This year is the 20th Anniversary of our Poetry Contest and is dedicated to our beloved former editor Noel Smith.
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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.
We encourage you to make public your feelings in celebration of Valentine’s 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. Each winner will receive a gift card to a local restaurant based in their area.
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2020 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. Ste. A, 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.
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, Aptos
- 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, and Bonny Doon.
Entries must be received by 5 p.m. Monday, February 10, 2020.
The winner will be notified on or before Wednesday, February 12. 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.