From its role as the birthplace of the United Nations, the city of San Francisco has always had its own distinctive place in the world of diplomacy. In recent years, however, San Francisco has become the birthplace of something else – a distinctive form of tech diplomacy that could only happen within striking distance of Silicon Valley.

In September, the European Commission is joining the fray with its own San Francisco office. Gerard de Graaf, who spearheaded digital regulation at the Commission’s Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology, is set to lead the new outpost, which will operate under the purview of the Washington EU Delegation office and coordinate with Brussels.

While the exact date, location, and size of the new EU office is yet to be determined, the remit is clear.

“We are essentially launching the EU’s digital diplomacy as yet another foreign policy tool to support our geopolitical role and our ambitions in the global technical power game.” Peter Stano, lead spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy at the European Commission told Parliament Magazine of the new office. “Because digital issues are no longer just a matter of engineers, no longer technical matters. They are the battleground of technology, values ​​and narratives.”

Digital issues are no longer just a matter of engineers, no longer technical matters. They are the battleground of technology, values ​​and narratives.

“San Francisco was chosen because it is a global center for digital technology and innovation. It also responds to requests from EU Member States to increase the EU presence on the US west coast,” Stano added.

The opening of the office follows a Parliamentary diplomatic mission to Silicon Valley in late May ahead of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Services Act (DSA) being passed by the European Parliament; both acts are expected to have significant impact on the tech industry.

These laws represent the latest EU efforts to regulate the digital sphere and curb the power of US tech giants. The “right to be forgotten” legal principle, established in 2014 by a ruling from the European Court of Justice, marked an era of lawsuits and contention between Silicon Valley and Europe. In the years since, the European Commission has levied billions of dollars in fines against Google, Facebook, Amazon, Qualcomm, Apple and other leading technology companies for offenses ranging from unpaid taxes to market monopolization. The General Data Protection Regulation, which established strict rules for how companies handle personal data, came into effect in May 2018.

Jeroen Dewulf, director of the Institute of European Studies at University of California, Berkeley, has watched the evolution of the relationship between Europe and Silicon Valley over the past decade.

“In the early years, people would be fascinated with the expansion of technology in Silicon Valley, with the possibilities, and whether we could potentially build something similar in Europe,” Dewulf told Parliament Magazine. “What I have seen over the years is that perspective has become more critical – concerns have grown about the darker sides of big tech, concerns about abuse of power, lack of transparency.”

The opening of the EU office signals, to some, a change in approach, with a focus on greater cooperation and diplomacy (particularly ahead of the inevitable legal backlash against the DMA). Yet the Union is arguably behind the curve.

Several European countries have already established a tech diplomacy presence in the Bay Area. SwissNex on Pier 17 of the Embarcadero is an event space, consulate, start-up incubator and tourism office in a revamped hangar. Denmark’s tech ambassador – an official title – has an office located in Palo Alto, the heart of Silicon Valley (the country famously appointed the first ambassador to the tech industry in 2017, although he later left to work at Microsoft). Open Austria, the official Austrian presence in San Francisco’s SoMa neighborhood, appointed its first Austrian tech ambassador in 2020.

These missions, however, have often focused on trade, supporting diaspora in tech and entrepreneurship, and other collaborations. For instance, the Holland in the Valley initiative, a program established by the Netherlands Consulate in San Francisco, brings together government, the private sector and academia “to boost results in entrepreneurship, innovation, and applied science.”

The EU’s new office signals a broader approach, one that will be more policy and regulation focused. With the nomination of Nathaniel Fick to lead the State Department’s new Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, the US is attempting to make strides in bridging the gap of tech regulation; however, for the foreseeable future, the EU will continue to lead.

Paul Adamson, OBE, Chairman of Forum Europe, which organizes policy conferences and has received funding to promote the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC), told Parliament Magazine, “As a public relations strategy, the EU has to better explain what they’re doing. This opening up [of the office] is really intriguing. It suggests to me that they’re trying to do some proselytizing, make the case about what they’re doing on the home turf of the tech sector, rather than being accused by the tech sector that, ‘You’re so remote. You’re in Brussels. What do you know about what we’re doing here?’”

It suggests to me that they’re trying to do some proselytizing, make the case about what they’re doing on the home turf of the tech sector

“Gerard is a very affable guy, as well as being very knowledgeable,” Adamson said. “He’s a very relaxed kind of guy, and quite diplomatic. I think he’s a very good choice.”

Dewulf, the director of the Institute of European Studies, expects de Graaf to find a welcome reception when he arrives.

“Within California in general, in particular the Bay Area, there is a tremendous amount of goodwill when it comes to the EU and its policies and its vision for the world. I always regretted that Europe was not taking advantage of that, enough. Of course, we have the EU office in Washington, DC, but I always felt that was maybe too far from what was going on here on the west coast,” Dewulf told Parliament Magazine. “Sometimes I have the impression that the EU is much more popular here in California than it is in Europe, and its attempts to tackle certain challenges with a mindset and a perspective that aligns quite well with the general mindset of people here in California.”

