The Annual Times Competition for Santa Cruz County Residents
By Noel Smith
Whether it’s Love that has stood the test of time, the rush of young Love, or the memory of Love lost, that’s what we celebrate each February 14, Valentine’s Day. What could be more romantic than to express through your own poetry about that special Love for your loved one to read (and for our readers). So it’s time to write it and send us your poem about those tender feelings and romantic thoughts to our annual poetry contest.
Times Publishing Group is sponsoring its 18th Annual Times Publishing Valentine’s Day Poetry Contest to reward four local poets (and their loved ones) throughout Santa Cruz County and to encourage them to make public their feelings in celebration of Valentines Day.
Last year’s Times Publishing Annual Valentine’s Day Poetry Contest drew poems from Watsonville to Boulder Creek. Some funny, some romantic, some touching and some … well, you know … As usual, a winning poem was chosen for each of our three newspapers; the Aptos Times, Capitola Soquel Times, and Scotts Valley Times.
Express your love — in 250 words or less — (see “Contest Rules” for complete details) and tell the world what makes your Valentine special!
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2018 Poetry Contest Rules
(Open only to Santa Cruz County residents!)
Please Read Carefully
Write a poem about, or to your Valentine. There is NO credit for formatting. Submit it via email to [email protected] with Poetry Contest as the Subject, or mail it to 9601 Soquel Dr., Aptos, CA 95003. Only one poem per poet and no more than 250 words and 25 lines.
Be sure to include your name, address, day and evening phone numbers, e-mail address, and for whom (fiancée, spouse, parent, child, lost love, etc.) your poem is written.
The 2018 prizes will be: A Grand Prize for the best poem about his/her successful 30-plus year marriage and Three First Place winning poems.
We welcome all submissions from the residents of Santa Cruz County. The Times Publishing editorial staff will select the winners as follows:
- South county for the Aptos Times — Watsonville, Freedom, Corralitos
- Mid-county for the Capitola Soquel Times — Capitola, Soquel, Santa Cruz and Davenport
- Santa Cruz Mountains for the Scotts Valley Times — Scotts Valley, San Lorenzo Valley, Bonny Doon, Ben Lomond, Boulder Creek
Entries must be received by 5 p.m. Tuesday, February 6, 2018. The winner will be notified on or before Friday, February 9. Please Email [email protected] or call us at 831/688-7549 if you have any questions. The winning poems will be published in the March 1 editions of our three newspapers.
2017 Winners: Grand Prize: Celebrating Over 30 Years of Marriage – Roy Verley of Aptos • First Prize Aptos Times – Robert Kincheloe of Aptos • First Prize Capitola Soquel Times – Paula Hill of Santa Cruz • First Prize Scotts Valley Times – Mary Marasco of Scotts Valley.