Articles by Utopia Support

Pacific netball gets $3m

Thursday 15 April 2010 | Published in Netball

Cook Islands netball is set to benefit from a $3 million boost given to the sport in the Pacific. The money come through the Pacific Sports Partnership to strengthen the development of the sport within the region. The Australian government, Australian Sports Commission, Oceania Netball Federation, Netball Australia and Netball New Zealand have formed a […]

Tickets sell fast for culture night

Thursday 15 April 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

Thirteen schools will take part in tonight’s highly anticipated Rarotonga schools’ culture festival at the national auditorium. If you haven’t got a ticket yet, you will be very lucky to find one today with many of the schools already sold out. Some tickets may still be available from the national auditorium at 4.30pm – so […]

Book helping to promote health

Thursday 15 April 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

Liquor licensing A smoke signaller writes: “I watched an interesting TV programme on liquor licensing. Do the 150 licences issued to date include Catholic Churches around the island? I mean to say although they do not have a great variety of liquor available, they do dispense wine on a Sunday of all days, and admittedly […]

Rape report

Wednesday 14 April 2010 | Published in Local

Police responded to a frantic mother’s call last Friday evening that her daughter had been raped. She was cut off mid-sentence, and when police rang her back there was no answer. Police tried repeatedly to track down the woman and finally made contact. The woman’s daughter was transported to hospital for medical treatment. Police have […]

Triad fuel shortage sorted

Wednesday 14 April 2010 | Published in Local

An apparent fuel shortage at the weekend had some in a panic, sparking rumours that Rarotonga had run out of petrol. Triad Petroleum was short of petrol because the ships were late, but the island was not dry and Toa was still supplying petrol to its service stations. “The fact of the matter is that […]

Demo faction plans conference

Wednesday 14 April 2010 | Published in Local

The Democratic Party faction now at odds with the party leadership is aiming to hold a general conference in the week of May 12. On Monday evening the faction met at the Princess Anne Hall in Nikao to discuss how it would obtain the support needed from party executives to call a conference. Party president […]

Dancer of the Year delayed

Wednesday 14 April 2010 | Published in Features

The Dancer of the Year competition has been postponed to late May. The Ministry of Cultural Development has had its hands full with the recent Mire Atu competition and this month’s school festivals, so it has pushed Dancer of the Year to the end of next month. The ministry is now accepting registration from dancers […]

A shot in the arm

Wednesday 14 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Another member (Cassey Eggelton) has joined the ‘team’, and that’s what the island needs – team players. Just what the doctor ordered – a team of people working towards a better future for the country ‘together’. Not the constant childish tantrums we’ve been witness to of late. The country cannot afford that. The […]

Scary stuff

Wednesday 14 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I refer to two articles in Saturday’s Cook Islands News that clearly show we have problems with justice. It was an interesting story about Mark Short on the state of our Justice Department. Something disturbs me a little though and I quote Mark, “We’re appointing JPs but we have no resources to train […]

Independence – the way to go

Wednesday 14 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Maybe Herr Tongia can assist. If half of the Demo MPs meet to discuss matters of public interest, what is it called if not a Demo Caucus? Okay, so that he doesn’t get upset again, let’s call it a Non-Demo Caucus. Actually, he’s so angry that they met, they may soon be Non-Demos […]

Scrap VAT on solar systems

Wednesday 14 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Renewable energy – let’s get on with it! I don’t disagree with the need to pursue large scale renewable energy sources over time but it is obvious at the moment from media coverage that the government is not in a position to do anything much about it, more’s the pity. However, it is […]

Give us league points

Wednesday 14 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Now that the rugby league’s minor premiership competition is a week away from concluding, can those high ranking executives on the Cook Islands Rugby League board provide to your newspaper for publishing a points table for the six premier-grade teams. That way league fans and club supporters like me can have some idea […]

Men very keen for more netball

Wednesday 14 April 2010 | Published in Netball

After the highly successful social mixed netball which ended last week, requests have flooded in to organisers for a netball clinic for male players. Men’s netball is a fast growing sport which has generated a big following. Since the Cook Islands hosted the international men’s netball tournament last year, a number of skilled male athletes […]

There when help is needed

Wednesday 14 April 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller writes: “In the letters to the editor’s column ‘Totally choked’ was really worried about the country because our latest candidates chosen by political parties are village based. Well, why doesn’t he try and put his hand up for the country to see if voters will vote for him? I doubt it! Whether […]

Hawaiian maire causes concern

Tuesday 13 April 2010 | Published in Local

Ka Mahiai Ihi o Wailea, a 26-acre (10.5ha) farm on the Big Island of Hawaii, will plant its first large-scale maire crop this year. Maire has always been in high demand in Hawaii, but most of the islands’ supply has been imported from the Cook Islands, though Tonga has begun to export maire as well. […]

Not a Demo meeting: Tongia

Tuesday 13 April 2010 | Published in Local

Democratic Party president Makiuti Tongia condemned yesterday’s meeting of Demo constituency committee members saying it was not “approved or sanctioned” by the party. The meeting was called by constituency committee executives with ‘assistant president’ Sean Willis signing off on the advertisements calling for the gathering at Princess Anne Hall in Nikao. Nikao MP Ngamau Munokoa […]

Tourism appoints CEO

Tuesday 13 April 2010 | Published in Local

The Board of Cook Islands Tourism Corporation yesterday appointed the corporation’s finance director Halatoa Fua as acting chief executive. In a media release they said Fua would hold the position until a permanent appointment has been finalised. Fua will be assisted by board directors Robert Skews (marketing), Iaveta Short (administration and legal), and Teresa Manarangi-Trott […]

Both have degenerated

Tuesday 13 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, What a wonderful state of affairs we find ourselves in. On one hand the CIP jolly themselves along with an unelected leader and an unrespected spokesperson/MP gleefully picking up their $2 fee to allow amused villagers to vote with their conscience. On the other we have Mr Nazi condemning anyone that disagrees with […]

Blame shifting

Tuesday 13 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, According to Wilkie Rasmussen, Toagate would have never happened if only Prime Minister Jim Marurai had done his job. So why does Rasmussen continue to blame only Terepai Maoate for the Toagate affair? Let’s take a look at the facts. Last month Rasmussen put the blame squarely on Maoate when he said Terepai […]

Kata - April 13, 2010

Tuesday 13 April 2010 | Published in Kata