For nearly 20 years, the magic of musical theater has been brought to life in Ventura County by a performing arts troupe that has enriched the lives of young participants and their families, and audiences who have enjoyed top notch live productions in their own backyards.

Performance Theatre for Young Artists, a nonprofit theater company celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2019, has featured the talents of local children and teens in variety shows and live productions such as “Les Miserables,” “Into the Woods,” “Shrek,” “The Sound of Music,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Lion King.” Through these performances, workshops and other activities, youngsters build performance, self-esteem, decision-making and communications skills; and learn how to work as a team to accomplish goals.

“I’ve seen shy children grow into confident performers,” said Founder and Artistic Director Marta Dewey. “PTYA is also like a family,” she said. “Kids and families who get involved find new friends, comradery and support. Many have made lifelong friends.

Like many Ventura County organizations and businesses, “revenues have slowed since the Thomas Fire last December,” Dewey said. “For several months, there was much lower attendance and participation, and the majority of public contributions have gone toward fire victims and rebuilding our city.”

As it enters its third decade offering children an outlet for their creative energy and filling an important niche in the community, PTYA depends in large part on individual and corporate tax-deductible donations.

Also supported by student participation fees and ticket sales, contributions are an important part of what keeps the group moving forward. Straight donations are welcome in any amount; and sponsorships are also available. Depending on the sponsorship level, corporate and individual sponsors receive benefits including mentions on flyers, posters and show programs; complimentary tickets and VIP seating .

Upcoming shows and workshops include “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin, Jr.,” “Mary Poppins” and “The Sound of Music.” New students and volunteers are always welcome.

The group’s next production will be “Shrek the Musical, Junior” and will be performed at the Poinsettia Pavilion. Sept. 15, and 6 p.m. Sept. 16. Admission is $15 for adults and $12 for children, seniors and students.

More information about this and other shows, PTYA programs and enrollment, as well as donations/sponsorships, and a PayPal link are posted at www.ptya.org. Donations can also be sent to Performance Theatre for Young Artists, 3451 Foothill Road, Ventura, CA 93003. For questions, email Founder and Artistic Director Marta Dewey at [email protected] or call (805) 302-6441.

Annika Fedde, senior at Foothill Technology High School in Ventura, headed to Europe to train prior to competing in the Laser Radial Youth World Championships in Kiel, Germany held August 18-25.

Annika qualified for the 2018 Worlds through her 2017 results, ending the year ranked 3^rd youth girl in North America.

“I am super excited to have the opportunity to be one of four American girls among the 101 competitors from 29 countries in the girls division”, Annika said. “I am really looking forward to getting to know and racing against the top girl single-handed sailors from all over the world”.

The Laser is a very physical boat with the sailor using their body to “hike out” in a plank position while sailing upwind to offset the wind’s pressure against the sail. To prepare for the athletic challenge of the long races on the Olympic style courses, Annika commenced a sailing specific workout program at Mavericks Gym after school under the guidance of 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist Anna Tunnicliffe.

Annika’s event schedule on the way to the World Championships began in January at the Atlantic Coast Championships in Florida and included the US Youth Championship in North Carolina, and Laser National Championships in Texas, Laser North Americans in California, and Pacific Coast Championships at the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon in early August.

Annika learned to sail at the Ventura Yacht Club summer sailing program where she first discovered her love for the water, wind and waves. She started competing in California events when she was 8 years old, then advanced to national and international events in the Optimist Dinghy, before moving into the Laser Radial class.

The Laser is the most popular sailing dinghy in the world with over 215,000 produced and has been the Olympic single-handed boat for men since 1996 and the Laser Radial for women since 2008. The Radial is also the top youth single-handed boat for boys and girls as they grow out of smaller entry level youth boats. Event information can be found at: http://laserworlds2018.com/

Thousands of free stamps, along with games, “swag bags,” door prizes and information people need to be stamp collectors, will be available at the 20th annual Youth Stamp Fair sponsored by the Ventura County Philatelic Society and the Anacapa Middle School Stamp Club on Oct. 6 at the Dudley House Museum, 197 N. Ashwood. The free event will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Visitors can attend 10 stations:
Registration, where those attending can also guess the number of stamps in a jar (the closest guess wins the jar and other material).

Removing stamps from paper: There are safe and unsafe ways to remove stamps from paper. People at this table will explain why to remove stamps from paper and the safe ways to do it.
Perforations and watermarks: Perforations are the holes around the edge of most stamps. The perforations – or perfs, as collectors say — can make big differences in the value of stamps that look alike. Watermarks are designs put into paper when it’s made. They can also make big differences in the value of stamps.

Mounting and storage: There are safe and unsafe ways to store stamps. Again, the people at this table will show the safe ones.

Topicals and covers: Topical collections are made up of stamps with specific designs, such as horses, cats, dogs, space and more. Covers are what collectors call envelopes.

