Articles by Utopia Support

Allow board to do their job

Monday 19 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor It is incredible that someone from Australia, most likely with the help of a small group of disgruntled tourism people both in Australia and Rarotonga, is now leading the most vitriolic charge against Tata again with one focus to get him sacked and removed from the Tourism Board. We understand that Christopher de […]

Wilkie accused of bigotry and hypocrisy

Monday 19 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, In Wilkie Rasmussen’s letter to the editor on Thursday he points out that I’m an American living in the Cook Islands with no importance to his people. What does that have to do with anything? The only type of person who would bring this up is a bigot, someone who can’t stand another […]

Why separate rubbish?

Monday 19 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, As I watch the rubbish collectors from my window, I am left wondering why on earth we bother to separate our cans, plastics and bottles. Once again, everything just gets thrown into the truck and quashed with all the other household rubbish – not into the ‘recycle trailer’ on the back that seems […]

Thoughts from France

Monday 19 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, No doubt you will be surprised to hear from a French reader of your newspaper, so let me just explain that, almost 50 years ago, I succeeded in introducing to Rarotonga a number of tropical flowering trees, some of which are still alive in spite of repeated cyclones, for instance two spectacular gold […]

Telecom honours 'special' deal and apologises

Monday 19 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I prefer to write this letter to your newspaper rather than to Telecom as I seem to get a different story every time I make inquiries. But I would welcome Telecom responding to this in the paper, to also show they have nothing to hide. More than four weeks ago I inquired of […]

Collapse predicted

Saturday 17 April 2010 | Published in Local

The local tourism industry was rocked yesterday by a claim that the Australian visitor market’s collapse is imminent. An Australian travel trade wholesaler alleges tourism board chair Tata Crocombe has single-handedly caused “extensive damage to the reputation and credibility” of Cook Islands tourism. Full story, page 7.

Court directs Toa hearing to be open

Saturday 17 April 2010 | Published in Local

‘Confidentiality orders’ lifted after CI News plea The High Court has directed that the controversial case government is fighting to avoid, paying an eight-year $1.2 million annual profit guarantee to Toa Petroleum, will be open to the public. Yesterday Justice Tom Weston granted Cook Islands News access to view the controversial documents in Apex Agencies’ […]

Guitar greats at Chilli's

Saturday 17 April 2010 | Published in Features

Chilli’s Sportsbar and Restaurant will be screening It Might Get Loud, a documentary that traces the saga of the electric guitar, on Monday night at around 6.30. The film features the musical histories of three guitar greats: Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin and the Yardbirds, The Edge of U2 and Jack White of the White […]

Music video production course

Saturday 17 April 2010 | Published in Features

During the school holidays, local multimedia artist Jerome Shedden is giving young people a chance to break into music video production. Shedden is teaching a two-week course at USP titled Music Video Production Introduction, which is open to college students between the ages of 16 and 19. Shedden comes from a multimedia background and did […]

Rarotongan staff earn diplomas

Saturday 17 April 2010 | Published in Features

The conference room at the Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa yesterday was alive with the scent of fresh ei and abuzz with the excitement particular to any graduation day. Bob Taylor, Taa Pera, Mila Engu, Netani Cataki and Laisa Brown were recognised at a graduation ceremony for earning their diplomas in hospitality management and food […]

Garden Bar to re-open

Saturday 17 April 2010 | Published in Features

Following a long hiatus, the Garden Bar at the Banana Court (BC) opens on Monday. The popular hang-out was forced to close in December as a penalty for failing to pay rent to the Cook Islands Investment Corporation, which owns the BC complex. The opening of the Garden Bar represents the first step in the […]

Term ends with fun health day

Saturday 17 April 2010 | Published in Features

Tereora College ended term one with a message for better health when it held ‘My Health Day’ yesterday. The aim of the fun day was to promote healthy choices in lifelong learning and to bring the first term to an end on a positive note. Students were asked to dress up as a food and […]

Takua by the bucket load

Saturday 17 April 2010 | Published in Features

Have you ever started down a path, either literally or metaphorically, with that niggling feeling that you should turn back, but at the same time another urging you to go on, promising that things will get better? So, you stumble on deeper into the thick of trouble, wishing you’d turned back earlier, but thinking that […]

Give credit to refs

Saturday 17 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, In reply to ‘Simply the Best’ and his criticism of an individual referee, I would like to point out that it is like a bloody warzone out there with 26 warriors up against each other and one guy with the whistle in control. Referee decisions never satisfy everyone, but how well does this […]

Cabinet needs to act now on nodules

Saturday 17 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, One reason why we may lose the nodule opportunity is that there is so much misinformation, which is not surprising for an innovative project of this magnitude. Here are frequently asked question and my responses: 1. Does Endeavour want exclusive rights to the entire CIEEZ? No, the purpose of the exploration is to […]

Kata - April 17, 2010

Saturday 17 April 2010 | Published in Kata

League at the swamp

Saturday 17 April 2010 | Published in League

The Avatiu swamp will be the only place to catch rugby league action today when the Ngatangiia-Matavera Sea Eagles fly in to meet the Avatiu Eels. In yesterday’s CI News it was reported that this would be the first time the two teams will clash. But after receiving the points table and looking back through […]

Safe in young hands

Saturday 17 April 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

Those lucky enough to have been at the national auditorium on Thursday for the Rarotonga schools’ culture festival were treated to a spectacular night’s entertainment and a resounding confirmation that the future of our country’s performing cultural arts is in safe hands with our young generation. All of the children, their teachers and their parents […]

Public call to thanksgiving

Friday 16 April 2010 | Published in Church Talk

Members of the public are invited to this Sunday’s thanksgiving service at the national auditorium organised by the Religious Advisory Council. The evening thanksgiving service will start at 6.30pm with representatives from the various religious denominations on the island to read key scriptures through the service. There will also be items of praise and worship […]

Are you a Barnabas?

Friday 16 April 2010 | Published in Church Talk

We all need people like Barnabas in our life, people who listen to us, affirm us and spur us on to be our best selves. After his dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus (Acts chaper 9) Paul had a complete turnabout and became a passionate follower of Jesus. “He began at once to proclaim […]