Saturday Briefing

By Dr. Richard Kelley — Independence Day in the USA means different things to different people. For countless Americans, the Fourth of July means a day off, an afternoon at the beach, and hot dogs on the grill. Read the rest of this entry

By Una Murray — The International Rugby Board (IRB) last year announced a £48 million Strategic Investment Programme to fund rugby performance initiatives in 22 countries. The ANZ Pacific Nations Cup is an important component of this initiative and is designed to improve the performance of teams from the Pacific Islands, Japan, and other targeted Rugby Unions on the world stage. National teams from Fiji, Japan, Samoa, and Tonga, along with the 2006 and 2007 champions the Junior All Blacks, will participate. Read the rest of this entry

By Angelica Loughlin — Please join the Outrigger Guam familia (family) in congratulating Nelida Dimatatac and Paulina Perkin for receiving the Guam Hotel & Restaurant Association’s (GHRA) “Beyond the Call of Duty Integrity Award.” On a quarterly basis, the “Beyond the Call of Duty” award presentation is a highlight of the Guam Hotel & Restaurant Association’s General Membership Meeting. This prestigious award recognizes those whose actions performed are beyond their outlined job description. There are two award categories in the Beyond the Call of Duty awards — the “Life Saving Award” and the “Integrity Award.” Read the rest of this entry

By Lois Shore — In mid-June, Outrigger hosted eight travel agency owners/managers and front-line selling agents from the West Coast for an Executive Travel Agent Forum here in Waikiki. The objective of the meeting was to provide our senior-level managers and executives the opportunity to directly interact with the agents and solicit the agents’ ideas on some of our marketing programs, properties, and business strategies. Read the rest of this entry

By Mai Ho — America is about to celebrate another Independence Day, and many of us are making plans to celebrate the holiday. Some will travel, some will get together with family and friends, and some are deciding where they want to view the spectacular fireworks shows. I will spend this day remembering to count my blessings for the liberties that my family and I are so grateful to have experienced since coming to America and living the American dream.

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By Ka‘ipo Ho — Over the past couple of months, a group of our Outrigger Alaka‘i, or Ke ‘Ano Wa‘a leaders, from the island of O‘ahu had the honor of participating in a cultural immersion program called Ola Hawai‘i offered by the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association (NaHHA). In 2007, NaHHA received a three- year federal grant from the Administration for Native Americans to develop and Read the rest of this entry

By Donna Leong — This is the sixth in a series of eight articles written by Outrigger’s executives in support of our Value of the Week program. Every other week, one of our company’s executives will introduce the value of the week and share what that value means to them. This week’s author is Donna Leong, Sr. VP and Chief Legal Officer, and this week’s Value of the Week is: Wahi (Place) – We protect, care for and live in harmony with the land, our workplace, it’s peoples and cultures. – Ka‘ipo Ho

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By Kathy Hansberry — Fun flicks will be playing poolside this summer at Embassy Suites® - Waikiki Beach Walk®, starting with a showing of “Top Gun” on Friday, July 3, at 8 p.m. Playing on the resort’s Grand Lanai, the movie will be shown on a screen of grand proportion — 10 feet by 14 feet in size.
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By Dr. Richard Kelley

As predicted, President Barack Obama and his administration are in a “full-court press” mode, as they try to drum up the support needed to pass sweeping changes in how health care is controlled, delivered, and financed in the United States. Last week, I had an encounter with the U.S. health care system that really put a lot of the issues and rhetoric into perspective. Please let me share that experience with you. Read the rest of this entry

By Lorry Ijima Sato

Back row: Jerry Dolak, Arnold Kinoshita, Lori Ishiyama, Bill Sthay, Mercedes Lanza, Dan Wacksman, Milton Lafitaga, Sean Ajimine, Brian Takenaka, Walter Tolentino, and Victor Tong Front row: Heather Doeringer, Danette Bolosan, and Cheryl Suda Kneeling: Dane and Brian Takenaka, and Amber Tajiri

On the evening of May 29, a group of Outrigger employees took part in First Hawaiian Bank’s Troy Barboza Law Enforcement Torch Run. The goal of the run is to raise funds for, and awareness of, the Special Olympics movement. Special Olympics was founded on the belief that people with intellectual disabilities can, with proper instruction and encouragement, learn, enjoy, and benefit from participation in individual and team sports, adapted as necessary to meet the needs of those with special mental and physical limitations. Read the rest of this entry