General News

Week ending Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Current events and entertainment in Rarotonga and the Cook Islands.

Telecoms licence denied
Police issue warning after firearms stolen
‘We share the pain’
Fishing boat damaged in harbour waves
Flags fly at half mast
Calls free to the Samoas, Tonga
ANZ gives $100,000 to tsunami recovery
Devotional tribute to our friends
Thor Pacific cargo clearing hurried by scare at harbour
Communications the big problem
New talkback show hits the airwaves
Radiothon on today
Gift to Samoa Rotary
Man and dog survive ordeal in open dinghy
Rescued dog checked by vets
Games investment $11.5m
Catering slip up at end
Ownership of gear being sorted
Girl of 8 hurt
Donation for tsunami victims
Priest passes away
Breast cancer screened
Team Health ran to plan
Big sale starts Friday

Telecoms licence denied

Telecom Cook islands Ltd has declined local company Mervin Communication’s request for a licence to operate telecommunications services and networks in the Cook Islands.

The locally-owned company made the request to Telecom Cook Islands in August.

Director William Framhein is disappointed at the response from Telecom issued last week. His company has yet to officially receive the September 25 letter from Telecom, but it has been sent to 12 MPs and ministers.

Telecom acting CEO Jules Maher wrote that the request had been denied for two reasons, one being that government is considering the introduction of new legislation covering the industry and that the application should really be considered by an ‘appropriately qualified body’.

“Their (TCI) rationale behind declining our request is an excuse not to let another player come into the market. Whilst it might be good to have some statutes in place for two operators, in this case I think we are mature enough to sit down and negotiate until such time as appropriate legislation is produced,” says Framhein.

Mervin Communications and its subsidiary companies like the proposed mobile network Kukicel are now seriously considering court action over the issue.

“We can either keep pushing government to fast-track changes to the law or we can address this issue by taking the matter back to court and ask the court for orders to force Telecom to give us an (operations) agreement.”

Mervin Communications has already taken the matter to court previously to determine whether Telecom is the only body which can grant a licence to operate. The judgement confirmed that the only way the new business can get this agreement is through Telecom.

Framhein met with prime minister Jim Marurai yesterday to ask about the amendment to the current Telecommunications Act that government is considering.

“We ideally want the legislation to be changed before Christmas to allow competition in the industry,” says Framhein.

He believes that while Telecom and government have advocated competition, the reality is that they only know one style of business – a monopoly.

“They don’t know what competition is all about. The reality is competition would be new to them and they would be fearful of it.”

Telecom’s letter stated that it is not opposed to competition, provided it results in a ‘level playing field.’

“Provision of unprofitable services to the outer islands is a social service that Telecom currently subsidises from general profits and is one of the prices it pays for the privilege of being a statutory monopoly.

“Any new entrants need to contribute a fair share of those subsidies so that Telecom’s ability to compete is not impaired by irrecoverable costs,” says the letter.

Maher wrote that he is sure the two companies share the common objective of delivering top quality services to customers at a price they consider value for money.

Framhein says his company hopes to introduce high quality low cost services to the islands, starting with Rarotonga.

Telecom has also advised that government is inviting consultant John Budden back to the country this year to discuss developments in the industry.

But Framhein says if nothing has changed here, the 2006 Budden report would still apply.

“What could he say? That Telecom’s profits have risen since then?”

Framhein says he hopes government, which owns 40 percent of TCI, will get on to making changes to allow competition in the industry before his company has to resort to legal action.

Police issue warning after firearms stolen

Two firearms were stolen from homes last week.

A 12-gauge shotgun was taken in Aroa and an air rifle and four packets of .22 bullets were stolen in a burglary in Matavera. Both were reported last Friday.

Police inspector Arama Tera says the missing firearms are being treated as theft and there is a concern for public safety. The matter is being investigated and police warn all firearm owners to secure their weapons.

“If you need help on how to secure them, then call us,” he says. “It’s just carelessness of people. There is a way to take the pin out and store it some place else.”

Other crime reported was a cash register stolen from Raemaru Stop in Arorangi. The shop keeper had gone to the back of the store when a man pulled the register’s plug out and left the store. The offender was described as skinny wearing a grey hood and police have a suspect in mind.

Another cash register was stolen from the Beco Ltd store in Arorangi. Inside was $200 in coins.

Five more burglaries were recorded which included the Taro Patch store in Avatiu. It is not known what was missing. A DVD player was also taken from a Tepuka home on Monday. Two tourist units in Kavera were broken into on Tuesday. Items missing were mobile phones, digital camera, visa and ASB card.

