Articles by Utopia Support

Local TV station not public funded

Wednesday 6 June 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, This letter is in defence of the local television station which from what I could see is run purely on the advertising support of the business sector and the community, which is the only way in which private stations can raise any revenue. There is no public funding or subsidy from government but […]

3 White Collars?

Wednesday 6 June 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, In replying to the letter about Cook Islands Television, I support the letter writer, because in the past three weeks I’ve seen the same episode of White Collar. It’s very interesting but I shed a tear when I hear of the sponsors putting their hard earned money into advertising for this programme only […]

Kata - June 6, 2012

Wednesday 6 June 2012 | Published in Kata

Crew changes, high speeds and a great time in Samoa

Wednesday 6 June 2012 | Published in National

Cook Islands vaka Marumaru Atua was yesterday passing the first island in the Fiji group (Wailangi Lala) and planning to arrive at its destination this morning. Below is part of the latest instalment from crew member Alex Olah’s blog. In Raro we unfortunately had to say goodbye to three of our older crew members, Harry […]

Cook Islands fights for voice at Rio+20

Wednesday 6 June 2012 | Published in National

The Cook Islands and Niue will continue to battle for speaking rights at the United Nations Rio+20 Conference to be held in Brazil this month despite moves to exclude these Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) from doing so. The removal of speaking rights for the Cook Islands follows a UN General Assembly Resolution 66/197 […]

CI contributes to information sharing

Wednesday 6 June 2012 | Published in National

Cook Islands immigration services have been involved in a three-day workshop with law enforcement experts from across the Pacific in order to strengthen the information flow between countries and agencies in the region. Head of Cook Islands Immigration Kave Ringi travelled to Fiji last month to join the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat meeting, which brought […]

Cyber Safety Pasifika website launched

Wednesday 6 June 2012 | Published in National

Cyber Safety Pasifika has launched a new website that is aimed at helping young members of the Cook Islands and other Pacific Island communities to be safe online by providing information, advice and assistance on cyber safety. Cyber Safety Pasifika is a programme which equips police in the various Pacific Island countries including the Cook […]

Aitutaki kicks off cloth bag comp

Wednesday 6 June 2012 | Published in National

Aitutaki took the lead in the Environment Week celebration this year, beginning its campaign on Monday. Aitutaki vainetini got together in a cloth shopping bag art competition as part of its ‘Say YES’ to reusable bags campaign under the Taau Taku Tita banner. The vainetini used their own cloth bags or made their own out […]

Transit of Venus a high

Wednesday 6 June 2012 | Published in National

Cook Islands students – literally – witnessed an exciting slice of history yesterday afternoon. They were the last lot of students until December 2117 to watch Venus transit across the sun, and their enthusiasm was palpable. Tereora College science students gathered around department head Des Duthie’s telescope from midday. Duthie arranged the telescope in such […]

Reef sub ready and waiting

Wednesday 6 June 2012 | Published in National

A photo was in Saturday’s paper of the Raro Reef Sub ”high and dry“ –this is incorrect. The Reef Sub is ready to continue its trips if the water clarity improves and if coral reef and sea life can be seen. Owners Sheryl and Huw John will let everyone know when they are back in […]

Queen's birthday celebration for pastor

Wednesday 6 June 2012 | Published in National

Tevai ‘Bobby’ Matapo – pastor, leader and promoter of tertiary education – received a Queen’s Honours Award on the Queen’s birthday. His extended family and members of government attended a ceremony on Monday morning, at which Matapo was honoured with a rank as an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for […]

Police patrol going too slow?

Wednesday 6 June 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller writes: ”Maybe the reason the police vehicle hit the parked car early Saturday morning was that they were going sooooo sloooow that they went to sleep at the wheel! Why stand down the other officers in the vehicle when only one was driving?“ (See yesterday’s front page article ‘Police vehicle in crash’). […]

Visitor numbers up 6% for April

Tuesday 5 June 2012 | Published in Local

Asian tourists are coming to the Cook Islands in increasing numbers, with the group spearheading an increase in visitor figures for April 2012. The number of Asians coming to Rarotonga in April is up by 40 percent compared to the same month last year, with the statistics office recording 56 inbound tourists compared to 40 […]

Police vehicle in crash

Tuesday 5 June 2012 | Published in Local

A police crash investigation team is looking into the cause of a collision on Saturday morning between a police vehicle carrying three police officers and a parked car. Police report that at 4.23am on Saturday, a mobile police patrol which included three officers crashed into an unoccupied parked vehicle on the main road at Kavera. […]

Murray's monster wedding present!

Tuesday 5 June 2012 | Published in Local

Despite weighting in at 262kg – the monster blue marlin caught aboard Akura yesterday didn’t win the Queen’s Birthday Weekend fishing competition – one especially for tuna. Not that it bothered the charter crew or their ecstatic anglers from New Zealand who were beaming after hauling in the monster. Kiwi angler Murray Broughton thought the […]

Govt may be backing the wrong horse

Tuesday 5 June 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The news that the government is attempting to renegotiate 16 loans to the value of $63 million with the Asian Development Bank sounds very much like a consolidation loan. Such loans are greatly favoured by banks because they lock the debtor into much longer periods of loan repayments than the original term. Banks […]

TV at its worst

Tuesday 5 June 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I watch our local TV, although have SKY Pacific, and am very disappointed to see once again, CITV at their worst as far as their programme schedule is concerned. I thought CITV was a private enterprise, but must say they run their business like our government, (being everywhere, except looking after their core […]

Don't hold your breath on a decrease

Tuesday 5 June 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, We all recall that as the price of oil increased over the last few years, Te Aponga, the airlines and the petrol retailers on the island were all very quick in increasing their costs to us. Fuel surcharges were quickly imposed, then embedded in the costs. The price of a barrel of oil […]

Kata - June 5, 2012

Tuesday 5 June 2012 | Published in Kata

Netballers hit their straps

Tuesday 5 June 2012 | Published in Netball

As netballers hit their straps – classy games are being seen at the Telecom Sports Arena where this Saturday Avatiu met Ngatangiia, Tupapa took on a tenacious Takuvaine Club while Titikaveka faced Arorangi. Junior grade games were fiercely competitive as young netters put into action the new and improved skills from their training sessions. In […]