Nanakuli troupe joins the Fringe

It’s a long way from Nanakuli to Scotland, both literally and figuratively, as lucky members of the Nanakuli High Performing Arts Troupe will soon see.

Ten NPAC students and eight alumni, along with chaperones, will leave July 31 for a 15-day trip, highlighted by performances at the prestigious Fringe Festival in Edinburgh. That’s heady stuff, as the troupe will be one of just 62 selected, out of 2,200 nominated, to perform at the American High School Theatre Festival within the festival.

Supporters can help defray costs by attending one of three fundraising performances here before the troupe leaves; see www.nhispac.com. And kids, pack your jackets: August in Edinburgh is lovely and warm, but it’s all relative — average temperatures reach as high as 70 degrees, and that’s during the day.

Fixes at the gov’s house? Don’t ask

The folks running the gov’s office haven’t been forthcoming with the details, but we’re still curious: What did the $40,000-plus in renovations for Hale Kia‘aina, the governor’s residence, actually buy?

Considering that few residents, in these lean times or even otherwise, blow that much dough sprucing up their digs only eight years after it was built, folks may wonder. The work done was described as carpentry, painting and electrical work, and chances are it was just that boring.

But isn’t it fun to imagine boisterous parties by the Lingle administration that could be blamed? Or some kind of fanciful frill the Abercrombies wanted to install? The imagination runs wild.