Contact: Ellen La Coste (209) 577-5235
No. 08-101
March 26, 2008

Winners Announced in 27th Annual Poets' Corner Contest

Winners in the 27th Annual Poets' Corner Contest, sponsored by the City of Modesto Parks, Recreation and Neighborhoods Department and Modesto's Poets' Corner Committee, have been announced.

Over 550 entries were received in this year's contest, from which the judges selected 41 winning poems as well as six honorable mentions. Winners ranged from a first-grader through senior citizens and included several newcomers as well as many "veterans" of previous contests.

The winning poems will be read at a program and reception to be held on Sunday, April 13, at 2 p.m., on the main floor of the McHenry Museum (14th and I Streets). Winning poems will be printed in a booklet that will be placed in the Poets' Corner Bookshelf at the Museum, which contains published works penned by local writers. Copies of the booklets will be given to each winner. The public is invited to attend.

This year's special category was poetry honoring the opening of the Gallo Center for the Arts on the subject of AUDIENCES and PERFORMERS, such as the thrill of interaction, of being a performer, of first viewing a live performance; the pageantry, enchantment, magic; vocal and instrumental music, opera, dance, stage plays; beauty of the architecture; the anticipation and remembrance; and many others. In addition to the special category, the contest was open to any other subject and form of poetry, such as rhymed, unrhymed, free verse, light verse, sonnet, haiku and ballad.

The MC for this year's program will be Poets' Corner Committee member Marjorie Brooks.

The 2008 winners are:

Youth:
Nicholas Adair, Caleb Barham, Hayley Barham, Alex Boese, Amanda Brady, Alexandria Broedlow, Jose Chavez, Mary Chavez, Ciara Chiesa, Emi Crimmel, Alyssa Eggen, Tressa Diane Garcia, Joaquin Garza, Summan Gulzaman, Brook Jensen, Paige Lunt, Brenda Mutuma, Iris Ochoa, Thomas Poplasky, Daniel Raya, Brianna Rivera, Alondra Peralta Ruiz, Raul Ruiz, Ben Gorman Segales, Kenadee Valencia.

Adult:
Ed Bearden, Roberta Bearden, Cleo Griffith, Lynn M. Hansen, Nancy Haskett, Nancee Kinkaid Maya, Tom Myers, Joe M.Osejo, Carol Ovalle, Elizabeth 'Betty' Provost, Bill Reinman, Linda Gordon Sawyer, Linda Scheller, Bill Sehl.

For more information about the 27th Annual Poets' Corner Contest, please contact Ellen La Coste at (209) 577-5235 or elacoste@modestogov.com.

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To contact the City of Modesto Public Information Office, 
call Jessica Smart at (209) 342-4707. Email: jsmart@modestogov.com