LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i Veterans Center is under new leadership and big changes are planned for the entire facility. “We want to be part of the community,” said Rhan Honjo, executive director of the Museum at the Kauai Veteran’s Center
LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i Veterans Center is under new leadership and big changes are planned for the entire facility.
“We want to be part of the community,” said Rhan Honjo, executive director of the Museum at the Kauai Veteran’s Center of his vision for future of the facility.
There is an strong need to expand the museum in order to accommodate and properly catalogue artifacts and memorabilia from members of the Armed Forces who served in conflicts from the 1980s to the present.
Honjo is also in the early development stages of a project to collect the oral histories from vets detailing their time in the military. Honjo — a Navy veteran from the Vietnam War era — volunteers his time to run the museum.
“The military communities are beneficiaries of this building,” said Aida Cruz, office manager and event coordinator for the KVC. “But as the demand for venues in this area have increased, we decided to open to the public.”
The main hall of the KVC can host a standing-room-only crowd of 800 people. With tables and chairs, the facility can comfortably seat 400 guests.
The space can be configured in different ways to accommodate different events, and features six TV monitors throughout the room.
In addition, the KVC offers two air conditioned meeting rooms for smaller gatherings.
Located at 3215 Kapule Highway in Lihu‘e, the facility is close enough to the airport to be easily accessible for people coming to Kaua‘i for daylong meetings.
Honjo wants the community to “use this place for its potential,” noting that of late, instructors have been hosting Zumba and laughing yoga classes.
As for developing community programs, Honjo said interested parties “just gotta ask.”
Standing outside the KVC in the expansive parking lot, Honjo pointed to empty areas where he sees potential. He can even see the KVC helping to incubate new businesses.
“Someone could do a snack shop here,” said Honjo.
He envisions an outdoor food court of Health Department certified lunch wagons.
Honjo said with two industrial parks, the airport, the judicial building and the police department nearby, businesses offering food have the potential to do very well.
He said the KVC is asking for a “reasonable price” for vendors to set up shop, adding, “We are willing to work with everybody.”
Currently, the KVC hosts a swap meet from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays that is open to anyone for a $10 vendor fee.
The KVC requests that no firearms nor alcohol can be sold at the drug-free gatherings. They also request that any food sold is prepared in a kitchen certified by the Health Department.
“Up ‘til now, we’ve been very quiet and people think we are subsidized,” Honjo said.
Cruz agrees with Honjo.
“Our goal is to be self-sustaining,” Cruz said, emphasizing that there is “no funding by any government agency” for the KVC to finish various projects, such as updating the center’s commercial kitchen in order to be certified by the Health Department.
For more information, go to www.KauaiVeteransCenter.com, email KauaiVC@yahoo.com or call 246-1135.
• Laurie Cicotello, business writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 257) or business@thegardenisland.com
