The Lincoln County School Board helpedsettle a timber dispute Monday between a 16th land lessee and alogger who cleared out a portion of the land’s timber.

    Bobby Hatcher, a member of the Sportsman’s Paradise hunting clubthat has a campsite on the land, alleged that logger Kirk Smithbuilt a road through the campsite that the two did not agree on. Heclaimed the work damaged the property and rendered it unable to berestored to its original state.

    Hatcher drew up an invoice to Smith for the costs of the damagesfor $815. He said the costs included building new fences, sewerpipes and laying new sod and seed for grass on a part of theland.

    “This bill here won’t even be enough to fix the land,” Hatcherexplained to the board.

    However, he said he believed that Smith owed him some part of theexpenses.

    “Every time we’ve had timber cut before,” he said, “they’ve hadother access, but they built this new road.”

    Smith said Hatcher’s charges were a “rip-off” because some of theitems on the invoice had not even been done yet.

    “The man did not put 210 feet of sewer line down,” Smith said. “Mydad put 65 feet down. And he hasn’t re-sodded or fertilized thatplot either.”

    Smith maintained he was not responsible for the bill.

    “I feel truthfully that I don’t owe any of it,” he said, referringto Hatcher’s invoice.

    Furthermore, Smith said the existing access road Hatcher referredto was too curvy for his log trucks to make the turns through thewoods.

    An apparent misunderstanding between the two led Smith to build anew, straighter road to better access the timber.

    In the end, the board approved a check to be written from the 16thSection’s fund for $500 to Hatcher.

    “I think it’s best like this,” said Superintendent Terry Brister.”It happened with misunderstandings, so why put blame on one or theother when we can eat some of it ourselves?”

    Brister said of the damages requested by Hatcher.

    In other matters, Business Manager Cheryl Shelby gave a financialreport to the board members.

    “We’re in good shape,” she said. “We have plenty of funds inmaintenance, construction and all around. We’re doing reallywell.”

    The board also approved personnel matters concerning certified andnon-certified teacher recommendations and gave approval for WestLincoln students to take Psychology and English Composition duringafter-school hours as dual enrollment.

    Brister wrapped up the meeting by stating the transition fromsummer into the new school year was going smoothly.

    “Schoolwork is the priority now,” he said. “We’re doing well witheveryday, normal back-to-school activities.”