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!

Mayor Jim Brainard: Who was your celebrity crush growing up? I would have to say both Julie Andrews in Sound of Music while singing Edelweiss with Christopher Plummer and Debbie Reynolds singing Tammy.

Anne Poindexter, Member Attorney, Altman, Poindexter & Wyatt LLC: Sweetest Memory? For as long as I can recall, my father has purchased large heart-shaped boxes of chocolates for each my sister and I, every Valentine’s Day. It was when I was young, and is even now, a special treat from Dad.

Ashley Ulbricht: Chocolates or Champagne? The City Attorney at City of Carmel prefers to celebrate her Valentine’s Day with Champagne!

Bruce Kimball, Carmel City Council: First kiss? Mine was a very tentative but emotional first kiss during my sophomore year in high school to a girlfriend that I dated until college.

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.
Mo Merhoff: President OneZone: Best Valentine’s story? We’d planned to be in the Rockies skiing over Valentine’s Day and booked an inn close to the ski resort where I’d been years ago. It was charming, cozy, away from the boisterous condos and had great food. The lobby was still as I’d remembered; however, the rest of the place not so much. The floors were slanted, the heat unreliable and the shower went from warm to ice cold in approximately two seconds. When we asked if that could be repaired, the inn staff said there was a hot tub behind the property we could use. We opted for the loud condos on day two.

Jeff Worrell, Carmel City Council: Romantic dinner out or at home? Romantic dinner at home is always our preference

Sherman Burdette, Local 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.

Nancy Heck, Director of Community Relations & Economic Development for City of Carmel: Favorite Valentines Day Gift: Richard, my husband of 35 years, always makes me feel special on Valentine’s Day with beautiful flowers, chocolates and a handwritten sentiment, but nothing beats the handmade Valentine’s I got from my kids when they were little.

Patrick Mullen, Restauranteur, Patrick’s Kitchen & Patrick’s BBQ: 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.