Articles by Utopia Support

Creative fundraising at Apii Te Uki Ou

Saturday 6 September 2014 | Published in Local

Rarotonga schools are woefully underfunded – end of story.

Award recognises accommodation excellence

Saturday 6 September 2014 | Published in Local

Pacific Resort Hotel Group (PRHG) is proud to announce that that Deputy CEO Marcus Niszow has been awarded ‘South Pacific General Manager of the Year’ at the 2014 HM Awards for Hotel and Accommodation Excellence.

Island raw fish on My Kitchen Rules

Saturday 6 September 2014 | Published in Local

Palmerston North's Aaron and Heather Freeman have made an impressive start to their My Kitchen Rules campaign, landing the highest score in the competition so far.

Pacific leaders and development partners discuss how the SAMOA pathway will be translated into action

Saturday 6 September 2014 | Published in Local

Strong leadership, effective institutions and mutually accountable partnerships between Pacific island countries and their development partners is the key to translating the S.A.M.O.A. pathway into action was the message of a side event held at the third International Small Island Developing States Conference in Apia earlier this week.

Muri night market traffic issues more of a concern

Saturday 6 September 2014 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,‘Traffic Watch’ needs to look more carefully before putting pen to paper to criticise local restaurant owners re parking.

Our Nation deserves better

Saturday 6 September 2014 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,I am so thankful that the MP of Murienua is choosing not to publish in your paper his views which contain garbage, full of air about nothing and find so disgusting, hypocritical, promoting propaganda and terror in the minds of those who have come very far to work hard, dedicated to the course for the better good of our country, well educated and highly qualified true Cook Islanders.

'People are hurting out there...some have been pushed to breaking poin

Saturday 6 September 2014 | Published in Foxshots

‘People are hurting out there, and such is their desperation some have been pushed to breaking point’. The New Zealand election is approaching.

Kata: Funding for schools?

Saturday 6 September 2014 | Published in Kata

Southern group petitions down to the wire

Saturday 6 September 2014 | Published in Politics

Petition proceedings concerning constituencies in Mangaia and Atiu ran late into the day yesterday, with no imminent decisions.

Third time lucky for the Eels?

Saturday 6 September 2014 | Published in Rugby Union

Excitement and expectation builds today as the club rugby competition steps up a notch in this weekend’s semi-final round.

Tupapa and Puaikura set for fiery football

Saturday 6 September 2014 | Published in Football

Tupapa Maraerenga prepares to take on Puaikura, at their home turf in the main premier men’s football match kicking off at 4pm today at Victoria Park.