“That’s why, for me, I’m so excited that we have the news that an EU office is finally coming to San Francisco, to the west coast,” he said.

The post The EU’s new San Francisco workplace displays the bloc’s evolving position as tech regulator appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Laguna Honda is in crisis, and it’s one that extends far beyond the hospital itself.

A full review of federal inspection reports from Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center reveals a tipping point for many aspects of San Francisco’s public health system.

As the availability of affordable health services and housing has declined, a growing population of older adults with complex health needs has few options besides the hospital—California’s largest public skilled nursing facility—one that is now threatened with closure.

Nearly 700 extremely low-income, medically fragile patients face displacement if Laguna Honda is not successful in its efforts to regain its lost certification.

In April, federal regulators said they would cut Laguna Honda off from government-subsidized health care such as Medicaid and Medi-Cal, which covers the costs of the majority of patients at the facility. The decision came after regulators reported dozens of safety code infractions from inspections launched after two nonfatal overdoses on site in 2021. Full reports from federal inspections can be found here.

The most recent safety survey in April found staff members failing to follow protocols around personal protective equipment. Previous findings were even more serious. In October 2021, 13 out of 37 sampled residents tested positive for non-prescribed substances. The reports say that two of these residents experienced “life-threatening emergencies” and hospitalization, and two others were reported to have fallen.

The surveys also found multiple examples of drug paraphernalia and illicit substances on-site, including fentanyl and methamphetamine. One report said a guest coming into the facility was suspected of bringing in drugs on multiple occasions.

“The failed practices place all residents to unsafe (sic) living environment and negative health outcomes,” a report from October 14 reads.

Other inspections between October and April highlight disputes among residents, as well as preventable accidents, such as a woman who was not properly buckled into her wheelchair after a dialysis appointment and fell in a transportation van, resulting in bone fractures.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which overseas government health care programs, will return to Laguna Honda for follow-up inspections in September and again in December. At the same time, the hospital must implement a closure plan that involves moving people out in order to sustain federal funding during the recertification process.

The facility is still licensed for the time being, but losing federal funding would be devastating to operations.

Tipping point

The crisis unfolding at Laguna Honda in part represents the culmination of a years-long decline in public health resources for low-income elders and people with disabilities including those with substance use challenges.

The total number of assisted living facilities in San Francisco decreased by 22% from 2012 to 2018, according to a 2019 city report, creating a gap in board-and-care options specifically for adults under age 60. That same population has filtered through San Francisco General Hospital at Laguna Honda in recent decades.

“San Francisco is being punished for addressing a need while everyone else has abandoned the field,” Supervisor Rafael Mandelman said at a Board of Supervisors meeting on June 14. “This is some kafkaesque nonsense.”

Many experts in nursing home regulations are baffled by regulators’ decision to decertify Laguna Honda, which is the largest skilled nursing facility in the state. Some say the challenges found at the facility pale in comparison to some of the horrific circumstances and abuse that have been identified in other nursing homes that received the same level of punishment from federal regulators.

“This should be addressed absolutely. But typically, what we see are just horrific, almost nightmarish conditions that terminate care for Medicare and Medicaid funding. In this case, it seems like lacked supervision or culture of drug use that needs to be remedied,” said Anthony Chicotel, an attorney with the California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform.

Yet others, including former staff at San Francisco’s largest skilled nursing facility, feel The City has downplayed the recent infractions and other issues reported internally for years.

“The City and county have minimized the infractions to the public but in fact, they are quite serious,” said Teresa Palmer, a geriatrician who worked at Laguna Honda from 1989 to 2005. “By not admitting the real problem, by minimizing it, that doesn’t make for a good prognosis.”

Either way, nearly all of these problems are fixable in some form or another, asserts Roland Pickens, interim CEO of Laguna Honda, whether through enhanced training or new programming specific for individuals with substance use disorder.

For instance, one citation involved a nurse who reported seeing a lighter, burned aluminum foil and plastic brown straws in a resident’s room indicating possible fentanyl use, but the nurse left the items where they were. In documents provided by federal regulators, the nurse said he had not been advised on how to handle such situations and stated “we need training” on how to deal with illicit drugs or supplies.

Exactly how many patients at Laguna Honda struggled with substance use issues is unclear. Hypertension, dysphagia, epilepsy, pulmonary disease, major depressive disorders and other diseases are listed among the top 10 most common resident diagnoses, according to the hospital’s 2019-20 annual report. But treatment or other services for substance use disorder are not included on the list.

Hospital officials said they are exploring changes to where residents with substance use disorders, mental disabilities and other health needs are located within the facility.

“It may very well be that as we emerge from this recertification process, we will establish a unit that may cohort particular patients who now may be dispersed among the units,” Pickens said to the Board of Supervisors on June 14.

However, the growing gap in public health services beyond Laguna Honda’s walls for The City’s aging low-income and unhoused populations will be much harder to solve.

A place to go

Laguna Honda makes up a significant portion of San Francisco’s entire stock of skilled nursing beds, and the city is a key funder of assisted living services.

