at Fisherman's Wharf. John loved to tell stories about the ocean, the bay, the lakes and streams he fished over the years, and his hunting stories will never be forgotten. John was a lifelong supporter of the California Waterfowl Association.

Special thanks to Flo, Joy, Cheenee and Sutter Hospice. At John's request there will be no services. Donations may be made in John's name to the California Waterfowl Association (https://www.calwaterfowl.org/donate/) or a charity of your choice.

Published by the San Francisco Chronicle December 20-22, 2019.

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Two weeks ago, I reported on the decision of the San Francisco Election Commission to not renew the term of John Arntz, by a 4-2 vote, who is completing his fourth 5-year stint as Director of the San Francisco Department of Elections. The one and only reason given by the Commissioners for not renewing his contract was that Arntz did not meet the diversity goals set forth in Mayor London Breed’s racial equity plan, and the Commission wanted to open the process to other candidates in order to fulfill those goals . John Arntz is a straight white male.

The outcry from San Francisco and across the nation was diluvian in nature. Conservative media had a field day poking fun at the Liberal bastion that is San Francisco, as the city by the bay seemed to be plumbing new depths of Woke identity politics. More telling though was the criticism emanating from Left-leaning circles in San Francisco and beyond.

Mayor London Breed herself, whose racial equity plan was cited as rationale for not reappointing the Director said that Arntz:

“Has served San Francisco with integrity, professionalism and has stayed completely independent. He’s remained impartial and has avoided getting caught up in the web of city politics, which is what we are seeing now as a result of this unnecessary vote. Rather than working on key issues to recover and rebuild our city, this is a good example of unfair politicization of a key part of our government that is working well for the voters of this city.”

California Liberal icon State Senator Scott Weiner (D-San Francisco) tweeted:

“When John Arntz took over as Director of Elections, the Department was a mess — remember ballot box tops floating in the bay? Arntz turned it around. It’s now one of our best run departments. Why on earth is the Elections Commission moving to dump this strong elections leader?”

The position of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors—the elected body responsible for funding the San Francisco Election Commission—was also critical of the racially motivated decision to sack Mr. Arntz.

District 3 Supervisor Aaron Peskin called the move to sack Arntz “Bananas.” More pointedly, Peskin went on to proclaim, “The remarks from Commissioners are ripe for a discrimination lawsuit.”

Yet, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors did not just offer critical commentary, they took it one step further. The San Francisco Elections Commission simply does not have a set budget. Chris Jerdonek, the President of the Commission was informed that the Mayor’s office and the Board of Supervisors would just not provide the estimated $50,000 necessary for the Election Commission to hire a firm to conduct a search for a new Elections Director. The Board of Supervisors was unanimous in their decision. This maneuver in and of itself did not sit well in some circles. Several government advocacy groups confronted the Board of Supervisors with accusations that withholding funds from the Commission was tantamount to interfering in their autonomy which was set in their charter when the Commission was created in 2002.

Jerdonek wrote in an email that not providing funding for a Director’s search would be “undermining” the Commission’s oversight mandate and prevent the Commission from hiring an Elections Director—a responsibility specifically enumerated in that charter.

Election Commissioner Cynthia Dai said:

“Having to beg for the money every five years — it certainly undermines our independence.”

The last time the Commission was funded for and employed a search firm for the Director’s position was in fact twenty years ago when John Arntz was first appointed.

Commissioners said the fact they don’t have funding “highlights a weakness” in the charter. Perhaps so, but arguably the fact that the Commission would relieve a highly qualified and respected public servant of his job simply because he does not check any of the diversity boxes would highlight that the body ought not have any autonomy in the first place.

There are those who have speculated that the real motivation behind the decision to not renew Arntz was based on his apparent recalcitrance to seek out and employ an open-source voting system for San Francisco elections. Open-source voting allows any member of the public to view the code used to ultimately tabulate ballots. And even if Arntz had been slow to embrace this technology for San Francisco, this appears as nothing more than a red herring in order to refocus the public’s view away from the Commission’s blatant race-based motivations.

In a meeting of the Commission on Monday, it became apparent that a combination of the public outcry backing reappointment of Arntz, the risk of a time consuming and costly discrimination lawsuit, and a lack of funding to conduct a search for a new director, has saved John Arntz from the chopping block. The Commission passed a resolution to consider in January renewing Arntz to a new 5-year term as Elections Director, effectively backtracking on an effort to replace him. Language coming from both the Election Commission meeting on Monday and then the Supervisors’ meeting on Tuesday reflected a need and desire to work together to satisfy funding needs of the Commission when they should arise in the future.

