LIHUE — The Kauai Filipino Chamber of Commerce’s newly installed president Randall Francisco took the podium at the chamber’s awards and installation gala Saturday evening, celebrating the dawn of the Year of the Rat.
The annual event was held at the Kauai Marriott Resort &Beach Club, and landed on the eve of the Chinese New Year. It provides an opportunity for the chamber to install new board members, hand out awards and name a new president.
At Saturday’s event, outgoing president Laurie Yoshida gave a brief round of mahalos for those she worked with as president of the Kauai Filipino Chamber of Commerce, and then passed the microphone to Francisco.
Francisco began his first speech as 2020 president of the chamber with a bit of insight on what the Year of the Rat means, according to his research, saying it is forecast to be a good year for business and a year full of change on many levels.
“Change is only good if we’re willing to change,” Francisco said in his brief speech after being introduced.
Kauai Police Deparatment Chief Todd Raybuck offered with his first-ever keynote speech, reflecting on his first nine months in office and on Kauai, and putting in a bid for local officer recruitment.
KPD needs to hire around 19 officers, according to Raybuck.
He outlined his priorities for KPD, emphasizing the importance of serving people, of strengthening relationships with the community and improving the quality of life for island residents.
Raybuck also provided progress reports on the two biggest
complaints he gets from the community — homelessness and abandoned vehicles.
Both are longstanding issues on Kauai, and Raybuck is partnering with other county officials to find solutions.
To address homelessness, Raybuck is working with Prosecuting Attorney Justin Kollar and Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami to find ways to “keep the community clean and crime-free” while remembering “homelessness isn’t a crime.”
In the works currently to address the latter is an abandoned and derelict vehicle committee, sprouting from the number of complaints received about vehicles abandoned all over Kauai.
“Last year we had over a thousand abandoned vehicles reported to us,” Raybuck said. “Every time I take one, two pop up. Fortunately, the mayor has put together an abandoned and derelict vehicle committee and we’re going to do our best to resolve it.”
Themes of change and “new beginnings” were woven throughout the gala, with Marynel Valenzuela announcing her last night as an official part of the Kauai Filipino Chamber of Commerce, but that she’d be around, helping out.
“Just don’t call me late at night,” she said.
Host Dickie Chang and Cameraman Bruce Smalling accepted the 2020 Entrepreneur of the Year Award for their long-running show “Wala‘au.” Earlier this month, the duo announced they were retiring the show. Smalling is retiring. Chang is joining a venture to open a restaurant and venue in Oahu’s Chinatown.
As he wrapped up his first speech as the 2020 president of the Kauai Filipino Chamber of Commerce, Francisco highlighted the importance of being involved and giving time to organizations that can make a difference for Kauai.
“We want people to continue to give,” he said. “Take that as your theme in this auspicious year of the elections, not just chamber elections, but all the elections. If you can’t donate money, donate your time.”
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Jessica Else, editor-in-chief, can be reached at 245-0457 or jelse@thegardenisland.com.
