Articles by Utopia Support

Guard rail requested at rock wall

Thursday 15 March 2012 | Published in National

Avatiu residents have requested a guard rail be installed at the harbour’s rock armour wall once it is complete to help protect children in the area coming into trouble at the site. The residents put in the request to the Ports Authority and the project’s manager at the second of two community meetings held over […]

Harbourmaster quits over NZ pension

Thursday 15 March 2012 | Published in National

Problems with pension portability have again put the Avatiu harbour master’s job on the market, just six months after it was last filled. Current harbour master Captain John Cornwell, who hails from New Zealand, has resigned from the position after experiencing problems with accessing his national pension. Cornwell said he did not want to cause […]

Araura farewells Papa Piri

Thursday 15 March 2012 | Published in National

Araura College recently showed its respects to honour one of their own former teachers and long serving deputy principal and retired principal Papa Piri Maao. All Araura College students formed a guard of honour as his casket was carried through the school grounds stopping for a short while in front of the school’s staffroom where […]

Atiu raffle postponed

Thursday 15 March 2012 | Published in National

The Atiu community has postponed the draw of its $125,000 monster raffle. Its executive regrets to announce that funds raised by Atiuans and Cook Islands communities both here and abroad are not sufficient to warrant drawing of the raffle this week as planned. The executive, committee members and village leaders have met several times, and […]

PICI launches Aitutaki lagoon survey

Wednesday 14 March 2012 | Published in Environment

Pacific Islands Conservation Initiative (PICI) has announced the official launch of its Aitutaki Lagoon Monitoring Project (ALMP). ALMP is an ongoing research project using volunteers to conduct comprehensive biodiversity surveys of the marine habitats of the Aitutaki lagoon. Surveys will be run as consecutive six-week expeditions, with groups of 10 ‘eco-volunteers’ collecting data. These data […]

The Torea tere to Alaska

Wednesday 14 March 2012 | Published in Environment

Every year, in early April, a large tere party leaves the Cook Islands for Alaska. They are in their most spiffy clothes and are going to the great Alaskan courtship party. They are in the Torea tere. It is also most likely that the Torea tere of a thousand years ago lead the Polynesians to […]

Cyber crime war goes into schools

Wednesday 14 March 2012 | Published in Local

Pacific police chiefs took a pledge last year to make the rising tide of cybercrime a policing priority. As part of that commitment, senior sergeant Ngatamariki Pouao and information technology officer Aporo Kirikava recently travelled to Brisbane for a Cyber Safety Pasifika conference, administered and funded by the Australian Federal Police. Pouao was chosen to […]

Youth agree to 'choose life'

Wednesday 14 March 2012 | Published in Local

More than 140 young people from Rarotonga and her sister islands gathered in Vaimaanga yesterday to discuss suicide and how to prevent it from happening in the future. Discussion centred on the challenges and stressors young people face daily, ways they might react or respond to that stress, and examples of support networks they might […]

Female public servants have no real redress

Wednesday 14 March 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Well and good for advocates like Lynnsay Francis (March 12) to claim that women employees have avenues to redress their employment issues – if only that were true. It is not true if you are a female public servant. The reality is, when all other avenues are exhausted, who, with their public servant’s […]

Kata - March 14, 2012

Wednesday 14 March 2012 | Published in Kata

Second honeymoon for Maxie and Mark

Wednesday 14 March 2012 | Published in National

Making sure Christchurch residents were drinking safe water was a priority for Maxie Christison after the February earthquakes damaged much of the city’s water and waste water systems. Maxie manages the laboratory charged with testing Christchurch’s water samples and while she was nominated as one of 100 Christchurch heroes to enjoy and all expense paid […]

'Begin by choosing life'

Wednesday 14 March 2012 | Published in National

Organisers of the youth forum held on Rarotonga yesterday described the event as a ‘resounding success’, with the participation of more than 140 young people sharing their ideas and discussing ways to support youth facing the challenges and difficulties of life. Steering group chair Vania Kenning said young people from Rarotonga and the sister islands […]

'Dressing up' the rock wall

Wednesday 14 March 2012 | Published in National

What looked like the reconstruction of the controversial Avatiu rock wall has been explained by Ports Authority chief executive officer Bim Tou as all part of the process. Heavy machinery was yesterday concentrated on the area of the rock wall next to the Avatiu western harbour where much work had already been done to create […]

Funds received for new 'respite centre'

Wednesday 14 March 2012 | Published in National

For nearly a decade Te Kainga O Pa Taunga has been working toward setting up respite care facility to relieve Cook Islands caregivers. Now, thanks to a grant from Japan, the centre’s dream is becoming a reality. Both Te Kainga O Pa Taunga and the Cook Islands government expressed their gratitude to the Japanese government […]

Whale rider cuts teeth in the heat

Wednesday 14 March 2012 | Published in National

The other night as I was flying up from Auckland, I began thinking about how international air travel has changed. My thoughts were negative. I was in a queue to go to the wharepaku. The plane was full hence the queue, and as someone came out you had to do a little dance to find […]

Commissioner's appointment irks

Wednesday 14 March 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

“What a complete shambles the appointment of the new Public Service Commissioner has turned out to be,” a smoke signaller writes. “In my opinion the Prime Minister and Cabinet did not select on merit but looked at this from a close family and party connections. What happened to the PM’s speech about the promises that […]

Finals spots on line at primary soccer

Wednesday 14 March 2012 | Published in Football

Senior primary school soccer teams will gather today at the CIFA complex in Matavera to battle it out for a spot in the finals which will take place next week. Today’s semi final match in the senior boy’s division will see Avarua, Avatea, Arorangi and the combined school of Te Uki Ou/Imanuela Akatemia teams contest […]

2 men arrested

Tuesday 13 March 2012 | Published in Local

Police arrested two men at the weekend for burglary and excess breath alcohol. A 27-year-old Tupapa man was arrested on Saturday morning for burgling the Triad Petrol Station in Tutakimoa. Staff arriving at work on Saturday morning discovered a large amount of cigarette cartons and alcohol was stolen from the shop overnight. Entry into the […]

Cuban envoy visits

Tuesday 13 March 2012 | Published in Local

A Cuban diplomat arrives in the Cook Islands today. Her Excellency Maria del Carmen Herrera Caserio, ambassador of the Republic of Cuba, will be visiting the Cook Islands from today until Friday. The purpose of her visit is to present her credentials to the Cook Islands government. A ceremony is yet to be confirmed. Diplomatic […]

Japan gives $140,000 to Te Kainga

Tuesday 13 March 2012 | Published in Local

Te Kainga Mental Health and Wellbeing Centre is getting a new ‘respite centre’ building, thanks to funding from the Japanese government under its Grant Assistance for Human Security Projects (GGP) scheme. A signing ceremony to mark the handover of a $140,775 grant will take place today at Te Kainga from 11am. Second Secretary of the […]