SECOND GUESSES for weekend papers of Sunday & Monday, 4/30 & 5/1/00

HIGHLIGHTS:

-The other really rich read in Sunday's paper is NICOLE SWEENEY's take on
the life of a 13-year-old girl. Nicole and photographer BETHANY BIAETT got
inside this life. Anybody who has been or lived with a 13-year-old will, I
suspect, recognize the truths in this narrative. Friends, boys, parents --
we experience both the drama and the trauma. I use the word "experience"
advisedly, because the detail, the writer's voice, the scenes, the narration
really do capture and allow readers to share this experience. This is
wonderful writing, based on meticulous reporting.

-All that, and we covered the news, much of which was Sports action. I
enjoyed the clever ledes by JOSE FLORES (Another week, another championship
for the Cougar softball team.) and the multi-talented BETHANY BIAETT (Who
would have throught an entire soccer game could be played on one half of the
field?).

The penultimate weekend of our spring season was a good one. Let's try to
maintain the pace this week.

George Kennedy
managing editor