Election Commissioner Lucy Bernholz perhaps had the most insightful and meaningful comment at their meeting when she said at Monday’s meeting:

“It is incumbent upon this commission to rectify the damage done by the previous decision as quickly as possible. Not only have we inflicted damage on the department, we’ve made ourselves an unreliable, untrustworthy body, and until we fix that, all of the work we’ve done on other issues is out the window.”

John Arntz has indicated that he will accept a new five-year term as elections director when it is officially offered to him.

In reporting the actions and motivations behind the Election Commission’s shockingly embarrassing announcement recently, I had related my love for the literary tool known as alliteration. I then ascribed to the Commission and those of their ilk the alliterative moniker Loony Left—a term reserved for the most radical of Progressives. In spite of their apparently coerced policy reversal, the San Francisco Election Commission can without a doubt still be considered loony. Yet, their recognition of a looming legal liability and lack of largesse from the Board of Supervisors, has led to a brief encounter with logic and level-headedness. Time will tell just how long that lasts.

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SANTA CLARA, Calif. — San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch was in no hurry to field questions about receiver Deebo Samuel in his pre-draft media availability Monday.

Before opening the nearly 30-minute session to queries, Lynch spent about 5½ of those minutes thanking his staff for his hard work on the upcoming NFL draft and discussing the draft itself. Mixed in was a brief mention of Samuel, but only to say that he didn’t intend to divulge details on the situation.

Eventually, the inquiries came in bunches, and while Lynch didn’t reveal why Samuel has requested a trade, any details on negotiations or how things reached this point, he did make it clear the Niners have little desire to trade the star receiver/running back.

“I can’t ever imagine wanting to move on from Deebo,” Lynch said. “You put yourself through the exercises of, even though we don’t have a first-round pick, you have to be thorough in this process and prepare for everything. So, you go through it and do that. He’s just too good of a player… We’ve got nothing but love for him and nothing but appreciation for what he’s brought, but you just don’t let guys like that walk.So, I can’t envision a scenario where we would [trade him].”

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Samuel told ESPN’s Jeff Darlington last week that he has requested a trade, and subsequent reports noted that Samuel has refused to engage the Niners on a potential contract extension. Samuel is entering the final year of his rookie contract, a deal that comes with a cap number of just under $5 million for 2022.

Lynch acknowledged the reports that Samuel has requested a trade but declined to add much else, noting it’s “not productive” to discuss particulars of contract negotiations. Lynch did, however, say that the team and Samuel have been in contact over the past few weeks and that the Samuel situation has not changed the team’s approach to the NFL draft.

The 49ers don’t hold a pick in the first round, and Lynch said he expects Thursday night to be “a little boring” because of that.

Of course, that doesn’t mean speculation on a potential Samuel trade will slow down in the run-up to that first round. Asked whether a significant offer could change the Niners’ mind on dealing Samuel, Lynch left the door cracked open slightly.

“We’ve been consistent since we’ve been here that we’d listen on just about anyone,” Lynch said. “That’s something we’ll always do. But I can’t ever imagine moving on from Deebo. He’s been such a great player for us. He means so much to this franchise.”

Samuel is coming off a dynamic, unique season in which he posted 77 receptions for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns to go with 365 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground as he coined the term “wide back” for his ability to shift between receiver and traditional running back.

Some reports have indicated that Samuel was not happy with that usage because of the additional toll it takes on his body. During the season and after it, Samuel offered no such concerns, and the sides seemed to be headed toward a long-term agreement this offseason before Samuel’s trade request.

Which is why it has been a bit confounding to see that Samuel is now interested in leaving San Francisco.

“But that’s life,” Lynch said. “You’ve got to work through things and so that’s what we intend on doing.”

In the meantime, the 49ers began their offseason workout program last week without Samuel. According to players in the building, Samuel’s situation hasn’t been much of a topic of discussion.

“Deebo’s business is his business,” offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey said. “It’s never something that players get into talking about other than congratulations after contract negotiations happen … But it’s not a secret what Deebo means to our football team. He’s one of our best players, if not our best player, and he deserves everything that’s coming his way, but obviously it’s between those guys and for them to figure it out.”

Linebacker Fred Warner, who was in a similar situation as Samuel last year, eventually became the highest-paid (at the time of signing) off-ball linebacker in league history just before training camp opened in July. Warner said that required plenty of patience, but it eventually worked out.