At the same time, patient flow into Laguna Honda has evolved greatly in the last 20 years so a growing number of residents now come directly from San Francisco General Hospital. Laguna Honda has become a key destination for the population that has suffered most from the decline in assisted living facilities that take Medi-Cal or Medicaid patients.

The change in patient flow over the years has resulted in an increasingly younger and male-skewing population with health challenges far more complex than a typical nursing home. How to appropriately care for elderly residents as well as younger patients with complex mental disabilities and drug use challenges has become a sticking point.

San Francisco is currently working towards a goal of adding nearly 400 mental health care beds across the city. For the 2022-24 budget years, Breed is allocating $57.5 million for the operation of new-acquired behavioral health facilities with 360 beds altogether.

In the meantime, local options for patient transfers are exhausted. Just six individuals have already been discharged from Laguna Honda, according to the most recent numbers shared by hospital officials. Transferring the remaining 670 medically-fragile residents will be nearly impossible by September, the earliest possible date of closure, according to a notice sent to patients in May.

“The numbers state that we probably aren’t going to meet that goal (to discharge all patients before any possible closure) but we are going to do everything we can,” Pickens told the Board of Supervisors on June 14.

Those familiar with the changes at Laguna Honda over the years stress the urgency of funding alternative care options in San Francisco.

“We don’t have disability-friendly substance use treatment for even unhoused elders,” said Palmer. “There is a lack of services. Once you’re an unhoused elder, you’re, excuse my language, shit out of luck.”

The post Laguna Honda disaster displays San Francisco’s fragile well being system | Information appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Laguna Honda is in crisis, and it’s one that extends far beyond the hospital itself.

A full review of federal inspection reports from Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center reveals a tipping point for many aspects of San Francisco’s public health system.

As the availability of affordable health services and housing has declined, a growing population of older adults with complex health needs has few options besides the hospital—California’s largest public skilled nursing facility—one that is now threatened with closure.

Nearly 700 extremely low-income, medically fragile patients face displacement if Laguna Honda is not successful in its efforts to regain its lost certification.

In April, federal regulators said they would cut Laguna Honda off from government-subsidized health care such as Medicaid and Medi-Cal, which covers the costs of the majority of patients at the facility. The decision came after regulators reported dozens of safety code infractions from inspections launched after two nonfatal overdoses on site in 2021. Full reports from federal inspections can be found here.

The most recent safety survey in April found staff members failing to follow protocols around personal protective equipment. Previous findings were even more serious. In October 2021, 13 out of 37 sampled residents tested positive for non-prescribed substances. The reports say that two of these residents experienced “life-threatening emergencies” and hospitalization, and two others were reported to have fallen.

The surveys also found multiple examples of drug paraphernalia and illicit substances on-site, including fentanyl and methamphetamine. One report said a guest coming into the facility was suspected of bringing in drugs on multiple occasions.

“The failed practices place all residents to unsafe (sic) living environment and negative health outcomes,” a report from October 14 reads.

Other inspections between October and April highlight disputes among residents, as well as preventable accidents, such as a woman who was not properly buckled into her wheelchair after a dialysis appointment and fell in a transportation van, resulting in bone fractures.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which overseas government health care programs, will return to Laguna Honda for follow-up inspections in September and again in December. At the same time, the hospital must implement a closure plan that involves moving people out in order to sustain federal funding during the recertification process.

The facility is still licensed for the time being, but losing federal funding would be devastating to operations.

Tipping point

The crisis unfolding at Laguna Honda in part represents the culmination of a years-long decline in public health resources for low-income elders and people with disabilities including those with substance use challenges.

The total number of assisted living facilities in San Francisco decreased by 22% from 2012 to 2018, according to a 2019 city report, creating a gap in board-and-care options specifically for adults under age 60. That same population has filtered through San Francisco General Hospital at Laguna Honda in recent decades.

“San Francisco is being punished for addressing a need while everyone else has abandoned the field,” Supervisor Rafael Mandelman said at a Board of Supervisors meeting on June 14. “This is some kafkaesque nonsense.”

Many experts in nursing home regulations are baffled by regulators’ decision to decertify Laguna Honda, which is the largest skilled nursing facility in the state. Some say the challenges found at the facility pale in comparison to some of the horrific circumstances and abuse that have been identified in other nursing homes that received the same level of punishment from federal regulators.

“This should be addressed absolutely. But typically, what we see are just horrific, almost nightmarish conditions that terminate care for Medicare and Medicaid funding. In this case, it seems like lacked supervision or culture of drug use that needs to be remedied,” said Anthony Chicotel, an attorney with the California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform.

Yet others, including former staff at San Francisco’s largest skilled nursing facility, feel The City has downplayed the recent infractions and other issues reported internally for years.

“The City and county have minimized the infractions to the public but in fact, they are quite serious,” said Teresa Palmer, a geriatrician who worked at Laguna Honda from 1989 to 2005. “By not admitting the real problem, by minimizing it, that doesn’t make for a good prognosis.”