God continues to be involved in our story, He wants the best for us

Friday 5 September 2014 | Published in Church Talk

What is your story? Jesus has called us to be witnesses. It is like when people look at you, they get the BIG picture. It’s all about enacting and sharing what happens from within. The challenge is how we see and value our journeys. Admittedly, the journey is not all rosy, but very real and in that scenario God is also very real in His pleading and dealing with us. In the Bible, God always wants the best for us and He demonstrated and lived through it in sending His Son who gave up His life for you and me. His journey offers us a lot of encouragement in firstly dealing with our journey and witnessing to others.In one incident, Jesus went across the lake with His disciples, on arrival a man possessed by demons came to challenge Jesus, however, in the course of their discussion he gave his heart to Jesus and wanted to follow Him, but Jesus told him you go to your home and tell them what the Lord has done for you. The little information given in the Bible in Mark 5, tells us this guy had a very rough history. People were afraid of him, he yells and howls day and night among the tombs and was clearly possessed by demons. Imagine then what is included in his story, life before meeting Jesus and his life after meeting Jesus. Jesus told him tell your friends and family about the change that happened in you. He did, and many people were amazed with his story and they heard and saw it themselves.This last week, in a seminar we were doing with our pastors, we were asked to share a little bit of our story. So here is my short story and I entitled it “in a nutshell”. “Wow what a journey!!! I grew up in a family that loved the Lord. My dad was a pastor and my mum worked in the Mission office. I’m glad I had wonderful parents who loved me and gave every opportunity to me to do better in life. I left home at a very young age and went over to New Zealand to do my high school years there. I was living with my aunty who did not share the same values as that of my parents. I stopped attending church and started to do things which would break my parent’s hearts. I returned to Rarotonga and got involved with friends who were also sorting themselves out. Then for a good year or so I got involved with clubbing, alcohol and smoking. In fact, I played in a local band in clubs. I still loved the Lord, my parents and family.I was going to church to please them, but, will definitely go out at night.My parents sent me to Fulton College in Fiji. I arrived in Fulton drunk and slept my first night there on a table. I was intoxicated. I do not even know up to this day why I wasn’t sent straight back on the next flight. I made friends in Fulton and would sneak to Suva to party hard. That went on for the first year I was there. A Solomon islander friend talked to me and suggested I become a pastor because of my voice. I laughed at it, and three years later I graduated from the ministerial course.Today, I love the Lord with all of myself, for working behind the scene in my life. He has given me a wife suggested by the same friend who asked me to be a pastor, he gave me three wonderful children. I have so many questions to God about my life, but I’m content because I know despite my zig-zag journey, I remain a priority to him. I love Him heaps. God continues to be involved in our story, He wants the best for us. We have the picture of Him standing at the door of our hearts, knocking and wanting to spend quality time with us. With so much negativity happening around us, needless heartaches and pain, the collapse of morality and the respect of others, it is high time to get God seriously involved in our life. There is no other way for us as we face challenging times whether it is personally, with our family, our community and the wider world we live in.We have an enemy who is putting all the blame on God for the sufferings, calamities we’re facing. Even with strong destructive opposition to God by Satan, the Bible tells us that God in His love for us won the victory for us with all of His heart to share with us now and for evermore.In John 10:10 – “The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.” Continue with God, because it’s a winning partnership with eternal consecrations. Have a great weekend and continue your story in the Lord. Blessings Pastor Eliu SDA Church

Plant a tree, clean up the Cook Islands

Friday 5 September 2014 | Published in Environment

The annual Clean up the Cook Islands event coordinated by the National Environment Service will be commemorated next Friday, September 12.

Parliament staff travel to Oz for workshop

Friday 5 September 2014 | Published in Local

Two officials with the Cook Islands Parliament recently travelled to Australia to participate in a workshop that aimed to improve gender equality that could be supported in their parliaments.

Rising from the ashes but still no car parks?

Friday 5 September 2014 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Mr Editor,Turoa Bakery is rising from the ashes, to include the burned out cafe that was so good at packing in the tourists.

'Get rid of digital sign!'

Friday 5 September 2014 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Another reason to get rid of the digital sign: our police officers cannot spell. Somebody lend the police at Arorangi an English dictionary so we don't have to look like uneducated fools to our overseas visitors. Yesterday, there in giant digital letters in front of the Arorangi police station: "Beware of thiefs and burglars. Lock up".Can someone please tell the police the plural of thief is thieves. And so near a primary school too.Maybe they should ask one of the 6 year olds next door how to spell the word. Stop Visual Pollution (Name and address supplied)

Who pays for spouse travel cost?

Friday 5 September 2014 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, We all know that the Cook Islands Party is the caretaker government of the country at this point in time with Henry Puna acting in the capacity of the caretaker Prime Minister. What I would like to obtain clarification from the FINSEC is whether as caretaker PM Henry Puna is entitled to get his wife's travel costs for her to accompany him on his many travel jaunts covered under the civil list? I have a strong feeling that spouses of caretaker PM or caretaker Cabinet ministers do not qualify for funding under the civil list for spouses travel costs when there is a caretaker government in place. sad but classic example of what Ms Olivia Heather highlighted in her recent letter to the editor relating to continual wasteful spending by CIP government on specific items which add zero value to the long term betterment of this small country of ours. Toke toke enua (Name and address supplied)

CIP ship more like Noah's Ark?

