Articles by Utopia Support

Paddy Walker writes new peace book for kids

Thursday 18 August 2011 | Published in National

Peace advocate Eleitino Paddy Walker has devoted her life to spreading peace within and beyond her community. Now shes delivering her message to children by way of a beautifully illustrated 15-page storybook entitled The Peace Bird, which is being launched at the Takamoa Peace Garden this morning. Illustrated by Samoan-Kiwi artist Nanette Lelaulu, the book […]

Yacht trashed on Palmerston reef

Thursday 18 August 2011 | Published in National

A 62-year-old man was lucky to escape injury early on Monday morning, after the yacht he was sleeping in snapped from its anchor and hit the reef off Palmerston Island. The man and a 42-year-old woman had stopped off at Palmerston as part of a trip from the United States to Australia in their yacht. […]

United effort to sell raffle tickets

Thursday 18 August 2011 | Published in National

Less than half of the 4000 Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee (CISNOC) raffle tickets have been sold, putting the organisation in a precarious financial position. It needs proceeds from the sale of all tickets to cover remaining costs of Team Cook Islands participating in the Pacific Games at Noumea. To date CISNOC has […]

Government ministries overspend by $300,000

Thursday 18 August 2011 | Published in National

Government ministries have overspent their 2010-2011 allocations by almost $300,000 something the Public Expenditure Review Committee (PERC) is now investigating. Cabinet has also recently approved additional crown over-expenditure of $620,000. That is for payments on behalf of the crown (POBOC) to Air New Zealand to underwrite the Los Angeles-Rarotonga flights ($100,000), POBOC to Apex Agencies […]

Muri market idea up for discussion

Thursday 18 August 2011 | Published in National

The Business Trade and Investment Board (BTIB) and the Ngatangiia community are hoping to establish a weekly beach market at Muri. They will come together at a meeting at 7 oclock tonight at the Muri meeting house to discuss the logistics of setting up a weekly market at Nuku- pure Park. While the details are […]

No news on Sheraton front

Thursday 18 August 2011 | Published in National

Mirage Group property developers have not officially lodged a proposal or plan for redevelopment works for the old Sheraton Hotel site at Vaimaanga. The company obtained a lease to develop the abandoned accommodation complex earlier this year, but still has not applied for an environmental impact assessment report from the National Environment Service. Still, officials […]

Have you seen this fish?

Thursday 18 August 2011 | Published in National

Rarotonga fisherman Wayne Ralph received a surprise when he pulled up his line at Avana harbour late last week. What he pulled up was not a snapper, but it definitely looked like it could snap with the best of them. Ralph admits it sounds like a classic anglers story but thankfully for him his wife […]

We have to move on now Chef de Mission

Wednesday 17 August 2011 | Published in Local

As the Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic cash crisis unfolds Team Cook Islands chef de mission George George is urging athletes to keep focused in these patchy times and keep on with training. George George arrived back on the island on Monday to be greeted with news of Team Cook Islands Pacific Games campaign […]

Tere parties head back home to the north

Wednesday 17 August 2011 | Published in Local

Hymns, hugs and tears were shared at the Avatiu Harbour yesterday as Rarotonga said goodbye to its visiting northern neighbours. Hundreds of people packed the harbour to join in one final hymn before passengers from Pukapuka, Tongareva, Rakahanga and Manihiki boarded the MV Lady Naomi to travel to their home islands. It was a fitting […]

Govt bails out CISNOC

Wednesday 17 August 2011 | Published in Local

Cabinet is providing a financial guarantee to ensure all 152 members of Team Cook Islands can attend the 2011 Pacific Games in New Caledonia this month. The majority of members will fly to Noumea next week. Government yesterday intervened to save athletes from having to withdraw from the tournament, following revelations by the Cook Islands […]

Praise for new whale centre

Wednesday 17 August 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Recently my partner and I went to the whale museum in Atupa. This facility had only been open for a couple of weeks after a refurbishment. We were very impressed with the way the exhibits were shown and could only guess at the amount of work which had been done by an obviously […]

Kata - August 17, 2011

Wednesday 17 August 2011 | Published in Kata

Stand up paddlers make a splash

Wednesday 17 August 2011 | Published in National

Muri beach and lagoon turned up the heat yesterday for the launch of the walk on water week programme to celebrate the sport of stand up paddleboarding. And with Australias number one stand up paddler Travis Grant on the beach local celebrities were keen to show off their paddling skills to the pro. A group […]

New recruits trained in border control

Wednesday 17 August 2011 | Published in National

After two months of rigorous training, six Cook Islanders have graduated as border control officers from the Cook Islands Customs Service. A ceremony for the new customs officers was held in Rarotonga recently, acknowledging the hard work, commitment and dedication each had put towards their training. All recruits were taught the history of customs, customs […]

MFAI attending pre-Forum meets

Wednesday 17 August 2011 | Published in National

In the lead up to this years Pacific Islands Forum in New Zealand, two Cook Islanders from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (MFAI) are attending preliminary conventions in Fiji this week. MFAI director of regional affairs Carl Hunter and a foreign affairs officer within the ministrys regional affairs division are participating in a […]

New legislation will crack down on pearl vendors

Wednesday 17 August 2011 | Published in National

The Cook Islands Pearl Authority (CIPA) is in the process of drafting legislation which will give it greater authority to punish vendors deceitfully selling fake pearls. The current act we rely on is not as effective as we would like, CIPA chief executive George Ellis said. It would be an extremely difficult, prolonged and costly […]

Meeting in breach of rules?

Wednesday 17 August 2011 | Published in National

The Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee (CISNOC) may have breached its own constitution in the hasty scheduling of a meeting to be held at midday today. Some national sports federation members are concerned that the meeting has been called without the circulation of minutes from the last annual general meeting. It is not […]

Repayment schedule is in drafting

Wednesday 17 August 2011 | Published in National

Under conditions of governments money guarantee to CISNOC, financial secretary Richard Neves and internal affairs secretary Bredina Drollet will be appointed to the organisations executive board. Neves is also given the power of veto to ensure decisions of the Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee are in the best interests of governments investment. Cabinet […]

Codes ponder proposal

Wednesday 17 August 2011 | Published in National

National sports federation members are contemplating their positions on CISNOCs financial troubles, ahead of todays meeting. The Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee faced a funding shortfall for the Pacific Games, which begin in New Caledonia in less than two weeks. CISNOC executive board members have called an emergency meeting of all federations, seeking […]

PMG per diems back for review

Wednesday 17 August 2011 | Published in National

Government is planning a new review of all financial matters relating to the 2009 Pacific Mini Games (PMG) in light of fiscal incapability revealed by the Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee (CISNOC). Finance and sport minister Mark Brown says a government team is looking into the event and all associated costs, payments and […]