Articles by Utopia Support

Just research it first

Monday 17 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I’m writing to ensure there is no misinformation circulating as a result of your letter writer “Toketoke Enua“. The point I’ve been making all along is that all available information on the fish traps in Avana-Aroko should be examined before springing into action. If the research concludes that the fish traps are the […]

Palmerston health clinic questions

Monday 17 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I understand that the Cook Islands Ministry of Health received $160K from the European Union in 2007 to build a medical centre on Palmerston Island. It is now 2011 and still a medical centre has not been built. I want to ask the former Outer Islands Health Director, now Secretary of Health Tupou […]

Kata - January 17, 2011

Monday 17 January 2011 | Published in Kata

$1m renovations at Tukao and Tauhunu

Monday 17 January 2011 | Published in National

The $1 million NZAID funded upgrade to Manihiki’s Tukao and Tauhunu cyclone centres was completed late last year. The construction, which began in May, was carried out by Landholdings Ltd, and Romanis design carried out the project management. The project team comprised project manager Romani Katoa, onsite supervisor Willie Katoa, Landholdings contractor James Atera, infrastructure […]

Aitutaki resort name change mooted

Monday 17 January 2011 | Published in National

Pacific Resort Aitutaki is surveying customers to see if they like the idea of changing the name of the property. The online survey, which is on the site surveymonkey.com, states: “We are currently undergoing research into the current name for Pacific Resort Aitutaki and would value your input as a guest who has experienced a […]

PIAF supports Cook Islands HIV committee

Monday 17 January 2011 | Published in National

The Pacific Islands Aids Foundation is relieved by news that the Cook Islands Government will not name the HIV sufferer. “It was a relief for all those who were against the public naming and identifying of the person living with HIV (PLHIV) in the Cook Islands when the country’s Prime Minister Henry Puna and his […]

Rounding up the shopping cents

Monday 17 January 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

“From the attached receipt (see photo below right) you will see that I purchased goods to the value of $16.02 at Foodland this afternoon [Friday],” a smoke signaller writes. “The receipt shows that rounding was applied to bring the total to $16.05. It also shows that I tendered a $50.00 note to pay for these […]

Warriors born

Saturday 15 January 2011 | Published in Environment

Just over 60 kids aged between 5 and 16 became warriors yesterday – Eco Warriors committed to protecting the environment. But the children needed little prompting to rattle off the causes of pollution in the Muri lagoon and what people could do to protect the environment including the lagoon. To give the young environmental warriors […]

1st 'excellent'

Saturday 15 January 2011 | Published in Local

When Maruia Willie (above) found out that she had 57 credits from her level 1 exams, she had to call Tereora Principal Teaea Parima to check how many credits she needed to get an excellent. When he told her she needed 50, she was over the moon. “When you work so hard for something and […]

New mayor for Aitutaki

Saturday 15 January 2011 | Published in Local

The new Mayor of Aitutaki, John Baxter Jnr, says that he wants to put Aitutaki back on the right path and get things fixed which have been ignored. In the preliminary results Baxter received 338 beating the incumbent Tai (Tango) Herman who got 289 and Savage Lockington, who received 139. Baxter was deputy mayor for […]

'Election not illegal'

Saturday 15 January 2011 | Published in Local

The Democratic Party’s MP for Manihiki Wilkie Rasmussen’s claims that the island council elections were illegal have been dismissed by officials. Rasmussen believes that the lack of provision for islanders to vote while overseas may have made the election illegal. He said yesterday that he is still waiting for the Solicitor General, Tingika Elikana, to […]

Print and paint art from Tereora

Saturday 15 January 2011 | Published in Features

Tereora College art students produced some lovely art pieces last year. The three print and paint art works here are featured in the college’s end of the year magazine. Head of art last year Charlotte Cousins was more than happy to share the works by her talented students with the rest of the Cook Islands. […]

Security with design

Saturday 15 January 2011 | Published in Features

Titikaveka welder Craig Miller is offering a solution to security-conscious residents who do not want their windows to look “like prison bars”. The self-employed welder, and qualified heavy industry machine fitter and welder, has experience designing and sculpting wrought iron in New Zealand and the Cook Islands. He says those who want security bars put […]

Me'a Kai up for world award

Saturday 15 January 2011 | Published in Features

‘Me’a Kai: The Food and the Flavours of the South Pacific’ – a cookbook featuring Cook Islands cuisine – is one of four finalists shortlisted to win ‘Best Book of the Year’ at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in Paris this year. New Zealand-born chef Robert Oliver, together with Tracy Berno and Shiri Ram, released […]

Major ocean vaka voyage draws near

Saturday 15 January 2011 | Published in Features

Local sailors and sailors-to-be will be running, swimming and fundraising in coming weeks, in anticipation of an upcoming 15-month voyage aboard vaka Marumaru Atua. Just 12 weeks away, the voyage will leave from Tahiti and cover thousands of nautical miles. Though the itinerary is still somewhat tentative – as it depends on instructions from Dieter […]

'The honest approach has disappeared'

Saturday 15 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, It is finished, and finally, the people have spoken. Every election leaves a track of disharmony from the candidates’ supporters, and this mayoral election for Aitutaki, according to some people, is a classic duplication of that unfortunate concept. Various accusations, such as the lack of promotion for such an important occasion, a much […]

Govt has betrayed outer islands: Wilkie

Saturday 15 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Has the Government betrayed a number of voters and candidates in the Outer Islands Local Government Elections held yesterday? My simple answer is, YES – ABSOLUTELY! The Government has committed gross injustice. I understand both the Prime Minister and the Head of the Ministry of Planning and Infrastructure echoed each other with their […]

Call to repair road damage

Saturday 15 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, With schools to resume operation in a couple of weeks it is my hope that the Ministry of Works will get in and fix the road that leads directly to Takitumu Primary School in Matavera from the main road. Ever since Telecom Cook Islands dug this road up to lay cables a couple […]

Avana stench inquiry

Saturday 15 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am amazed that the horrible stench at Avana harbour has gone ‘un-noticed’ by the appropriate authorities, in this case probably the ministries of health, marine resources, infrastructure & planning and environment services, so that this appalling smell pollution problem can be eradicated. But then again, attending to public nuisances such as this […]

Call to catch scrap-munchers

Saturday 15 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, This letter to your columns is in justifiable and credible support of Papa Joe Ngatae, the Police and Justice Ministry appointed dog-ranger who, to this time has weathered so much criticism for his sometimes natural overzealousness in eradicating paraiah, unfed and abandoned dogs which kill tethered goats and terrorise almost every pedestrian and […]