Liquor, food and clothing were stolen from a Nikao home on Thursday and a window was smashed at the Rarotonga Backpackers office on Friday. Nothing has been reported missing so far.

Alcohol, jewellery and a ladies’ purse were taken from an Arorangi home on Saturday.

Police attended to 10 thefts with one involving a black male pig stolen from its pen in Blackrock. On Tuesday a phone and charger was taken from a Palm Grove unit in Vaimaanga.

A wallet containing $680 cash and pearls was reported stolen from a home in Takavaine.

Ten arrests were made by police last week with three taken into custody for failing to appear in court.

A 19-year-old male was charged last Monday for assault on a female and a 21-year-old male was held for excess breath alcohol.

Two men aged 23 and 22 were also arrested for fighting in a public place. Around 2.40am on Saturday the two were seen fighting on the main road near Staircase Restaurant and Bar.They were both bailed and will appear in court on Thursday.

On Saturday, a man was arrested in Nikao for assaulting his mother and assaulting an officer. He was charged and was due to appear in court this week.

A 61-year-old was also arrested for assaulting a female early Monday morning.

Two motor vehicle accidents were reported. Tourists stopped suddenly and fell off their motorcycle on the back road of Nikao last Tuesday. The visitors sustained minor injuries and the bike had minor damage.

Another minor accident was being investigated involving two vans on the back road of Matavera.

‘We share the pain’

The president of the country’s national sports organsiation says that Cook Islanders share the pain with those who have lost loved ones in Tuesday’s devastating tsunami in the Pacific.

“The recent tsunami that has affected American Samoa, Samoa and parts of Tonga has brought a lot of pain and heartache to the people of these nations,” says Sir Geoffrey Henry, president of the Cook Islands Sports & National Olympic Committee

“I am aware that there are many athletes in Rarotonga representing those three countries who are likely to have lost members of their families and loved ones. Sir Geoffrey says the information to hand indicates that more than 100 people have died and that there are many more unaccounted for.

“On behalf of the sporting community of the Cook Islands, I would like to extend condolences and deepest commiserations to the athletes in Rarotonga who are feeling pain and heartache at this moment.

“I know that words will not bring their loved ones back, however I want them to know that our hearts reach out to them and that we would like to share the pain and heartache with them, and that by doing so, we bring some comfort to those who have lost their loved ones.

“We the sporting community of the Cook Islands wish them luck in their sporting endeavours for the rest of the mini games and hope that the tragedy that has become a sad part of their live will be reason enough to boost their performance as a memory to their lost ones.

“May God bless them all,” concludes Sir Geoffrey.

Fishing boat damaged in harbour waves

Delano Adventure Fishing’s Dave Pratt believes his company’s boat may be the only one to sustain real damage during the small tsunami at Avatiu Harbour on Tuesday.

“We couldn’t get out fast enough and were trapped in behind Hotel California for a while,” says Pratt.

Around $2000 in damage was sustained by the charter fishing boat when its backboard was smashed off.

Pratt says the crew finished temporary repairs yesterday and the boat will be back out on the water this week.

He says the Delano was one of the last boats to evacuate the harbour and stayed outside the reef all day because all the boat mooring ropes had been tangled in the receding waters.

“We had some pretty tense moments out there. No one told us to get out of there. The most amazing thing was seeing all the water draining out of the harbour,” he says.

Pratt says after all the excitement at the western marina on Tuesday, they are now keen to get back to business as usual.

Harbour master John Fallon told CINews he had not heard of damage to any of the boats, but believes some may have sustained damage when they stayed in the port and in the rush to escape the tsunami waves pouring in and out of the harbour.

Flags fly at half mast

National flags around Rarotonga flew at half-mast yesterday and will continue until tomorrow as a mark of respect to those lost in Tuesday’s tsunami tragedy in Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga.

Prime minister Jim Marurai issued the request that all offices, non-government organisations and businesses fly their flags at half-mast yesterday.

He has sent letters of sympathy to the prime minister of Samoa, the governor of American Samoa and the Tongan PM.

“On behalf of the government and people of the Cook Islands, please accept our deepest sympathies over the loss of life and property in the devastating earthquake and tsunami, yesterday,” wrote Marurai to Samoa’s PM.

“As a close-knit family of Pacific people, we all feel the tremendous pain of this tragedy and extend our heartfelt condolences to your government, and our relatives and friends throughout Samoa.”

