From the Editors

It's a phrase we all know in some way or another. The statement is many things: An Elvis Presley song, a quote attributed to Roman author Pliny the Elder, and a movie where Natalie Portman has a baby in a Walmart. It's an aphorism often repeated, enough at least to keep Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros in business.

Is the idiom true? Well, most of the time, one's heart is located in one's body, connected to one's brain and consciousness. The body seems to serve as one of the more basic model homes on the market, so that part checks out. 

For some of you though, Erie is that greater "where." This city, filled with so many ups and downs, it's home. It's also where one might find themselves on Valentine's Day, wondering how to spend it. Poor planners, fear not, for Ben Speggen has more than a few suggestions for what to do on this most-pressured of holidays. Simply by drawing upon some of the recent Best of Erie Awards, one can find dozens and dozens of well-loved locations and ideas. If a slightly more tactile valentine is your prerogative, Nick Warren (with help from Vanessa Mazza) has crafted a few mini-cards just waiting to be cut out and delivered — though he's quick to recommend Flagship City Press if you want to truly impress the apple of your eye. Also in this issue, Matt Swanseger takes a look at Dragonfly Lake Scents, one of the city's foremost purveyors of artisanal, handmade soaps, perfect for Valentine's gifting and all-around beautification. If you're more of the moviegoer, you might want to check out Forest Taylor's Oscar predictions — he was only half-right last year, so let's see if he does better this time around. 

Valentine's dates are one thing, but the heart is a complex symbolic organ. Sometimes hearts get broken, and we don't know what to do in the immediate aftermath. Earlier this month, a New York Times article broke about former Erie Art Museum Executive Director Joshua Helmer, and his history of misconduct. A lot of people were heartbroken, and more importantly, a lot of people were angry. Rightfully so, Helmer was ousted from his position shortly after. In this issue, Liz Allen takes a look at the fallout from those events. One thing Allen is quick to stress is the importance of the museum itself. As the de facto hub for the arts in Erie County, it's an essential part of this aforementioned "where." Still filled with many terrific staff members, the Erie Art Museum will hopefully remain a vital part of Erie for decades more to come. 

Making a home isn't an easy thing to do. It's more than a place to hang one's proverbial hat. It's something we all need, no matter where we live. Just like any city is more than piles of steel, glass, and concrete, "home" is more than the sum of its parts. It's where the heart is.