Either way, nearly all of these problems are fixable in some form or another, asserts Roland Pickens, interim CEO of Laguna Honda, whether through enhanced training or new programming specific for individuals with substance use disorder.

For instance, one citation involved a nurse who reported seeing a lighter, burned aluminum foil and plastic brown straws in a resident’s room indicating possible fentanyl use, but the nurse left the items where they were. In documents provided by federal regulators, the nurse said he had not been advised on how to handle such situations and stated “we need training” on how to deal with illicit drugs or supplies.

Exactly how many patients at Laguna Honda struggled with substance use issues is unclear. Hypertension, dysphagia, epilepsy, pulmonary disease, major depressive disorders and other diseases are listed among the top 10 most common resident diagnoses, according to the hospital’s 2019-20 annual report. But treatment or other services for substance use disorder are not included on the list.

Hospital officials said they are exploring changes to where residents with substance use disorders, mental disabilities and other health needs are located within the facility.

“It may very well be that as we emerge from this recertification process, we will establish a unit that may cohort particular patients who now may be dispersed among the units,” Pickens said to the Board of Supervisors on June 14.

However, the growing gap in public health services beyond Laguna Honda’s walls for The City’s aging low-income and unhoused populations will be much harder to solve.

A place to go

Laguna Honda makes up a significant portion of San Francisco’s entire stock of skilled nursing beds, and the city is a key funder of assisted living services.

At the same time, patient flow into Laguna Honda has evolved greatly in the last 20 years so a growing number of residents now come directly from San Francisco General Hospital. Laguna Honda has become a key destination for the population that has suffered most from the decline in assisted living facilities that take Medi-Cal or Medicaid patients.

The change in patient flow over the years has resulted in an increasingly younger and male-skewing population with health challenges far more complex than a typical nursing home. How to appropriately care for elderly residents as well as younger patients with complex mental disabilities and drug use challenges has become a sticking point.

San Francisco is currently working towards a goal of adding nearly 400 mental health care beds across the city. For the 2022-24 budget years, Breed is allocating $57.5 million for the operation of new-acquired behavioral health facilities with 360 beds altogether.

In the meantime, local options for patient transfers are exhausted. Just six individuals have already been discharged from Laguna Honda, according to the most recent numbers shared by hospital officials. Transferring the remaining 670 medically-fragile residents will be nearly impossible by September, the earliest possible date of closure, according to a notice sent to patients in May.

“The numbers state that we probably aren’t going to meet that goal (to discharge all patients before any possible closure) but we are going to do everything we can,” Pickens told the Board of Supervisors on June 14.

Those familiar with the changes at Laguna Honda over the years stress the urgency of funding alternative care options in San Francisco.

“We don’t have disability-friendly substance use treatment for even unhoused elders,” said Palmer. “There is a lack of services. Once you’re an unhoused elder, you’re, excuse my language, shit out of luck.”

The post Laguna Honda disaster displays San Francisco’s fragile well being care system | Information appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Adrián Beltre is one of the most popular Texas Rangers of all time. In his eight years with the Rangers, he not only developed from a good player to a surefire hall-of-famer in the first round of voting, he also gave fans countless moments of laughter and joy around the game.

If fans were forced to pick just one fun moment from Adrián Beltré’s career, it would have to be from July 26th, 2017.

In the eighth inning of a game Texas was 12 runs behind, Beltré was told by second base referee and crew chief Gerry Davis to stand on the circle on the deck instead of next to it. Instead, Beltré picked up the plastic mat and put it where he stood.

Davis kicked Beltré, then Rangers manager Jeff Banister, who took great offense at Davis’ verdict. Rangers Hall of Fame broadcaster Eric Nadel said perfectly, “He can’t have a sense of humor.”

The only reason fans stayed around during a blowout was because Beltré turned his 3,000. Hit that he got four days later.

The post Watch: Adrián Beltré Displays On Ejection Over Shifting On-Deck Circle appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Chaitra Thummala has had a busy summer between moving across half the country and competing in a national spelling bee.

The 12-year-old finished second in the Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals last week, took home a cash prize of $ 25,000, and was ready to be the favorite for the competition next year.

Chaitra’s family moved from San Francisco to Frisco in the middle of their spelling run. The new Texan started taking part in spelling bees at the age of 5 when her first win piqued her interest.

“I’ve been spelling for more than half of my life, so I’m really happy because it has always been my dream to get that far,” said Chaitra about reaching the national finals.

Previously, she finished 51st at the Scripps National Spelling Bee 2019 and is happy about her second place at this year’s event. Zaila Avantgarde, an eighth grader from Louisiana, won the bee in 2021 after correctly spelling “murraya”.

Like many spellers, Chaitra was unable to compete last year because the competition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But Chaitra studied and prepared not only for the national bee, but also for several other smaller competitions. With each bee, the words get harder, which leads to a lot of learning. Chaitra’s strategy is to go through word lists and read books, her favorite series being the “Harry Potter” books by author JK Rowling.

