Articles by Utopia Support

Trees not a threat

Friday 31 December 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller writes: “Stop the nutcase who ordered the chainsaw massacre of coconut trees at the Golf Club road as shown in your CINews photo on Wednesday, or we will be left with no more nu to drink on the island. Our parents taught us at an early age to plant trees that bear […]

Message call

Thursday 30 December 2010 | Published in Local

Cook Islands News is inviting prominent leaders and organisations in our community to send us their New Year’s messages for publication in tomorrow’s edition. Messages should be a maximum of 200 words and should reach us by noon today. Please email your messages to editor@cookislandsnews.com or drop them off at our office.

Fines uncertain

Thursday 30 December 2010 | Published in Local

Chief Censor Alfred Morris says that he is not sure exactly how the anti-piracy laws will be applied when DVD owners caught in last week’s raids are charged. “The law states that if you sell a pirate DVD you will be fined $5000, so they could be charged for every single copy. It depends on […]

HIV name advice sought

Thursday 30 December 2010 | Published in Local

Government seeking legal advice on naming person with HIV Health Minister Nandi Glassie has confirmed that government is seeking legal advice on whether it can report the name of the HIV positive person announced this month as the first case found in the Cook Islands. Patient confidentiality and human rights have prevented the ministry of […]

Fish traps should go

Thursday 30 December 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, If reputable international scientists, who have conducted appropriate research, are now advising that the removal of the man-made fish traps and sediment build up in Aroko would greatly enhance the circulation of lagoon water in Ngatangiia, which in turn will significantly improve the quality of sea water in Muri lagoon, I struggle to […]

Sensing the real Xmas message

Thursday 30 December 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I was recently asked if our church didn’t agree with nativity scenes. What a funny question I thought, of course they would be happy to see an artistic portrayal of Jesus’ birth. But then I realised where this conclusion may have come from when sitting in church Christmas morning, eyes drawn to a […]

Is $2m jetty needed?

Thursday 30 December 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, If the soon-to-be constructed $30 million wharf development at Avatiu harbour is expected to be large enough to cater for visiting cruise ships, as mentioned by the Ports authority spokesperson in a recent newspaper article, why on earth is government committing a further $2 million towards the construction of a jetty in Arorangi? […]

Kata - December 30, 2010

Thursday 30 December 2010 | Published in Kata

Fabulous 40 top weightloss challenge

Thursday 30 December 2010 | Published in National

Yet another successful Raro Whey weightloss group challenge run by Tina Iro has come to an end and team “Fabulous at 40” have come first losing a whopping 62.7kg. The cash prize of $2500 was presented to Fabulous 40 team member Rob Buick. While there were no prizes for 2nd place – The Bond Store […]

Ebony aims to own a business

Thursday 30 December 2010 | Published in National

Ebony Richard is one of many teenagers who have taken up holiday jobs to gain work experience. The 17-year-old Tereora College senior was awarded second in economics and third in accounting for Year 12 at the senior prizegiving. Richard was employed by Western Union manager Julie Bateman around December of last year and works with […]

Water tanks set for distribution

Thursday 30 December 2010 | Published in National

A meeting is being held early in the New Year to arrange the fast-track distribution of water tanks to Aitutaki residents. After consultation with Atutakians on Rarotonga and an assessment of homes on the island, the water tanks were purchased by the Aitutaki Cyclone Appeal Committee with $97,889 of the $220,000 raised and donated by […]

Water action ongoing for Aitutaki

Thursday 30 December 2010 | Published in National

Red Cross officer Charlie Numanga spent two days in Aitutaki recently assessing 11 community water tanks damaged in February’s cyclone. As part of the Red Cross’s work on the recovery, Numanga has been seeing if the 40,000-litre tanks need repairs. He said, “We are following on funds provided during the cyclone as we want to […]

Action-packed camporee

Thursday 30 December 2010 | Published in National

The kids on the Seventh-day Adventist Pathfinders Camporee had their first day of activities yesterday – and it was an action-packed day for all. The Pathfinders directors spent all of last week setting up five different activities. More than 900 kids are bussed to the activities sites which include a mini Olympics at the BCI […]

Ngati Vaikai divided on palace land issue

Thursday 30 December 2010 | Published in National

Takitumu’s Ngati Vaikai clan has been sent into a tailspin following the challenge of one of their title holders for the return of the section which the Pa Ariki Palace will be built on. The clan is apparently divided in its views on the land’s ownership. On Tuesday Vaikai Mataiapo Te Konini Amy Cowan Whittaker […]

Looking for a Christmas message

Thursday 30 December 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

“I was interested in your Christmas and New Year messages [see CI News Friday, December 24] from what I personally considered too many personalities,” a smoke signaller writes. “I wonder how many readers ploughed their way through all of them?” SmokeSignals: Many would have done so – reading other people’s thoughts and wishes is always […]

'Fish traps not the main problem'

Wednesday 29 December 2010 | Published in Environment

Environmentalist Jaqcui Evans of Te Ipukarea Society Inc has responded to the suggestion by Keta Williams that removing a fish trap at Avana could help reduce the build up of pollution in Muri Lagoon. She said that she was expecting there would be a meeting of Muri Environment Care about the issue so they could […]

Fight back against video piracy

Wednesday 29 December 2010 | Published in Local

The police carried out raids on three DVD outlets known to be selling pirated and uncensored DVDs last week. Although no arrests were made at the time, the task force seized evidence which Police Commissioner Maata Tetava said would take some time to sift through. But he added that the evidence seized would lead to […]

Jetty shifts

Wednesday 29 December 2010 | Published in Local

The proposed site of the alternative cruise ship landing was moved this month following further consultation with the Puaikura community. The jetty, to be built using a $2 million allocation from NZAID, had been set to be built outside Rutaki but plans are now in place to have it constructed straight out from the Arorangi […]

Lone protest at palace ceremony

Wednesday 29 December 2010 | Published in Local

A foundation stone-laying ceremony for the new Pa Ariki Palace in Ngatangiia was marked by a solemn protest yesterday. For hours the village of Takitumu had cooked food and prepared for the ceremonial laying of the foundation stone at the proposed site of the new palace for paramount chief Pa Ariki. The ceremony, held yesterday […]

Remove nuts, not trees

Wednesday 29 December 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

“A new broom certainly sweeps clean, or should that be chain saw gang?” asks a smoke signaller. “The trouble with the area adjacent to the Golf Club this ‘broom’ swept is that there are NO coconut trees left! What sort of idiot would have authorised this clean-up? If there was a problem with tita, Aunty […]