Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Arts And Culture topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lake County Board proclaims April 2025 Poetry Month; county poet laureate reads Joy Harjo excerpt
Summary
The Lake County Board of Supervisors adopted a proclamation designating April 2025 as Poetry Month and heard a reading by county Poet Laureate Brenda Yaeger, who read lines from Joy Harjo's poem "Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings." Announcements included Poem in Your Pocket Day events and recruitment for a youth poet laureate.
The Lake County Board of Supervisors adopted a proclamation designating April 2025 as Poetry Month in Lake County and heard a poem read by the county poet laureate during the board's April 2025 meeting.
The proclamation, read aloud by Supervisor Sabatier, states that "the board of supervisors of the county of Lake does hereby designate the month of April 2025 as Poetry Month in Lake County," and was recorded as passed and adopted in April 2025 and signed by Board Chair Supervisor Crandall. The board did not record a roll-call vote in the transcript excerpt provided.
Brenda Yaeger, Lake County Poet Laureate for 2024–2026, opened the presentation and read two sections of Joy Harjo's poem "Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings." Yaeger said, "Happy National Poetry Month," and read lines from Harjo that included: "Recognize whose lands these are on which we stand. Ask the deer, turtle, and the crane. Make sure the spirits of these lands are respected and treated with goodwill." Yaeger introduced Harjo as "a Muscogee (Creek) from the Muscogee Creek Nation" and noted Harjo served as U.S. Poet Laureate from 2019 to 2022.
Supervisor Sabatier added remarks after the reading about the value of poetry in public life and civic expression, saying, "Words matter, and when you put them to rhythm, people tend to listen more than just if you're talking." Sabatier read background language that cites the Academy of American Poets' launch of National Poetry Month in April 1996 and described poetry as "one of the most enduring forms of expression."
The presentation included several local items and announcements: Yaeger said there will be poetry readings at the county library and a local participation in Poem in Your Pocket Day on April 10; she also said the county is seeking applicants for a Lake County Youth Poet Laureate and directed interested youth to a Lake County Youth Poet Laureate Facebook page and her website, brendayager.com. Two poet laureates emeritus—Georgina Marie Guardado and Richard Schmidt—were introduced as being present for the presentation.
The board closed public input after additional brief remarks encouraging artistic expression and took a photograph with the presenters.
Action recorded: the board adopted and signed the proclamation designating April 2025 as Poetry Month in Lake County. The transcript does not show a recorded motion maker, seconder, or a detailed vote tally.