“It’s fun to learn everything,” she said. “The spelling bee tells you about many things around the world.”

While Chaitra was preparing for the national competition, her family was preparing for the move. She made sure she allowed enough time to spell the bees prep in between packs.

While looking for a bigger home for their three children, Chaitra’s father Murali Thummala said the family settled in Texas, which also has no state income tax. The family has settled in well in their new home, and Thummala said he likes Texas, even if it’s a little sunnier than California.

Chaitra’s recent move meant five of the eleven finalists in the National Spelling Bee were from Texas.

Thummala and his wife couldn’t be happier for Chaitra. The prize money is saved for their college fund.

“We expected her to be in the top five, and we’re grateful that she made it into the top two,” he said.

Chaitra said she will compete with different bees all year round and have her eyes on the national competition again. Her favorite thing about the whole experience was having fun and learning as many words as possible.

“It’s really good,” she said. “It feels really good to be second.”

The DMN Education Lab deepens reporting and discussion on pressing educational issues that are critical to the future of North Texas.

The DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative with support from The Beck Group, Bobby and Lottye Lyle, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, The Meadows Foundation, Solutions Journalism Network, Southern Methodist University and Todd A. Williams Family Foundation. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial control over the Education Lab’s journalism.

The post Nationwide spelling bee runner-up displays on competitors and shifting to Texas appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Dr. Tim Seelig’s talent, charisma, and sheer life force are unmistakable, immeasurable. When he steps in front of the mighty San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus to conduct, the impact on audiences as the chorus’ members realize his creative vision can be transformative, going far beyond that shared moment in time. Wielding his baton like a magic wand, he takes listeners on an emotional ride that may lead to quiet contemplation and flowing tears one minute, followed by joy so immense that many audience members spontaneously leap out of their seats to applaud and plead for encores.

In the rare instances in which Tim sings solo, his beautiful voice reminds listeners that they are in the presence of a world-class performer—in addition to his being a highly acclaimed conductor, educator, and activist.

We are beyond grateful that Tim is a San Francisco Bay Times columnist. He is a consummate professional and a considerate team player. Even during his busiest weeks, he has never missed a deadline and is always watching out for others. He somehow packs what seems like 48 hours or more of work into a single day. It is therefore little wonder that when he and others speak of his forthcoming retirement, they frequently mention that it will be done “Seelig-style,” referring not only to his drive and productivity, but also to his generosity in helping and mentoring others.

This interview, as an example, took place at 4:30 am on a very hectic work day as Tim and other SFGMC members fended off a barrage of homophobic attacks from the far-right. He could have said no to the interview, but in typical, thoughtful Tim fashion, he was there for us … and for you.

San Francisco Bay Times: What are some of the most memorable moments for you with SFGMC, looking back over the past decade?

Tim Seelig: The most memorable moments have been both small and large. One of those moments came early on when a sweet mom of a student at Harvey Milk Academy showed up at our office. She described the huge need the parents club had raising money for things the kids needed that were not in the SFUSD budget. We told her if she could get the volunteers, they could stand outside our concerts and collect money. The most memorable moment came when one of our staff members handed me the slip of paper at the final holiday concert at the Castro with the total raised. It was over $35,000! I almost fainted.

Another of the most memorable moments was definitely my very first concert with SFGMC, titled “Words.” As is always the case, there was great anticipation of a change of artistic leadership and what that would look, feel, and, most importantly, sound like. It was magic. I truly think that first concert out of the chute (as we say in Texas) set the tone for the ten years to follow. The third simply had to be our 40th Anniversary concert at St. Ignatius. It was filled with incredible emotion as we remembered those lost, and looked to the future.

San Francisco Bay Times: How do you feel that SFGMC has evolved and changed since the time when you first started with the chorus as Artistic Director? 

Tim Seelig: This decade has been incredible—for the chorus, and for our LGBTQ+ community. In the big picture, we all benefited from huge strides in our work toward equality. Set against that backdrop, the chorus found itself on the fast track as well. I feel it was ready when I got here to do even more big things. I didn’t know they were going to be huge things. One of the biggest things that has happened is not visible to our patrons, but certainly is to the membership. We could not have sustained 300 members without huge internal processes. We developed a massive committee structure to make the family work in order to make singing a joy. Today, over 100 singers serve on committees, everything from the Leadership Team to the Easy Bake Coven!

San Francisco Bay Times: Your incredible career extends far beyond what you have achieved with the SFGMC. What are some highlights for you, outside of your work here in San Francisco? 

Tim Seelig: I was lucky very early on in my conducting to have been asked to write a book on choral technique by the world’s largest music publisher, Hal Leonard Corporation. It went on to be a best seller and was followed by 8 more books and DVDs. This put me in a position to be able to conduct and teach to straight choruses all over the country. I have been incredibly lucky to be able to conduct at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center for the last 25 years. One of my last conducting gigs 3 weeks before the pandemic was the national women’s honor choir at Carnegie Hall. The other, and perhaps most enriching for me, is conducting high school students at All-State Choirs around the country. Fourteen hours of rehearsal in 3 days leading to a performance. One that stands out is South Dakota. Their All-State Choir has 1,000 singers in it! The concert draws about 5,000 people from all over the state.