“We all care about Deebo,” Warner said. “We all understand when it’s that part of the process, that player has to kind of go through it. People who have gone through it are here to help him if he has questions or anything, but he’s a grown man. He’s got to go through that process and we’ve all got to respect that. That’s the business side of the game … that’s just kind of what his process is right now.”

Another player going through that process is defensive end Nick Bosa, who is also eligible for a contract extension for the first time. On Monday, the Niners exercised the fifth-year option on Bosa, who is not attending the early, voluntary portion of the offseason program, although not for contractual reasons.

Lynch again affirmed that, as with Samuel, a deal for Bosa is a priority and will come “at the appropriate time.”

Elsewhere, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is still working his way back from right shoulder surgery and rehabbing in Los Angeles as the Niners await a trade development.

“We’ve been in contact with his representation and in communication with him,” Lynch said. “I think the progress is good, so he’s tracking kind of right where we said and throwing toward the end of June and then ramping it up from there. That’s where that’s at.”

Alex Mack, the team’s 36-year-old center who just finished his 13th NFL season, has not yet decided whether he will return to the team or retire. Lynch indicated Mack will reveal that choice when he makes it.

“We’ve been in discussions with Alex, communicating with him,” Lynch said. “I would say I’m not going to speak for Alex on that. I think at the appropriate time Alex will comment on that.”

The 49ers have nine picks in the NFL draft with three on Day 2. An early choice at center is likely regardless of Mack’s decision but could also be an indicator of where that situation is headed.

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Comedian John Oliver picked a San Francisco cartoon museum as the host of his unusual art collection in a nationwide grant contest Petaluma’s mayor also entered on behalf of her city.

The contest, announced in October 2020 on Oliver’s HBO show “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” was to find a temporary home for his art collection, as well as for two $10,000 donations to a museum and a food bank in the same area.

Oliver’s goal was to support museums and food banks that were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Petaluma Mayor Teresa Barrett, a big Oliver fan, entered the Petaluma Historical Library & Museum and Redwood Empire Food Bank into the contest.

“I just thought, why not,” Barrett told the Petaluma Argus-Courier in November 2020. “I wrote a letter and sent it off.” In the letter, she noted the museum had taken a revenue hit during the pandemic and that the Santa Rosa food bank has provided thousands of meals to wildfire survivors.

The “John Oliver has your Rat Erotica” grant was inspired by Oliver’s collection of three bizarre paintings, including one of two rats in an erotic embrace, one of talk show host Wendy Williams eating a pork chop and a painting of Fox Business Network host Larry Kudlow’s ties (painted by Kudlow’s wife).

The Cartoon Art Museum is hosting those pieces in its gallery from Jan. 4 to 25. Advance ticket purchase is not required to see the pieces — visit cartoonart.org for more information.

The San Francisco museum was awarded a $10,000 donation and the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank will receive a $10,000 matching donation.

“We’re honored to be chosen as the West Coast venue for the exhibition’s tour and look forward to showcasing its quirky and offbeat works,” said Ron Evans, chairman of the museum’s Board of Trustees, on the museum’s website. “I think we can all do with a little added levity these days.”

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San Francisco’s liberal mayor declared a “state of emergency” to try to deal with the city’s “nasty streets.”

How did it get so bad?

Journalist Michael Shellenberger’s new book, “San Fransicko,” argues that it happened because of progressive ideas.

“The town I love is sick,” says Shellenberger.

He came to San Francisco when he was in his 20s to support social justice causes. He still supports those ideas, but “it just went too far.”

In 2014, California politicians decided to end mass incarceration.

It’s a noble goal. America locks up a higher percentage of its people than any other country. Jails are overcrowded. People in jail are more likely to learn to be better criminals than to be rehabilitated.

So California converted many nonviolent felonies to misdemeanors. People who steal less than $950 worth of items are no longer jailed. Proponents said this would divert money from prisons that could go to mental health and drug treatment programs.

But not jailing people who break laws had nasty unintended consequences.

Shoplifters steal right in front of security guards. Police look the other way. They know if they make an arrest, they’ll face hours of paperwork and the person arrested will just return to the street. Cars are broken into 74 times a day.

“None of us want mass incarceration,” says Shellenberger, who voted for the law to stop jailing people. “But that was a recipe for disaster.”

Because no one is arrested for camping on the street, San Francisco is now filled with tent cities that supposedly house the “homeless.” But most campers are the mentally ill and drug users who choose life on the street. They shoot up or light up in public, confident no one will interfere.

