Articles by Utopia Support

Appeal court hears Te Puna

Monday 8 November 2010 | Published in Local

Justices Barker, Paterson and Williams will be presiding over the Court of Appeal this week at a sitting which starts today and lasts to Friday. The three justices arrived in Rarotonga at the weekend and depart next Saturday. They are here to hear the Te Puna land court case. In July, lawyer Ross Holmes filed […]

Demos should wear Toagate shame: Puna

Monday 8 November 2010 | Published in Local

The Democratic Party’s current MPs should all wear the blame for the Toagate scandal, says Cook Islands Party leader Henry Puna. He says the Demos have shamefully distanced themselves from the issue of accountability for Toagate altogether during the campaign period. The CIP is promising greater accountability provisions for government if it is elected to […]

Non-compliance not unusual

Monday 8 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

While the Democratic Party has filed financial statements, albeit sparse records, covering the previous three years, the CIP file at the Justice Department did not contain any of this information for the last financial year. The CIP was struck off the register by the Justice ministry early last year after failing to file annual financial […]

Kata - November 8, 2010

Monday 8 November 2010 | Published in Kata

Action against pollutants

Monday 8 November 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

A project team is working to get rid of dangerous chemicals in the Cook Islands. The chemicals are present in lots of everyday items and can cause serious health problems as they fatten tissue in the body. The group of chemicals is known as Persistent Organic Pollutants or POPs. They can cause cancers as well […]

Around the bend

Monday 8 November 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller writes on the Vaimaanga ring road: “Mr Wigmore has been strangely quiet on this issue, which is surprising as it could very well make the difference between him winning or losing his seat. And while you are thinking about this perhaps you could explain to the voters of Titikaveka your motivation in […]

Atiu's Ziona Tapu near completion

Saturday 6 November 2010 | Published in Church Talk

After three months of hard and tiring work, the renovation on the Atiu CICC Church Building Ziona Tapu is nearing completion and is scheduled to be re-opened on December 3. Papa Orometua Oirua Rasmussen said he was pleased with the changes which includes the removal of the 16 nga’ika posts and replaced by new 16 […]

French Navy may help

Saturday 6 November 2010 | Published in Local

The Electoral Office is now pinning some hope on assistance from the visiting French patrol boat in getting resources for the election to the northern group islands. There has been growing fear and panic over the possibility that electoral officials may not be able to get to the islands in time for the November 17 […]

'Time to tackle crime'

Saturday 6 November 2010 | Published in Local

Cook Islands Party leader Henry Puna says the crime rate in Rarotonga is shameful and an indictment on government. He says it’s time to tackle crime with real action. “Isn’t it a shame that there is an Australian travel advisory about crime in the Cook Islands. That is very shameful. I’m embarrassed that there has […]

Back!

Saturday 6 November 2010 | Published in Features

The Laughing Samoans are back next month. As part of their Greatest Hits tour, Tofiga Fepulea’i and Eteuati Ete will be performing at the National Auditorium on December 3. The Greatest Hits tour – which features the funniest skits from all the shows they’ve ever done – premieres in Auckland on November 13 and carries […]

Yum Cha!

Saturday 6 November 2010 | Published in Features

Pacific Resort’s dining area will become the Pacific Lotus Gardens – a place for eating and drinking, Chinese-style – every second Sunday. The Yum Cha dining experience will be available at Pacific Resort fortnightly starting tomorrow, and will open for two sessions – from 11.30 am to 1.30 pm, and then from 1.30 until 3.30. […]

New cafe in Tupapa

Saturday 6 November 2010 | Published in Features

There’s a new cafe in town and it’s got something for everyone – a lunch menu that ranges from fish ‘n chips to salads and a drink menu that boasts such items as smoothies and chai lattes. Veranda, located in the Manu Manor plaza in Tupapa, opened on Thursday. Directly in front of The Salon, […]

Breakfast at Le Bon Vivant

Saturday 6 November 2010 | Published in Features

Starting on Monday, Le Bon Vivant will be open for sit-down breakfast and lunch. Until now, the French cafe located in Avarua next to Van’s offered coffee and baked goods for grab-and-go convenience, but this week chef Tim Tierney will start cooking fresh, hot meals for breakfasters. “We’ve been planning to do this since we […]

Tamatoa wins uni scholarship

Saturday 6 November 2010 | Published in Features

Rarotonga born and raised teenager Tamatoa Carr has been awarded the University of Auckland Chancellor’s Award for Top Maori and Pacific Scholars. The son of Mike and Tere Carr, Tamatoa (17) receives tuition fees for three years as well as one year’s accommodation through the scholarship. Tere said she and Mike were proud of their […]

Pauro on the wind

Saturday 6 November 2010 | Published in Features

Pauro Arnold has been kitesurfing for less than a year, and already most people consider him the best on the island. So far, he’s the only local who has confirmed that he will be competing in next year’s international kitesurfing competition off Aitutaki. A longtime surfer, Arnold decided in November of last year that he […]

International contest will bring world's best, media to the Cooks

Saturday 6 November 2010 | Published in Features

Kitesurfing has exploded in recent years as the hottest and edgiest of extreme water sports, and it’s only getting bigger. Kitesurfers travel around the world in pursuit of wind, water and waves – and some of the best are eyeing the Cook Islands. In June of next year, some of the biggest names in kitesurfing […]

Scumbags spoiling it

Saturday 6 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The Australian Advisory re: theft in the Cook Islands spells the beginning of the end of tourism in this country. All because of a few criminal scumbags. What will happen if New Zealand issues a similar advisory? One thing that amazes me is that slap on the wrist fines are only able to […]

Does anybody care?

Saturday 6 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Where to start! I read how Rarotonga is getting new road works worth millions of $ and Telecom’s spending more $ for mobile phones in Manihiki and it is all part of progress that our people rightly deserve. These are the days of political ‘vote for me’ slogans that we are bombarded with […]

Missing the point

Saturday 6 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Through your paper can I ask the Ministry of Health why a teenage girl who was a pillion passenger on a motor bike that crashed into a drunken driver who was swerving all over the road was charged by Ministry of Health more than $900 for the terrible injuries she sustained as a […]

Have a good day

Saturday 6 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Kia Orana Jason (Marurai), Your dad is, or was, the minister of telecommunications, and he has the final say on issuing licences. In a previous letter by William Framhein he noted that your father, Jim Marurai, was the one who refused him the licence. Thank you for your letter, and have a good […]