Want a gift card prize? Then you’ll like this year’s contest. Haikus have returned!

If that opening seems familiar, yes, it’s a haiku – a short verse with five syllables in the first line, seven syllables in the second, and five syllables in the third. It’s also how Longmont Power & Communication is announcing this year’s Public Power Week contest. LPC customers have until Oct. 9 to submit a haiku that celebrates Longmont’s community-owned power and how they use it, with two winners receiving a $100 Downtown Longmont gift card.

LPC last held a haiku contest in 2017 and it proved to be one of the utility’s most popular Public Power Week events, spokesman Scott Rochat said.

“They’re short and simple – perfect for today’s internet age,” he said. “It’s something that can easily brighten your day no matter where you are, just like the power LPC provides.”

All entries must be submitted by Oct. 9, 2021. Two winners will be randomly drawn from the entrants.

Held in the first full week of October, Public Power Week (Oct. 3-9) celebrates the more than 2,000 towns and cities across the United States that own and operate their own electric utilities.

That includes Longmont, where LPC offers the second-lowest residential electric rates in the state out of 57 utilities and has been recognized as a Reliable Public Power Provider (RP3) by the American Public Power Association since 2006. LPC was the first utility in Colorado to receive that recognition.

Participants in the contest must be part of a home, business, or school that gets their electricity from LPC. There is no age restriction or entry fee. Haiku entries should be submitted in the traditional form – five syllables in the first line, seven in the second line, and five in the third line – and be about a use of public power that you love. For example, a lover of Longmont’s seasonal decorations might write:

Holiday lights shine,
Brightening my neighborhood,
Longmont glows with pride.

Entries may be submitted by:

1. Mailing or hand-delivering them to 1100 S. Sherman St., Longmont, CO 80501. Entries should say “Attn: Public Power Week contest” on the envelope and include contact information.
2. Emailing the entry to LPC@longmontcolorado.gov.
3. Sending the entry by private message to LPC’s Facebook page

Anyone with questions about the contest may call 303-651-8793 or go online to LongmontColorado.gov/publicpowerweek for more information. All entries may be used in future publicity.