A brief wild ride with rolling rebels

They were not always polite. Drivers trying to negotiate their vehicles near the youngsters were not pleased. As semi-mobile baggage at the rear of this fast-moving suburban gang, it was tough, if not impossible, to keep up.

In truth, these kids have become an occasional burr in the downtown precinct’s collective saddle. Their behavior is not appreciated.

Their aggressive habits tend to rub a lot of folks the wrong way. The police can be found in that category as well. But what are they supposed to do? Arrest ‘em? Not.

My solution: Go with the flow, give ‘em space, maybe they’ll be gone before you know it — and, one hopes, safely intact. Hey, nobody’s perfect. But the rule is safety first. And that works both ways for the kids and everyone else.

HETCH HETCHY PROJECT AT 110: Those of us who work and dwell along the Peninsula may not be aware that the Hetch Hetchy water delivery system is observing a 110th birthday in 2023.

President Woodrow Wilson signed the law allowing construction of the O’Shaughnessy Dam that flooded the Hetch Hetchy Valley in late 1913. The purpose was to supply San Francisco and its neighbors with a reliable source of fresh water — and the creation of a significant amount of hydroelectric power as a welcome bonus.

By 1923, work on the dam was finished and the valley began to fill with water. Eleven years later, the precious fluid began to flow west. This hasn’t come without controversy, debate and passion on all sides, even now.

Proposals by environmental groups to first, halt the dam’s construction before it even commenced and, later, tear it down and restore the valley to its original majesty persist, regardless of the obvious and drastic consequences for millions of people who rely on the system for both water and power.

In San Mateo County, we can observe a key aspect of the Hetch Hetchy operation every day at its Crystal Springs reservoir in the hills just west of Interstate 280.

NOVITZKY HAS A LEADING ROLE: Jeff Novitzky didn’t set out to attain media stardom. But here it is.

Novitzky, a Burlingame native and Mills High School alum, was a key figure in the federal government’s investigation into the BALCO laboratory, also in Burlingame, that created performance-enhancing materials used by some of the nation’s most prominent athletes, including Barry Bonds, 20 years ago.

Now, the BALCO story, with Novitzky as a lead IRS agent, is being told on Netflix. The new documentary is titled “Untold: Hall of Shame.”

GOOD WISHES FOR ERIC JACOBSON: Here’s a shoutout to Pacifica’s Eric Jacobson, a longtime teacher/coach at El Camino High School in South San Francisco.

An institution at the North County school for decades, he’s facing more major surgery soon. He lost a lower leg due to a chronic circulation issue several years ago. His other leg is now at serious risk.

His family, friends and colleagues are wishing him a healthy return to the El Camino campus.

QUENTIN KOPP HITS A MILESTONE: Quentin Kopp, who turned 95 earlier this month, is like a fine watch.

He keeps on ticking, defying Father Time, assorted philosophical and political adversaries and any other impediments that would tend to stifle most of us.

The former state senator and San Mateo County Superior Court judge celebrated his latest chronological milestone with his family in Yosemite National Park.

You can contact John Horgan by email at johnhorganmedia@gmail.com. His new book, “Cradle of Champions — A Selected History of San Mateo County Sports,” is available via https://historysmc.org/online-store/. All proceeds benefit the San Mateo County Historical Association in Redwood City.