SUMMER: Along with the hot weather come...

SUMMER: Along with the hot weather come a variety of hot things to do in the Valley and environs this summer. Activities will range from concerts at Universal Amphitheatre to picnics at Orcutt Ranch in West Hills to theater everywhere. . . . Today’s special issue of Valley Life! offers a guide to summer fun.

ESCAPE: On the other hand, if you want to escape the heat, try Valley Life! Page 44. A number of quick trips are described. You can sample the finest in Santa Barbara’s wine country or gaze at the wildlife on Lake Cachuma. . . . You can even go gold-panning in Holcomb Valley, a boom town during the 1860s Gold Rush.

THE WINNERS ARE: Now that the high school baseball and softball seasons are over, The Times has chipped into the awards fray with a set of its own. . . . Kennedy High first baseman George Kassis is the Valley baseball player of the year and Saugus shortstop Kelli Kranz is his softball counterpart. Two full pages listing all the stars: C15, C16.

CURVEBALL: But not every road to sports success is without its bumps. . . . Take the case of Granada Hills athlete Jim Landress, once labeled a “can’t-miss” prospect. Yet Landress, who quit football to focus on baseball, wasn’t picked in the recent draft. Nor did he receive a football scholarship (C11). . . . These days, he’s playing American Legion ball and still dreaming of the big time. “If I get a chance,” Landress says, “I think I can play at the next level.”

GOOD CALL: The pressure was on for JPL engineers who judged Thursday’s model rocket competition at Encino Elementary School (B3). After awarding a plane from a Canoga Park school with “most innovative design,” they had to see how it would fly. “Our reputation is at stake,” said engineer Peter Kallemeyn. . . . Not to worry: The model had the most successful flight.