The real exciting thing about all of that is the introduction of me as conductor and my bio in the program. Tens of thousands of straight folks from coast to coast are introduced to a big old gay conductor—maybe for the first time.

San Francisco Bay Times: We agree with others that there is a “signature Tim Seelig sound.” How do you describe it, and what do you think led to it?

Tim Seelig: When I went to college to study music, I proudly announced that I wanted to be an opera singer. I truly had no idea what that meant, but once I said it there was no turning back. With single-minded focus, I set out to make that happen. Fifteen years and 4 college degrees later (one from Austria), at 33, I made it with a full-time opera job in Switzerland. At 35, I came out and the opera career turned into waving my arms at gays! When I came to the act of conducting and teaching a chorus how to sing, I just didn’t know better than to use my own training as the model for the chorus. What resulted was a chorus with a big male choral sound. I used to play recordings of Russian choruses for my own choir to emulate. From the very beginning with the Turtle Creek Chorale, the sound was unique.

We recently celebrated the 40th Anniversary of the 1981 National Tour. In preparation for that tour, the brand-new chorus made a recording to sell along the way. It is gorgeous. Once again, that first group of men set the trajectory of the chorus: extraordinary music. Each of the subsequent conductors has put his or her mark on that music-making.

San Francisco Bay Times: You’ve mentioned that “music is not an end in itself. It’s a means to an end.” Please explain more about that. 

Tim Seelig: This is a broad brush, but in the straight choral world, the goal is musical perfection (that is, for the most part, unattainable). The choruses chosen to perform at conventions are excellent and boring. The one exception is church choirs and, since that was my experience, I naturally saw the music was used in the church service to warm people’s hearts to get them ready for the sermon—or the offering plate! When I moved to conducting LGBTQ+ choruses, that idea that music could move peoples’ hearts stuck with me. There is always an end in mind when making music. We want to touch people. We also want to move the needle of acceptance.

San Francisco Bay Times: What are your hopes for SFGMC moving into the next decade?

Tim Seelig: Toward the end of this past decade with the chorus, the world has completely changed. We have had the trifecta of Trump, COVID, and massive social unrest. All three of these have changed how we will look at the next decade and what will happen. The chorus is on the precipice of huge change as it responds to all the things happening in our world. Most importantly, the chorus is undergoing a complete DEI study—from top to bottom. I don’t have to hope, because I know that the chorus is going to look different and will absolutely remain on the very forefront of music and mission.

San Francisco Bay Times: We are excited about the 2021–2022 season, your final one with the chorus. Please share more about what is being planned for this important season.

Tim Seelig: There is one great thing about conducting your final season—ever! I get to program some best of moments. Holidays are just insane, one blockbuster after another. The spring brings my final huge world premiere: Songs of the Phoenix. Our friend and Broadway composer Andrew Lippa has curated a list of 12 lyricists and composers from every possible cultural background, orientation, and age diversity. There are voices new and familiar. There are some just waiting to be discovered. And then there are the tried-and-true friends Stephen Schwartz, Andrew Lippa, and Stephen Sondheim. The final blowout will include the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir and BARS (Bay Area Symphony Orchestra). Then, breathe.

San Francisco Bay Times: We loved hearing that you plan to do freelance conducting gigs once your time with the chorus ends. What would be some dream gigs for you in future? 

Tim Seelig: This part of my future is something I’ve been doing “on the side” for these past 34 years. I look forward to conducting “the kids” in things such as the All-State Choirs and teaching the teachers at conventions and workshops.

San Francisco Bay Times: What else do you hope to do once the 2021–2022 season ends? We’re thrilled and grateful that you’ll be continuing your column for the San Francisco Bay Times.

Tim Seelig: I keep saying I am going to just sit somewhere pretty and breathe for maybe 6 months. I just got my first invitation to do a weekend workshop in Kansas in the fall of 2022, so that sitting and relaxing will have to be Seelig-style … short and sweet.

The decade has been staggering—from my most proud accomplishment, the Artists Portal at the National AIDS Memorial Grove, to the new building, and from the Lavender Pen Tour to Gay Chorus Deep South. We created six major new choral works. But, to be really cheesy and quote a gay anthem, the decade, for me, is truly “measured in love.” It’s the friendships, the community of the chorus, the joys, and the heartaches we have all shared. The music facilitates that for us. That is what I will miss most.

Colleagues, Friends, and Admirers Share Thoughts About Dr. Tim Seelig

“Tim has been a driving force in the evolution of our movement. His passion for artistic excellence has driven our choruses to new heights and his connections outside the LGBTQ choral world have enhanced our visibility. Under Tim’s leadership, the Turtle Creek Chorale and San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus have commissioned new music and films that eloquently tell our stories to millions around the world. New talent will appear on the scene, but Tim’s imprint on the LGBT choral movement will live on for generations.”

