Articles by Utopia Support

Search off

Wednesday 18 May 2011 | Published in Local

The search has been called off for the missing man who reportedly fell from Kwai on Saturday evening. Police commissioner Maara Tetava made the decision to abandon the search at 8am yesterday more than 60 hours after the man fell overboard. Kwai, the Air Force Orion and Te Kukupa gave up the search shortly thereafter. […]

Names still suppressed

Wednesday 18 May 2011 | Published in Local

Those locked in the Arorangi prison while facing drugs and corruption charges are lucky a New Zealand judge is scheduled to preside over the Cook Islands High Court within weeks of their arrest, Justice Hugh Williams says. During a teleconference to consider bail applications for four of the accused yesterday, Justice Williams said had he […]

Dont promote surf tours to Rarotonga!

Wednesday 18 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The idea that Charlotte Piho wants to promote Rarotonga as a surf destination is a terrible self interested money making idea. No local surfer wants groups of tourist surfers in Rarotonga. Perhaps Charlotte would like surfers over-crowding her local break, but we dont want it. We only have a handful of breaks as […]

Rugby union gets international boost

Wednesday 18 May 2011 | Published in Rugby Union

The Cook Islands Rugby Union have been earmarked for assistance to improve its administration and high performance programme after a review by IRB rugby services Oceania manager Bruce Cook. Cook spent a week on Rarotonga reviewing the local rugby body, looking at the codes governance, finances, administration and commercial viability as part of a wider […]

Preventing a pushers haven

Wednesday 18 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller reckons many young Cook Islanders have most likely been nave victims of the sellers of drugs who just have easy money on their brains. He says if such a person is convicted but gets off with hardly any penalty like the Manihiki aviation terrorists did our country will be become a haven […]

Enviro group and ministry talk fishing

Tuesday 17 May 2011 | Published in Environment

Te Ipukarea Society executives and members are planning to meet with representatives of the Ministry of Marine Resources to determine whether the environmental group can be involved in the ministrys plans to undertake exploratory fishing. Society members developed a list of questions to the ministry about its draft plans for exploratory fishing over three years, […]

Voyaging at its best

Tuesday 17 May 2011 | Published in Local

Ocean-going vaka Marumaru Atua as seen from the Tahitian vaka Faafaite. Progress report on the epic journey to Hawaii, page 7. Photo Danee Hazama 11051612

New French ambassador visits Cooks

Tuesday 17 May 2011 | Published in Local

A new French ambassador to the Cook Islands has been appointed, and he will be presenting his credentials to the Queens Representative at 10.30am today. His Excellency Francis Etienne will be reading his letter of credentials to Sir Frederick Goodwin at government house in Vaimaanga. Etienne will be on Rarotonga until Thursday afternoon. He will […]

Drugs case up today

Tuesday 17 May 2011 | Published in Local

Cook Islands police continue to execute Operation Eagle the largest police operation of any kind in the country. To date 13 people have been arrested through the drugs sting, which is targeting the importation, distribution, and use of class A and C drugs. Police commissioner Maara Tetava says officers are continuing to follow up on […]

Local man missing at sea

Tuesday 17 May 2011 | Published in Local

A local man is still missing at sea near Palmerston Island after falling overboard from the sailing vessel Kwai on Saturday night. At press time last night, police patrol vessel Te Kukupa and a New Zealand Defence Force Orion were still searching for a local man who fell overboard from the Kwai at about 8pm […]

What happened to open governance?

Tuesday 17 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor So after several months the PSC terminates the employment of a senior Public Servant without giving the public specific reasons and says he can say no more because it is being referred to the Police for further investigations and it would be unfair to the accused! Excuse me. The public was under the […]

Norman George vs. Teina Bishop

Tuesday 17 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Now that Minister Bishop has finished announcing to the nation what a bad MP I am, then moving motions to the Privilege Committee of Parliament which included having my seat declared vacant, it is time I need to ask questions about him: (1) Does the MP for Arutanga, Reureu and Nikaupara have a […]

Dead mans family must have closure

Tuesday 17 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Ive just seen on One News a Coroner issuing death certificates for the nine Christchurch earthquake victims who couldnt be identified by forensics. This act is giving some closure to families of the nine lost people, closure that is very much needed to help families and friends recover and move on. Of course, […]

Dont turn Rarotonga into a surf destination!

Tuesday 17 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, We have been trying to keep a lid on surf in the Cook Islands for past 15 years and longer. Now its going to be exploited. The Cook Islands is and should remain a tourist destination for families (who spend money). Surfers are generally backpackers, who come on the cheap, and just want […]

Where is justice in penalising Bulldogs?

Tuesday 17 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am writing in utter disappointment in regards to the Titikaveka Reserve League Team that I (Ty Connal) proudly sponsor. Cook Islands Rugby League Committee have kicked the Titikaveka Reserve League Team out of the competition because we were trying to prove a point as we have nine SDA players in our team, […]

Kata - May 17, 2011

Tuesday 17 May 2011 | Published in Kata

Training hard for rugby union

Tuesday 17 May 2011 | Published in Rugby Union

In anticipation of the 2011 rugby union season starting on June 4, Rarotonga primary school students are getting back into the swing of rugby. These kids from Avarua School pictured with budding rugby coach Tai Joseph Jnr have been training hard. Rugby union development officers have been out in schools helping kids train for the […]

Keep our surf secret

Tuesday 17 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

Like our precious fisheries, us local surfers have tried real hard to keep the Cook Islands a secret surf destination, a smoke signaller writes in response to the adventure surfers here on The Awakening mission to find the perfect Cook Islands wave. Ask any local surfer, and believe me theres a few, our spots are […]

Secretary of Justice terminated

Monday 16 May 2011 | Published in Local

The Office of the Public Service Commissioner has confirmed that Secretary of Justice Mark Short has been terminated from employment as from last Friday. Commissioner Navy Epati said in a prepared statement that upon the completion of his offices investigation into a number of anomalies in the Ministry of Justice, it was found that the […]

Search for person missing overboard

Monday 16 May 2011 | Published in Local

The police patrol boat Te Kukupa is on its way to search for a missing person presumed to have fallen overboard from the sailing vessel Kwai. Te Kukupa left Rarotonga just after 2pm yesterday to search for the missing person, thought to have fallen overboard about 8pm on Saturday night, 150 nautical miles north-west of […]