Articles by Utopia Support

Former PM honoured

Friday 31 December 2010 | Published in Local

At least five Queen’s New Year Honours have been awarded to Cook Islanders for 2011 – most of them health professionals and teachers. Former PM Dr Joseph Williams, who runs a private clinic in Auckland, was among seven Pacific Island New Zealanders to receive a Queen’s Honour in New Zealand – he will receive the […]

More blood needed

Friday 31 December 2010 | Published in Features

The blood bank at Rarotonga Hospital still needs more people to give blood. “The supplies are okay at the moment but we still need more people in to donate,” said Theresa Tatuava, who runs the blood bank. Since their last appeal, Tatuava said that very few new donors have come forward. She said that the […]

New Year's what's on

Friday 31 December 2010 | Published in Features

Beach parties and fireworks are planned for this evening’s New Year’s Eve celebrations to ring in 2011. On the east side of the island – Muri beach will be lit in fluoro colours this evening as Sails Restaurant and Bar host their Fluorescent Friday New Year’s Eve beach party. Party goers can grab a table […]

Maori focus at St Joseph's Primary

Friday 31 December 2010 | Published in Features

Students at St Joseph’s Primary school worked hard during the year developing and improving their Maori reading and writing skills. Grade five students rewrote popular local legends and in three groups acted out their finished script. The yellow team dramatised the legend of Hikaroa and Otaua, team blue brought the legend of Ru to life […]

Stop fooling ourselves

Friday 31 December 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Let’s all have a new year’s resolution that we will no longer fool ourselves that we give a flying ‘f’ about the environment. Chainsaw madness at Nikao without so much as a sneeze from the Environment Service. Ports Authority ‘moving’ the cruise ship jetty and getting ready to tender for construction before the […]

Be wise – seek sound advice

Friday 31 December 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I’ve just read yesterday’s story on the HIV patient. Those concerned would be well advised to read the Public Health Act which prohibits disclosure except under specified conditions: “No person may disclose to anyone or make any statement as to whether or not a person is, was, may be or may have been […]

Listen to your legal advice

Friday 31 December 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, That the Minister of Health is even considering releasing the name of the first person in the Cook Islands diagnosed as HIV positive is highly disappointing. We have had years of education through TV, newspaper, radio, road signs, schools and community events telling us that the way to protect the community is to […]

$2m jetty is justified

Friday 31 December 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The Ports Authority would like to respond to Richie Rich’s letter to the editor published in your paper of December 30. It is correct that Avatiu Harbour on completion would be able to cater for cruise ships up to 200 metres in length. Cruise ships more than 200 meters in length averaging 15 […]

Kata - December 31, 2010

Friday 31 December 2010 | Published in Kata

Toga run

Friday 31 December 2010 | Published in National

Hash House Harriers will hold their first run of the New Year on Monday. It will be the traditional Toga run – so come dressed in your favourite toga and have some fun. Venue will be the carpark at Rehab Bar in town – over the stream from Trader Jacks. The run starts at 5.30pm […]

Pathfinders solve puzzle

Friday 31 December 2010 | Published in National

The Seventh Day Adventist Church’s Pathfinders event continued yesterday with more physical challenges. CI News caught up with a group of young people who were charged with building their own raft and sailing it across to Motu Oneroa. Each team had a little princess who has to go wherever the team went but could not […]

Dawn of a new era

Friday 31 December 2010 | Published in National

Kia Orana to my people of the Cook Islands on this last day of 2010 and the dawn of a new year and a new decade for our nation. As we stand on the threshold of a new year, we need to take time to look back and reflect on the year that has passed […]

Make the parents accountable

Friday 31 December 2010 | Published in National

A mormon missionary has found what he believes is the answer to youth crime – make the parents accountable. Elder Rick Ingram wrote to Cook Islands News this week after reading news reports of ongoing youth crime and petty theft in Rarotonga: “Last week my wife and I made a trip to Tahiti, Moorea, and […]

Govt warned over HIV case

Friday 31 December 2010 | Published in National

‘Tarring and feathering’ would cause international embarrassment National HIV co-ordinator Debi Futter-Puati has warned the Cook Islands will suffer considerable international embarrassment if it identifies the HIV positive person whose case was reported earlier this month. “I want people to know that the people working on the ground in the area of HIV and STIs […]

Teeth worries

Friday 31 December 2010 | Published in National

Eva Marie Broish, a German dental student who has been working here for a month, says the state of children’s teeth in the Cook Islands is very bad. “I saw too many children with really decayed teeth here, which is horrible. The solution is not to go into the schools and teach the children how […]

PIAF cautions minister

Friday 31 December 2010 | Published in National

The Pacific Islands AIDS Foundation is urging Health Minister Nandi Glassie to stand by Crown Law’s advice not to identify the person recently found to be HIV positive. The foundation’s chief executive Maire Bopp says they understand Glassie is new to this field but he should not act in isolation of Secretary of Health Tupou […]

Naming decried

Friday 31 December 2010 | Published in National

Upholding human rights should be the most important consideration for the government to consider as it proceeds with seeking legal advice on whether the name of the HIV sufferer residing on Rarotonga should be revealed. Vice-president of Te Tiare Association Serena Cowan adds patient confidentiality is also paramount. “Naming the person goes against the principles […]

Queen's honour a 'privilege'

Friday 31 December 2010 | Published in National

Forty-one years ago Gillian (Gill) Vaiimene (nee Johnston) left Ashburton in New Zealand to come and work in Rarotonga. Her plan was to work here for a couple of years and then head to South America. She still hasn’t been to South America but has certainly done a lot in the past four decades and […]

Out in force

Friday 31 December 2010 | Published in National

Cook Islands police will again be out in force this New Year’s long weekend but they will be targeting more than just the drink drivers and people being a nuisance in public. Police would like to see a repeat of the fatality-free Christmas weekend on the roads, but officers have noticed an increase in the […]

Stag do hook up

Friday 31 December 2010 | Published in National

Christchurch based Cook Islander Rene Nooapii is going to remember his ‘stag’ fishing trip for a long time to come after hooking a 217kg blue marlin yesterday. Nooapii and eight of his closest mates decided that a fishing trip out on Akura Charters would be the best way to spend his final few days as […]