Articles by Utopia Support

Play hits 'rights' note

Saturday 13 March 2010 | Published in Church Talk

Nearly 200 people packed the Takuvaine AOG church on Monday night to celebrate International Women’s Day with the play ‘It Started with a Kiss’, written by gender activist and economist Vaine Wichman. The packed audience included politicians, traditional leaders, community leaders, church elders, families and youths who witnessed the debut of the local production supported […]

Political reform conference postponed

Saturday 13 March 2010 | Published in Local

The political reform conference which prime minister Jim Marurai was to host last month has been postponed indefinitely, according to his office. OPM chief of staff Mac Mokoroa says the conference has been put off due to the office’s involvement in the Aitutaki cyclone recovery programme. He says the office will now liaise with political […]

Cooks represented at Pasifika Festival

Saturday 13 March 2010 | Published in Features

Pasifika Festival revellers were guaranteed to be taking home genuine Cook Islands arts and crafts when they bought items from the Cook Islands village at the weekend. Seven local art and craft businesses – Prestige Pearls, Mareko Island Creations, Kia Orana Gifts, Northern Traders, Tia Napa, Are Manea and Amurireia Fishing – have been selling […]

Cyclone Pat poems, essays and art

Saturday 13 March 2010 | Published in Features

Form five Araura College students have been opening up their hearts on paper by writing poems and stories about cyclone Pat and the devastation the storm caused to Aitutaki. Araura College students have been encouraged to talk about their experiences through cyclone Pat to help them deal with the trauma of their experience. By Ellis […]

Caught with your pants down

Saturday 13 March 2010 | Published in Features

Araura College head of English Corina Ngatamariki sent in this art piece by her grade six student Andrew Rave. Rave and his English class have been writing poems on cyclone Pat, which struck the island in the early hours of February 10 causing widespread devastation to the island. Mrs Ngatamariki and fellow teacher Mrs Solomona […]

Where were you 15 years ago?

Saturday 13 March 2010 | Published in Features

When the Pacific swooshed in waves of hope to Beijing 15 years ago, I was busy swooshing around the old Cook Islands Television office in Tauae. It was September 1995 and as news director at the old CITV station, I was trying to balance raising my baby boy with finishing off a documentary called ‘Green […]

New terminal nearly ready

Saturday 13 March 2010 | Published in Features

The $8.5 million renovation of the Rarotonga International Airport terminal is expected to be completed next month. Travellers can expect a smooth passage through the new spacious airport terminal plus a more diverse duty free shopping experience. Airport Authority chief executive officer Joe Ngamata is pleased with the progress on the airport terminal. “It’s a […]

'King' Mairau forges links between Tahiti and Cooks

Saturday 13 March 2010 | Published in Features

Tauatomo Mairau, Prince Royal of Tahaa and heir to the Tahitian crown, visited with the House of Ariki this week to establish relations between the traditional rulers of his country and those of the Cook Islands. Mairau is engaged in a legal battle that will restore his God-given right to the monarchy in Tahiti, he […]

Why our tsunami threat is minimal

Saturday 13 March 2010 | Published in Features

Firstly I would like to thank the many people who have phoned, emailed and stopped me on the island and offered their support and encouragement to keep up my efforts in trying to educate and advise our people on the effects of tsunami – or lack of danger – to our islands. Many have asked […]

Tour buses go too fast

Saturday 13 March 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Everyone goes on about speeding, drunk driving and talking of bringing the compulsory helmet law in. While this is all well, don’t you think it’s about time someone looked at the actions of the Raro Tour drivers? These drivers have no regard for the speed laws and fellow road users. I ask, are […]

It's fiscally irresponsible

Saturday 13 March 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, So health and education are likely to suffer big budget cuts. When have health and education been a priority anyway. It’s more important to have a big impressive sports stadium and synthetic running track. And the Toa debacle is another thing which should never have happened. I can’t believe how fiscally irresponsible our […]

Stats misused to justify helmets

Saturday 13 March 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, First of all I’d like to express my disappointment with the way some pro helmet supporters misuse motor vehicle accident (MVA) statistics to support such arguments as “one death should be a good enough reason to have introduced compulsory helmets”. What about the deaths through head injuries of those victims that were involved […]

Kata - March 13, 2010

Saturday 13 March 2010 | Published in Kata

Honest as...

Saturday 13 March 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller says after reading about all the burglaries etc on the island, it’s so good to know there are also “super honest people out there”. She took her car to Koa Kupu to clean and when she went back later to pick it up, he handed her a sum of money that he’d […]

There's just one true gospel

Friday 12 March 2010 | Published in Church Talk

Paul was surprised that the people in Galatia, who he had led to Christ, were turning away from the gospel of salvation he had preached. Paul mentions that a ‘different gospel’ was being proclaimed. This is serious because only the one true gospel leads to salvation. To preach and teach another gospel could cause followers […]

Peer pressure can lead to poor choices

Friday 12 March 2010 | Published in Church Talk

Tomorrow’s blessings and opportunities depend on the choices we make today. In this life we have to make many choices. Some are very important choices. Some are not. Many of our choices are between good and evil. The choices we make, however, determine to a large extent our happiness or our unhappiness, because we have […]

'Walk Thru Bible' seminar a success

Friday 12 March 2010 | Published in Church Talk

By Robert Siakimotu WTB Ministries It was a real privilege for me to be invited by Mr Ken Ben and the leaders of the Cook Islands Christian Church to conduct a Walk Thru Bible seminar of the Old and New Testaments in Rarotonga. I am very grateful to God for Brother Ken who organised and […]

Subsidy spent

Friday 12 March 2010 | Published in Local

Government’s water tank subsidy fund is dry. In December, government announced that it would allot $1.5 million toward the water tank subsidy project. MOIP received just $50,000 for the subsidy scheme, which ran out in the course of a few months. There are no immediate plans to top up the fund. Infrastructure minister William (Smiley) […]

McCully coming

Friday 12 March 2010 | Published in Local

NZ Foreign Affairs minister Murray McCully is leading a government delegation to attend the joint ministerial forum in Rarotonga next month. The meeting will cover issues of economics, infrastructure, and social development. McCully and two other NZ ministers, whose names have yet to be confirmed, are due to arrive on April 6. The first joint […]

Budget blowout

Friday 12 March 2010 | Published in Local

Health and education funding may suffer big budget cuts as the country faces a multimillion dollar shortfall in the next annual budget. Finance minister Wilkie Rasmussen admits a budget deficit of up to $4 million could be seen, but rumour puts the shortfall much higher – at one estimate $7 million. Rasmussen says there’s now […]