SATURDAY SCOOPS
Cool snacks trumpet Fourth of July with burst of color

Advertiser Staff and News Services

Advertiser library photo

• Watermelon Pop Stars make a really cool treat. To prepare: Use a cookie cutter to cut juicy star shapes from inch-thick slices of seedless watermelon. Insert a Popsicle stick into each star, then set the pops on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Cover the stars with another sheet of foil and freeze for 1 hour or until firm.
• A red-white-and-blue fruit salad is quickly put together from strawberries, diced apple and blueberries, tossed in fresh lime juice and garnished with mint. You can spoon it over vanilla ice cream for an irresistible dessert.

Red, White and Blueberry Fruit Salad

• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped mint
• 3 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 quart fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
• 3 medium apples, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

In a large bowl, whisk together the lime juice, honey and mint. Add the fruit and toss to combine. Let the fruit salad stand for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

Makes 8 servings.

Where to watch

What would the Fourth of July weekend be without those magnificent fireworks displays? Here's a list of when and where to find them:

• Off Kapahulu pier, 7:45 p.m. today, sponsored by the Waikiki Improvement Association.
• Aloha Tower, 8:45 p.m. today, part of the Aloha Tower Marketplace's Pre-Independence Day Celebration.
• Turtle Bay Resort, 9:15 p.m. today, part of the resort's Guitars Under the Stars concert featuring Spyro Gyra.
• Magic Island, 8:30 p.m. tomorrow, part of the Ala Moana Center celebration.
• Kailua Beach Park, 8 p.m.tomorrow.

Military fireworks displays

• Marine Corps Base Hawai'i near Kane'ohe, 9:15 p.m. today and 10:45 p.m. tomorrow, part of the BayFest activities.
• Pearl Harbor, 9:15 p.m. tomorrow; military access required.
• Schofield Barracks, 8:30 p.m. tomorrow.
• Hickam Air Force Base, 8:30 p.m. tomorrow; military access required.

At Sunset, it's 'Cheaper' today, '50' tomorrow

Admission is free. 523-2489.

Thanks to Spideymania, you can snag a free comic book today

With "Spider-Man 2" burning up the theater screens nationwide, the comic-book industry has seized the moment and is offering the 3rd annual Free Comic Book Day today. Yes, that means comics stores nationwide will hand out free comic books, while supplies last. Among the participating stores on O'ahu:

• Collector Maniacs, 3571 Wai'alae Ave. 739-3912.
• Gecko Books & Comics, 3613 Wai'alae Ave. and 1247G Kailua Road; 732-1292, 263-2004.
• Jelly's, 98-023 Hekaha St., 'Aiea. 484-4413.
• Last Sanctuary, 1485 Kapi'olani Blvd. 955-2440.
• Other Realms, Ward Warehouse. 596-8236.
• Ryan's Sportsworld, 'Aina Haina Shopping Center, 373-7419.

Find out more at www.freecomicbookday.com.

And if you venture to Last Sanctuary, you can watch competing teams of artists and writers create a "Spider-Man" cover or page, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. today.

Fiery booms, blasts to mark another holiday

Whether you refer to it as the Civil War or the War Between the States, you can experience a bit of what it was like Monday (a holiday for many) at the Koko Head Shooting Complex's rifle range.

The event, sponsored by the Hawai'i Historic Arms Association, includes re-enactors firing antique muskets and percussion revolvers; hardtack and goober peas (crackers and peanuts to you and me). It commemorates the 141st anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg and the surrender of Vicksburg on July 4, 1863.

Hours are 9 a.m.-1 p.m.. the complex is about a half-mile from the entrance to Hanauma Bay, next to Koko Crater. Admission is free; donations are welcome. Bring earplugs, glasses or sunglasses and camera. 946-8183.

Take your pick of parades today

It begins at 5 p.m. today from Fort DeRussy to Kapi'olani Park bandstand.

Last year, the city-assisted parade, which excluded gay-rights groups, was the cause of controversy and lawsuits. The city is not a sponsor of today's event.

And on the other side of the island, the annual Kailua parade begins at 10 a.m. today on Kainalu Drive, followed by a Freedom Festival at Kailua District Park.