Robin L. Godfrey, Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA) Executive Director

“For the past decade, Tim brought and shared his passion for music and mission to the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus in dramatic ways. He is a master storyteller and deftly takes the audience on a journey at every concert evoking his signature TLC: ‘tears, laughter and chill bumps.’ With his unique combination of good humor and unparalleled mastery of choral pedagogy, he has raised the musical bar for SFGMC to heights of which we had only dreamed.”

Michael Tate, San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus Member and President of the Board of GALA Choruses

“Anyone who’s seen Tim Seelig in concert with his chorus knows that he has the soul of a musician, the sass of a true activist, and the flawless timing of a standup comic.”

Armistead Maupin, Author of the Tales of the City series

“No life is easy, and Tim Seelig’s amazing life has had more than its share of vicissitudes and tragedies, as well as triumphs … Tim is someone I feel fortunate to know and proud to have worked with.”

Stephen Schwartz, Musical Theater Lyricist and Composer

“[Tim Seelig reminds us] that it’s never too late to be who you are. He reminds us that in this discovery there is only the truth of real happiness. As Tim discovers who he is, we begin to celebrate who we truly are.”

Sheila Nevins, Television Producer and Head of MTV Documentary Films division of MTV Studios

“Spanning seven decades, his story is a powerful account of personal struggle, complicated love, and spiritual liberation.”

Cleve Jones, Activist, Lecturer, Author, and Conceiver of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt

“The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus will flourish after Tim’s mighty leadership concludes. The sign of all great leaders is exactly this: leave things better than when you started, influence the organization to keep growing in your absence, be proud and know you taught them and helped them reach their goals so they can set new, higher ones. This is the legacy of Dr. Timothy Seelig. He is friend, mentor, teacher, leader, and forever, musician.”

Andrew Lippa, Composer, Lyricist, Performer, Author, and Producer

Published on July 15, 2021

The post Tim Seelig Displays on the Previous Decade with SFGMC and Reveals Future Plans – San Francisco Bay Occasions appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

After a year of packaging Bolognese and pork chops wrapping, Nopa joined the parklet scene in early March, allowing his longtime fans to finally eat in restaurants, if only outdoors, since the pandemic began. Since last week there are also 10 indoor tables. Exciting, but still not the same jam-packed, nightly party Nopa has basically been since Jeff Hanak, Laurence Jossel, and his then-fiancée Allyson Woodman opened the restaurant 15 years ago.

It was a different world then. In 2006, on the corner of Divisadero and Hayes Streets, there was nothing but a coin-operated laundromat with long doors, which is why they could afford it. The rent for the two-story, 4,000-square-foot room was $ 7,000 per month. Laurence trolls auctions and pays pennies for pots and pans. They asked their friend Brian Barneclo to paint a wall-length mural inside honoring the street. They called it Nopa (as in North of the Panhandle), and it became arguably the first full-service late-night neighborhood eatery – in their neighborhood – then known only as Western Addition, where culinary options were limited to Popeyes, pizza and a popular grill counter. Yet gentrification was quietly going on.

Laurence, Jeff, and Allyson had a common goal: to feed their people until 1am, heretical at the time for sleepy San Francisco. “The tipsters and speakers,” said Jossel, referring to all the bartenders and waiters who came in at the extra-long bar after their shift for elderflower and wood-grilled burgers. A busy brunch soon followed. (Just like Nopa’s new neighbors: Bi-Rite. Boutiques. Josey Baker was selling $ 8 toast (now).) At peak times, the kitchen was cooking for about 4,000 customers a week.

Fast forward to 2021 and Nopa – the restaurant and neighborhood that essentially renamed it (after years brokers tried and failed) – had what we all had: a difficult year. And how many COVID relationships (including Bill and Melinda): a breakup. The once close trio has broken up, 51-year-old Jossel remains standing. Somehow he is not exhausted, but full of energy, supported in Nopa’s next chapter by his new partner Holly Rhodes, who acts as a delivery driver. He’s also excited to see the new bestseller on his menu: Fried Chicken ($ 23).

I spoke to Laurence about the split, Nopa’s legacy and the future of his restaurant. The following conversation has been edited and condensed for the sake of clarity. (Disclosure: Rachel is a longtime Nopa regular and friends with Laurence, Allyson, and Holly; their children all go to the same school.)

Nopa was largely limited to takeout before Laurence Jossel managed to secure a parklet for the restaurant in March.

Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

Q: So what happened? Breakups are so hard. And I knew that you already had one personally. … It’s like a breakup over a breakup.

A: Yes, Allyson and I got divorced five years ago and the reality was, it was really hard to work together during that time. When couples split up, they can usually take their time. They can say, “I’ll talk to you in six months.” But we still had to see each other every day, sit across from each other at meetings and talk about paintwork or whatever and pretend everything was fine. It has taken an emotional toll. Back then I didn’t want to be there anymore, but how could I just walk away? We both had every right to be there. So we did it. We made it.