“We shall continue to keep the people of Samoa in our prayers during this time and provide every encouragement and support we can toward the efforts to contend with the loss, and rehabilitation of the communities affected by this disaster.”

Calls free to the Samoas, Tonga

Cars hang from buildings as Tuesday’s tsunami left devastating results for Samoa. 8 90930138

Telecom Cook Islands opened its landline and mobile services up yesterday for family and friends to get in touch with loved ones in Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga for free.

TCI advised the public that until 12 noon tomorrow all calls from direct dial landline (including the outer islands) and mobile phones to these countries will be free to enable those affected to get in contact with loved ones without the added worry of charges.

“We also advise that we will waive the charges on landline calls and post paid mobile phone calls to these destinations made from 9am Tuesday September29,” said TCI yesterday.

“We apologise to our pre paid customers that we are unable to backdate the charges on this service.”

“We offer our sincere sympathy and support to all our friends and families through this difficult time.”

To avoid overloading the system with the calls Telecom asks that the public be patient and if they don’t get through first time to call back after a minute or two rather than straight away to avoid congestion to the lines.

Telecom Cook Islands had recently installed additional capacity to cater for the Pacific Mini Games and normal growth but the threat of a tsunami saw the sudden demand grow 300 percent which put a strain on the system which then became congested.

There are numbers with a priority such as emergency services which will always get through by disconnecting a random caller with a lesser priority. This is to ensure the publics safety in case of an emergency says TCI.

Email and texting were not affected by the overloading of the system.

Telecom would like to reiterate that the Telecom Call Centre is not an emergency number and are advised to contact emergency services on 999.

“The procedure for emergencies is put in place only after we receive official confirmation. At this point we then start advising customers (if they ring us) of the details we have received and to secure their homes and vehicles and ensure their family is safe. If they feel that they are in danger, they should head to their nearest evacuation centre. Please note all this information is in the phone directory. Telecom Cook Islands is dedicated to improving the system to meet the publics’ expectations and apologies for any inconvenience caused by the disruption.”

ANZ gives $100,000 to tsunami recovery

The New Zealand Defence Force is in Samoa giving aid and supplied these photos of the devastation that has hit the country. 90930142

ANZ Bank has announced a donation of AU$100,000 through Red Cross to support Pacific communities impacted by a tsunami that was caused by an earthquake near Samoa this week.

Chief executive officer Asia Pacific, Europe & America, Alex Thursby, said, “This tsunami has had a devastating effect on communities in Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga, including tragic loss of life.

“We understand this is a very difficult time and we want to help support these communities with disaster relief and as they begin the process of recovery.”

The ANZ group will make a donation on behalf of its staff and customers of AU$100,000 to Red Cross to kick start a public appeal.

ANZ branches in Australia and New Zealand will be accepting donations that will go directly to the “Pacific Tsunami (Samoa and Tonga) Appeal” through Red Cross to fund the disaster response on the ground.

Deposits can also be made via your local ANZ Branches in Cook Islands. All monies collected into the ANZ account will be disbursed directly to the Red Cross. The Red Cross will oversee distribution of funds to help all communities in the Pacific affected by the disaster. Funds will be dispersed relative to each affected country’s need

“Our thoughts and sympathies are with those who have lost loved ones or who have suffered damage to their homes or businesses,” David Dennis Cook Islands general manager said.

“We are committed to helping our local communities, and trust this donation will help provide some relief for people and communities in the Pacific who have been impacted by this terrible natural disaster.

ANZ customers who are affected by this disaster are encouraged to contact their local ANZ branch to discuss the impact on their business or personal circumstances.

Some local branches have been closed but ANZ expects business as usual to resume over coming days. Customers can confirm arrangements at their local branch.

How to donate:

• Visit any ANZ Cook Islands branch or donate directly to the Appeal Account “ANZ Tsunami Appeal Fund” BSB: 010975 Account Number: 318568 .

• Australian Red Cross will be accepting donations to its “Pacific Tsunami (Samoa and Tonga) Appeal” at www.redcross.org.au or through 1800 811 700 .

• New Zealand Red Cross is also accepting donations. For more information visit www.redcross.org.nz/makeadonation.

Devotional tribute to our friends

As the American Samoans were grieving at Avarua School not knowing if their family members were still alive or not, the Niue team was organising a time of devotion for them in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The Niue team’s encouragement message was that we need to come together and give back to God our faith our belief and our values, as it all goes back to God. We come together to pray for our pacific brothers and sisters and seek God as a group, as a nation, but the key is we must come together to God.

