Articles by Utopia Support

Sir Terepai's election brochure attacked

Thursday 4 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, We have just seen Sir Terepai Maoate’s brochure for the coming election as an independent candidate in Ngatangiia. We take issue with several things he put in his brochure: On the front page he highlights the building of Ngatangiia through “integrity and honesty.” How can he possibly state this when he failed to […]

'Marital upgrade' among candidates decried

Thursday 4 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I wish to make one observation of what I have noticed regarding some of the people running in this coming election. I note with interest that we have some candidates who have had and continue to have problems in the most basic unit of any social system or social structure – the family. […]

Kata - November 4, 2010

Thursday 4 November 2010 | Published in Kata

'X' is best, tick accepted

Thursday 4 November 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

The Electoral Office urges voters to follow the Electoral Act and mark their ballot paper with a cross [X], but will count those votes with a clear tick or other clear mark. In response to a question of whether a tick [a] would be counted as a valid or invalid vote, the chief electoral officer […]

Forum on waste disposal issues

Wednesday 3 November 2010 | Published in Local

At least 50 people are expected to take part in tonight’s panel discussion about rubbish collection and recycling in Rarotonga. The Cook Islands environmental group Te Ipukarea Society Inc has organised the meeting, to be held at the Osana Meeting House in Maraerenga from 4.30pm. TIS programme manager Jacqui Evans said some prominent members of […]

Cargo arrives for 2 islands

Wednesday 3 November 2010 | Published in Local

Southern Express voyage 135 arrived at the Avatiu harbour yesterday and the Forum Pacific voyage 7 will berth once she leaves. The Southern Express came into port at about 2pm yesterday, and is scheduled to depart for Aitutaki at about 4pm this afternoon. She is likely to arrive in Aitutaki by 8am tomorrow and depending […]

BTIB to expand investment scrutiny

Wednesday 3 November 2010 | Published in Local

The Business Trade Investment Board is considering proposals to expand its scrutiny of foreign investors. At present the board considers foreign investors with an investment expected to exceed 33 per cent, although there is a possibility that perimeter could be dropped to 1 per cent. BTIB chief executive Terry Rangi said another option was to […]

Be careful

Wednesday 3 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Be careful about the allegations. We have as much interest as everyone else in keeping the lagoon free from pollution. No manure from our chickens ends up in the lagoon and never has. We bag it and sell it to growers, currently at $3 a bag – a further attempt at import substitution […]

Ring road no surprise

Wednesday 3 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, In response to those critics out there who are obviously not as clued-up as the rest of the population, I want to point out that the re-location of the road in Titikaveka around the back of the Vaimaanga Hotel has been the subject of national debate since the late 1980s. Nothing has been […]

We are our own enemies

Wednesday 3 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, In a small country like ours everyone knows just about everyone else. I am referring to our people meaning both the indigenous people as well as to our PRs, at least I believe that we are one. We should be mindful of each other, tolerant and helpful. But I can not help thinking […]

Eccentric Yes, mad No

Wednesday 3 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am writing in response to Local Business Owner’s letter. Yes, I have rebuilt a steam locomotive single-handed. Yes, I climb mountains barefooted. Yes, I am a plastic-sandaled tamure dancer…, but the “madness” surrounding current investment policies is not of my making! In October 2005 – with 25 years experience of DIB/BTIB applications […]

Kata - November 3, 2010

Wednesday 3 November 2010 | Published in Kata

Noughts and crosses

Wednesday 3 November 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

“I note in the front page article in Monday’s paper ‘Pencil or pen?’ that we should place an [X] in the box when voting at election time,” writes a smoke signaller. “What are some of the party hopefuls expecting when they are promoting in their advertisements the use of a [a]? Would it be a […]

Tree of life

Tuesday 2 November 2010 | Published in Local

Almost 140 disadvantaged Rarotongan children will benefit from the generosity of strangers this Christmas, through the Westpac Bank’s Community Giving Tree initiative. For the second consecutive year people will be able to make donations or buy gifts for the children, selected with the help of staff from the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ children and families […]

Support for parents of teens

Tuesday 2 November 2010 | Published in Local

Parents are being encouraged to take part in a free workshop tomorrow about how they can support their teens when they leave school to get a job. The Ministry of Education is running a series of free workshops for parents and caregivers that explore practical ways to support teens through study and career planning. The […]

Tourism CEO backs call for crime watch

Tuesday 2 November 2010 | Published in Local

A proactive approach to tackling rising burglaries on Rarotonga would be to set up island-wide neighbourhood watch groups, an initiative that Cook Islands Tourism Corporation (CIT) would fully support and encourage, says corporation CEO Carmel Beattie. She says CIT wants to see neighbourhood watch groups being set up throughout Rarotonga – “we have a problem […]

A different perspective

Tuesday 2 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I wish to put forward a different perspective to the story from the Demos about their trip to Mangaia. And this is from people who were on the ground and actually saw what happened. Andy Matapo did not want the delegation from Rarotonga to visit Tamarua. Same as Mauke and Mitiaro. But they […]

George answers JP court criticism

Tuesday 2 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I wish to help clear the confusion over criminal Court hearings on Thursdays. There is no such thing as “instant justice” unless an arrested person pleads guilty to the charge straight away and is fined. This is okay for minor charges such as drunkenness or common assault or bad language offences. The cases […]

Secret Mirage land deal 'stinks'

Tuesday 2 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Here we go again! You would have thought after the TOA scandal those Demo idiots would have learnt their lesson. But no, another secret deal has been inked by a minority Government in its dying days with developers gifting them publicly owned land. There is very little beach access for members of the […]

Kata - November 2, 2010

Tuesday 2 November 2010 | Published in Kata