OCR Text |
Show Resident named Utah Poet of Year Bonnie Howe Behunin, a Vernal resi-lent resi-lent and former art teacher at Vernal Junior High School, has been named L'tah Poet of the Year by the Utah State Poetry Society. The announcement was , made Saturday, April 23 at the . April iwards Festival held af the University of ;tah. This is the first time a Vernal poet las received this high honor and ecognition. Mrs. Behunin's book, Ask the Rain-w, Rain-w, took first place in the new Laureate look Publication Category. Her book ,11 be published this fall by the Society. Socie-ty. Mrs. Cehunin will be awarded fifty copies. She will be honored at a State Poetry Contest at the University of Utah in October, where poems from her book till be read. This will coincide with the publication of the book. Mrs. Behunin is married to Newel Behunin of Vernal and has one daughter, Kris. She graduated from Brigham tang University in 1974 with a BA iegree prior to coming to teach art in Vernal. She has served as chapter presi-fat presi-fat of the Uintah Chapter of the Utah State Poetry Society, as president of the lintah League of Utah Writers, is a published writer, and has won several Bonnie Behunin prestigious poetry awards in the past. She was Sweepstakes Winner at last year's Utah State Poetry Society Awards Festival, winning more awards than any other poet in Utah contests. A total of twenty-six contests were held this year under the direction of Carol P. Feltch, Utah State Contest Chairman. Other state winners from Vernal were Mildred L. Mansfield, first place, Meagher Light Verse Contest, one honorable mention award and one special recognition; Amy Pope, third place, USPS Free Verse Award; Carol Lynn Terry, one honorable mention award and Carol Poelman Feltch, first place, Tullis Award, second place, USPS Light Verse Contest, three honorable mention awards and two special recognitions. recogni-tions. Bonnie Behunin also won second place, Nielsen Award, third place, Blaisdell Contest. Mrs. Behunin will be honored at a poetry concert Saturday, May 7 at the . Uintah County Library multi-purpose room at 2 p.m. where poetry from her prize-winning book will be read. The public is invited to attend. There will be no admission charge. |