Saturday Briefing

By Dr. Richard Kelley
The past 12 months have been most challenging for a number of reasons. During this time, our energy-dependant economy has seen the price of a barrel of crude oil nearly double to $145. That translated to higher airfares, airline stress, and extreme economic duress for our customers, our ‘ohana, and our company. A near-collapse of the world’s financial backbone and stock markets followed and has hurt almost everyone. The U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research has finally admitted what we have all known for some time: the U.S. economy has been in a recession all year. Read the rest of this entry

By Dr. Richard Kelley

Once again the world is watching, appalled, as terror, riots, and violence disrupt Travel & Tourism around the world. There were the bloody attacks late last month on hotels and a train station in Mumbai (formerly Bombay) and the closure by rioters of two airports in Thailand. Currently, Greece is enduring riots that have brought that country to a standstill. Read the rest of this entry

By Dr. Richard Kelley

The Honolulu Marathon always amazes me, and this year is no exception. It is the third-largest marathon in the country — trailing only New York (85,000 applicants, although capacity allows only about half to be accepted) and Chicago (35,000) — and the sixth-largest in the world. Considering Honolulu’s small population, our Marathon’s popularity is phenomenal. According to the Honolulu Advertiser, it is Hawaii’s largest sporting event. Read the rest of this entry

By Dr. Richard Kelley

During the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Kelley family watched the action from the top floor of their home on Kuhio Avenue

Tomorrow, December 7, is a very significant day, as it marks the 67th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. One week later, December 14, marks the 36th running of the Honolulu Marathon. These two events have had a profound effect on my life and probably the lives of many members of our ‘ohana living or working in Hawaii.On December 7, 1941, my sisters, Jean and Pat, and I were just kids living with our parents Roy and Estelle Read the rest of this entry

By Dr. Richard Kelley

At the end of the year, we will say mahalo and aloha to Aram and Rosie Melkonian, who are retiring after having represented Outrigger Hotels & Resorts in the eastern Canadian market for more than 40 years. It is always difficult to say farewell to long-time colleagues, especially when they have been such good friends and integral members of our Outrigger ‘ohana. Read the rest of this entry

By Dr. Richard Kelley

It is Thursday evening. As I sit down to write my weekly message to the Outrigger ‘ohana, the news is grim. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed today at 7,552, the lowest in five years. The S&P 500 dropped to 752, the lowest since 1997. Leroy Laney, consulting economist to First Hawaiian Bank, predicts that visitor arrivals for Hawaii will be down 9 percent this year and will drop 5 percent more next year. Across the nation and all around the Hawaiian Islands, people are being laid off or having their hours cut back. Read the rest of this entry

By Dr. Richard Kelley  

Dietrich Mayring

It is with sadness that I must report that a long-time member of the Outrigger ‘ohana, Dietrich Mayring, died on October 26, at his home in Flagstaff, Arizona, at the age of 68. The cause of death was not revealed in the obituary published in the Flagstaff Daily Sun. Read the rest of this entry

By Dr. Richard R. Kelley

The people have spoken. After overcoming unbelievable odds, Hawaii-born and -raised Barack Obama will be the next president of the United States, and the first person of color to hold that position – a historic first, and a gratifying one to all those, whatever their political persuasion, who believe in this nation’s promise of equal opportunity for all.

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Dr. Richard R. Kelley

As I write this article, Election Day 2008 in the United States is less than a week away. Polling has actually already started, with more people than ever taking advantage of absentee ballots and the early walk-in voting options available almost everywhere. Still, candidates at all levels are making a final drive to deliver their message and collect votes. The political mud is flying fast in all directions.

I hope that every eligible member of the Outrigger ‘ohana will vote in this important election. It is a hard-won right that Americans are privileged to enjoy. Around the world, not everyone is so fortunate. Read the rest of this entry

By Dr. Richard R. Kelley

It always gives me great pleasure when a member of our ‘ohana is recognized for excellence and leadership, but I was exceptionally happy when I heard that Robert McConnell has just been appointed the District Governor for Hawaii by Best Western International.

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