Real Girl

I just want to thank Scott Harris for his wonderful article ("Val Gals? Only to a Southern New Yorker," June 2). He could not be more correct. I am just now finishing my sophomore year at Chaminade College Preparatory in West Hills and I laughed out loud at the stereotypes the New York Times columnist threw out. In all my life, I have come across tons of Valley Girls and not one has said the phrase "Oooh, wow, bummer!" while cruisin' to Starbucks in their Mustang talking on the cell phone.

The El Camino Real High girls' volleyball team moved into a tie for first place with Chatsworth in the West Valley League on Wednesday night by thumping the Chancellors, 15-11, 15-10, 11-15, 15-10. El Camino Real sophomore middle blocker Jessica Dinaberg notched 13 kills in the first game to give the visiting Conquistadores (7-2, 5-1 in league play) a strong start. Dinaberg finished with 27 kills, three blocks, two assists and an ace to lead El Camino Real.

Michael Verhoeven's film "The Nasty Girl" is Germany's entry in the foreign-language category in this year's Academy Awards. It is an occasionally surrealistic and often very funny account of a teen-aged Fraulein's distinctly unfunny and dangerous attempts to investigate the Nazi years in her hometown.

There was a revolution and a re-crowning at the City Section swim finals Wednesday night at Belmont Plaza in Long Beach. And in both cases it was a Valley-area swim team that figured in the outcome. In the girls' team competition, El Camino Real upset defending champion Palisades, 251-239. In the boys' meet, Palisades retained its title but only after quelling a threat from Birmingham. Palisades outscored the Braves, 248-225.

El Camino Real High School plays Canoga Park for the City 4-A softball championship today at 2:30 p.m. at South Gate Park. El Camino Real, seeking a record fourth consecutive 4-A title, is led by sophomore Beth Silverman, who has pitched 16 shutouts. El Camino has won 54 straight games since 1984. Canoga Park (16-3) was the East Valley League runner-up behind El Camino Real. In the 3-A division, South Gate plays Westchester for the 3-A division title, also at 2:30.

Things never actually look bleak for the Kennedy High girls basketball team, but there was cause for concern before Wednesday's game at El Camino Real. Kennedy's starting center, Debbie Jones, was out with a sprained ankle and El Camino Real's best player is its center, 6-4 Michelle Kirby. El Camino Real also was 8-1 and had been outscoring teams by large margins. So, was Kennedy Coach Craig Raub worried that this might be the day his win streak in league games came to an end?