Articles by Utopia Support

Best planet in universe

Saturday 17 March 2012 | Published in Features

Avarua School’s Grade 6 class shares their work on the Kids Page today. Students were asked to write a story of what you think and feel about ‘The World We Live In’ for their English journal writing. The class has also been looking at the material world for science, with a focus on recyclable material, […]

Kids told to get moo-ving on art project

Saturday 17 March 2012 | Published in Features

CITC is taking its green theme to Rarotonga’s schools this month to encourage students to reduce, reuse, recycle, rethink and be in the chance to win $3000. Students are being asked to create a cow sculpture out of recycled Anchor packaging to be in the chance to win the cash prize. CITC and Anchor have […]

Fingers crossed for good luck today

Saturday 17 March 2012 | Published in Features

Manea Foods staff and customers will be crossing their fingers that the luck of the Irish will be on their side today as the food group celebrates St Patrick’s Day. Customers who have spent over $30 at the three Manea Food outlets on Rarotonga will find out at 1pm today if they are the winners […]

Pasifika – a fading festival?

Saturday 17 March 2012 | Published in Features

Jason Brown looks at what is happening to one of the major calendar events for the Cook Islands, at home and overseas Over 20 years ago, a small group of islanders got together in Auckland and decided to celebrate themselves. Almost lost in the myths of legend, the original Pasifika Festival in 1992 now seems […]

International dancer returns

Saturday 17 March 2012 | Published in Features

This year’s Dancer of the Year competition also hails the return and revival of the International Dancer of the Year contest. Dancers from the junior grade right up to golden oldies age and even visitors to the island are encouraged to register for the three main dance competitions this year. The first traditional dance competition […]

Student Army chief kicks back

Saturday 17 March 2012 | Published in Features

Relaxation and swimming have been high on the agenda for Sam Gifford during his stay in the Cook Islands. Gifford is one of the ‘Christchurch Heroes’ who have been visiting the country over the past months. He was part of the core team who organised the highly successful Student Volunteer Army, which ran out of […]

Bunglings and lies on NZ pension

Saturday 17 March 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, It was with shock and disbelief that I read yet again the bungling and lies that continually come from the various New Zealand governments when in office on the subject of the New Zealand Pension. Your article ‘Harbourmaster quits over NZ pension’ featured in the Thursday issue of the Cook Islands News strongly […]

We're too negative and too critical

Saturday 17 March 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I read the smoke signals the other day in which someone wrote in complaining about the appointment of Russell Thomas as the new PSC Commissioner and how there must have been more qualified applicants than he and the whole thing wreaked of political favouritism. I just wanted to air my personal views on […]

Kata - March 17, 2012

Saturday 17 March 2012 | Published in Kata

HSBC gives copy paper

Saturday 17 March 2012 | Published in National

Photocopiers will be whirring in schools across the Northern Group thanks to a donation of paper. HSBC Trustee (CI) Ltd gifted 56 cartons of A4 photocopy paper to the Ministry of Education today, as part of its role in supporting the community. They donate paper annually, rotating through the Northern and Southern Groups and Rarotonga […]

New solicitor general sworn in

Saturday 17 March 2012 | Published in National

Crown Law has brought an old face into a new position this week, welcoming former special counsel Kim Saunders back to the Cook Islands to take up the role of Solicitor General. Saunders was sworn in to the position at Government House yesterday in front of her Crown Law colleagues, senior police officers, acting Prime […]

Analysing cash flow and how it works

Saturday 17 March 2012 | Published in National

By Vaine Wichman Development Economist Vaine Wichman has worked extensively throughout the Pacific and the Cook Islands as a development economist. She began writing these columns at the request of women and men asking her to explain the working of their economy. Views in this column are Vaine’s. Cash flow is the money that is […]

Calling Miss Cook Islands prospects

Saturday 17 March 2012 | Published in National

If you’re a young woman and proud to be a Cook Islander, the Miss Cook Islands Pageant Association (MCIPA) wants to hear from you. Just one prospective contestant turned up to the association’s Miss Cook Islands pageant orientation on Wednesday. Following on from that meeting, the executive received phone calls from other potential contenders who […]

Signs of change at Punanga Nui

Saturday 17 March 2012 | Published in National

Signs of change are quite literally beginning to creep in at the Punanga Nui Markets with the latest additions to the town site. Two new signs have been erected to welcome market-goers at Punanga Nui, taking inspiration from what is on offer at the marketplace throughout the week. Included on the printed-aluminium sign are images […]

On 'Travel Duty': Yeah, right!

Saturday 17 March 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

That was the gist of an interesting auto response email message from a person overseas who obviously likes to give the impression that travel is a difficult task. A smoke signaller quipped: “That’s a new piece of jargon in officialese, which our public service will no doubt adopt…’I will be on ‘travel duty’ from blah […]

Women gather for prayer service

Friday 16 March 2012 | Published in Church Talk

The Women’s World Day of Prayer for 2012 was held on Thursday at the Arorangi Chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who also hosted this year’s event. The Women’s World Day of Prayer is a worldwide ecumenical movement of Christian women in more than 160 countries, who come together to observe […]

'Come with heart first'

Friday 16 March 2012 | Published in Church Talk

The various stages without doubt heighten to an increased intensified level when the cause of death is due to the intentional taking of one’s own life or when someone commits suicide. Not only do those who have lost loved ones to suicide have to deal with their own personal battles of constantly questioning themselves as […]

Connecting families at history centre

Friday 16 March 2012 | Published in Church Talk

Cook Islands genealogical records and family histories abound at the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints family history centre. There are microfilm and digital copies of records lost in the 1992 courthouse fire and charts linking all Polynesians to a common ancestor, tapes of now-deceased Cook Islanders reciting their kin and posters of family […]

Men urged to seek early treatment

Friday 16 March 2012 | Published in Local

Several men spoke emotively about the impact prostate cancer had on them or their families during a Wednesday meeting at Sinai Hall, which marked the launch of the Cook Islands Prostate Foundation. They spoke in support of the Cook Islands Prostate Foundation, newly formed to raise awareness of prostate cancer and seek funds for running […]

Women workers fear 'backlash'

Friday 16 March 2012 | Published in Local

The Cook Islands Workers Association (CIWA) has seen an increase in the number of employment grievances being laid by both male and female public servants, says the organisation’s president Anthony Turua. “In recent years we have received an increase in the number of grievances (from) both men and women in the public sector,” he said, […]