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Articles by
Centre to keep in touch
Wednesday 1 April 2009 | Published in National
Wednesday 1: The Creative Centre in Tupapa has received a brand new mobile phone, thanks to Telecom Cook Islands. TCI has donated a Nokia C118 phone with a prepaid SIM card and $20 credit. The mobile will be mainly used by the bus driver to remain in constant contact with centre management. Creative centre coordinator […]
Shortland Street extras meet actors
Wednesday 1 April 2009 | Published in National
Wednesday 1: Locals involved in the production of a Shortland Street episode being shot here were kept busy yesterday as they tackled some of the 22 scenes for the show this week. South Pacific Pictures’ Shortland Street publicist Rachel Keereweer took Cook Islands News on a bit of a tour of the set for one […]
Northern islands back on line
Wednesday 1 April 2009 | Published in National
Wednesday 1: Four northern islands were unable to receive or make phone calls on Monday. In a media statement released yesterday, Telecom Cook Islands says the problem occurred during the changeover from the NSS-5 satellite to the new NSS-9 satellite that took place on Monday afternoon. “Unfortunately with the islands of Pukapuka, Nassau, Palmerston and […]
Maina Traders avoids winding-up petition
Wednesday 1 April 2009 | Published in National
Wednesday 1: The petition to the high court for the wind-up of Aitutaki MP and associate finance minister Terepai Maoate Jnr’s business Maina Traders is set to be withdrawn following payment of the amount owing to one of its creditors. The petition was filed by Raro Aircon Ltd on March 19 and was due to […]
NZ 'buy back' idea ridiculous says CIP
Wednesday 1 April 2009 | Published in National
Wednesday 1: The Opposition Cook Islands Party has released its position on the new $50 million China loan and says government has been reactive instead of proactive in addressing infrastructure needs. Opposition spokesperson for finance and economics Norman George says while the CIP agrees in principle that the loan be spent on road and water […]
Official information process comes under public eye
Wednesday 1 April 2009 | Published in National
Wednesday 1: Government officials, organisations and community members gained greater understanding of the Official Information Act last week through several meetings and workshops. Organised by the Cook Islands Ombudsman’s Office, consultation meetings were held with the vaka areas in Rarotonga and with special interest groups. Visiting experts Angie Heffernan of the Pacific Centre for Public […]
It's all good at La Bon Vivant
Wednesday 1 April 2009 | Published in National
Tuesday 31: As its name suggests, La Bon Vivant is providing all the “good things in life” under one roof. The newly opened Deli Foods store in Avarua is offering the same fresh product and high quality food and wine that has become synonymous with their parent company in Muri. Store manager Tim Tierney says […]
New bike in pageant booty
Wednesday 1 April 2009 | Published in National
Tuesday 31: Whoever wins on Friday night will not only be handed the illustrious title of Miss Cook Islands, but will also take home a brand new motorcycle. The Motor Centre in Panama donated a red Daelim City yesterday to be given to the winner. The $3600 motorcycle joins the growing booty of prizes which […]
Stimulus reviewed
Wednesday 1 April 2009 | Published in National
Tuesday 31: Financial secretary Sholan Ivaiti says government is still looking into how the proposed $3 million stimulus package for small businesses will be spent. Last week tourism minister Wilkie Rasmussen announced that government is now looking at scrapping the original plan and putting the funds directly into tourism. Ivaiti says from discussions with finance […]
Reality TV returning
Wednesday 1 April 2009 | Published in National
Tuesday 31: New Zealand reality television show Celebrity Treasure Island is set to shoot its next season’s show in Aitutaki this May. Tourism minister Wilkie Rasmussen addressed the Aitutaki island council on Thursday, saying that this is just one of the events the island should benefit from this year. He told the council that tourism […]
Raro switches off and saves
Wednesday 1 April 2009 | Published in National
Tuesday 31: Rarotonga residents did take note and ‘switch off’ during Saturday night’s Earth Hour. Te Aponga Uira’s Elma Marurai says that power station staff monitored loadings from between 8.30pm and 9.30pm, and they noted some drops in the feeders. With people being asked to switch their lights off at that time, TAU was hoping […]
We'll be $100m in debt by 2014 says minister
Wednesday 1 April 2009 | Published in National
Tuesday 31: National debt seems bound to grow. In meeting with the Democratic Party executive in Aitutaki last week, minister Wilkie Rasmussen revealed that government has been told that by 2014 the country will be in over $100 million in debt – in part due to the new $50 million soft loan from China. Rasmussen […]
Dancer of year comp delayed
Wednesday 1 April 2009 | Published in National
Tuesday 31: This year’s dancer of the year competition has been delayed because of the number of activities happening over the coming weeks. The national junior and intermediate finals will now be held on April 30, not April 24 as first scheduled, while the senior finals will take place on May 7 – two weeks […]
Tourism industry says what it wants
Wednesday 1 April 2009 | Published in National
Monday 30: Aitutaki operators call for more government backing Tourism minister Wilkie Rasmussen took the time to meet with tourism industry members while in Aitutaki on Friday. In what was the most unemotional meeting of four held by the minister last week to discuss Sunday flights, about 30 members of the tourism industry including members […]
Website for tourism
Wednesday 1 April 2009 | Published in National
Monday 30: The Tourism Industry Council is hoping its new website will become a focal point for the industry. Council president Greg Stanaway says the website, still being fully developed, was launched about two months ago. Creating an informative website for the public and its members was one of the council’s aims set last year. […]
Machinery to be bought for outer islands
Wednesday 1 April 2009 | Published in National
Monday 30: Plant and equipment are being bought by tender for infrastructure projects on some of the outer islands. Ministry of Infrastructure & Planning’s Daryl Rairi says requests come in from each island administration every year and are then prioritised. “These projects are funded from the outer islands budget appropriation where outer islands get approximately […]
Thanksgiving tomorrow
Wednesday 1 April 2009 | Published in National
Saturday 28 March: A national thanksgiving prayer service planned for tomorrow to coincide with the end of the cyclone season will now be handed over to all the local churches and denominations. This is because of the unavailability of the National Auditorium which is being set up for the Miss Cook Islands Pageant next week. […]
Aitutaki promotion could bring over 500
Wednesday 1 April 2009 | Published in National
Saturday 28 March: A $50,000 initiative by CI Tourism to promote Aitutaki and get 500 extra people on the island from March to June is working so well that it is likely to bring many more visitors. Island Hopper’s Stephen Doherty addressed yesterday’s meeting between the Aitutaki tourism industry and tourism minister Wilkie Rasmussen, saying […]
Queen's all for it
Wednesday 1 April 2009 | Published in National
Friday 27 March: Manarangi Tutai Ariki says she is all for Sunday flights to Aitutaki continuing, without the need for a referendum. Queen Manarangi, as she is known, is an ex-officio member of the island council and the woman who runs Gina’s Garden Lodges and Gina’s Akaiami Beach Lodge. She expressed her views at the […]
Demos welcome minister's visit
Wednesday 1 April 2009 | Published in National
Friday 27 March: Aitutaki DemocraticParty executives who met with minister Wilkie Rasmussen welcomed his friendly approach yesterday. The minister, who is also the deputy leader of the Democratic Party, met with the executives who have been raising concerns about Sunday flights. Some of them are also proudly protesting the flights eight months from when they […]