Welcome 2016!

By Léo Azambuja

Another year has gone by, but the good thing is, a brand new year is ahead of us. Let your imagination fly wild, think of the possibilities. It’s all yours.

So here’s 2016, beaming with opportunities. I can’t wait to put all my personal and professional plans to work.

We are introducing a few new things to keep you entertained and informed. A couple brand new sections will utilize our existing resources while adding some more.

Our Biz of the Month is now part of the new Kaua‘i Business Marketplace. This section will concentrate our business articles and information in one place, making life easier for our readers while offering a marketplace for advertisers to display their businesses.

The new Health and Wellness section will house our monthly FIT column and other articles and ads related to the topic.

Our cover also received a small remake. Since January 2015, we have been committed to perpetuate the culture of Kaua‘i. Now, this commitment is part of our flag. Check it out.

We might also introduce a thing or two in the upcoming months, but it’s a surprise. I’ll just let out a tiny spoiler; it has to do with pets.

Meanwhile, we continue to publish daily on www.forkauaionline.com and to push forward with social media, increasing our presence on a daily basis on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

All this may be promising for us at For Kaua‘i, but in reality, it’s promising for all of Kaua‘i; its local residents, businesses, visitors and culture.

This past year, we made major changes to content and design, and it paid off. We increased our print publication to 21,000 copies, and in some months, we’ve had more than half million hits on our website.

But we continue to focus on the community. After all, the community is the reason we exist. With that said, our best indicator of how we’re doing is the feedback from the community.

I hear often from strangers that they love the paper. I have received emails and written letters — written letters — from Kaua‘i and beyond, praising our work. Many said they love our cultural approach. All this is really heartwarming, and I’m constantly thinking of ways I can pay back to the community.

We have proved anyone with a dream and a plan can succeed. Your dreams are attainable if you believe in them. And if you happen to be part of a community like Kaua‘i, you’re lucky, you can have the world!

As far as personal goals, I may not be at the fitness level I was hoping, but I’ll keep following our FIT column, taking notes on Samantha’s advices for a healthier lifestyle. And trying to find more time to surf.

This is going to be a great year, not just for me or for the crew at For Kaua‘i, but for everyone on the island.

Welcome 2016!