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Serenade makes
a sweet Valentine’s gift

With less than a week to go before Valentine's Day, some of you might still be searching for that perfect gift for your special someone.

Instead of the same old candy and flowers routine, consider hiring some singers from the Sounds of Aloha Chorus. Donate $50 to the non-profit organization, and your sweetheart will be presented with a card and long-stemmed rose before being serenaded with two songs by a barbershop quartet.

Appointments are available between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Valentine's Day; deliveries also will be made between 2 and 7 p.m. on Sunday. Call 262-7664 ...

ANOTHER UNIQUE way to celebrate this year is by helping Kakaako Kitchen's Russell Siu with his second annual "Cookies With Heart" Valentine's Day cookie recipe contest.

More than 40 original recipes were entered in this year's competition, with the top 20 participating in Sunday's taste-off. A portion of the $5 admission will benefit the Ronald McDonald House, and the Hawaii Coffee Company also will be on hand to serve up complimentary coffee and hot chocolate. "Cookies With Heart" starts at 5 p.m. on Sunday. Call 596-7488 ...

FOLLOWING a successful debut on the North Shore last year, local boy Jack Johnson will move his annual "Kokua Festival" to the Waikiki Shell in 2005.

Tickets for the April 16th event go on sale Saturday at Ticketmaster outlets, with a limited number of pre-sale tickets available now at www.jackjohnsonmusic.com. Prices range from $30 to $35, with discounted tickets available to keiki ages 3 to 10 years old. Maui will get its own version of the festival on April 13 at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center.

Scheduled to perform alongside Johnson are mainland acts Jackson Browne, Ozomatli and G. Love and Special Sauce; John Cruz, Kawika Kahiapo and Kaukahi have also been invited to play ...

NIGHTCLUB NUGGETS: Positive Beats kicks off a new weekly tonight at Bobby G's Spot in Waikiki's International Marketplace. There is no cover for this 21-and-over party, which will feature house music by various guest DJs ... The Wave Waikiki adds a Thursday night reggae showcase, hosted by Island 98.5's Crystal Akana. Hot Rain performs this week, with DJs Selector DC, RacerX and Epic One in the mix ... Sundays offer two new options, with the "Dragon Room" getting its start at Jackie's Kitchen on Jan. 30, and Coast2Coast Productions taking over at Brew Moon last weekend ...