Articles by Utopia Support

Be assured

Monday 16 July 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, As I read Alex Olah’s description of what transpired at the Pacific Festival I could feel their disappointment and tears of how they must have experienced the ‘let down’ of what should have been a joyous occasion. The MOCD should have known in advance and organised the welcoming contingent appropriately, properly allocated the […]

Stop carnage

Monday 16 July 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Helmets. Bottom line, they do save lives. However, despite all that is being said, I agree with both sides on certain issues as to the wearing of them or not. What really is the issue is ”police presence“. As I have said before in these letters, when deaths are prevalent on our roads […]

Barking dogs annoying

Monday 16 July 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, My husband and I have just returned home from staying for 26 days at the Sunset Resort. We had lovely and enjoyable holidays which were spoiled only by being woken nearly every night by barking dogs. Those dogs do not appear to belong to anyone and they certainly are not controlled by anyone. […]

Try bicycle helmets

Monday 16 July 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Regarding helmets, I’m a life-long motorcyclist, helmet advocate (with good reason – I’ve seen what happens without one) and have visited Rarotonga five times. I’ve tried to wear a full helmet there but the heat and humidity do spoil the fun. Last time out my wife and I tried good quality bicycle helmets […]

Kata - July 16, 2012

Monday 16 July 2012 | Published in Kata

Kiwi tour operator speaks for sharks

Monday 16 July 2012 | Published in National

Kiwi tourism operator Boyd McGregor knows more than most about the positive impact sharks have on the environment and is all for the proposed sanctuary in the Cook Islands. McGregor practically lives on the sea for a quarter of the year in Gisborne as the director of Surfit Enterprises, a company that offers deep sea […]

They never come back

Monday 16 July 2012 | Published in National

Diabetics who develop progressive kidney disease, or diabetic nephropathy, have three options – dialysis, transplant or death. In the Cook Islands resources are not sufficient to staff and maintain a dialysis machine, meaning that people who need its assistance must be transferred to New Zealand. In most cases they do not return to the Cook […]

Pa takes war against sugar to medics

Monday 16 July 2012 | Published in National

Pa Ariki continues to speak out against unhealthy behaviours and what she perceives as an unwillingness to change them. She spoke at last week’s health conference to a room of visiting doctors and professors about the way sugar and processed foods are destroying her people. Traditionally Cook Islanders ate what they caught, planted and harvested […]

New memorandum in the making

Monday 16 July 2012 | Published in National

Ties between the Ministry of Health and the Counties Manukau District Health Board (CMDHB) have been further strengthened after plans to reopen the Cook Islands School of Nursing were announced. CMDHB chairman Gregor Coster and secretary for the ministry of health Elizabeth Iro discussed the school and other opportunities under a new memorandum of understanding […]

Meaningless diatribe

Monday 16 July 2012 | Published in National

Punanga Nui needs very little management. Yet we are going to appoint a Development Committee. Here is a classic case of fixing something that is not yet (!) broken. For many years this entity has grown haphazardly with very little thought or planning put into it. It has its small issues that can be addressed […]

Minister's response 'petty and weak'

Monday 16 July 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

”The response from the deputy prime minister is both petty and weak,“ a smoke signaller writes following Friday’s page 7 article ‘DPM rejects independent shippers’ plea’ which quoted Transport Minister Tom Marsters’ strongly-worded email to Pacific Forum Line chief Henning Hanson, berating him for what Marsters viewed as his ”offhand, arrogant and disrespectful treatment“ of […]

Tai Moana hits back

Saturday 14 July 2012 | Published in Local

The owners of the company at the centre of the shipping debate have hit back at what they refer to as the ”unfortunate slurring“ of their name. Tai Moana Ltd owners Vaine and Arama Wichman wrote to Richard Barton of Cook Islands Shipping yesterday and asked him to contact them first in future before putting […]

4 Cook Islands languages 'endangered'

Saturday 14 July 2012 | Published in Local

Language retention is such a hot topic that it even featured in the annual health conference. Leon Iusitini presented at the conference this week the results of a survey conducted amongst Pacific people in Auckland. The survey involved interviews with 926 children, 134 of whom identified as Cook Islands Maori (about 15 percent of the […]

Pacific arts festival ends

Saturday 14 July 2012 | Published in Features

After two weeks of festivity, the 11th Festival of Pacific Arts cultural extravaganza came to a close in Honiara yesterday afternoon [Friday]. Delegations from 20 Pacific countries and territories and from the nine provinces of host country, Solomon Islands, donned their national regalia for the official closing ceremony. The Cook Islands did not send a […]

Ladi6 back for Divas in Paradise

Saturday 14 July 2012 | Published in Features

Divas in Paradise is shaping up to be even better in 2012. Motone Productions has again lined up some of the Pacific’s leading music talents and are thrilled to announce the return of last year’s leading diva, the award-winning Ladi6. With her sultry voice, razor sharp wit and a stage show to match, Ladi6 is […]

Sad tikae

Saturday 14 July 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Ko au teia ko John Lindsay. I am really saddened to read on the news that there was no Cook Islands contingent representing the country at Honiara’s Festival of Pacific Arts. Te kino ua atu nei teia e tupu nei te Pasireia. Te vai nei te au aito o te carving, tui tivaevae, […]

Just a real shame we were absent

Saturday 14 July 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Last night on CITV the closing ceremony for the 11th Pacific Festival of Arts took place in the Solomon Islands. Twenty-two countries and territories from around the Pacific attended this amazing two-week event. Sadly, however, it seemed that the Cook Islands was one of the few not to participate. Pitcairn Island, with a […]

Government should be 'deeply ashamed'

Saturday 14 July 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The decision by government to not send a cultural delegation to participate and represent the Cook Islands in this year’s Pacific Festival of Arts in the Solomon Islands is disgraceful to say the least and reeks of arrogance and snobbery on the part of the Henry Puna-led government. The no-show to what is […]

National pride takes a hit

Saturday 14 July 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, As a company in Rarotonga whose primary focus is to establish creative music, festival, and film and TV opportunities, the recent coverage and responses from the community regarding the lack of planning by the Ministry of Culture to have the Cook Islands represented at the 11th South Pacific Arts Festival in Honiara, has […]

Kata - July 14, 2012

Saturday 14 July 2012 | Published in Kata