The Minister from Niue applauded the efforts that were being done to help our Pacific neighbours. As this happens to our Pacific families, it brings back to remembrance the experience that Niue had in 2004 with cyclone Heta which was a grade 5.

The Tokelau team emphasised that when one part of the body is hurting, the rest of the body also feels the pain.

“We thank God that the tsunami did not come to Tokelau because we are such a small island. But we feel for our brothers and sisters from Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga and can only offer you comfort and support at this time.”

The chef de mission from American Samoa said that when one life is lost, it is a bad situation. But we should always keep God in our hearts all the time and not just in time of need.

“This has never happened to us in Samoa before and we can keep on asking questions but only one knows the real answer and that is God.

“We would like to thank everyone for the prayers and support, but it will be a hard job for our athletes to continue competing not knowing where their families are, either alive or dead. We would like to thank all the people of the Cook Islands for your concern and also to our Pacific brothers and sisters, thank you for caring.”

Joshua 1:9 – Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Even though we are at the Games enjoying being toge- ther and finding out who is the best at which event, our hearts are not immune to pain that our brothers and sisters are suffering.

As the athletes were here, in the Solomon Islands a child to one of the sevens players died, in Niue a grandfather died of one of the team members, and now in Tonga, in American Samoa and in Samoa we have families of our athletes who are still missing in the aftermath.

The only thing that we know to do is to come together and console each other and to praise God and to seek him and to find comfort in Almighty God who reigneth forever.

In the midst of sorrow, we are surrounded by love from our brethren in the South Pacific. Let the Lord be glorified and let the Lord continue to reign in our hearts.

Thor Pacific cargo clearing hurried by scare at harbour

The cargo offloaded from the Thor Pacific last Saturday was cleared faster by customers who wanted it off the wharf after the effects of the earthquake off Samoa on the waters at Avatiu Harbour on Tuesday.

While the waters swirled in and out of the harbour, no damage was done, providing more of an interesting phenomenon to watch than to fear.

Express Cook Islands Line shipping manager Maru Apera says the occurrence actually helped them get customers to clear their cargo items faster.

Thor Pacific sailed to Aitutaki on Monday but was still there yesterday after waiting for the outcome of the tsunami watch on the Cook Islands.

The ship has taken over the Southern Express voyage from New Zealand this month and will do so for the next few months while the other ship is dry-docked for servicing in Singapore.

Apera says the Thor Pacific brought an average monthly import of cargo to Rarotonga on Saturday. Around 130 containers, including tanktainers of fuel, were offloaded as well as a number of new vehicles.

Apera says next month customers may be bringing in the first of their Christmas stock.

The Thor Pacific travels 2-3 knots faster than the Express and so her turnaround time will be every 18-19 days – much quicker than the usual 23 day turnaround.

This decreases the current Auckland to Rarotonga time from nine to seven days.

Communications the big problem

Police commissioner Maara Tetava revealed yesterday that his department was flooded with so many calls last Tuesday morning that their system became overloaded.

Tetava says a $150,000 upgrade to the Police telecommunications system is ongoing and in need of completion to prevent overloads when too many calls are received.

Tetava attended the emergency management council post-tsunami warning meeting yesterday and told stakeholders communications became a big problem that day for Police.

The overload on the emergency phone service meant Tetava could not contact his own officers who had been deployed around the island to check for effects of the tsunami.

“It was unacceptable not to have contact,” he said.

That day the police were also not receiving emailed tsunami warning bulletins from the Meteorological Service – only a fax that was received 40 minutes after it was sent.

“The faxed message to police was delayed. There could have been a problem with email or it could have been human error.”

Tetava said in a tsunami warning situation, the authorities have to act very quickly and this is reliant on how fast they can communicate.

“I take the blame for lack of communication and the slow response that morning, too,” he said.

Met Service director Arona Ngari is now making an effort to have Tetava’s mobile number added to four other key contacts in the country that receive warnings like that which the service receives from Hawaii’s Pacific tsunami warning centre.

At the meeting yesterday, Red Cross representative Charlie Numanga also revealed that one of the most worrying points of the day was when they could not get hold of Nassau. The two landlines were down, radio has been down for two years, and even contact by satellite phone failed, said Numanga. He said for the sake of the 76 people living in Nassau, the telecommunications issues should be fixed.

Within the next two weeks, Tetava and Emergency Management Cook Islands will work on completing the national standard operating procedures for tsunami, which includes improving communication with stakeholders and vital communications networks such as the police emergency call system.

New talkback show hits the airwaves

‘Speak Your Mind’ – a new talkback radio show – was launched by Matariki FM last night.

