Casting about for something unique to do for your loved one for Valentine’s Day?

Charlotte Ladd invites you to attend a Russian tea with authentic Russian desserts and entertainment by the newly formed duet, Singing Hearts, featuring Tamera Thomas of Hermon and Anna Baglay of Eddington, both classically trained musicians.

The tea, which features authentic Russian desserts, finger sandwiches and coffee, is 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9, in the Carlson Room of East Orrington Congregational Church, 30 Johnson Mill Road.

Tickets are $10 each but, to attend, you must make reservations by Monday, Feb. 4, Ladd said, “so we will know how many people to plan for.”

Reservations can be made by calling the church office between 8 a.m. and noon weekdays at 825-3404.

The event is a fundraiser for the EOCC choir, Ladd said, and should be quite a delightful and enlightening experience.

In addition to the Russian food and music, Bill and Janice Deering are arranging to provide a rose “for each lady attending,” Ladd said.

Besides singing Russian love songs, the Singing Hearts, who are both from Russia, will teach some Russian history, Ladd said.

Thomas, the church organist, has Finnish citizenship, while Baglay is now an American citizen.

“A nice Valentine gift would be a pair of these tickets,” Ladd said, while adding that the Russian Tea is “not just for couples, because we will also have a table for singles.”

The Rev. Joel Krueger of The First Church in Belfast, United Church of Christ, reports the church “has Tapestry Tote Bags, with scenes from Belfast, for sale.”

He said that “the washable tote bags have five images from the popular Belfast Tapestry Afghan, which the church has been selling” for more than eight years.

The bags are $25 each and are available at Colburn’s Shoe Store on Main Street and at the church office, which is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday through Friday at 8 Court Street.

Krueger said the bags were made for the church “by Simply Home, a division of Weavetec, Inc.”

Wayne Griffin of the Institute for Civic Leadership reports Suzanne Austin will present the popular ICL Board Building Workshop from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday, Jan. 31, at the Dyke Center for Family Business, 1 College Circle, at Husson College in Bangor. A continental breakfast at 8:30 a.m. will precede the workshop.

Austin is the associate director for the ICL.

This hands-on, board-building workshop is designed for board members and executive directors.

The registration fee is $70 for the first member of an organization and $55 for each additional member of the same organization.

Your reservation cancellation must be received 48 hours before the workshop.

“One of the most important roles” for board members, Griffin said, “is the recruitment and training of new board members.”

At the workshop, he continued, “You will learn how to identify the needs of your board, find and cultivate potential board members, recruit board prospects, orient new board members to the organization and to the board, and create an on-going board development process for your board.”

To register, call Griffin at 773-3254, ext. 100, fax him at 772-5954 or e-mail wgriffin@civicleadership.org.

Mary Carson of Millinocket, her daughter and granddaughters, Michelle, Rhylee and Lily Parsons of Sherman, had an appointment in Brewer on Jan. 4 and stopped for lunch at Denny’s restaurant before they headed for home.

Carson noted, “It was quite obviously a busy lunchtime for the restaurant staff,” yet they were “all kind and courteous” as well as “very efficient, friendly, and patient with the children and adults alike.”

However, the biggest surprise for this family occurred when it was time to pay the bill, and “our server informed us that someone had paid our entire bill for us … and then she thanked us for visiting Denny’s,” Carson wrote.

The family learned from their server “that she could divulge no other information regarding our benefactor, but indicated that it was someone who, occasionally, extended this kindness to a customer on a random basis,” Carson continued.

With “no other way of contacting this individual,” Carson wrote the Bangor Daily News to thank that person for his or her “random act of kindness. We appreciated it a great deal,” she wrote.

“Things like this don’t just happen every day, and it certainly warmed our hearts.”

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