Shrimp cocktails started the evening out followed by tossed salads. The main entre was prime rib, noodles alfredo, mashed potatoes and peas and carrots with a dessert being chocolate lava cake with blueberry sauce and vanilla ice cream.

Derek Larson, St. Regis School Superintendent, provided the music with some of his students and Layne Hanson on the drums. It was promoted as "Dinner & Dance" but the dance portion didn’t have any takers. However, it appeared to be sold-out at the St. Regis Senior Citizens Center first event of the year that happened to commemorate Valentine’s Day.

Dave Carrott, Kitchen Manager as of two weeks ago but he has been helping in the kitchen since last summer. Carrott comes with an all-encompassing background in the galley.

“Every time I got in trouble in the Marine Corps, I got put on mess duty. When I was stationed at (Camp) Lejeune we fed 5,000 people three times a day.”

It was KP duty where Carrott gained the experience to handle the kitchen crew as he does today. As far as preparing for the Valentine’s event, “We worked about 7 hours yesterday and have about 10 hours so far today,” which was 30 minutes before the waiters and waitresses began serving.

“We bought the prime rib at Superior Meats and then they donated one. One of the board members donated the shrimp. Cisco and WinCo and where you buy in bulk is where the majority of everything else came from,” Carrott explained.

There were three others helping Carrott with prep, dish washing and other duties but he said everyone does everything to get the job done.

“We don’t do anything on Valentine’s Day unless something like this is going on,” chuckled Dennis Christensen with his wife Sherrill as they sat at a table decorated with a candle and flowers.

They moved to Mineral County in the spring of 1997 and into St. Regis is 2016. When asked how long they have been married, there was a short pause and then Sherrill said almost 40 years. Dennis said he thought it was going to be 41 in October so that became the answer. They have 6 children between them and for grandchildren? “16 or 18. I don’t know I’d have to count,” Sherrill smiled. “But I know we have over 30 great-grandchildren,” she laughed.

Tim and Anna Haskins who came from Superior are close to having 53 years of marriage. They celebrate Valentine’s Day each year by going out to dinner, but Sue’s aunt, Sue McLeese who was also in attendance for the festivities, easily persuaded them to try the first ever SRSCC Valentines Dinner and Dance. But the ‘dance’ part wasn’t something they intended to do.

“No, we’re just going to eat and visit with people for a while and go home,” said Tim. Most of the Haskin’s lives have been in Superior but a jaunt to work in the gold mines in Elko, Nevada took them away for a short period. However, this was ‘home’ and it wasn’t long before they returned. That’s when Tim began working for MSHAW (Mine Safety & Health Administration) as a mine inspector and they are now enjoying retirement.

Heather Hotchkiss was Head Server with three of her children helping provide the meal to around 80 people. Hotchkiss was asked by her grandparents, the Carrott’s, to lend a hand for the evening so her daughter, Mayzie, who is 13 and in the 6th grade along with her brothers Austin and Jon and their cousin were waiters and waitresses attending the needs of the evening’s patrons.

Jon, 11, laughed when he shared how they came to be at the SRSCC for the event.

“Our mom forced us to do this because our (great) grandparents told her that we had to!”

Clint Derr is the Vice President of the SRSCC since last year when Dave Hannah took charge. Derr has been his right hand, not to say many others haven’t taken on lots of responsibility, but Derr and Hannah have been the driving force as both are handymen and the center needed some fixing up.

“It’s been a good ride so far. We get to build a community and each time it seems to grow a little more and the area is responding well,” Derr said.

It was at the December board of directors meeting that Valentine’s Day was discussed and that’s when the planning commenced.

“Ticket sales have been pretty robust,” he said knowing that there were still a few available for walk-in’s that evening. By 7:15 p.m., the dining area was empty with the exception of the board of directors and the Hotchkin family all doing cleanup and catching their breath from something that will probably become an annual event at the SRSCC.