One crack addict said she stays in San Francisco because it is “more lenient.” In other cities, she said, she’d be in jail.

Other cities, like Miami, do treat the homeless differently. “They don’t let people use drugs in public, and they built sufficient homeless shelters,” says Shellenberger.

In San Francisco, new homeless shelters are blocked by progressive activists who argue that everyone deserves an apartment. Yet it costs $700,000 to build one apartment in San Francisco.

A few years ago, I made a video suggesting that the high cost of apartments was a major reason for San Francisco’s tent cities. California’s excessive regulation discourages new construction, so there’s a housing shortage. That keeps rental prices high and leads people to live on the street.

“It’s not true,” says Shellenberger. “If it were true that expensive places made for homelessness, why don’t we see large open-air drug scenes in Carmel? Why don’t we see large open drug scenes in many fancy neighborhoods? Homelessness is just a function of whether or not you allow people to camp in public or not.”

But if people are homeless, should the government arrest them? The Constitution gives us the right to peacefully assemble.

“People have a right to be outdoors,” I tell Shellenberger. “We don’t have a right to force them off the street if they aren’t directly threatening anybody.”

“We should defend those rights because that’s part of our freedom,” he replies, “but you don’t have a right to shoot heroin at the public park.” There need to be “consequences for people’s behaviors.”

After researching his city’s problems, Shellenberger decided he could no longer identify as progressive. “Progressivism has become the abdication of personal responsibility.”

I think it’s always meant that.

But now parts of San Francisco have become such a sewer that even liberal politicians have changed their positions. The mayor of San Francisco, London Breed, recently declared it’s time to end the “reign of criminals who are destroying our city!”

Not long ago, when protesters shouted, “Defund the police,” Breed cut San Francisco’s policing budget by $120 million.

Now she says her town will be “more aggressive with law enforcement … and less tolerant of all the bull(expletive) that has destroyed our city.”

Progressive ideas almost always end badly.

John Stossel is author of “Give Me a Break: How I Exposed Hucksters, Cheats, and Scam Artists and Became the Scourge of the Liberal Media.”

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San Francisco 49ers admit Jimmy Garoppolo trade talks taking place. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

A Jimmy Garoppolo trade from the San Francisco 49ers can’t be made official until the new NFL league year opens up in roughly two weeks. In no way does this mean a trade won’t be agreed to here within the next few days.

49ers general manager John Lynch spoke to the media on Wednesday from the site of the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

In doing so, the front office head told reporters that San Francisco has had discussions with other teams regarding a Garoppolo trade and plans to continue these talks as a free agency opens here soon.

The expectation has always been that San Francisco’s brass and Garoppolo will work together to find the 30-year-old signal caller a new home. Garoppolo touched on that immediately after the 49ers blew a 10-point fourth-quarter lead in the NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams back in January.

“I was talking to John (Lynch) yesterday about finding the right destination. I just want to go to a place where they want to win,” Garoppolo told reporters back on February 1.

MORE FROM FORBESWhy Stephen Gilmore Makes Perfect Sense For The San Francisco 49ersby Vincent Frank

Jimmy Garoppolo Shoulder Surgery And Impact On Potential Trade

There’s another pretty big backdrop to all of this. It was noted earlier in the week that Garoppolo is set to undergo surgery on his throwing shoulder and could miss up to 16 weeks. While this timeline would still make him available for some of training camp and the preseason, it complicates things further.

Lynch touched on that bit of breaking news, indicating that “it is described as a minor surgery” and “the prognosis is really good.”

Amid reports of Garoppolo needing surgery, ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted that there’s still multiple teams interested in the quarterback’s services. How said surgery might impact his trade value remains to be seen.

Common logic seems to suggest that the 49ers can get a haul similar to what the New York Jets received from the Carolina Panthers for Sam Darnold last offseason. New York acquired a sixth-round pick in 2021 as well as second and fourth-round selections in 2022.

When looking at the statistical differences between these two quarterbacks (past two seasons), it’s easy to conclude Garoppolo has performed better.

Sam Darnold: 60% completion, 4,735 yards, 18 touchdowns, 24 interceptions, 72.3 rating (6-17 record)

Jimmy Garoppolo: 68% completion, 4,906 yards, 27 TD, 17 INT, 97.2 rating (12-9 record)

Jimmy Garoppolo trade market

San Francisco 49ers could move Jimmy Garoppolo to the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Photo by Daniel … [+] Shirey/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Looking at it through the lens of quarterback-needy teams, there’s as many as 10 who could be in the market for a new quarterback. Among them, Garoppolo has been linked primarily to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Commanders.