The show also known as ‘Oora To’ou Manako’ will be on nightly from Monday to Thursday from 7.30pm to 10.30pm.

If you’ve read something in the Cook Islands News or you have your ear to the ground on issues that you think need discussing on the talkback radio forum, then you can call up and have your say.

The audience will be encouraged to come up with subjects and issues to talk about and it is hoped there will be multiple subjects each night.

The presenters will lead off with some ideas on current issues, developing issues from local media like the CI News, and hypothetical issues.

Matariki FM’s Te Don of Maraerenga, William Framhein, who will present the show with Titong (Amoa Amoa), says the idea behind the show is to give the people of the Cook Islands a tool that they can use to get their opinion across to others.

A new presenter, Terence Tangatapoto will soon be joining Speak Your Mind.

The talk-back is on at an ideal time, Framhein says, because most people are home and can spare more time to call up.

Speak Your Mind is intended to be a constructive talkback show that is presented in both Maori and English with callers able to speak in either or both languages.

Call Speak Your Mind on 25998 or 25999. Matariki FM broadcasts on 96.7 FM Matavera to BlackRock, 919 FM Blackrock to Tikioki, and 99.99 FM Tikioki to Matavera.

Radiothon on today

A radiothon is on today to raise funds to help the Samoa Red Cross relief efforts in the parts of Samoa hit by the tsunami last Tuesday.

Cook Islands Red Cross has joined forces with the local Samoan community to hold the radiothon that starts at Matariki FM at 9am today. To make a pledge you can call 25998 or 25999. From midday onwards the radiothon will be on Radio Cook Islands on 20100.

A bank account at ANZ has also been opened to assist Samoa in their tsunami recovery.

Donations can be made at the ANZ Tsunami Appeal Fund, account number 318568.

Gift to Samoa Rotary

Assistant District Govenor for Rotary District 9920 (which the local Rarotonga Rotary Club is part of) Maraea Slade was in Rarotonga with the Samoan Mini Games Team last week, and also attended last Wednesday’s weekly meeting.

It is the first time in five years that the club has had an ADG visit. Pictured below is Rarotonga President Mike Pynenburg presenting Maraea with a cheque for $500 raised at the last meeting from member’s donations. Also pictured are past presidents Mousie Skews and John McElhinney.

The cheque was made out to the Rotary Club of Savaii for them to use as they think best.

Man and dog survive ordeal in open dinghy

For nearly three days it was just a man and his dog in a dinghy – adrift in the vast Pacific Ocean.

Sylvain Caron of Quebec, Canada, reached the solid ground of Rarotonga yesterday. The patrol boat Te Kukupa came to his rescue after his 40-foot ketch called ‘Inherit the Wind’ sank in French Polynesia waters last Saturday.

Both he and Eddie his Jack Russell terrier were in a healthy condition.

The 48-year-old had left Raiatea, Tahiti, bound for New Zealand for repair work and was sailing for five days before things started to go wrong.

“On Saturday the waters were a bit rough but it seemed okay,” he says. “Around 5pm it was time to take a little nap because we had a big night ahead and as I was getting ready to chill out, the wind picked up and the auto pilot couldn’t keep up with it.”

Caron says a storm broke out and the yacht was taking in too much water.

“The pump wasn’t working – well not enough anyway,” he says.

It was then he decided he needed to abandon ship.

Grabbing Eddie, a wetsuit, a mask, floats and his passport, he tied himself and Eddie to the small open inflatable dinghy. Both had their own life jackets.

Caron says he’s glad he had the wetsuit and mask as it was raining on Saturday night and the dinghy was overturned a few times by the waves. He had onboard an emergency radio which was too wet to work so he activated his distress beacon.

The signal was picked up by the Tahiti search and rescue services who then sent out the French naval Guardian aircraft to locate him.

“I saw a plane flying far away from me and it was closing in slowly. But then it disappeared,” he says.

“That was tragic, I was in despair, but then it eventually came back again. That’s when I realised they were looking for me and they came close enough for me to light a flare.”

On Sunday afternoon the plane spotted him 380 kilometres from Rarotonga.

“I had also managed to grab three cans of corned beef and three beers off my boat,” he says. I said to heck with that, you’re coming, you might come in handy.

“When those guys (the French Guardian aircraft) showed up, they rocked their wings to let me know they saw me. That’s when I thought, I’m having a beer right now and cracked one open.”

Tahiti contacted police commissioner Maara Tetava who made the decision to send Te Kukupa out on Sunday night. The patrol vessel reached Caron within 24 hours compared to about 48 hours if a ship came from Tahiti.