Friday 5 September 2014 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,I refer to Dennis Tunui’s letter of September 2 headed “Grey Power only terrorise the CIP government”,

How can you quote being Christian-minded?

Friday 5 September 2014 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,Tim, Tim, Tim Tepaki, I do believe you have gone coo - coo, or you are seriously desperate in your attempt to support your beloved CIP government, to go so far off-track as to incite racial hatred and disharmony by calling the aged mama and papas of Grey Power terrorists and then to hint they should be removed or protected against like those 'homegrown Muslim Terrorists' in Australia. How you can quote being Christian-minded later in your letter after such a severe statement in the beginning? This only shows up your symptoms of unstable disillusionment. Have a look in the dictionary Tim. Under ‘terrorism’, it is the 'use of violence' or 'threatening with violence' which is the key component here that completely disqualifies your claim against Grey Power. In the larger world outside of the Cook Islands, many terrorists have used ambushes or secretive hubs to surprise and shock, hurt, maim and kill government authorities and members of the innocent public in their 'claims to be heard and obeyed'. Grey Power have done nothing remotely sinister, they have always advertised when, where, and who they will peacefully march towards, talk to, demand an audience, armed only with their cardboard placards, and sheet banners, the closest thing to a weapon is their walking sticks. In fact, in 2013, they waited and waited from March when Parliament were meant to sit, until December before they finally sat so they could march and use their right of freedom to speak before they could be heard. You call Grey Power leaders terrorists, you call them un-Christian, and you set your CIP government up on a pedestal of having done no wrong. A law exists that gives the Government the right to tax the NZ pensioners, however, only your CIP chose to enforce it. Instead of announcing the introduction of this new law to come into effect at a pre-established time in the future, as was done with the VAT increase with TV adverts, newspaper adverts and radio adverts, the pensioners were told they were to be taxed, but it was not disclosed they would be back taxed two years, this was kept in the dark from them.The pensioners were misled, some would say they were lied to. Then the letters came, threatening to take them to court if they did not pay up. Not everyone got the letters, the weak and the infirmed got their letters first. One old papa in his 80's received several letters while he was in hospital, no one here to look after him, so while he wasn't looking they took the money from him. All the letters threatened to take the pensioners to court. They were given a warning letter that the next time will be a court date, yet none came, instead the CIP government stole the money out of their bank account. The pensioners were lied to, they were threatened, and then left with no money in their accounts the week before Christmas. Is this the act of a Christian government, Tim? What did our Grey Power terrorists do? They announced they would walk in the hot sun and protest at this very unfair, cloak and dagger action against them. Which they did, they sang and prayed and spoke and listened and they were promised in public announcement by Prime Minister Henry Puna and Minister of Finance Mark Brown, their hat in their hands, they would have their money returned and, still they wait. The Judas kiss from Puna and Brown gave way to more money being 'stolen' from the pensioners, and none returned, as you so rightly pointed out the bank can not give our money away, and if it is the banks’ money why are the pensioners bank accounts still empty?Tim, you once ruled the world as a successful businessman and rode back to the island on your great white horse, throwing money at the resurrection of the Sheraton project, where are you now? Take care with your accusations, as things are not all as they seem. Standing up for one's rights does not mean an act of terrorism and holding positions of power does not automatically mean they have the right to do what they like, nor does it mean they deserve respect. Some things don't come easy. Respect, has to be earned, and the leaders of Grey Power deserve your respect because as God-loving, law-abiding Christian citizens, they have stood as David against Goliath and continue to do so despite their age or circumstances. The adverts were right. CIP are a cruel government. C.I.A. Cook Island Aging (Name and address supplied)

Kata: Police and their flash new sign...

Friday 5 September 2014 | Published in Kata