Pittsburgh saw longtime starter and two-time Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger retire following the 2021 season. Meanwhile, Washington started three quarterbacks under center last season.

As for the Colts, they are preparing to move off Carson Wentz after just one season. That will likely come via trade or release ahead of the new league year. It’s an open question whether general manager Chris Ballard would view Garoppolo as an upgrade over Wentz.

Other teams that could show some interest in Garoppolo this month include the Houston Texans, Denver Broncos, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers.

San Francisco 49ers sing Trey Lance’s praise

Trey Lance is the future of the QB position for the San Francisco 49ers. (AP Photo/John Hefti)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

When San Francisco traded up to the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft to select Lance, there was some who believed that Garoppolo would be moved immediately.

That was never the plan behind the scenes. A small-school product from North Dakota State, Lance wasn’t ready to take over under center. While he displayed flashes in limited time as a rookie, growing pains were the name of the game.

Now, entering his first full offseason as a member of the 49ers, it’s time for Lance to prove that he can be handed the keys to the kingdom. Hence, why Garoppolo will likely be traded here soon.

In talking about his young quarterback on Wednesday, Lynch sounded an optimistic tone.

MORE FROM FORBESThe Finances Of A Potential Jimmy Garoppolo Trade From The San Francisco 49ersby Vincent Frank

“He’s everything we thought he was when we traded a lot to go get him and more. I really believe that. There’s a tone of excitement. Of course, there’s some unknown. There always is in this game,” San Francisco 49ers GM John Lynch on Trey Lance, via NFL Network. “Trey’s made of the right stuff. Both talent wise and in his spirit of who he is, the intangibles. Guys like playing for him. Guys like being around him. We’re certainly excited to see what he can do.”

We wouldn’t expect anything different from Lynch given that San Francisco used three first-round picks and a mid-round selection for Lance. That’s especially true with Garoppolo firmly on the trade block. In reality, it’s a PR game to help hype up the youngster while attempting to create more leverage in Garoppolo trade talks.

For now, we wait and see what is going to happen with Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers. Talks will undoubtedly continue with general managers meeting up in Indianapolis during the combine this week. Perhaps something gets done in short order.

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• Kelly CohenESPN

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch had to explain a tweet he liked on Twitter about quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo being left in Nashville following the team’s loss to the Tennessee Titans.

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Lynch said on his own Twitter feed he “accidentally and unknowingly” liked the tweet about Garoppolo. And what’s more — it happened during Christmas Eve mass with his family, Lynch explained.

“Never intended to [like the tweet] and remain a huge believer in Jimmy,” Lynch said in Friday night’s post.

Apparently – while in Christmas Eve Mass w my Family – I accidentally and unknowingly Liked a Tweet. Never intended to and remain a huge believer in Jimmy. Merry Christmas to everyone.

— John Lynch (@JohnLynch49ers) December 25, 2021

The Twitter misstep comes after Garoppolo completed 26-of-35 passes for 322 yards and a touchdown in Thursday’s 20-17 loss to the Titans. He also threw two interceptions which played a factor in the loss.

San Francisco is sixth in the NFC right now, so the playoffs aren’t impossible. They host the Houston Texans on Jan. 2 and close out their regular season on the road against the Los Angeles Rams.

Lynch and the 49ers acquired Garoppolo from the New England Patriots in 2017 for a second-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. In February of 2018, San Francisco signed the quarterback to a five-year, $137.5 million contract extension.

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John Keene, currently Head of Music Staff and Chorus Master for Seattle Opera, will join the San Francisco Opera staff in January as choir director, the company announced on Tuesday, December 7th.

Keene succeeds Ian Robertson, who is retiring after 35 years in San Francisco.

“It’s amazing to be able to follow Ian with someone who shares the art form and in-depth knowledge of the repertoire,” General Manager Matthew Shilvock told The Chronicle. “I know we switch from one great choir director to another.”

Keene, 62, has been with Seattle Opera nine years since making his debut to prepare the choir for a 2012 production of Beethoven’s “Fidelio”. During this time he also directed a production of Laura Kaminsky’s “As One” and was assistant conductor for the production of Wagner’s “Ring” cycle.

Previously, he was Head of Music Staff and Chorus Master at the Florida Grand Opera in Miami and has worked at the Opera Theater of Saint Louis and the New Orleans Opera.

“This is a career you find, and not something you pave your way to,” Keene said in a telephone interview with The Chronicle. “In general, opera spoke to me early on because it’s such a big art form that involves so many people.”