The rescue mission was a coordinated joint effort between Cook Islands police, Tahiti search and rescue, the Guardian and the control centre in Wellington.

“I was praying that I wasn’t going to see another night,” Caron said yesterday. “The nights are the worse, it gets terribly cold, but I knew the plane had seen me.”

Caron was picked up by Te Kukupa on Monday afternoon with the Guardian circling to show the patrol vessel his location.

“I was lying down and saw the dog lift his nose up. I was wondering if they could see us as we’d disappear 2-3 metres when the waves dropped. Then all of a sudden I saw the top of the ship, it was such a relief.”

Caron and Eddie have been on the sea for three years having left Quebec in 2006. They’ve been together for 12 years. “He’s been a good partner. In the boat I laid down and put him on top of me. I said to him, ‘I’ll keep you off the water, if you keep me warm.”

The pair received health checks before leaving the patrol vessel with Caron only suffering a rash from wearing the wetsuit for nearly three days. Immigration stamped his damp passport yesterday and he’s been given the regular 31-day stay.

Advice was given to contact the New Zealand High Comissision to get in touch with the Canadian consulate. Eddie was taken into quarantine and was being looked after by the Esther Honey animal clinic.

“I just want to say thank you very much to everyone who assisted,” Caron said. “One of the crew (on Te Kukupa) was getting married, but he postponed the wedding. I can’t thank the crew enough.”

- Dana Kinita

Rescued dog checked by vets

Eddie the Jack Russell was given the all clear by local veterinarians yesterday after he and his rescued owner Quebec sailor Sylvain Caron survived several days at sea in a dinghy.

Te Kukupa returned to Rarotonga yesterday after picking up the sailor and his dog in a dinghy at sea on Monday about 450km north-east of the island after the yacht they were in sank on the weekend.

Esther Honey clinic director Karen Galvan says Eddie was in their care yesterday but they hoped to reunite him with Caron as soon as possible.

Eddie has been living at sea for the past three years as Caron’s constant companion and Esther Honey asked Police Commissioner Maara Tetava to release him from quarantine and reunite the pair.

Eddie’s health was checked over by senior veterinarian Gabrielle Dampney yesterday and he was given the all clear. The pint-sized dog got a bath yesterday afternoon when his owner of 13 years was due to visit him.

Games investment $11.5m

A birdseye view of the new Telecom Sports Arena. GRAY CLAPHAM PHOTO 5 91002115

An investment of around $11.5 million was made by government to build Pacific Mini Games venues, upgrade facilities and purchase new equipment for them.

The Cook Islands Investment Corporation (CIIC) has come up with preliminary costs of the many construction and upgrade works it has overseen for the past year. This information was released yesterday by acting chief executive Lloyd Miles.

The construction of the Chinese soft loan funded Telecom Sports Arena (TSA) stadium in Nikao has cost government $8.4 million.

The next most costly expenditure was on equipment purchases at around $1 million.

Equipment purchased by CIIC for the new sports venue included retractable seating, protective carpeting for its floor, scoreboards, sports and gym equipment, a telecommunications system and a standby generator.

The waste and water upgrade at Tereora and Tepuka has cost government around $500,000.

This work involved the construction and connection of a one million litre water tank at the TSA, a 150,000 litre water tank at Tereora, the construction and connection of two 35,000 litre septic tanks, the Tereora/Tepuka sewerline survey and repairs, the Enviroflow system testing and repairs and an upgrade to Tereora water reticulation.

Eleven schools on the island were partially painted, had toilet upgrades, drainage and septic upgrades, water catchment upgrades, electrical upgrades, the installation of containerised showers and general beautification work carried out for a total cost of $920,675.

The BCI Stadium $380,000 upgrade for the Mini Games included a complete upgrade of the grandstand, an electrical upgrade, remodelling of the ticketing booth and tuck shop, fence and gate repairs as well as water reticulation work and general beautification of the parking and entranceway.

Village sports facilities such as the Tereora hardcourts, the national auditorium, and Avatiu clubhouse also received some facelift work to the tune of just over $240,000.

Other infrastructure works were carried out and sports items purchased by government for the hosting of the Mini Games which are not included in CIIC’s summary of works.

CIIC is still tallying up the final costs of the works it carried out through many local and international contractors.

Catering slip up at end

The Pacific Mini Games organising committee will come to the rescue and help feed the remaining athletes still on the island.

