Articles by Utopia Support

New reward

Saturday 25 August 2012 | Published in Local

Yet another monetary reward is being offered for information leading to arrest, by a man disgruntled at how slow the police investigation has been. Mann Short, of Muri Beach Builders, had his tools stolen ”about three weeks“ ago from his truck, which was parked unlocked outside his Matavera house. A new J20 Ramset nailgun in […]

Unpaid tax revealed

Saturday 25 August 2012 | Published in Local

Two businesses are holding off to see if the Cook Islands Sport and National Olympic Committee (CISNOC) can avoid paying its outstanding value-added tax bill and could follow suit. Triathlon representative Geoff Stoddard revealed this at CISNOC’s annual general meeting on Thursday night. It means the $312,780 loss the sports body posted could be further […]

Wharekura makes good music

Saturday 25 August 2012 | Published in Features

A professional standard of musicianship combined with the relaxed nature of an intimate setting made for a fantastic night for the Aotearoa Society’s fundraising concert on Wednesday night. Leon Wharekura left the sold-out Staircase Restaurant and Bar to rounds of applause after a night of fun-filled entertainment for a good cause. All of the ‘two-course […]

Akava wins historic gold in Toque d'Or

Saturday 25 August 2012 | Published in Features

Isaia Akava has made history by becoming the first non-New Zealander to win a gold medal in the prestigious Toque d’Or competition held at Auckland’s ASB Showgrounds on Monday. As the only international team in the competition, the students from Rarotonga’s Hospitality and Tourism Training Centre were under pressure to perform, especially after last year’s […]

60 Plus group's new cookbook launched

Saturday 25 August 2012 | Published in Features

Friday was a special day for the 60 Plus group of mamas and papas who celebrate five years of friendship and the launch of the group’s new cook book ‘Raurau ki to rima’. The A5 cookbook, printed locally by Cook Islands News, includes kitchen-tested and time-honoured recipes by members of the group. In her address […]

Raro cures winter blues

Saturday 25 August 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, We are just back from what has been our 9th trip to Rarotonga. We had our first visit in 1996 and we love to visit you all and we always have a wonderful lazy relaxing time. We live way down the bottom of the South Island of New Zealand in The Catlins and […]

Standards too low, training too short

Saturday 25 August 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, For a former police officer to imply the problem of theft by police is due to poor leadership is both a lie and (pardon the pun) a cop out (Aug 20). All police officers are adults, and as adults they are responsible for their own actions. Long before the proverbial hit the fan, […]

Kata - August 25, 2012

Saturday 25 August 2012 | Published in Kata

New Edgewater GM

Saturday 25 August 2012 | Published in National

The Edgewater Resort & Spa is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Robert (Bob) Taylor as the resort’s new general manager. Bob brings with him a wealth of experience within the hospitality industry and is no newcomer to the island. He has worked as resort manager at the Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa since […]

Heroine's lonely grave done up

Saturday 25 August 2012 | Published in National

Some come to Rarotonga for the sunsets and some for the deep-sea diving. But for Dame Margaret Sparrow, the island’s draw was a worn stone grave, marked with a double headstone and tucked away in the Avarua CICC graveyard. Sparrow, a retired sexual health physician, came to Rarotonga to restore the grave of Ettie Annie […]

PM dodges police thefts

Saturday 25 August 2012 | Published in National

In absence of his minister of police, Prime Minister Henry Puna was asked by CINews to comment on what action would be taken to deal with the recent police thefts. Last week this newspaper reported on two cases of police thievery being investigated by New Zealand police detectives. The first was that of former police […]

Police 'dismissed' assault complainant

Saturday 25 August 2012 | Published in National

A woman who helped out the two German visitors assaulted at a downtown nightclub early last Saturday morning says the lacklustre police response was ”unjust“. The local woman, who declined to be named because of her job, said the two female police officers standing outside Rehab Nightclub and Bar refused to act when asked for […]

Feeling second class

Saturday 25 August 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller observes: ”Frenzied activities on the roads, putting in tiger eyes on the centre line, painting white lines down the middle, grooming, brushing and cleaning…all this just to impress the Forum delegates. Then there’s the new police cars, wow, and we all thought that the police had nothing left in their Budget as […]

Soccer action at 2 venues

Saturday 25 August 2012 | Published in Football

The Cook Islands Football Association complex and the Avatiu Swamp will be the two venues to catch all the soccer action today. In the 2012 Lotto Premiership – Avatiu will host Arorangi at the Swamp while Takuvaine and Tupapa players will go head to head at the CIFA complex. At the Swamp – Avatiu will […]

Cold snap

Thursday 23 August 2012 | Published in Local

The cold weather has continued this week, mostly thanks to a cold front that has moved across to the Cook Islands from New Zealand. Maara Vaiimene, operations manager at the Meteorological Service, says the cold weather was due to the culmination of three weather systems – a cold front moving from the eastwards from New […]

Is she or isn't she?

Thursday 23 August 2012 | Published in Local

The US State Department is still refusing to confirm whether or not Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will turn up on Rarotonga’s shores next week. But there are a few telling signs. Clinton’s accommodation has been booked (a private home), her security convoy has already arrived, and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has extended her […]

Thank God

Thursday 23 August 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, After waiting patiently for six months for the road works to repair our road (top part), I decided to do it myself to avoid more accidents. It shows you either the government haven’t got the resources or they don’t give a damn about the aronga rikiriki (small people) of our country. Thank God […]

Arataki matakukore

Thursday 23 August 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Kia Orana e Tama, Te ngakau parau ite kiteanga ite karape e te pakari o te upoko arataki atupaka o te au akava i tana i rave ite kimikimi anga ite au angaanga taravake a tona aronga angaanga e pera tei opukina ia mai no te okooko e te kai maruana. Teia ta tatou i […]

Dogs never so bad

Thursday 23 August 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, In regard to G. Brown’s (NZ) letter (Wed 15), we too have been coming to Rarotonga for many years – like 16 or 17 and we absolutely agree with everything he says. The dog problem has never been so bad or so terrifying. Does Rarotonga want tourists or are these savage dogs trained […]

PSC denies 'earmarking' of Aitutaki job

Thursday 23 August 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

The public service commissioner says the accusations against his office printed in a letter to the editor yesterday are based on ”unfounded speculation“. An Aitutaki person who wrote a letter under a nom de plume alleged that a position in the Aitutaki department of internal affairs was being ”earmarked“ for Kaiti Paiti, the daughter of […]