Ian Robertson is retiring after 34 years as director of the San Francisco Opera Chorus. Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

Keene began his musical career as a pianist, but said he knew almost from the first moment that the life of a soloist was not for him.

“I love the collaborative part of making music,” he said, “especially the collaborative part of rehearsing. In a way, I love the rehearsal process even more than the performance. “

Keene got the job based in part on a single three-hour rehearsal with the choir earlier this fall.

“When we saw John work with the chorus, you could feel the connection immediately,” said Shilvock. “There was a bond of understanding – he trusted her musicality and he knew what he wanted and how to get her there.”

Keene agreed that his session with the choir was final.

“It’s been a very busy time in my current job and I haven’t had a lot of time to think about it. So I just went to show them my sample technique and how I worked, ”he recalls. “I immediately felt a connection with this special group of people. I was aware that they were tired and had come off their busy schedule on a day off, but I could feel their energy immediately. That is unusual and made me sit up and take notice. “

Opera singers who have worked and studied with Keene have been exuberant in their praise. In a written declaration to The Chronicle, the mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack called him “a brilliantly sensitive and giving musician and a beautiful soul”.

Bass baritone Greer Grimsley said, “I’ve known John for a number of years and the gifts San Francisco will receive are, to name a few, his amazing musicality and insight, impeccable professionalism and relentless focus on the task at hand. “

Keene plans to stay in Seattle until the end of January and work remotely when he completes his tenure there. In March he plans to start rehearsals for the summer productions of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” and Bright Sheng and David Henry Hwang’s “Dream of the Red Chamber” as well as a Verdi concert under the direction of General Music Director Eun Sun Kim.

The ensemble will also begin work in the 2022/23 season, which marks the company’s 100th anniversary.

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Spend a happy vacation with “Mary Poppins”. Or treat yourself to a portion of Christmas Goo with “Actually Love”.

What’s on TV

MARY POPPINS (1964) 8 p.m. on ABC. English nanny from PL Travers brings her spoonful of sugar and a bottomless bag to the Banks family’s London home in this Disney fantasy starring Julie Andrews. Dick Van Dyke is the chimney sweep with a soft spot for them. “Of course it’s sentimental,” wrote Bosley Crowther in the New York Times. “And, as Mary Poppins says, ‘Virtually perfect people never let feelings mix up their feelings.’ But since I’m not practically perfect, I find it irresistible. “

CATCH THE FAMILY (2016) 9 p.m. on Starz. When their parents disappear as performance artists, a writer (Jason Bateman, who directed) and an actress (Nicole Kidman) search for clues as to whether their father (Christopher Walken) and mother (Maryann Plunkett) are dead or on during their poisoned childhood Life are. “Mr. Bateman’s directing the actors is particularly sensitive,” wrote Manohla Dargis in The Times, “and shows a delicacy with emotional textures that does not always match the story.”

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE 11:30 p.m. on NBC. John Cena makes his debut as a host; Maren Morris is the musical guest.

What is being streamed?

LOVE REALLY (2003) on Amazon, iTunes and Netflix. AO Scott, who writes in the Times, called this Richard Curtis comedy “an indigestible Christmas pudding.” But admit it: you want another serving. Hugh Grant plays a bachelor prime minister who introduces himself to a member of the household staff at 10 Downing Street. Emma Thompson is his sister and Alan Rickman is her husband, infatuated with his secretary; Liam Neeson is a widowed stepfather; and Colin Firth is a writer who is betrayed by his own brother. And Bill Nighy plays a washed-up rock star.

A VERY MURRAY CHRISTMAS on Netflix. When the holidays come, it is the small, perfectly imperfect gifts that we often return to. And we return to this one with Bill Murray as a version of himself, whose cabaret act at the Carlyle Hotel goes broke when a snow storm closes New York. So he improvises with the help of his pianist friend Paul Shaffer as well as Rashida Jones, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Chris Rock, David Johansen and – in the fantasy climax – Miley Cyrus and George Clooney. It’s a little damp and a little foggy.

THE LOBSTER (2016) on Amazon and iTunes. In a country where marriage is a police duty, the newly divorced David (Colin Farrell) is sent to a hotel where singles have 45 days to mate or be turned into the animal of their choice. (Namely: his dog is actually his brother.) Residents can extend their stay by hunting and calming down “loners” in the forest in the gruesome comedy of Yorgos Lanthimos. Then David himself goes into the forest, where he gets into a forbidden romance with a woman (Rachel Weisz).

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