2016 Valentine’s Day Poetry Contest

Annual Competition for Santa Cruz County Residents

By Noel Smith

Whether it’s the memory of Love, Love that has stood the test of time, or the rush of young Love, that is 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 (and for our readers) to read. So it’s time to send us your poem about those tender feelings and romantic thoughts to our annual poetry contest.

Times Publishing Group is sponsoring its 16th Annual Times Publishing Valentine’s Day Poetry Contest to reward seven local poets (and their sweethearts). It’s time for poets throughout Santa Cruz County to make public their feelings for those they love in celebration of Valentines Day.

The 2015 Times Publishing Annual Valentine’s Day Poetry Contest drew poems from Watsonville to Boulder Creek. Some were funny, some romantic, some touching. 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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2016 Poetry Contest Rules
(Open to Santa Cruz County residents only)
Please Read Carefully

Write a poem about, or to your Valentine and submit it via email to info@cyber-times.com 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 2016 prizes will be: A Grand Prize for the best poem about the secret to his/her successful 30-plus year marriage; Three First Place winning poems and Three Honorable Mentions.

We welcome all submissions from the residents of Santa Cruz County. The Times Publishing editorial staff will select the winners from:

• 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. Friday, February 5, 2016. The winner will be notified on or before Tuesday, February 9.

Please Email info@cyber-times.com or call us at 831/688-7549 if you have any questions. The winning poems will be published in the March 1 editions of the three newspapers.

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2015 Winners: Grand Prize – Celebrating Over 30 Years of Marriage – Donna Kannall of Scotts Valley • Aptos Times – Cathy Davenport of Aptos • Capitola Soquel Times – Karen Conley of Soquel • Scotts Valley Times – Jacqueline Linford of Felton