Articles by Utopia Support

Te Vara Nui opens its doors

Saturday 19 June 2010 | Published in Features

Te Vara Nui is getting into the swing of things after staging its first ever show last week. Last Saturday, its doors opened for the first time to the tourism industry and honoured guests, and CI News was able to squeeze its way in as well. After a line of waiters and waitresses holding pupu […]

Worried about dog hit by bus

Saturday 19 June 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor I had an absolute great time at the island recently and loved your wonderful country. However on the shuttle to the airport from Vara’s I experienced a very sad and awful event. I have inquired about the follow up with Cathy Sue (at Esther Honey), but just wanted to inform you about this […]

Telecom responds on Aitutaki mobile gripe

Saturday 19 June 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor In response to your smoke signal of June 18, I agree that Aitutaki mobile services are currently not fine (but I don’t recall us claiming that they were). We have had sub-standard mobile services on Aitutaki for some considerable time, and this was made worse by the damage caused by Cyclone Pat in […]

Robbing and stealing

Saturday 19 June 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor Te akama iteia tu,te keia nei rai tatou i te iti tangata,te tangi,ka peke kite papaa kare o tatou enua akaou,te ta akama nei kotou ite ipukarea e te itingata So ashamed, we are still robbing/stealing our own people. So embarrassed, the papaa will be in possession of our lands again. We are […]

Interference not appreciated

Saturday 19 June 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, What is Temu Okotai trying to prove? Temu Okotai has been interfering with several CIP constituencies on Rarotonga in recent months. What he is doing? Some of the CIP executives are following in the footsteps of what is happening in the Demo camps. For RAPA Cook Islands Party constituency, do not meddle and […]

Tav's tax and the minister

Saturday 19 June 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor This week’s revelation that a supposedly successful business called Tav Ltd owes tax and is in the process of being sold up by the Inland Revenue Department (CI News June16 and 18) is interesting for two reasons. The first is that the position is not told from the tax department’s viewpoint. The second […]

Thanks from salsa teachers

Saturday 19 June 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor We are Ismael and Merce, the Spanish salsa teachers. We were in your country for a few weeks and we want to give to the people of Rarotonga our best . We have visited other islands of the pacific, like Fiji, Tonga and Tahiti, and in all places the people were so friendly […]

Airport board asked to explain

Saturday 19 June 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor Could the airport CEO or airport Board please explain why a former board member and a very minor land owner at that, is being brought over from NZ at Airport expense i.e. is being paid return air tickets for herself and a chaperone to travel from Auckland to Raro and back to open […]

Whatever happened to political reform Mr PM?

Saturday 19 June 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor Whatever happened to the political reform that the PM was promoting in January of this year? After the PM’s world came crashing down on him with the Toagate scandal and the resignation of the majority of Democrats, the PM needed to take away the public’s attention from his competence. For six years the […]

Kata - June 19, 2010

Saturday 19 June 2010 | Published in Kata

Hot battles expected at netball

Saturday 19 June 2010 | Published in Netball

Heated battles are expected to be seen on the Telecom Sports Arena courts today as teams eye up a spot in the grand finals. The heavyweights of the current club netball season the Titikaveka Pearls and Avatiu Dragonflies will go head to head in what should be a thriller of a game. Avatiu have yet […]

That's a short one

Saturday 19 June 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

Those who enjoy an early morning walk or late afternoon paddle but notice the sun rising later in the morning and setting earlier in the evening will be happy to know that tomorrow is the shortest day and longest night of the year for us in the Southern Hemisphere. The Winter Solstice is the moment […]

Living with integrity

Friday 18 June 2010 | Published in Church Talk

Ways to walk the talk in all our daily lives The last time I wrote, my focus was on the importance of living life with integrity. If we “walk the talk” in every area of our lives, the Bible says that God is pleased because his character is truth, we influence or affect for good […]

Final Raro CIP candidate selected

Friday 18 June 2010 | Published in Local

The final Rarotonga Cook islands party (CIP) candidate has been confirmed as Avatiu-Ruatonga-Palmerston’s sitting MP Albert (Peto) Nicholas. Nicholas has been MP for the constituency for 10 years. Constituency president Joseph Haupini said that as there are no other nominees had come forward for the seat, Nicholas was confirmed at the CIP headquarters at a […]

Voyage of discovery

Friday 18 June 2010 | Published in Local

Araura Primary School students (from left) Tare Tare (10), Alana Cameron (10) Elizabeth Paulo (10), Demi Monga (11), Amanda Nelio (10) and Stella Puapii were photographed waiting patiently by the double hulled vaka Marumaru Atua yesterday afternoon. The students from Aitutaki, along with students from the southern group islands and Rarotonga schools are taking part […]

MPs want election says Tangi

Friday 18 June 2010 | Published in Local

A spokesman for Prime Minister Jim Maurai told CI News yesterday that an election date had not been set as the PM did not have the support of the majority of the house for the dissolution of Parliament. Trevor Pitt, advisor to Marurai, said that the PM was waiting for a public declaration of support […]

Tav fights for survival

Friday 18 June 2010 | Published in Local

An advertisement in Wednesday’s CI News alerted Minister of Finance Wilkie Rasmussen to the plight of an established Cook Islands business being chased by the tax office for old debts. The advertisement said there was a petition by the Collector of Inland Revenue for the winding up of clothing business Tav Ltd Elena Tavioni, the […]

Very sad situation

Friday 18 June 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor I like reading your news as I live in New Zealand. What’s happening at home is very sad. Why don’t the people elect a government that can do a better job for the Cooks? Somebody mention before, why did the Prime Minister ask the QR the right for a snap election? He’s the […]

You can make a big difference

Friday 18 June 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor I want to point to an opportunity, right now, for each of us personally to take actions that will begin political reform in the Cook Islands. I recently heard Rarotonga defined as “a scandal surrounded by water”. While this made me laugh, it was ultimately sobering: the fit is just a little “too”good. […]

Kata - June 18, 2010

Friday 18 June 2010 | Published in Kata