Members of the Pathway Wesleyan Church invite you to come aboard the “USS Pathway” and enjoy a Valentine’s extravaganza beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9, at the church, 1423 Ohio St. in Bangor.

Pathway Wesleyan is located at the Penobscot Christian School.

Committee member Tricia Lawrence of Orrington called to tell readers that the extravaganza includes “a three-course meal, in-house music and comedy” as well as an appearance by vocalist Brian McSee.

The event is open to the public at a cost of $12.50 per person, and tickets must be purchased in advance by calling the church at 942-7212.

McSee, the featured performer, is a “contemporary Christian singer who has toured in the U.S. and Canada,” Lawrence said, and has worked as a backup singer for Sandi Patty and the Bill Gaither Trio.

He currently is director of student music ministries at East Side Church of God in Anderson, Ind.

“We’re hoping it goes well,” Lawrence said of the event. “We have put a lot of effort into it, and we really hope the public responds to it.

“He’s a Christian singer,” she said of McSee, but Lawrence added that the emphasis would be on simply having a great evening out.

“We’ve tried to make the gym look like a ship, and it is going to be a dining-out experience,” Lawrence said. “We’re going to be welcoming everyone aboard the USS Pathway: We’ll be all dressed up, and we’ll be serving the meal. It won’t be buffet style.”

That meal, by the way, includes appetizers, stuffed chicken breast, roasted potatoes, glazed carrots and a dessert bar.

So, if you’re looking for a Valentine’s celebration with a “warm” feeling, plan to board the USS Pathway.

On behalf of Spruce Run, the Domestic Abuse Task Force, Grace United Methodist Church and the First Congregational Church of Brewer, task force member and Bangor Police Chief Don Winslow invites members of the public to participate in a community candlelight vigil to remember victims of domestic violence.

The vigil begins at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5, at Grace United Methodist Church, 193 Union St., Bangor.

During the service, The Clothesline Project, which consists of a display of T-shirts created by women affected by domestic abuse, will be displayed.

Information about Spruce Run, the domestic violence project serving Penobscot County, will be available at the vigil.

Spruce Run’s 24-hour hot line is available to anyone affected by domestic abuse by calling (800) 863-9909.

All who purchased Oakhurst egg nog during the holidays can take pleasure in knowing that each sip made a difference to The Salvation Army of Northern New England, since 4 cents from every unit of Oakhurst egg nog and light egg nog benefited Salvation Army programs.

The fund-raiser more than doubled last year’s contribution of $6,000, according to Oakhurst Vice President of Operations Bill Bennett, since he was able to present a check for $15,000 to The Salvation Army.

Oakhurst sold 375,000 units (in pints, quarts or half-gallons) of its egg nog and light egg nog during the holidays, which helped The Salvation Army provide food, clothing and other assistance for those in need during the holidays.

From Michelle Fontaine of the Maine Philanthropy Center in Portland comes word that the MPC will offer an opportunity for individuals to learn about the ins and outs of the grant-writing process.

Sponsored by the Bangor Savings Bank Foundation, the MPC will conduct “Preparing Successful Proposals: An Intro to Grant-writing” from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15, at the Bangor Savings Bank G. Clifton Eames Learning Center, 203 Maine Ave., Bangor.

The cost for non-MPC members is $60 each and is $45 for MPC members. Lunch is not included.

David Steven Rappoport, founder and principal of Development Solutions, will lead the program.

Rappoport is a Maine consultant who has helped raise more than $10 million in grant funds for Maine nonprofits.

To register, call Fontaine at 780-5039, visit mgic@megrants.org or the access MCP Web site at http://www.megrants.org/register.html.

Here’s a reminder that the third annual Valentine’s dance for all family members (father-daughter, mother-son and families as a group) sponsored by the Anah Shrine Mini-Bikes Unit, will be held from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 8, at the Anah Shrine Temple, 586 Main St., Bangor.

Tickets are $10 each and available at the Anah Shrine Temple or by calling Paul and Diana Giles, 989-5344; Ed and Peggy Youngblood, 989-2190; or Irv and Karen Marsters, 947-0749.

In mid-January, I congratulated members of the Maine Credit Union League for collecting a record 1,300 stuffed animals during its annual BearHugs for Kids program.

Now, MCLU director of communications Jon Paradise reports that 100 of those bears and other assorted stuffed animals have been sent to Glenn Aho, town manager of Lincoln, to help provide comfort to residents of that community, especially its children, who have been affected by the two fires that struck the heart of that Penobscot County community recently.

Along with the bears, Paradise relayed a message of encouragement and support to that community on behalf of the 76 affiliated Maine Credit Unions the MCLU represents.

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; 990-8288.