Yesterday morning Nikao Maori principal Rairi Rairi voiced his disappointment at not being informed about the catering responsibilities after the games.

There were 14 participants from Papua New Guinea still at the school yesterday, and two were to have left last night. The remaining visitors will leave on Friday morning.

Rairi says the last meals were provided by the games caterers at Nikao on Monday evening and he was disappointed that nothing was communicated to them about arrangements after that.

He says they were surprised to see six Niueans walk through the gate yesterday morning expecting breakfast – unbeknown to ‘Papa Ra’ and his helpers.

There were eight Niueans still on the island yesterday morning.

Rairi says with the PNG visitors in the grounds, it will also affect the school’s scheduled start to the last term.

When contacted about the athletes’ plight, PMG chief executive Mac Mokoroa said yesterday afternoon that arrangements were being made to cater for the remaining visitors.

Ownership of gear being sorted

A submission is being prepared for cabinet to clarify the ownership of sports equipment purchased for use during the Pacific Mini Games.

Organising committee chief executive Mac Mokoroa says the paper will be prepared with the ministry of finance and economic management.

With a lot of money spent to buy equipment for sports like weightlifting, boxing, athletics, sailing and oe vaka, Mokoroa says ultimately it will be up to cabinet to decide what to do with the equipment.

“Cabinet may want to recover taxpayers’ money because this equipment was purchased with public money.”

Mokoroa says it may be that the equipment could be sold to the national federations at a determined price. By buying the equipment, Mokoroa says there is a value put on the gear and this will help the federations take responsibility for looking after the equipment.

Cook Islands Weightlifting Association president Sam Pera Snr says they have had to dismantle the lifting platforms at the Telecom Sports Arena and pack equipment into a container.

Pera says the feedback received from visiting lifters and officials has been positive and he adds that the country has the potential to host an international championship.

The boxing ring which was put up at the National Auditorium was packed away to make way for last weekend’s wheelchair rugby match.

There has been no word as to where the ring will be set up.

Mokoroa adds that they are still looking for a buyer for the ring which was purchased in the United States but got stranded in Samoa last month.

Girl of 8 hurt

An eight-year-old girl was taken to hospital on Sunday afternoon after being hit by a motorcyle in Arorangi.

The collision occurred on the main road near Friendly Mart around 2.26pm. An ambulance attended the scene and took the girl to hospital. The 28-year-old driver also needing medical treatment and was transported in a private vehicle.

The driver will appear in court this week charged with excess breath alcohol. Further charges are likely to be laid when a full assessment is made of the girl’s injuries.

Police attended to five burglaries last week with a 15-year-old girl arrested for stealing $220 from a Nikao residence on Tuesday.

Items were stolen from Puaikura Reef Lodges on Thursday including a bag, a Nokia mobile phone, surf shorts and some British pounds.

On Saturday a packet of cigarettes and two rolls of toilet paper were taken from a house in Arorangi. A digital camera valued at $7005 and a black Ericson phone were stolen from a Tupapa home.

Five thefts were also reported with $30 taken from a handbag at CITC Avarua. A woman has been charged and is to appear in court this week.

The Polynesia Cook Islands duty free shop at the airport was broken into on Saturday. Items taken were adult and kids jerseys.

An air pump was burgled from Michigan Motors and a handbag containing a camera and bank cards was stolen at Whatever Bar on Thursday.

A bag was snatched from a tourist in JMC store in Ngatangiia. The offender ran away but all belongings were later recovered, found on the main road. No description of the thief was given.

Keys were also reported stolen from a black bike in Nikao on Saturday.

Police attended to three motor vehicle crashes. A motorcyle hit a dog on Maire Nui Road opposite the Catholic church on Tuesday. The driver suffered minor injuries. Other crashes involved a male driver running into a hedge and the motorcyle hitting the eight-year-old girl.

Four excessive noise reports were attended to, one in Nikao and three in Arorangi.

Police also attended to 112 minor offences and penalised people for speeding, no warrants and no vehicle registration.

Donation for tsunami victims

Te Tiare Association has decided to donate a portion of proceeds from its Te Kura Kapa Anuanua dance competition to the tsunami victims of Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga.

The competition is being held this Friday at the National Auditorium and will feature seven contestants.

“We planned the dance competition some months ago, but our executive felt that, following this recent terrible tragedy, it wouldn’t be right to go ahead with it and not give something to our brothers and sisters in Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga,” says TTA president Tangee Kokaua.

Tangee says people can have the assurance that when they buy a ticket for the dance competition, they are also contributing towards relief efforts in the three Pacific island countries.