World collecting and stamp identification. Obviously, the two subjects go together.
Bookmarks: Visitors can use stamps to create bookmarks for themselves or others.

Cachet design: Artistic visitors can draw pictures on envelopes they address to themselves and pick the stamps to be used on the cover. Winners in three age groups will win prizes.

Pick and choose: This is the most popular spot at the Youth Stamp Fair. Thousands of U.S. and foreign stamps will be available for the visitors to choose from.
Games, if there’s room.

Door prizes will be awarded at least once a room and possibly more often.
“The event is called the Youth Stamp Fair, but it’s for the young and young at heart,” said chairman John Weigle of Oxnard. “We welcome anyone interested in stamps and how to collect them.

More information about the Youth Stamp Fair may be obtained from Weigle at 805-485-7121 by phone or [email protected] by email.

UMCOR805 a program of the California Pacific Conference of the United Methodist Church is hosting Camp Noah. A free day camp from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. August 6-10th at Ojai United Methodist Church and August 13-17 at College United Methodist Church in Ventura.

Camp Noah is a fun, resiliency building and preparedness camp for elementary-age children whose communities have been impacted by disaster. Camp Noah fills a unique need focusing on recovery and resilience it also offers new hope and greater awareness to the continuing needs of the community. Camp Noah celebrates every child as special. In a safe, supportive setting children are encouraged to face their fears, grieve their losses, identify and share their unique gifts and talents.

Camp Noah originally began as a response to flooding in the Red River Valley in 1997, developed by Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota, Camp Noah has grown into a nationally acclaimed resiliency and preparedness program for children whose communities have been impacted by natural and human-caused disasters.

Camp Noah is open to all elementary- age children living in Ventura or Ojai.

Online Registration @ www.campnoah.org Question Heidi Amundson 805-850-3969 [email protected].

Olivia Roman, a 12 year old student at the Ballet Academy Ventura (BAV) was awarded a full scholarship to San Francisco Ballet School at the recent California Classics ballet competition. She was selected by a panel of judges and given the award by Yoko Katsumi a member of the San Francisco Ballet School faculty member.

Olivia will attend in July for a three week program. Jasmine Duncan, another BAV student was awarded a partial scholarship to Harid Conservatory. Olivia Roman is a 7th grade student at Cabrillo Middle School where she also plays saxophone in the wind ensemble and jazz band.

San Francisco Ballet’s School is one of the most prestigious professional ballet training centers in the U.S.A… Full scholarships are given rarely by the school and only to promising young dancers.

At the California Ballet Classics competition twelve other BAV students received gold and silver awards and the school received a gold trophy award for their National Character Ensemble.

Kathleen Noblin, Founder and Director of Ballet Academy Ventura stated, “Olivia’s work ethic and exceptional talent have brought her to this place. She is most deserving and needless to say I am very proud of her work. It is also a reflection of the excellent training that Ballet Academy Ventura (BAV) provides here in Ventura. She began ballet training at 2 years old at Ballet Academy Ventura.” Olivia was coached by Marina Fliagina, Brett Weidlich and Allison Crilly, all members of the BAV teaching staff.

The United States Youth Volleyball League (USYVL) today announced that registration for the 2018 fall program in Ventura is open. The instructional volleyball league will provide boys and girls ages 7-15 the opportunity to learn and play volleyball in a fun, safe, and supervised environment.

The eight-week developmental league provides participants instruction twice per week that is designed to teach basic volleyball skills in a positive environment. The program is structured around the principles of participation, teamwork, skill development, sportsmanship, and fun. Practices and games operate in a coed format and offer participants the opportunity to develop self-esteem and confidence.

USYVL’s Ventura league will begin September 12th and run through November 3rd at Arroyo Verde Park. Practices for the league will be held on Wednesdays 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM and games on Saturdays 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM. Registration for participants is currently available online at www.usyvl.org. The registration price includes a volleyball, t-shirt, and end of season participation award.

USYVL is a volunteer organization that is built around community involvement. Under the direction of the USYVL National Office, Site Director, Clinician (Volleyball Instructor), parents, and volunteers assist with coaching, equipment set-up, and administrative duties. The league offers multiple opportunities for parents to be actively involved in the success of the program. Individuals interested in volunteering with USYVL can click on the “Get Involved” section of our website.

For information on registration, programs, locations, schedules or volunteer opportunities visit www.usyvl.org or contact 888-988-7985 or [email protected].

Founded in 1997, the United States Youth Volleyball League is a non-profit youth sports organization that hosts more than 15,000 participants annually, nationwide. USYVL’s mission is to provide every child between the ages of 7 and 15 a chance to learn and play volleyball in a fun, safe, and supervised environment. One of the main tenets of the program is to encourage children to do their best with their abilities. With an emphasis on positive reinforcement, the program seeks to build confidence and self-esteem in each child.