The Brookhaven School District welcomed a new member Tuesday toits board of trustees as Stan Patrick was sworn in for a five-yearterm.

Patrick, a certified public accountant in Brookhaven, said helooks forward to setting goals and working with board members toaccomplish those to continue moving the school district in apositive direction.

“There are some great board members already there, and I feelit’s a great honor to serve with them,” he said.

Also during the meeting, the school board was reorganized withDan Brown Jr. taking over as chairman, Carl Aycock as vice chairmanand Karen Braden as secretary. Carl Holloway and Patrick will serveas members.

Construction on a softball complex for the district will begin”very shortly,” Superintendent Lea Barrett said, following theapproval of a bid on the project.

Greenbriar Digging Services was awarded the project with a bidof $173,974.

Because prior bids on the softball complex at Mamie MartinElementary School were too high for the district, DeputySuperintendent James Tillman said, some items were taken out of theproject.

“We’re looking at doing some things in-house,” he said.

The board also approved the district calendar for the 2005-06school year, which will begin Aug. 8 and end May 24, 2006. Springbreak is scheduled for March 24-April 3, 2006.

Barrett said the calendar is the same as the Lincoln CountySchool District. The calendar was to be posted Wednesday on thedistrict’s web site at www.brookhaven.k12.ms.us.

Other topics of discussion Tuesday included whether the districtshould allow a hunting lease on 202 acres between Beltline Road andNola Road.

Board members feared it could pose a potentially dangeroussituation because approximately 5 houses back up to the area.

“For $1,000 a year, I don’t know if it’s worth the potentialproblems we could have with it,” Aycock said.

Versie Rushing, manager of the district’s 16th Section land,said the hunting lease would help the district keep patrol of theland.

The matter was tabled until the next board meeting.

In other 16th Section land matters, board members approved thedemolition of a dilapidated house on Section 7-8 on CoopertownRoad.

“It has become sort of a hangout, and we’ve had some problems,”said Rushing.

Board members requested that Rushing make sure the house had novalue before having it torn down and burned by the ForestryCommission at no charge.