Valentine’s Day Survey

February 2017

Writer / Janelle Morrison

We asked a few familiar members of our communities to reveal some of their most treasured or comical memories of Valentine’s Days past. Here are their responses to our fun-spirited survey!

Zionsville Mayor Tim Haak: If celebrating at home, who’s in the kitchen and what’s on the menu? Our two boys have taken an interest in cooking lately so it will be them along with me cooking dinner for mom. Their cooking skills are still developing so it will likely be tacos or spaghetti but don’t think mom will mind too much.

Chief Robert Knox, Zionsville Police Department: Your wife’s favorite meal created by you? My wife, Karin, always tells me that she likes what I prepare. I don’t know if she has a favorite. We love being able to spend the time together.

Tom Santelli, Boone County Council: Favorite Valentine’s meal, prepared by you? Classically, I do a surf and turf with asparagus in a bananas foster style brown sugar reduction. For soup I like Crawfish Etoufee while you are having champagne. Caesar salad topped with a smoked salmon and homemade dressing, shaved parmesan and homemade garlic croutons is a nice compliment. I think Valentines deserts should be mixed up year over year from Chocolate Bombs, to Red Velvet Cheese Cake from the Cheese Cake Factory, Godiva Chocolates, Bananas Foster or Bananas Flambé and Ganache Chocolatier in Zionsville, of course, champagne from the Wine Guy and something from Hopwood is good.

Sherman Burdette, TV Host, Personality, Reporter: Most memorable gift? My most memorable gift is a card that I got from my mother. I was living and working in Upstate New York. My mom sent a Valentine’s Day card, handwritten, listing the reason why she loved me. She passed away in 2009, so it’s super special and I still have it with me.

Bryan Traylor, Zionsville Town Council: Worst gift you’ve given? A towel warmer. My wife, Lindsay, had told me about how her mom would warm her towel up in the dryer for her when she was a kid and so I thought my gift was sentimental and sweet. It was greeted with, ‘This is the weirdest gift I’ve ever received!’ Not the response I was hoping for.

Patrick Mullen, Restauranteur: First heart break?: Gayle Ann. 8th grade. My dad was in military intelligence and was an advisor to the Shah’s cabinet in Tehran, Iran. It was 1972. Gayle’s dad was in the Air Force. We went to school together and were a ‘couple’ until 1975. Her family moved to Texas. She came to visit and wanted to take our relationship to the ‘next step’. I wasn’t ready for that. So, we were ‘waiting’. Meanwhile, I joined the military and was shipped out to Panama. I made a special trip to see her and her family in Texas and was ‘ready’. She found reasons to avoid me and I promptly received a ‘Dear Patrick’ letter while on station in Panama. Mr. Gary and Mrs. Gayle M. got married.

Cynthia Buckner Young, Executive Director, Sullivan Munce Cultural Center: Favorite Valentine’s candy? A box of chocolates that are all chocolate, nuts, and caramel! My favorite from childhood are the little candy hearts with sayings on them.
Amanda Dorman, Director of Communications & Community Relations Town of Zionsville: Most memorable Valentine’s Day, to date?: I haven’t celebrated too many Valentine’s Day holidays in the traditional sense because I had been a ‘single lady’ (to quote Beyonce). This year, I will be celebrating my first Valentine’s Day being engaged!

Dennis Murphy, President and CEO of IU Health: Funniest Valentine Day memory? My wife and I went out to eat at a very small new restaurant. The restaurant didn’t have a liquor license so you had a bring your own bottle of wine. As we were seated and preparing for a nice romantic evening, we realized we were next to a table that was reserved for a large group. About 10 minutes later, a group of 10 couples, decked out in their full biker leathers and looking very much the part of stereotypical bikers, sat at the table next to us. We weren’t quite sure we picked the right restaurant. We soon realized that they were there for the same reason as us and by the end of the meal we were sharing wine, stories, and laughs. We had a great time and once again learned never to judge a book by its cover.