The death notice was premature

The polite back-and-forth quickly became, let’s say, disconcerting. A female writer indicated that, years ago, she had queried “the late John Horgan” for accurate information about the metal creation installed near a retail strip on California Drive not far from the Broadway business district.

Apparently, I wasn’t helpful at that time. Not unusual. When another writer, a gentleman, cautioned the woman that I am, in fact, very much alive and kicking (and still scribbling away in this space weekly by the way), she responded that she was pretty sure she had seen my obituary someplace.

But where? When? She wasn’t clear. She seemed a bit confused. A concerted Google search for the offending death notice turned up nothing. Funeral homes were no help. I checked my pulse and confirmed that, wonder of wonders, my ticker is still functioning, albeit with an occasional flutter.

As for that rather peculiar and anonymous statue, well, the verdict remains out. Maybe it’s an homage to Clint Eastwood’s grizzled cinematic “Man with No Name.” Or not.

PUBLIC SCHOOL TEAMS STRUGGLE: California’s huge, far-flung statewide prep basketball playoff setup continues in both halves of the state as it heads for its boys’ and girls’ championship games in six separate divisions next week.

If any of San Mateo County’s current total of six male and female public school entrants manages to climb the competitive ladder all the way to a title, it will crack a depressing void that commenced long ago, way back in 1990.

The late 1980s were productive. Two public school teams, Burlingame’s girls and Jefferson’s boys, nabbed 1988 Division III crowns on the same day at the Oakland Arena; the Menlo-Atherton boys grabbed the 1989 Division II championship at the same venue. The future seemed bright. But, since then, nothing, zippo, nada.

The Half Moon Bay boys came close to breaking that streak last year when they played for the state’s Division IV championship. They lost. It was a laudable effort. But not enough.

The county’s private/parochial schools are a different matter. During that same 34-year period, they have won 11 state titles, 10 of them on the female side. Serra, a Catholic boys’ school, is the lone male private/parochial outfit to secure a CIF crown (in 2016) during that time.

IT’S PRICEY TO QUENCH THIRST AT SFO: Want proof of stubborn inflation, not to mention outright price gouging? Check out the food and beverage outlets at San Francisco International Airport that “serve” a captive clientele, the weary traveling folks who are prohibited from bringing certain liquids into sensitive sections of the huge facility’s terminals. Here’s just one egregious example: A 12-ounce can of Diet Coke costs $4.50 at one unashamed grub stop. The city of San Francisco, which oversees the airport, allows this situation to persist.

DIAL-UP FANS HAVE A POINT: Last week’s massive AT&T cellphone outage brought home our over-reliance on such complex systems in our daily lives. The lengthy disruption, ironically enough, came at the same time AT&T is seeking to rid itself of landline operations in much of California. It’s worth pointing out that tried-and-true landline AT&T service was not compromised last week. Hey, Alexander Graham Bell, come on down.

SORRY, NO AUTOGRAPHS TODAY: Not long ago, between wet weather events, we met a pair of furry celebrities on the Bay Trail. Their names: Sophia Loren and Clark Gable. OK, they were of the four-legged variety, tiny, tail-wagging canines to be exact. So no autographs were requested. Or provided.

THIS WON’T BE ON THE NEXT SAT: How clueless are we? A regional Bay Area newspaper produced this online teaser for its electronic readership last week: “What does California’s rainy season mean for water supply?” Guess the answer. You are correct. Go to the head of the class.

Email: johnhorganmedia@gmail.com