Articles by Utopia Support

Precious tivaivai for show in Spain

Saturday 12 March 2011 | Published in Features

Atiuan Fibre Arts Studio owner Andrea Eimke tonight boards a plane for Spain with several travel companions – Atiuan and Rarotongan tivaivai that have never before seen Europe. From March 17 to 20, Eimke will display her collection of tivaivai at the International Patchwork Festival in Sitges, Spain. She has also agreed to teach four […]

Cleaner aircon service

Saturday 12 March 2011 | Published in Features

A new addition to the fleet of machines at Eric Short Automotive – an air conditioning servicing machine – makes the Avarua shop the only place on Rarotonga that can service vehicle aircon systems and properly dispose of the gases they emit. Air conditioning gas – or R-134a (1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane) – is an inert gas used […]

Vaka TV free tunes 700 sets

Saturday 12 March 2011 | Published in Features

Vaka Television chief executive Dave Reuther says he has tuned between 600 and 700 television sets into the company’s new free-to-air station since it started to be broadcast in Rarotonga late last year. Reuther has turned his work truck into a mobile tuning device, and is fielding requests from television owners throughout villages in Rarotonga […]

Textile art on show

Saturday 12 March 2011 | Published in Features

Wellington’s Te Papa Tongarewa Museum is planning a June celebration of Maori and Pacific textiles – loom weavings, bark cloth pieces, examples of plaiting and knotting – and now accepting submissions. The inaugural Maori and Pacific Textile Symposium, which enjoys support from the Costume and Textile Association of New Zealand, will on June 10 and […]

'There's nowhere like Aitutaki'

Saturday 12 March 2011 | Published in Features

Though he is reluctant to say goodbye, Pacific Resort Aitutaki general manager Michael Shah is leaving on a high note. Last year he won the South Pacific General Manager of the Year award – which he called the highlight of his experience managing Pacific Resort Aitutaki – and he was in charge when the resort […]

Te Mana o Te Moana draws near

Saturday 12 March 2011 | Published in Features

In recent weeks, Marumaru Atua captain Peia Patai has been stepping up the crew’s training regimen. Crew have been doing swim tests and regular jogs through town, first aid courses, day sails and overnight trips. Those who didn’t already have a boat master’s qualification finished a two-week course with Steve Simpson, the Ministry of Marine […]

What if I blew up?

Saturday 12 March 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Thank you to Thomas Peyroux for explaining a lot about the sound on the night of the composers competition. I was a backup singer on the night and I was getting little electric shocks every time I touched the mic. When I told the soundman I was getting shocks he did nothing. I […]

Is this an attempt to gag?

Saturday 12 March 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I read this article about information being requested by the Clerk of the House. I sincerely hope this is not the first step in an attempt to gag the local news providers. I know from reading your paper over many years (both online and when I am in Raro) that you are not […]

Not the rightful titleholder

Saturday 12 March 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Your front page story yesterday about Marie Rima Desiree George Ani Rima Peyroux known to others as Marie Pa Ariki urging the “ui ariki not to repeat mistakes” amused me. The Pa Ariki title belongs to the Kopu Ariki of the title, that is, to us the descendants of Pa Tepou Taputapuatea Tepuretu […]

Shame on rip-offs

Saturday 12 March 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am very disgusted to learn that some of our own people will gladly rip off our elderly folks for their own selfish gain. An elderly woman of Ngatangiia was charged $400 for the cutting of her lawns (2), one for $250 and the other for $150. Previously, she had it cut by […]

Kata - March 12, 2011

Saturday 12 March 2011 | Published in Kata

Masters rejuvenate their league skills

Saturday 12 March 2011 | Published in League

The BCI Stadium was a fitting venue for the old men of rugby league to rejuvenate their skills last Saturday in the masters division. With two full teams, a vocal crowd in the stands, and a very hot autumn day, the intensity was all on the field. So much so that Robert ‘electric cowboy’ Matapo […]

6 sides rev up prem netball

Saturday 12 March 2011 | Published in Netball

It’s still early days in the 2011 netball season with some teams taking longer to dust off the cobwebs while others have started the season with plenty of determination. The Titikaveka club grades are firing already and have a strong and experienced premier grade side tasked with defending the club’s championships status – a title […]

Is anybody home?

Saturday 12 March 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

“Just wondering what has been organised for warning systems in the outer islands?” asks a smoke signaller following yesterday morning’s Pacific-wide tsunami warning as a result of the massive 8.9 earthquake in Japan. “Just heard some people living on north coast of Mauke knew nothing of the tsunami until they woke up this morning, and […]

Catholic youth gathering

Friday 11 March 2011 | Published in Church Talk

PHOTO: A group of Cook Islands youth were among the 600,000 pilgrims at the 2008 World Youth Day for Catholics in Sydney. “/> Close to 300 youths from across the Cook Islands, Tahiti, New Zealand and Australia will gather on Rarotonga in July for a special youth gathering called Tikauanga Karatia o te Toru-tai-tapu which […]

We need a 'kingdom vision'

Friday 11 March 2011 | Published in Church Talk

Many Christians are satisfied with a Christian message that improves their lifestyle but have failed to embrace the purpose of the Kingdom of God itself. Others have been so consumed by the pressures of life, that it has forced them to take their eyes off Jesus entirely, resulting in spiritual defeat. When we die we […]

An arrogant or a loving eye?

Friday 11 March 2011 | Published in Church Talk

There is a Latin saying that in communication whatever is received is received according to the mode of the receiver. In other words, it doesn’t matter how simply, clearly and loudly I say something – if the culture and life experience of the listener has not prepared them to hear, then they won’t. People can […]

Library and museum goes solar

Friday 11 March 2011 | Published in Environment

The Cook Islands Library and Museum Society has gone solar thanks to the German Embassy in Wellington. The embassy donated $8573 for solar panels for the roof of the library and museum in September last year and last month six solar panels were installed. The $700 monthly power bill for the library and museum was […]

Opening delayed further

Friday 11 March 2011 | Published in Local

The ceremonial opening of parliament has been pushed back a second time and will now take place in early May. Prime minister and minister for parliamentary services Henry Puna says this has been necessary because of his heavy travel schedule. Much of Puna’s travel will be through the southern group islands touching base with island […]

Separating rubbish is only a start

Friday 11 March 2011 | Published in Local

Te Ipukarea Society members are pleased residential rubbish is being separated from landfill waste on Rarotonga, but say more needs to be done to address the island’s waste management woes. TIS programme manager Jacqui Evans says the recent move to separate recyclable waste and store it at the recycling centre below Arorangi’s landfill is a […]