2017 Valentine’s Day Poetry Contest

The Annual Times 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’s what we celebrate each February 14 on 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 send us your poem about those tender feelings and romantic thoughts to our annual poetry contest.

Times Publishing Group is sponsoring its 17th Annual Times Publishing Valentine’s Day Poetry Contest to reward seven local poets (and their loved ones). It’s time for poets throughout Santa Cruz County to make public their feelings for those they love in celebration of Valentines Day.

The 2016 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 Scotts Valley Times, Capitola Soquel Times, and Aptos Times.

Express your love – in 250 words or less – (see “Contest Rules” for complete details) and tell the world what makes your Valentine special!

•••

2017 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 2017 prizes will be: A Grand Prize for the best poem about 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:

• Santa Cruz Mountains for the Scotts Valley Times – Scotts Valley, San Lorenzo Valley, Bonny Doon, Ben Lomond, Boulder Creek
• Mid-county for the Capitola Soquel Times – Capitola, Soquel, Santa Cruz and Davenport
• South county for the Aptos Times – Watsonville, Freedom, Corralitos

Entries must be received by 5 p.m. Monday, February 6, 2017. The winner will be notified on or before Thursday, 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 our three newspapers.

2016 Winners: Grand Prize: Celebrating Over 30 Years of Marriage – Diane Deaver of Aptos • First Prize Scotts Valley Times – Robert Cotterman of Scotts Valley • First Prize Capitola Soquel Times – Lindsay Bell of Soquel • First Prize Aptos Times – Kevin Knight of Aptos