BABY ANIMALS are always a draw for a menagerie, and three adorable new ones arrived last week at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium. Toma, an Amur or Siberian tiger, gave birth early Tuesday to a trio of cubs. The mini versions of their 8-year-old mother were born blind and toothless -- and so adorable they had veteran animal observer Barbara Baker, the zoo's president, ooh-ing and ahh-ing. Since the first thing new parents are asked is, "What did you name your baby?" we're glad Ms. Baker has long since reversed her opposition to naming the critters in her care. The cubs won't get names immediately, though, because keepers won't enter their enclosure to determine their sex for several weeks. They could get monikers of ambiguous gender, like the former "Saturday Night Live" character. But it would be a shame to name a tiger Pat.

CHILDREN VISITING the Allegheny County Jail will soon receive relief from hours of boredom in the lock-up's gray lobby, as they wait to see an incarcerated parent. The Pittsburgh Child Guidance Foundation, county Bureau of Corrections and Lydia's Place got together to build a Family Activity Center in the lobby for the 7,000 local youngsters with a parent in the jail. The county, Heinz Endowments, The Grable Foundation and 13-year-old Squirrel Hill twins Eric and Amy Mallinger are among those who gave money to pay for the center. The Allegheny County Jail has made a name for itself by attempting to reform, not just punish, those behind its bars. Now it's on the cutting edge again in its attempt to ensure that an innocent child's wait to see Mommy or Daddy is not miserable.

VENERABLE OLD steel towns like Duquesne have difficulty financing their school districts after the mills close, businesses leave and young adults move away. Now Duquesne is having trouble holding on to its teachers as well. The financially troubled district has lost seven teachers since the beginning of the summer. The state came through this year with some help in the form of extra money, nearly $2 million, so Duquesne could buy management services from Pittsburgh. That's great as far as it goes, which is not far enough, as the loss of seven teachers shows. The state must find a way to adequately fund impoverished districts like Duquesne for the long haul so that students' educational opportunities don't depend on their town's real estate values.