Articles by Utopia Support

End times is this it?

Friday 12 August 2011 | Published in Church Talk

Globally we are living in one of the most challenging periods humanity has faced. With such changing and shifting times, it is difficult to ignore the fascination many are expressing concerning the possible closing of this age and the second coming of Christ. This writing is not an attempt to satisfy some of the more […]

Grace+faith+obedience=salvation

Friday 12 August 2011 | Published in Church Talk

One minister in an editorial once declared, There is nothing that can be added to grace to bring salvation to a soul. Grace wrought salvation with no strings attached. Another minister stated, Grace plus nothing equals salvation. Is this biblical? Have these ministers gone farther than the scriptures go? Must not the recipient of salvation […]

Uirangi our Miss South Pacific contender

Friday 12 August 2011 | Published in Local

Aitutakis Uirangi Bishop will represent the Cook Islands in this years Miss South Pacific competition. The five-time dancer of the year will travel to Apia, Samoa, to vie for the Miss South Pacific crown in December this year. Bishop, the third place getter in the 2009 Miss Cook Islands competition, has been nominated as the […]

Burglary a first

Friday 12 August 2011 | Published in Local

Thousands of dollars in cash has yet to be recovered after it was stolen from the Bank of the Cook Islands (BCI) Aitutaki branch. Rarotonga and Aitutaki police officers are in the midst of investigations into the incident, which occurred late Tuesday or early Wednesday. Police commissioner Maara Tetava can not confirm a rumour that […]

Miss CI pageant delayed until 2012

Friday 12 August 2011 | Published in Features

The Miss Cook Islands pageant has been postponed until next year due to the lack of interest from possible contestants. The Miss Cook Islands Pageant Association had received only three eligible entrants for this years competition before it closed to applicants on Monday this week. Seven people put themselves forward for the competition, but four […]

Kata - August 12, 2011

Friday 12 August 2011 | Published in Kata

Setting up a brand takes time

Friday 12 August 2011 | Published in National

Pearl wholesaler Raymond Newnham says establishing a brand like Avaiki takes time. He spoke in response to concerns raised by retailers at yesterdays pearl industry forum that the Avaiki branding strategy has not attracted as many buyers as anticipated. At the 2008 pearl forum, the industry agreed to launch the Avaiki brand, and decided that […]

Avaiki still finding its way

Friday 12 August 2011 | Published in National

Three years after the Cook Islands Pearl Authority (CIPA) agreed to establish the Avaiki pearl brand, farmers and retailers are still at odds over whether it has benefitted the industry as a whole. Yesterday the industry convened for the first time since its 2008 forum at the AOG Hall in Takuvaine. Mike Hodge of New […]

Future looking bright for pearls

Friday 12 August 2011 | Published in National

The Cook Islands Pearl Authority (CIPA) hopes to double the production capacity of Manihiki farmers by 2013. The New Zealand Aid Programme has pledged $3 million to the pearl industry between now and 2013, which CIPA hopes will be the impetus for a revitalisation of the once-mighty industry. CIPA chief executive George Ellis spoke about […]

Outer islands will benefit from sea mining

Friday 12 August 2011 | Published in National

The pa enua will benefit from the introduction of deep sea mining, says the office of the Ministry of Minerals and Natural Resources. Paul Lynch, a legal adviser to the ministry, on Wednesday said that more jobs and greater wealth would come to the whole of the country outer islands included when large-scale seabed mining […]

Bounty hunter wanted in Atiu

Friday 12 August 2011 | Published in National

The Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust is looking for a person with a steady hand and a 12-gauge shotgun to continue its myna bird eradication programme on Atiu. Regular shooter Jason Tuara is away, sailing on Marumaru Atua down the California coast. Tuaras last visit to Atiu to shoot mynas was in May. He shot […]

Mining commission abandons job search

Friday 12 August 2011 | Published in National

A less-than-expected budget appropriation means the Deep Sea Mining Commission has had to abandon some of its plans for the upcoming year, but organisers say the government is still on track to remain faithful to its previously announced timeframes. The commission has dropped plans to find a deep sea mining commissioner for the Cook Islands […]

No submissions on hospital EIA

Friday 12 August 2011 | Published in National

Despite public concerns about the installation of a new septic system at the Rarotonga hospital in Arorangi, no submissions have been made to the National Environment Service (NES) on an environment impact assessment (EIA) report. The report is now to be considered for approval by the Rarotonga Environment Service. Work on site, which began in […]

Passengers to fill Lady Naomi

Friday 12 August 2011 | Published in National

The MV Lady Naomi will return to the Cook Islands northern group with the same number of passengers it delivered to Rarotonga in the week before the Te Maeva Nui cultural celebrations, according to authorities. The vessel will leave Rarotonga on Tuesday, taking about 220 people back to the north. Some of the passengers making […]

Mass treatment or mass hysteria?

Friday 12 August 2011 | Published in National

A smoke signaller asks: How often do we hear that the over-use of antibiotics is creating super-germs? So why are we mass treating our population with drugs just in case some of us have Chlamydia? Are we teaching our children to take drugs whether they need them or not? Are we too lazy to test […]

Stolen laptop recovered

Friday 12 August 2011 | Published in National

Avarua businesswoman June Baudinet has been reunited with a laptop stolen from her office on July 31. The laptop contains all her business contact information, family documents and other important records. Baudinets Raina Trading store was broken into by a thief or thieves who smashed through an outside wall, using pallets to conceal the activity […]

Island hopes burglar not local

Friday 12 August 2011 | Published in National

Aitutaki mayor John Baxter hopes the islands Bank of the Cook Islands (BCI) branch has been burgled by a visitor. Discovering a local has burgled the peoples bank would devastate the already shocked Aitutaki community, he says. Baxter personally believes the bank, which was burgled late Tuesday or early Wednesday, has been targeted by a […]

Title dispute continues

Friday 12 August 2011 | Published in National

Dear Editor, It is interesting to read what people come up with, telling stories instead of checking whether it is the truth. Ewan, ko tooku tupuna vaine i apai mai ite Evangeria ki Tumu Te Varovaro Ill repeat it again. Ko Tepaeru Te Mata Purotu o Tangaroa the Atiuans and the people of Ngaputoru know […]

Victim innocent

Friday 12 August 2011 | Published in National

Dear Editor, I have always been proud to be a Cook Islander, proud of the fact that the culture taught us by our elders was one of respect, love and giving. We live in changing times and we hear of problems with land and family. Still we hope that a glimmer of our heritage will […]

George urges Demos to file no confidence motion

Thursday 11 August 2011 | Published in Local

Independent member of parliament Norman George advised the Democratic Party at its conference on Tuesday to file a motion of no confidence against the government over the 15 percent withholding tax. Im expecting that the 15 percent withholding tax is a confidence issue, he said yesterday in a phone interview. As I said when I […]