Articles by Utopia Support

Call for migration stories

Saturday 24 March 2012 | Published in National

If you’re a Cook Islander and have lived overseas or have a relative who lives overseas – and most Cook Islands residents meet that criteria – Sarina Tahitu wants to hear your story. The 23-year-old is a student of anthropology at Radboud University in Holland, and focusing her postgraduate thesis on family and migration, or […]

Pa wages war on diabetes

Saturday 24 March 2012 | Published in National

Pa Marie Ariki likens the Cook Islands’ battle with diabetes to the Titanic’s legendary encounter with a fatal iceberg. “People thought the Titanic would never sink. It was warned of the iceberg but it kept going – we’ve been warned about diabetes, and we need to make a change in course before it’s too late,” […]

Stop-Go guys keep smiling

Saturday 24 March 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller writes: “Yes, it can be a bit of pain waiting to be allowed to go through the current road works along the main road at Nikao, however I want to say those two young guys that are on the Stop/Go signs always have a smile and often a bit of humour, which […]

Watch and pray

Friday 23 March 2012 | Published in Church Talk

As Easter approaches Christians are conscious that the resurrection of Jesus was preceded by his passion. That is the time of his betrayal, his trial, suffering and death. For some, Easter is merely an extra long weekend. Some may make a big deal out of buying hot cross buns or Easter eggs. But I would […]

Come down to weather office

Friday 23 March 2012 | Published in Environment

The Cook Islands Meteorological Service is today inviting the public to its Nikao office to watch videos explaining what the country’s weathermen do. The impetus for the invitation is World Meteorological Day, which falls on March 23 each year. Today World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) members, of which the Cook Islands Meteorological Service is one, commemorate […]

Grocery grab worth $3967.95

Friday 23 March 2012 | Published in Local

It took just three minutes and 30 seconds for an aunty and her niece to create $3967.95 of damage at the CITC Supermarket yesterday. The supermarket was well and truly behind Tai Matenga and her niece Luciana in their isle-by-isle sweep of the store – Tai was the third and final winner of the grocery […]

DPM attends funeral

Friday 23 March 2012 | Published in Local

Deputy Prime Minister Tom Marsters and his wife Tuaine Marsters will join New Zealand dignitaries on an Air Force Boeing 757 flight on Tuesday to attend the funeral of King Tupou V of Tonga. The deputy prime minister is currently away in Brussels and on his way back will stop in New Zealand where he […]

Landowners stop Land Rovers

Friday 23 March 2012 | Published in Local

Four-wheel-drive safari tours have been booted off a private track that takes tourists along a bumpy section of off-roading behind the Rarotonga Hospital. Land owner John Rasmussen has filed an injunction against safari tour operators that bans them from using the track up hospital hill. Rasmussen said the track, which has been in use for […]

Why not subsidise northern flights?

Friday 23 March 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am writing to follow-up regarding the $12.5 subsidy to Air New Zealand for flights aimed at increasing tourism. While I laud this effort, I also wonder about encouraging local flights, especially between the Northern Group and Rarotonga. The current lack of regular, affordable transportation is discouraging. To travel from Rarotonga to Pukapuka […]

Not all support

Friday 23 March 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Please allow me ‘to kill two flies with one stroke’, as the saying goes. Firstly, I disagree with Dick (affectionately known as Dicky) Thomson, as far as his complete disgust is concerned. The Aitutaki Sharks were informed, as we read, two months ago that the Takuvaine Warriors are unable to travel due to […]

Judicature law like David and Goliath

Friday 23 March 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, If sending letters to the newspaper gets disclosure that the Judicature Amendment Bill really is at the behest of the Bankers’ Association, it is a win for freedom of information. The Law Society would win points if their aim to ‘diffuse legal knowledge’ to the public happened before it goes to Select Committee […]

Batman cashes cheques, flees island

Friday 23 March 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am writing in regards to the compendium initiative by the John Batman Group which has polarised the tourism industry. As a small tour operator obviously I am one of those totally opposed to this initiative. Basically this man Jarrod La Canna came to see us, showing a fancy compendium and a list […]

Kata - March 23, 2012

Friday 23 March 2012 | Published in Kata

Student Army organisers relax in the sun

Friday 23 March 2012 | Published in National

Relaxing at the Pacific Resort seems a world away from the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake for visiting heroes Christopher Duncan and Gina Scandrett. Both Duncan and Scandrett were part of the core team of six students who initiated the Student Army after both the September and February earthquakes. Duncan, who is the official recipient […]

New PSC aims for 'excellence'

Friday 23 March 2012 | Published in National

For new public service commissioner Russell Thomas, the work he’s doing and the office he’s doing it in are “nothing new”. From 2002 to 2009, Thomas managed the Office of the Public Service Commissioner (OPSC) as its chief executive officer. “It’s not new for me, only different. Before I was supporting the commissioner and now […]

Don't remove stream bank shrubs

Friday 23 March 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

“So the director of Environmental Services authorised the removal of ‘shrubbery’ from Takuvaine Stream ‘before it rains’,” a smoke signaler notes after reading yesterday’s front page article. “Brilliant indeed. That ‘shrubbery’ is what holds the soil, what slows down the flow of water and what absorbs pollutants from upstream before they can reach the lagoon. […]

CICC reviews Araka

Thursday 22 March 2012 | Published in Church Talk

The Avarua Cook Islands Christian Church (CICC) is currently undergoing a review of its Araka and is seeking all interested members of its congregation to join the discussion. The church examines its Araka every two years to update the document that helps guide its direction, ambitions, policies and strategies into the future. Avarua CICC secretary […]

Marine park launch on track

Thursday 22 March 2012 | Published in Environment

The marine park steering committee intends to conduct another round of public consultation meetings in coming weeks. Following a three-day workshop last week, the committee is surer than ever that it needs more feedback from island communities before launching the marine park at the Pacific Islands Forum in August. Last week, experts from regional and […]

Water security is food security

Thursday 22 March 2012 | Published in Environment

Today is World Water Day – a perfect day to reflect on how much water you use. You could start by asking yourself, “How much water did I have for breakfast today?” It seems a simple enough question. Many people would probably answer, “A glass or two,” but if you had two slices of bread […]

'Bump' in the road

Thursday 22 March 2012 | Published in Local

Motorists passing by the Nikao roads project yesterday morning could be seen chuckling to themselves in disbelief at the airport entrance. Though it is hardly a month old, the road seal laid down by the airport was getting dug up already. The works were contained to a very small area – a hole about one […]