CATCHING UP: Members flock to new Papamoa library

Papamoa's new $9 million library has signed up nearly 1100 new members since it opened a fortnight ago.
The surge in membership has delighted Tauranga libraries general manager Jill Best because about a third of Papamoa's 14,500 residents already held library cards.
Since opening on June 16, the library has issued 17,680 books and other items to 5800 people - an average of just over three items per borrower.
And predictably, nearly all the 9500 returns were items borrowed by Papamoa people from the city's other libraries prior to the new library's opening.
During the first three days, about 30 bins of books were returned to the Mount Maunganui Library - about 25 per cent of Mount library's customers used to be from Papamoa.
Ms Best said there has been a lot of interest in the new library with nearly 15,000 visitors since it opened.
Large numbers of people were turning up with expired library cards or the old fashioned cardboard membership cards. Their oldest new member was aged 98.
Papamoa library was now almost fully stocked with 40,000 books - 90 per cent new. The library has been built big enough to cope with Papamoa's planned growth over the next 14 years.
John Cousins
Korea fans loyal in defeat
Football fan Hyun Taek Yang is still enjoying the soccer world cup despite the fact his team, Korea, are out of the competition. He was one of about 100 Korean supporters who filled the Strand's Cornerstone Pub to watch Korea defeat Togo in June.
"We are still keen on it and enjoy watching the games," he said.
Korea lost a crucial match against Switzerland 2-0 in controversial fashion. Many felt Switzerland's second goal should have been ruled out for offside after the referee ignored the linesman's flag. The loss put any hopes of becoming world champions to an end.
Mr Yang thinks Brazil will win the tournament and said he was still proud of Korea's effort.
"It was a sad moment but the players played really well," he said.
Joel Ford
Madeleine to tread Globe
Tauranga teenager Madeleine McCarroll has been selected for the National Shakespeare Schools Production and now has the opportunity to be selected to travel to London's Globe Theatre in 2007.
Ms McCarroll, 17, is one of 25 to be chosen from more than 400 competitors at the Sheilah Winn Festival of Shakespeare in Schools finals who will go on to compete in New Plymouth in September. She was awarded the Dymocks Award for Special Individual Performance at the festival. She and the three other actors in her group were up against teams from 44 schools.
Anna Bowden
Bay girls fifth at worlds
Four Tauranga youngsters took out fifth spot in a world championship problem-solving competition in Colorado this month.
The girls, Kate Warner, Josie Mainwaring, Danielle Lucas and Grace Wright, had to raise $28,000 to cover the trip to Denver, which they gained entry to at a national-level competition last year.
Previously students at Tauranga Intermediate School, the foursome are now at Tauranga Girls' College and competed against international teams of Year 10 and 11 level.
The Future Problem Solving contest sees entrants solve futuristic problems through a fictional scenario.
The topic - distribution of wealth - was studied outside school time.
Anna Bowden