Q: Until the pandemic. The big reset.

A: It was scary the day after the shutdown. Jeff and Ally were both, we don’t want liability. Let’s just close it. I said: we can’t. We have too many people in this restaurant who don’t get government support. We have to show the neighborhood that smoke is coming from the chimney. They said, “We’re out.” The pandemic has made everyone look at their lives and say, “Is this really what I want to do?” And it wasn’t for Jeff and Ally. They have their other restaurants, like Liho and Nopalito. It was months of negotiations. At one point I thought you know what, well, just take it. Buy me out. I am conflict avoidance. I just start over. And Holly kept saying, “You will regret it. It’s no nopa without you. ”(The Chronicle reached out to Jeff with no response. Since the story went online, Jeff has said he had not received the Chronicle’s request for comment. Allyson declined to comment, adding for wishing Laurence all the best for Nopa’s future.)

Q: Now you are everything. How does it feel?

A: Well it was heartbreaking. Jeff and I were brothers. He gave my son his middle name – Louie. Long story. Holly and I lived on her 401k, we put our mortgage on hold. Our children raised themselves this year. But it feels great to be the sole owner of Nopa. I’ve never been the sole owner of anything. I am the boss. It remains to be seen whether I can be an entrepreneur. I have 10 jobs now. I clean bathrooms. But after 37 years of working in restaurants in San Francisco, this is my first time not under any obligation.

Q: And you have had a parklet since last month. Why did it take you so long to build one?

A: We had to move a bus stop! Holly heard the head of the SFMTA (Michael Krasny’s radio show) one morning and called: She said, hey, the Hayes-21 is no longer running. We clean up after the homeless, our business suffers. Help us. We want to build a parklet. I tracked down the head of Clear Channel Outdoor (an advertising company that runs billboards and other outdoor signs. It turns out they own the bus stops and we had to move one. I cooked the guy a chicken. Instead of their advertising, we asked after to rent it. We call it the Glass Canvas. There will be a different local artist every month. Holly is the curator. I also like that we have this neon-lit steel structure in front of our parklet. These parklets are not safe, man. If one Our car hits, it hits steel, not our guests.

Q: Thank you for thinking of us. Are people so happy to be eating at Nopa’s again?

A: It’s amazing how emotional everyone was. On Instagram, outside. They say: “We met here.” Or “We got engaged here.” Or “I ate here the day before my baby was born. … The day I found out my mother had died. ”They tell me,“ I can’t wait to go to the bar. ”They say,“ We ​​did it. We survived that together. ”To be honest, we did. It’s not just a pork chop for people.

Q: It’s not just a pork chop for you, either, is it?

A: Sometimes I think I could have been braver, started something new. But I did something at the beginning of COVID. Holly went home, everyone was gone. I was just turning off the light in the dining room and just stood there and swore to the building that I wouldn’t let it go. I said i love you I owe you. I owe this building. I owe it to the legacy of all these cooks and waiters, bus drivers, bartenders and guests that it goes on. I owe it to the neighborhood to show – that after all that is lost – we are still alive. Nopa is sitting in exactly the right place on the planet to make people happy.

Nopa added a fried chicken dish ($ 23) to its menu during the pandemic. It is the restaurant’s second most popular product after the burger.

Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

Q: You know what else makes people happy: your new roast chicken.

A: Holly and I were actually two days away from signing a small window lease in Potrero for nothing but fried chicken before COVID hit. I had tinkered with a table deep fryer at home. A lot of fried chickens are all about the crust, the outside. But I think the taste comes from the chicken itself; I focused on the taste from within. From slaughter to soaking buttermilk. It’s a fried chicken philosophy. I tried different spices and in the end I got a Ras el Hanout with 21 different spices including cardamom, nutmeg, ginger. It is wet-salted for three hours, double-dredged. I thought it was just going to be COVID comfort food, but it’s now Nopa’s # 2 best seller.

Q: # 1 is the burger? How much is it right now?

A: $ 24 with fries. We panicked when we first put a burger on the menu in 2006 – for $ 12. We thought: who pays $ 12 for a burger ?! Like bougie! But we said, look, we grind our meat every morning, and it’s good meat, shoulder; We bake our own rolls, we pickle our own onions, we whip our own aioli, we cut our own french fries by hand, we grill them over wood – someone has to stack the wood. There is so much work behind it. Twenty percent of the people who come through the door get burgers. In 2019 we sold 38,000 burgers. That’s a lot of burgers. And our burger is a lot of work. Maybe we should call it this: “A lot of F – working with cheese”.

Q: Meat seems to be falling out of favor quickly lately. Worried about your burger?

A: No. It doesn’t keep me up at night. Our burger will be good. But the fried chicken wins.

UPDATE: This story has been updated to reflect what Jeff Hanak said.

Rachel Levin is co-author of Eat Something and Steamed: A Catharsis Cookbook for Getting Dinner and Your Feelings on the Table, released by Running Press this month.

The post As Nopa turns 15, chef Laurence Jossel displays on its legacy appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.