LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Entries will be accepted from Feb. 1, to May 1, 2013 for the inaugural Martha Webster Journalism Internship Award, offered by the Middletown Luncheon Club.

The competition is open to all previously unpublished writers living within the boundaries of the Middletown Unified School District.

Each entry should include pertinent personal data and an original column of 500-600 words written in journalistic style on a subject believed to be of general interest to readers in the Middletown area.

The winner will be paid $25 each for similar columns to be produced once each month for the following year and published in the Middletown Times Star.

The winning entry will be announced on May 28, in observance of the birthday of the late Martha Webster, whose contributions to the area – even beyond her journalism – were many.

Entries should be mailed to: Middletown Luncheon Club, P. O. Box 74, Middletown, CA 95461. The applicant’s name, address, phone number or email address, and age must be included with each entry. Extra credit will be given to students enrolled in Middletown High School or the Clearlake Campus of Yuba Community College.

Established in 1943, the Middletown Luncheon Club meets on the third Wednesday of each month in the community room at the Methodist Church.

Each meeting offers lunch at $ 5 per person with a speaker or presentation of importance to the Middletown area.

Thanks to interest-bearing bequests, the club has a long history of donating to service organizations for preparing the monthly meals offered and contributing to scholarships and various community projects.

The Feb. 20 meeting will feature poetry by local authors; the March 20 luncheon will feature a presentation on Middletown’s history.