In the presence of Olympian greatness

As he aged, it became rather sad to watch this one-time superior athlete in a slow decline. Thirty-five years after his sterling achievements in Paris, he was essentially retired from any dramatic physical exertions of any consequence, overweight and rather sedentary. Starring roles in movies had ceased.

But he was still Johnny Weissmuller, a cinematic legend and heralded world-class athlete back in his prime. On a warm summer afternoon in 1959, your correspondent shared a Hillsborough backyard on oak-blessed Bridge Road with the great man. Sort of.

Weissmuller, attired in casual clothing and utterly oblivious, was sleeping on a chaise lounge. A callow teen, I was wallowing in the upscale home’s swimming pool. No matter how many strokes I tried (none of them especially well — simple floating was a total waste of time too), there was no reaction from the Olympic champion. He was sawing logs, an empty glass resting on a small table to his left.

I wasn’t just irrelevant; I was probably a flailing irritant. He never recognized my sopping presence. I couldn’t get his attention. I never actually met him. He was intent on zonking out. He was successful. I was the invisible aquanaut. I was wet window dressing, a pathetic suburban SpongeBob in a flaccid Speedo.

In retrospect, it was a missed opportunity at meeting a celebrity one on one. Tarzan could not have cared less. Where was Jane when I needed her?

DISTRICT VOTING EXPOSED AGAIN: We got another reminder of one of the flaws in having designated geographic electoral districts for officials, particularly when it comes to small public entities like so many that proliferate along the Peninsula.

Earlier this month, most registered voters were not allowed to participate in a Millbrae City Council recall election. Only those voters living in the individual districts of Angelina Cahalan and Maurice Goodman could cast ballots.

Thus, a majority of residents were denied having a say on the divisive issue at hand: Should Cahalan and Goodman be kicked off the council because of their public support for San Mateo County’s desire to use a Millbrae hotel to house the homeless?

It may not have been likely considering the level of unhappiness in the overwhelming tallies that ousted the pair from office, but it’s still possible that, had all eligible citizens in the town been allowed to vote, one or two of the targeted councilmembers might have survived the recall. Then again, the margins could have wound up being even more brutally one-sided. It’s unclear.

We’ll never know because of the restrictive district-only rule that came into play (again) and, in this case, forbade most Millbrae voters from having their say in an important and contentious citywide question.

COOL OFF, GRAB SOME SUDS: It’s not exactly a shock that high temperatures have been with us for much of the summer. But, for most of us, it just seems as though it’s been hotter longer over the last several years. Hence the need for designated cooling centers. So here’s a suggestion: Why not add saloons to the list of such facilities? A lot of them are relatively dark and, often, air-conditioned. We can almost see the signage at your favorite watering hole: “Cool off. Avoid global warming. Grab some suds.” This Bud’s for you, John Kerry.

FERGUSON TO SPEAK SATURDAY: San Mateo author Kevin Ferguson will discuss the Gemello Winery and offer notes on winemaking in Silicon Valley Saturday at 2 p.m. on the Cultural Stage at the Italian Festival in downtown San Jose. His forthcoming book is titled “Rain on the Monte Bello Ridge, A Memoir About Health, Aging and Winemaking.”

Email: johnhorganmedia@gmail.com.