Articles by Utopia Support

Silence from all but 7 says it all

Monday 18 October 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Your Saturday edition says it all. Seventy candidates to stand in the forthcoming general election – only seven chose to respond to your ‘on the issues’ poll. Of these seven note only two are current members, five will be standing as independents and neither of the major party leaders took the time to […]

Kata - October 18, 2010

Monday 18 October 2010 | Published in Kata

Focus on health education

Monday 18 October 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller writes: “Good luck to Teariki Matenga wanting to focus on health education in his political campaign [as an independent candidate for Titikaveka]. Let’s hope that if he gets in he can change the kinds of things that are currently happening in education such as a college HOD Physical Education and Health teacher […]

CIP promise water tanks and baby bonus

Saturday 16 October 2010 | Published in Local

The Cook Islands Party is promoting water tanks for every home, the $1000 baby bonus and the increase in the pension to over 70s as things it will provide if elected to govern. “The CIP policy on water tanks is a simple one. Water has been an issue on Rarotonga over the last 12 years […]

70 standing

Saturday 16 October 2010 | Published in Local

A record 70 candidates will vie for the 24 seats in parliament at next month’s 2010 general election. The governing Democratic Party has put up 23 candidates while the Cook Islands Party has a full line-up. In what looks to be a first, a staggering 16 independent candidates will contest 12 of the electorates. Nominations […]

Douglas' health precarious

Saturday 16 October 2010 | Published in Features

Director Oliver Stone said Tuesday he is worried about the health of actor Michael Douglas, who is battling throat cancer. Douglas, who reprised his role as stock trader Gordon Gekko in Stone’s latest film Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, is in a “precarious” state of health, Stone told reporters in Berlin. Douglas was meant to […]

Richards finally agrees to perform

Saturday 16 October 2010 | Published in Features

It’s been 37 years since Polynesian Tax Free owner Trevor Richards took the stage as a long-haired rock ‘n roller, but next month he’s about to re-live history, albeit with a haircut and a few years under his belt. In his early 20s, Richards was an acid rock singing sensation. He and his band Ticket […]

Rock sculpture inspires students

Saturday 16 October 2010 | Published in Features

Spending class time at the beach was Te Uki Ou’s room 4 students who were checking out the work of sculptor Krick Barraud. Her Ngatangiia beach sculpture labelled ‘a place of encounter’ is part one of an exhibit that looks back on the arrival of the European missionaries in 1827. The students got their creative […]

Te Manava 'leading villas'

Saturday 16 October 2010 | Published in Features

Te Manava Luxury Villas & Spa, managed by Pacific Resort, was voted Australasia’s Leading Villas for the second year running at the 2010 World Travel Awards Asia & Australasia ceremony held this week at The Claridges, Delhi, India. The bubbly is flowing again for the Pacific Resort Hotel group after walking away with the major […]

Kiwis get together

Saturday 16 October 2010 | Published in Features

Whanau are invited to attend a barbecue get-together at the Aotearoa Centre in Tupapa tonight. The Aotearoa Society in Rarotonga has organised the event, to start at 5pm. Meat and fish for the barbecue will be provided, and those attending are asked to bring kinaki, as well as drinks, picnic blankets, guitars, or whatever else […]

Bone specialist back

Saturday 16 October 2010 | Published in Features

Andrew MacDiarmid is back on Rarotonga for a two-week orthopaedic clinic. MacDiarmid is an orthopaedic surgeon from Tauranga Hospital in New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty. He has been coming to Rarotonga Hospital to run a clinic annually for over 20 years. Twenty-nine people have already been seen by MacDiarmid, some of whom have been operated […]

Food stalls show abundance and variety

Saturday 16 October 2010 | Published in Features

Food was the focus of yesterday’s celebrations at the Punanga Nui market place. In honour of World Food Day, local growers and food vendors set up stalls to showcase the abundance and variety of food here in the Cook Islands. The world observes the day in recognition of the establishment of the Food and Agriculture […]

Team Cook Islands visits India's monument to love

Saturday 16 October 2010 | Published in Features

Built between 1632 and 1653 – the Taj Mahal is the Indian monument synonymous with everlasting love. And this week Team Cook Islands visited the majestic marble structure that is also one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum commissioned by Mughal emperor Hah Jahan in memory of his […]

Speaking as a 'real' New Zealander

Saturday 16 October 2010 | Published in Features

You’ve probably noticed that I haven’t written a column for a few days. I came close a couple of times; I was going to write about Paul Henry. But I was pretty grumpy and it wouldn’t have been a pretty sight. Anyway I’m ready now and I want to start by talking about the Commonwealth […]

Cheap scaremongering

Saturday 16 October 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, John Scott (letters, October 5) claims that Government’s policy on import substitution is nothing but a joke. But there is a strong case that John’s claims concerning Scotts Farm eggs are the real joke. Ponder this: Imported birds produce his eggs; imported building materials house his birds; imported cages incarcerate his birds; imported […]

Chaos all round

Saturday 16 October 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, We need decent Cook Islanders to run our own country! The current political drama in the Cook Islands is now escalating to its lowest point in history. And the current minority led government should be ashamed of themselves with their ignorant attitude towards the welfare of our people. This Democratic government has done […]

Kata - October 16, 2010

Saturday 16 October 2010 | Published in Kata

Live conference broadcast links church members

Friday 15 October 2010 | Published in Church Talk

Local members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter–day Saints were privileged to view and hear presentations from church leaders at the 180th Semi-Annual General Conference held in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, on Saturday October 2 and Sunday October 3 via satellite. Local members and participants had to awaken early to view the […]

A family away from home

Friday 15 October 2010 | Published in Church Talk

Cook Islands church-goers were a “family away from home” for Auckland-based LIFE church founders and senior pastors Paul and Maree de Jong this week. The couple were in Rarotonga as guest speakers of the Cook Islands Assemblies of God conference held at Takuvaine. Paul said there was a strong connection between Christian communities in the […]

Protect, respect God's holy temple

Friday 15 October 2010 | Published in Church Talk

Introduction In the Bible, what attitude toward the human body do we find? Not how do we see it, with all our preconceptionsthe images of pencil-thin models, musclemen, voluptuous Playboy bunnies, or plump matrons hurtling from Weightwatchers to a “nothing but kumquats” dietbut as God sees these body-temples of ours. Have you ever walked into […]