Articles by Utopia Support

Rituals and reasons many and varied

Saturday 14 January 2012 | Published in Features

The reasons for haircutting ceremonies and its history in the Cook Islands vary from island to island and family to family. One thing that is for sure is that the ceremony brings extended families and communities together in honour of ancestors past and futures yet to be written. Puna Rakanui, emcee at the recent haircutting […]

Ezekiels lineage upheld in tradition

Saturday 14 January 2012 | Published in Features

Five-year-old Ezekiel Tuatea Tatuava-Enjoy is still getting used to his new shorter haircut after the young Atiu warrior had his locks cut in a traditional ceremony on Saturday, January 7. While Ezekiel, the son of Annabelle and Masterton Enjoy, understands that cutting his hair for the first time was a special occasion and big deal […]

Whoopdedoo

Saturday 14 January 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, What a lovely letter to the editor regarding Captain Tama and his lagoon cruises except that the letter writer forgot to mention that she has been known to accompany the good captain to conduct massages on Motu Koromiri. . That Jenny is writing her letter of praise is just spindoctoring with neither of […]

Cleaned up?

Saturday 14 January 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, As a person who for several months rented a flat near the chicken farm, I can confirm that the smell at the time and up until recently was really dreadful. However, I note that lately, the smell has completely gone, so the letters to the editor have certainly had a good effect on […]

Time is short

Saturday 14 January 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, With regard to CISNOC, $800,000 is a lot of money (outstanding debt) as stated in the paper last week. But, only a small pebble in the ocean when you look at what a Cook Islands Olympic Team means to the tourism industry and local business here in the Cook Islands. The Olympic Games […]

Beautiful haircutting v. pompous investiture

Saturday 14 January 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, In the Cook Islands News on Monday January 9 was an article about 300 people attending a young warriors hair-cutting ceremony. Wow!!! Here we have Ezekiel Tuatea Tatuava-Enjoys traditional hair-cutting ceremony. His proud parents were joined by 300-plus family and friends and leaders of the community for the special, traditional ceremony. Beautiful. Now, […]

Kata - January 14, 2012

Saturday 14 January 2012 | Published in Kata

Summer photo competition - this weeks entries

Saturday 14 January 2012 | Published in National

Youngsters and family gatherings feature in this the second batch of entries in our Memories of Summer photo competition. Our first weekly winner is Teremoana Hardie of Tupapa who sent in her boys gossip and girls do all the hard work summer shot. Hardie wins a framed photo of her winning snap and along with […]

Locals study to be hotel managers

Saturday 14 January 2012 | Published in National

Fiji-based hotelier Greg Cornwall has over 40 years of experience in the hospitality and tourism industry and has worked in management at hotels across Asia and the Pacific. But after just three days in Rarotonga, hes convinced that Cook Islanders are some of the friendliest, most hospitable people in the world. Cornwall, originally from Tasmania, […]

73 doing USP summer courses

Saturday 14 January 2012 | Published in National

Seventy-three Cook Islands university students are filling their summer months with extra homework and assignments, enrolled in one of five summer school courses on offer at USP Cook Islands this year. Four tutors from USPs Fiji campus have arrived in the Cook Islands to teach summer courses over the coming weeks. They are joined by […]

MFEM tweets!

Saturday 14 January 2012 | Published in National

The Ministry of Finance and Economic Management (MFEM) has established a twitter account in order to provide Cook Islanders with immediate updates on the internet. Twitter is a social media network, which acts like an instant messaging forum. Anyone can log on and establish a twitter account, which enables them to follow any other users […]

New business rolls in for guides

Saturday 14 January 2012 | Published in National

As the world gets wind of Aitutakis best-kept secret, business rolls in for the islands trained bonefish guides. Richard Story and Ian Bertrams idea to turn local bone fishermen who were netting and killing bonefish at rates that the bonefish population could not sustain into guides for fly fishers from all over the world is […]

All 12 Rarotonga water intakes are flowing again

Saturday 14 January 2012 | Published in National

The quality and pressure of Rarotongas water should be back to its usual standards following the festive seasons ferocious weather. Heavy rains that fell on Rarotongas interior caused troubles for the Ministry of Infrastructure and Plannings water works division when debris and mud brought down by the cloudburst entered all of the islands 12 water […]

Chloe beats odds to pass her NCEA

Saturday 14 January 2012 | Published in National

Going into NCEA exams this year, the odds were stacked against Tereora College year 11 student Chloe Wragg. Due to complications with her student visa, her six-month exchange programme with Kamehameha Schools in Hawaii started later than usual, meaning she returned to Rarotonga in July and had just half a year to catch up on […]

PSC post still open

Saturday 14 January 2012 | Published in National

Cabinet is apparently close to approving the appointment of a new Public Service Commissioner. Prime Minister Henry Puna recently told Cook Islands News that an announcement of the position will be made soon. He will not discuss rumours about who is likely to get the job and says cabinet will follow formal protocols in due […]

Skipper told locals he was heading to Brazil

Saturday 14 January 2012 | Published in National

Police are investigating the possibility that another vessel was nearby the yacht Bonny when the man believed to be skippering it vanished at sea earlier this month. Cook Islands Police commissioner Maara Tetava said police were looking at the possibility that Bonny was not alone when its skipper disappeared about 20 nautical miles off Rarotonga […]

Missing skipper had no passport

Saturday 14 January 2012 | Published in National

A skipper who stopped at Rarotonga unannounced and without a passport was able to come ashore because he required medical treatment, says Harbour Master Captain John Cornwell. The skipper, who is now the subject of a missing persons case after disappearing off Rarotonga on January 3, did not go through the usual customs and biosecurity […]

PM meeting with Pacific leaders

Saturday 14 January 2012 | Published in National

Prime Minister Henry Puna is with the leaders of 11 other Pacific island states in Abu Dhabi, discussing the acceleration of renewable energy uptake in the region. They are part of a high level meeting organised by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), which precedes the second session of the IRENA assembly. Punas attendance follows […]

Black and gold for Red Cross

Saturday 14 January 2012 | Published in National

There was a lot of black and a little bit of gold in an Avarua office yesterday, all in support of the Red Cross. Westpac staff ditched their usual red and white uniform to mark Friday the 13th yesterday, claiming back the dark day for a good cause. The staff came dressed in black, semi-casual […]

Many hands make light work

Saturday 14 January 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

Responding to yesterdays p10 article on Mangaia Island Administration workers titled MIA not missing in action a smoke signaller writes: I was in Mitiaro when the island experienced the same weather pattern and perhaps the Mangaia Island Admin could learn from the good example of the Mitiaro Island Admin which utilised the MOIP staff [Ministry […]