Articles by Utopia Support

Stop mafia type control by the party executives

Monday 8 March 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, If the politicians won’t do it – what about the people? One of the most consistent political reform changes the Cook Island people ask for is fewer politicians. The politicians are obviously not going to allow this to happen and due to our flawed constitution they control everything and will simply ignore the […]

Lessons from 1960

Monday 8 March 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, A friend sent me a scanned copy of CI News dated 23 May 1960. It reported on the impact of a tsunami caused by an earthquake of 9.5 magnitude that was, also, near to Conception, Chile, where 2 million persons were left homeless. The US Geological Survey calls it the ‘largest earthquake in […]

Demo president confused, not true to party

Monday 8 March 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Many of us Democratic supporters are tired of Makiuti’s rendition in the newspapers about the Demo government. Can we ask Makiuti the following questions please: 1. Who is he to say that the PM will eventually be sacked from the party. He is not the party and there are many supporters out there […]

'We are not at any serious risk'

Monday 8 March 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The comments from Emergency Management Cook Islands (Saturday’s CI News) saying they were justified in alerting the island by door knocking, sirens, and horns blowing etc and getting everyone to run to high ground at around 2am when the ETA of any perceived threat was now over six hours away, just shows their […]

Kata - March 8, 2010

Monday 8 March 2010 | Published in Kata

Justified

Saturday 6 March 2010 | Published in Local

Definite risk justified last weekend’s tsunami alert, according to Emergency Management Cook Islands. In response to accusations that Saturday’s tsunami warning was ‘useless’ and a ‘public nuisance’ given Rarotonga’s invulnerability to tsunamis, Willie Tuivaga of EMCI said that “real-life data” and “real scientists” have proven that Rarotonga is in fact vulnerable to a tsunami threat. […]

Tsunami panic is not necessary

Saturday 6 March 2010 | Published in Features

Much of the talk about last weekend’s tsunami is misguided and misinformed, showing a lack of basic knowledge regarding tsunami threats to our islands of the Cook group. As a result of continually receiving a large number of calls from the public requesting I make comment on the above, I would like to try and […]

Scenes aboard Monterey cruise ship in 1968

Saturday 6 March 2010 | Published in Features

Local dancers entertain guests on board the Monterey in 1968. 41Rarotonga “/> Last week Cook Islands News published his memoir along with some images from a collection of Kodachrome slides supplied by Fleay. He invites readers to contribute names and details about people he photographed. His 23 colour pictures can be viewed on the customer […]

Relief on Penrhyn

Saturday 6 March 2010 | Published in Features

Local MP Wilkie Rasmussen describes reception and tsunami evacuation The Penrhyn people are happy following the relief supplies received on the Hercules flight a week ago, says MP Wilkie Rasmussen. He arrived back from Penrhyn on Tuesday evening and says his short visit and the relief supplies were very much appreciated and a great boost […]

Tsunami alert coincides with King Tides Festival in Tuvalu

Saturday 6 March 2010 | Published in Features

I could not help thinking about the tsunami that struck my country of Samoa a few months ago as I landed in Tuvalu. The many survivors were spared because they managed to get to higher ground – which is exactly the reason I was obsessing about this as FJ281 taxied to a stop at Funafuti […]

Good on govt – don't take China money

Saturday 6 March 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Probably after Kevin Cook I am the country’s second biggest critic when it comes to making sure that the roads of this country are of a decent standard, particularly in the capital Rarotonga. Relying almost entirely on the tourism industry to keep the country’s economy chugging along, it is critical that the country’s […]

Kata - March 6, 2010

Saturday 6 March 2010 | Published in Kata

Natural beauty can give us inspiration

Friday 5 March 2010 | Published in Church Talk

We had 9/11 followed by the Iraq and now Afghanistan wars. We have had the crisis of climate change with drought, bushfires, floods and tsunamis. Now we are working through a global financial crisis. But on the positive side, many people have become more aware of and committed to inter-religious dialogue and work for ecology. […]

Enough Heathers

Friday 5 March 2010 | Published in Local

Henry ‘Black’ Heather has snuffed out rumours that he has been approached to run as the Demo candidate for the Ruaau seat – held by his brother and cabinet minister William ‘Smiley’ Heather – in the next election. “I have no intention at all of being in politics. He’s my brother – how could I […]

Bike riders injured in 2 accidents

Friday 5 March 2010 | Published in Local

Police handled reports of two motor vehicle accidents this week. On Monday at 4.24pm, a gray Mitsubishi pick-up truck crashed into a Honda motorbike at Matavera. The driver, age 85, had been drinking but did not exceed the legal limit and was not charged with excess breath alcohol. He was forbidden from driving for 24 […]

Audit on Toagate critical and complex

Friday 5 March 2010 | Published in Local

The investigation into government’s fuel farm scheme and the resulting $1.75 million Toagate settlement scandal is the most high profile review to be carried out by the audit office to date. Audit director Paul Allsworth says he knows there is a high level of public interest in the investigation but is not sure when the […]

China loan unlikely

Friday 5 March 2010 | Published in Local

Finance minister Wilkie Rasmussen says it’s likely government will no longer approve the planned $37.5 million China soft loan for Rarotonga road and water upgrades. He says apart from putting extra strain on the country’s already high debt level, government may be ‘veering away from Chinese support’. “The loan has not been signed and I […]

Hope springs eternal

Friday 5 March 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Yesterday’s (March 4) article ‘NZ law change extends student loans to Cooks’ highlights the fact that the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau are acknowledged by the NZ Government as being within the REALM OF NEW ZEALAND and, as such, students living in this realm are entitled to receive interest-free loans. I submit that […]

Amazing claims

Friday 5 March 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, It’s amazing to see the TCI boss accusing William Framhein of ‘unsubstantiated claims’ when TCI has been making ridiculous unsubstantiated claims for years to retain their monopoly. The same ridiculous claims that AT+T was making when it was rationalising its strangle hold on world telecommunications over 30 years ago. Free market without monopoly […]

Waiting for radio announcer to scream

Friday 5 March 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor With regard to the debate on helmets and their ability to “help” save lives, I ask one question: How can you disagree, and be intelligent at the same time? With regard to the tsunami alerts, I commend the Police Commissioner for his statements on Cook Islands Radio. He had the sense, and courtesy […]