Articles by Utopia Support

Children arrested for burglary

Monday 2 April 2012 | Published in Local

Police have apprehended two children aged below 10 among seven people who stand accused of committing burglaries in Rarotonga, Commissioner Maara Tetava said. Four people were arrested last week on suspicion of carrying out a string of burglaries around Rarotonga, with three others apprehended for allegedly committing a separate burglary. Two children were included in […]

Official complaints encouraged

Monday 2 April 2012 | Published in Local

People who have issue with the actions or inactions of Cook Islands police are being encouraged by Commissioner Maara Tetava to lodge an official complaint with himself or the ombudsman. People seeking to lodge a complaint against a police officer can go through the police’s internal review system or via the ombudsman’s office. Tetava encouraged […]

'Dodgy' calls bug police

Monday 2 April 2012 | Published in Local

Police are working on finding the identities of anonymous callers who last week put in false emergency reports to Cook Islands Police’s communications centre. Commissioner Maara Tetava police received numerous calls last week reporting false incidents across Rarotonga. But when police arrived at the sites, sometimes at high speed due to the nature of the […]

Carter in NZ to discuss MFAT cuts

Monday 2 April 2012 | Published in Local

New Zealand High Commissioner to the Cook Islands John Carter is leading a protest by diplomats against cuts to NZ’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. An expensive two-day meeting began yesterday as diplomats went home from around the world to discuss proposed changes at MFAT. A letter signed by 49 diplomats arguing against the […]

Do the right thing

Monday 2 April 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Just a few words of advice to those who are complaining for not receiving their NZ pension in the Cook Islands. When the old pension was first introduced you had to work in NZ until you turned 60. If you left NZ before the age of 60 years, unfortunately you had to return […]

If NZ don't want us, then who does?

Monday 2 April 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I would strongly suspect that if New Zealand were to relinquish her association with the Cook Islands there would be a number of other countries out there that would jump to the chance of taking us on board as one of their prime territories situated as we are in the South Pacific, NOT […]

Banks need to prove their case and not run to govt

Monday 2 April 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I read the article quoting Chief Justice Weston and agree with much of what he said especially that “generally speaking judges will have a concern with that as a criminalisation of civil obligations and probably not an appropriate response”. I also agree with his view the Bill as being at ‘stage one’ of […]

Kata - April 2, 2012

Monday 2 April 2012 | Published in Kata

Cruise ship stops by Aitutaki and Palmerston

Monday 2 April 2012 | Published in National

The Hanseatic is one of four Hapagg Lloyd line ships that visit the Cook Islands regularly. She is a true expedition ship and as such visits places that most large cruise ships cannot. On this visit she will call into Rarotonga, Aitutaki and Palmerston Island. For the people of Palmerston this is a life saver, […]

Four-legged kids enrolled

Monday 2 April 2012 | Published in National

Senior students of Vaitau Primary School in Aitutaki were engaged in designing and building their first ‘goat house’ last week. This came about due to heavy rain and the principal’s concern for two kid goats born in the school garden. Principal Ingrid Stewart suggested some form of shelter be erected for the baby goats as […]

Thieves take bike parts

Monday 2 April 2012 | Published in National

Police are again reminding people to properly secure motorcycles, remove keys and keep them in sight to deter thieves from stealing them. Last week a motorcycle was stolen from a home in Ruatonga and another at a home in Atupa. Unlawful taking remains a problem for police, with motorcycles going missing on a weekly basis. […]

Police reports changing direction

Monday 2 April 2012 | Published in National

Cook Islands Police are introducing changes to their media relations that are intended to bring more information on targeted issues to the public. The changes will narrow down the topics of reporting to issues considered in the public interest and those at the heart of police targets on weekly, monthly and annual scales. Commissioner Maara […]

Bring your own chair

Monday 2 April 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

A reader had a good chuckle over a classic Hawaiian poster advertising a Polynesian show and meal that asks those attending to BYOC Bring Your Own Chair! The Friday night Bash, Papa Ole’s Kitchen and Hui Kupono at the Hauula Shopping Centre bills itself as featuring free entertainment including a live band, a Polynesian show […]

Earth Hour at the OPM

Saturday 31 March 2012 | Published in Environment

Offing the lights for yesterday’s Earth Hour – Office of the Prime Minister’s climate change director Ana Tiraa with Harriette Kimiora and Celine Dyer of the central policy and planning office.

Stanford searching for world's strongest coral

Saturday 31 March 2012 | Published in Environment

A team of marine biologists from the renowned Stanford University in the United States is on a search to find the world’s strongest coral, the itinerary for which includes the Cook Islands. Currently the team is in American Samoa. Stanford marine biologist Stephen Palumbi describes the back reefs at Ofu Island in American Samoa as […]

Poor show

Saturday 31 March 2012 | Published in Local

The Tereora College Parent Teacher Association has been left stunned and dismayed with the turnout to its annual general meeting this week. Just 20 parents turned up to the AGM on Wednesday from a student body numbering about 600. The turnout left outgoing PTA vice chairman Emile Kairua horrified at the indifference shown by the […]

Call for action on 'blood flow'

Saturday 31 March 2012 | Published in Local

The Cook Islands government should urgently call a session of parliament to allow for a national discussion on financial reform and how it can be used to fight depopulation, says Leader of the Opposition Wilkie Rasmussen. The Democratic Party caucus met yesterday to discuss the banking reform proposed by the Cook Islands Party Government this […]

Switching off nationwide

Saturday 31 March 2012 | Published in Local

Schools, offices and homes across Rarotonga sat in the dark for an hour yesterday, switching off their lights and unneeded electrical appliances during Earth Hour to help raise awareness of the impacts of climate change. Year 2 and 3 students at Apii Nikao Maori used the hour to move away from typical school work and […]

Easter music festival

Saturday 31 March 2012 | Published in Features

Local musicians are poised to bring in the Easter weekend the right way – on the beach, with food and drinks and their instruments – and they’re inviting Rarotonga to join them. For the fourth year running, local musician Mark Franklin is organising a music festival to kick off the long Easter weekend. Featuring all […]

I am a turtle in a polluted ocean

Saturday 31 March 2012 | Published in Features

Grade Four and Grade Six students from St Joseph’s Primary School share some of their work in today’s Kids Page. For their creative writing the Grade Six students had to imagine they were a turtle living in a polluted ocean, and create an imaginative story that protests against pollution. They have also been practising their […]