Tangee confirmed that the TTA donations to Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga will be made through Cook Islands Red Cross. “This will make sure that the money goes to priority relief projects that will help alleviate the suffering of our Pacific brothers and sisters, especially in Samoa.”

Seven dancers are confirmed for the evening, including a panel of experienced judges. The judging criteria will be the same as the annual dancer of the year competition. Tickets are on sale at the National Library, Tangees, Friendly Mart and Rapsa’s Store in Arorangi.

Priest passes away

A requiem mass will be held on Thursday for Father Edwin van Veen who passed away in Holland on Monday.

Father Edwin first came to the Cook Islands in 1954 and spent a lot of time in Atiu, before returning to his native homeland in 2002. He was 87.

He recently celebrated 60 years as a priest, along with Father John Rovers and Father Damian Marinus, who are still living in the Cooks.

Fathers John and Damian have been in the country since late 1957.

The requiem mass will be held at the Avarua Catholic church tomorrow at 6pm.

Breast cancer screened

The Cook Islands Breast Cancer Foundation has had a very fruitful year, as it continues to work alongside the Ministry of Health on the breast screening programme.

“For 2010 we hope to continue this programme, as well as introducing some new initiatives,” says president Dawn Baudinet.

The foundation will be holding its annual general meeting tomorrow at the Aquarius hotel in Panama at 4.30pm.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank our many sponsors and supporters who have contributed to our very worthy cause. In particular to Air Rarotonga, who at very short notice allowed CIBCF to bring 17 women to Rarotonga from our southern group islands to have breast screening done in the August 2009 mammography programme.

We are very grateful for their support,” says Baudinet.

She says the foundation looks forward to meeting new members who want to attend the AGM.

Team Health ran to plan

The national health response team expected injury treatment at the rugby sevens at the end of the games would be on the cards, but over the two weeks of the Mini Games, it was relatively quiet for them.

Team Health leader Dr Josephine Aumea Herman said there were no major outbreaks of illness and there was just one patient with a head injury to treat who recovered quickly.

She said it had been quiet but the team worked hard, especially at the Poly Clinic at Tereora College. Doctors, nurses and physiotherapists there had been on standby for medical treatment during the Games.

The ministry of health worked together with CI Red Cross and the National Environment Service to form the health team which focused on ‘sharing the moments safely.’

Herman said everyone who worked in team health must be thanked for their dedication to providing a great service for the local and visiting games teams.

Among the several streams under the team were health protection teams located at all venues for the games as well as the accommodation and the Arorangi landfill to manage waste and sewage as well as food and water safety.

A health promotion team made up of ministry officers and peer educators was out raising awareness on the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, HIV, unplanned pregnancies, and to promote condom use, smokefree games, and green games (Makona Aorangi). First aid teams were also at all sporting venues manned by Red Cross volunteers.

Big sale starts Friday

The Pacific Mini Games sale will start on Friday at the National Auditorium, but the stock take of the items collectively worth several million dollars is still ongoing.

PMG finance director Priscilla Maruariki says despite the many phone calls and requests for items to be reserved, the games company has to be fair to all and simply encourage them to be at the sale with their cash.

“You have to be there with your money like everyone else – that way everyone has equal opportunity to buy what they want.”

Games volunteers will get first pick at the sale before it opens to the general public on Saturday.

Maruariki says most sale items will be sold for 20 percent less than their cost.

Of the 1200 bunk beds purchased for the athletes to use during the games, only around 700 were used. Those sets which include pillows and sheets are still being sold at $350.

Around 350 unused bunk beds will go on sale on Friday for around $500 each. The beds are the most discounted items in the sale – those who purchase them will get at least a 50 percent discount on the original price. The bunk beds are the most sought after sale item, with many outer islanders buying them up from when they started going on sale a month ago.

A stock take on the tonnes of catering equipment from serving trays to disposable items such as plates and cups will take place today.

A large commercial Combi oven has been set aside to be put to tender and around 20 washing machines will be offered for sale to schools and then games volunteers.

Maruariki says there’s been a lot of interest in the IT equipment for sale which includes 20 small sized laptops and about five standard laptops.

At least one of each sale item will be on display at the auditorium from Friday where people can pay for their purchase and then take their receipt to Te Atukura grounds to pick it up.

Yesterday games minister Ngamau Munokoa took a paper detailing the sale process to cabinet for its approval. Cabinet has endorsed the sale and decided to put aside the sporting equipment from the games to develop a sale policy for it, considering the high demand for the items from local sports clubs.

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