Articles by Utopia Support

Parliament breaks for palace opening

Monday 12 December 2011 | Published in Local

Parliament will resume today at 1pm but is likely to break on Thursday to give members an opportunity to attend the opening of Pa Marie Arikis palace in Takitumu. In parliament on Friday speaker of the house Sir Geoffrey Henry advised members of next weeks schedule. The last session of parliament for 2011 began on […]

Students enjoy summer holiday

Monday 12 December 2011 | Published in Local

Examinations are over, certificates have been awarded and Cook Islands school children are now on holiday. The countrys summer break from primary and secondary school lessons officially came into effect on Friday. Some northern group schools closed a little earlier, having worked through the last term holiday to make up the required number of open […]

Govt appoints honourary advisors

Monday 12 December 2011 | Published in Local

Cabinet minister Teina Bishop has appointed two honourary advisors to Asia and China for the Cook Islands, following his recent trip to the Peoples Republic. Samuel Chou and Steven Wong will give Bishop advice on the Asian region and China in particular over the next three years, in relation to his ministerial portfolios. I am […]

Magical Mangaia

Monday 12 December 2011 | Published in Local

The community on Mangaia treated tourism wholesalers from North America and staff from the Cook Islands Tourism Corporations foreign offices to a special tour of their home on Saturday. The wholesalers visited Mangaias accommodation options, toured its sights and left the island stuffed with food like these kaura, which Mangaia mayor Tere Atariki said were […]

Scotts smell should not be tolerated

Monday 12 December 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I do not live in the tapere of Muri in the village of Ngatangiia. Nonetheless I am outraged that Scotts Egg Farm is allowed, year after year after year, to continue to operate in such a way that this farm churns out the most awful, nauseating smell. How this government and previous administrations […]

Kata - December 12, 2011

Monday 12 December 2011 | Published in Kata

Cycling tribute emotional for friends

Monday 12 December 2011 | Published in National

A moving tribute for the late Pauline Atera was held on Saturday afternoon when over 50 friends, family and fellow triathletes took their bikes for a memorial ride around the island. Atera, affectionately known to her friends as Granny was tragically killed over two weeks ago on the main road in Matavera while out on […]

Mangaia on the map during tourism forum

Monday 12 December 2011 | Published in National

The Cook Islands largest tourism industry forum has ended with an emotional high for wholesalers from North America, who travelled to Mangaia on Saturday for a whirlwind tour of the islands tourism facilities. The people of Mangaia went to enormous lengths to make their guests feel welcome on the island and the effort left the […]

Youth empowerment on the agenda

Monday 12 December 2011 | Published in National

Empowering youth is the focus behind an open meeting this evening to be held at the Avatea School hall starting at 6 oclock. This is an exciting opportunity for the community at large to get together and discuss the potential for implementing a social development programme aimed at the moral empowerment of adolescents between the […]

Smokehouse to export albacore, marlin

Monday 12 December 2011 | Published in National

Smoked Cook Islands fish could soon appear on the shelves of supermarkets in Hawaii and California. Dave Rose, Shane Napa and Tom Zainey have for two years been building Smoke Pacific Seafoods Cook Islands Limited and its Panama factory, centring their operation around a computer-programmed smoker they purchased from Austria. This week, they are getting […]

First diversion case a success

Monday 12 December 2011 | Published in National

The first case of criminal diversion has succeeded in the Cook Islands. Police commissioner Maara Tetava recently introduced two restorative justice programmes locally, including what is commonly referred to as diversion in other countries such as New Zealand. Muri resident Steven Kavana, widely known as Captain Moko, is the first person in the Cook Islands […]

Korea eyes our trillion dollar resource

Monday 12 December 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

Whats with the Koreans? a smoke signaller asks in response to Mondays front page CI News article Brown talks up global partnerships in Korea, and p11 article Korea, Cooks building relationship. We now have Mark Brown [finance minister] aligning and making partnership with the Koreans and our nodules office engaging and Tom Marsters [deputy prime […]

Do or die soccer action at Matavera

Monday 12 December 2011 | Published in Football

Intense and physical soccer matches were played on Saturday as teams put their bodies on the line in the do or die soccer knockout semi finals round. Games were played at Victoria Park in Tupapa and at the Takitumu School grounds in Matavera. While the weather held out in Tupapa sporadic and heavy rains made […]

More fishing licences approved

Saturday 10 December 2011 | Published in Local

Cabinet has approved the issuing of another seven foreign fishing licences for governments exploratory fishing programme targeting tuna and swordfish over the next three years. Already cabinet has approved the granting of 17 fishing licences for Taiwanese vessels to operate in Cook Islands waters as part of the programme. In parliament yesterday marine resources minister […]

Crane fell in slow motion

Saturday 10 December 2011 | Published in Local

Eyewitnesses at the Avatiu harbour watched on as a crane fell off the wharf in slow motion and onto the boat it was loading. New Zealand visitor Keith Christian was at the western marina yesterday morning when he heard a small bang that set off a chain of events that would end with a hefty […]

Never a dull moment on Suwarrow

Saturday 10 December 2011 | Published in Features

James Mataa returned from a six-month stint on Suwarrow two weeks ago. It was the second consecutive season he spent looking after the Cook Islands’ national park. His contract as the island’s caretaker is coming to an end, and he is busy writing reports and de-briefing the National Environment Service on the time he spent […]

Bishop to give Apia a taste of Aitutaki

Saturday 10 December 2011 | Published in Features

Miss South Pacific contender Uirangi Bishop is getting ready to give Apia a bit of Cook Islands flavour. Bishop left for Samoa last week accompanied by her team and reigning Miss South Pacific Joyana Meyer. This week she has been attending official functions and getting to know the girls shes up against in tomorrows pageant. […]

Te Reo goes online

Saturday 10 December 2011 | Published in Features

The wealth of reo resources expands considerably with the recent launch of a searchable online Cook Islands Maori to English dictionary. The dictionary which can be found at www.cook-islands-maori-dictionary.org includes 6580 Maori entries and 11,586 English entries. Typing Cook Islands Maori dictionary into search engine Google brings up a list of resources, and the newly-launched […]

Spider food creations at Imanuela Akatemia

Saturday 10 December 2011 | Published in Features

Main dishes Moth wings served in a warm and creamy soup. Fried Mosquito chewy and fried and mushy Grasshopper legs spicy and bitter Dessert Daddy-long legs pie sweet and fresh Drinks Bug juice sloppy and creamy Main meal Grasshopper legs sweet and sour Housefly pie baked hot and spicy. Dessert Daddy Long Legs Cake milky […]

Sonja invites readers into her kitchen

Saturday 10 December 2011 | Published in Features

Sonjas Kitchen, the newest cookbook and sustainable living guide to come out of the Cook Islands, is a tribute to the late Tauono Raela. It tells the story of Aitutaki couple Sonja and the late Tauono of their shared vision, their success and their efforts to promote sustainability. Though Tauono passed away two years ago, […]