Weekend parties not all patriotic

• The Red, White and Blue Weekend at Wave Waikiki, with San Francisco DJ (and frequent Island spinner) Mei Lwun, pictured. Tonight's theme is White (yes, last night's was Red) and includes music by Big Toe and Cuban B. Tomorrow's event, Blue, is a Headbanger's Ball with Buddhist Priest. Try to wear white tonight, blue tomorrow, kids! Hours are 9 p.m.-4 a.m.; $10 cover. For 21 and older. 941-0424.
• The Island band Opihi Pickers will be grooving at Ryan's Grill's Rooftop Party, 5-10 p.m. Sunday. For a $2 cover charge (free for kids 12 and younger), you can watch the fireworks over Magic Island with your fellow revelers. 591-8411.
• Sunday's Red, White and Blue Block Party, 8 p.m.-2 a.m. at Reign Night Club and 11 p.m.-4 a.m. at Pipeline Café. Cover is $12 for 18-to-20 year olds; $10 for those 21 and older. 589-1999.
• The 2nd annual Choppers Only Run and Show, noon-6 p.m. Sunday at Kapi'olani Community College. This one boasts star power: Peter Fonda, who rode the highways in "Easy Rider," is a special guest.

All motorcyclists are welcome to join a ride from 10 a.m. (register from 8:30) at Cycle City Harley-Davidson's New Super Store to KCC; $10 lets you ride and enter the show.

There'll be prizes, entertainment by Henry Kapono, food booths and a lot of custom bikes to gawk at. 330-2919.

Youth theater, medical center seeking playwrights for shows

Honolulu Theatre for Youth and the Sex Abuse Treatment Center of the Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women and Children are collaborating to commission and produce plays that can be held in schools to provoke questions and learning about sexual harassment and sexual violence in dating. Proposals are being sought from playwrights.

HTY artistic director Mark Lutwak said, "These plays will be presented to middle and high school students in Hawai'i, young people who seek real information and do not want to be talked down to." A facilitator will encourage post-show dialogue.

Proposals should be no more than two pages, and should describe a play that is:

• No more than 30 minutes.
• Able to be performed by no more than four actors.
• Provocative. That is, it doesn't preach or present pat answers, but raises questions.

Interested playwrights should contact Lutwak at 839-9885, ext. 17, or mark@htyweb.org by Aug. 15. Proposals will not be accepted without a phone conversation first.

HTY and SATC will award $250 to four writers to develop their proposals into full treatments. HTY staff will help develop their treatments. One or more treatments will be selected to be developed into a full script. Full scripts will be offered an additional $1,000 commissioning fee. If the play is produced, it will receive additional royalties based on the number of performances.

Founded in 1955, the nonprofit Honolulu Theatre for Youth (www.htyweb.org) provides theater and drama education programs.

Down Under design takes on tight spaces

"Australia City Living" by John Gollings and George Michell, Thames & Hudson, $40.

Design books are a great resource for common home design and decor solutions. For instance:

We've heard about American style, Mediterranean homes, French country and English country. "Australia City Living" lays out design Down Under in a slick, photo-heavy hardcover, perfect for people who love contemporary style and long to see some innovative urban settings and ideas. Chapters are divided by apartment, townhouse, conversion and urban villas.

The book is heavy on photos and light on text, but there's a lot of great stuff to see. You'll learn:

• Keep kitchens small and functional to allow more space for living. A minimalist approach keeps the kitchen from being segregated and takes advantage of stylish new mini appliances, which is often necessary in urban homes that have limited space.
• An "L"-shape furniture arrangement of a sectional sofa or two small sofas can help direct traffic through a room or define a living space from an entry.

Open holiday with burst of glory

Out 'Ewa way, there's the Patriot Walk/Run, part of the Get Healthy 'Ewa Beach Project that begins at 5:30 p.m. today at the Calvary Church West O'ahu (91-928 Fort Weaver Road).

There'll be free blood-pressure tests, a concert and a kids jump-rope contest.

The one- or three-mile challenge, beginning at 6 p.m., aims to promote health and exercise as an alternative to drug use.

Just show up, sign in and run (and try to wear red, white and blue). 689-1713.