FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 9
Local & Entertainment
Newspaper lawsuit
CONTINUED FROM
PAGE 5
As McQuisten had long
since let that registered
business name lapse and
had never used it, she
simply signed a statement
agreeing not to use the
name, and the Perkinses’
counterclaim was then
dropped.
With the counterclaim
fi nished, that left the main
lawsuit with which to be
dealt.
The defendants fi led
a motion for summary
judgment hoping to have
the suit dismissed in its
entirety. Two of the fi ve
claims were dismissed, but
three upheld to continue to
jury trial fi rst in the spring,
then bumped to the early
summer of 2016.
Then, due to a criminal
trial and other court calen-
dar confl icts, that civil trial
was bumped again to Octo-
ber of 2016 after being on
hold for months.
As the trial date drew
nearer, Rebecca Knapp ex-
pressed her desire to resign
as attorney for the defense,
and petitioned the court for
formal removal from the
case, which was granted.
On June 4, 2016, Gina
Perkins was arrested in
a situation completely
unrelated to the lawsuit at
912 Front Street in Haines,
for Criminal Mischief 2,
Disorderly Conduct 2 and
Criminal Trespass. Perkins
was arraigned on these
charges and lodged in
the Baker County Jail on
$13,000 bail. She was re-
leased and transported to a
facility where she received
psychiatric care.
On July 10, the follow-
ing post appeared on The
Record-Courier’s Face-
book page: “Because of
health reasons, the Record-
Courier is closed and won’t
be printing any further
editions until further
notice. I apologize for the
inconvenience and thank
you for your kindness and
support.”
Thus sadly ended a
local icon—a more than
115-year-old newspaper.
Shortly thereafter, Lynn
Perkins contacted Man-
nix along with Mannix’s
fellow attorney Connor
Harrington, who also
worked on the case, and
stated that they as the
defense no longer had an
attorney, had not retained
a new attorney, and were
now fi nancially destitute.
He also pointed out his
wife’s medical issues, and
confi rmed that the couple
had defaulted on their
agreement with Brinton.
The Perkinses had fi led
for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
protection previously in
2010, and that protection
had been lifted in 2011.
Plaintiffs further consid-
ered the fi nancial situation
of the defense in that items
such as the defendants’
vehicles would be exempt
from a court ruling if the
defense was protected
by any newly fi led bank-
ruptcy, which the plaintiff
believed a possibility.
No liquid and few other
assets to speak of were
now associated with their
newspaper.
In addition, Gina Perkins
had also previously owned
and operated multiple
businesses briefl y, includ-
ing It’s the Bag Lady and
The Speckled Hen prior to
working at the Economic
Development Offi ce, but
was now unemployed.
Mannix advised Mc-
Quisten that she would
most likely spend more
money attempting to col-
lect the amount he felt
would be awarded dur-
ing trial, than the defense
would ever realistically
pay.
The plaintiff offered up
a settlement agreement to
close the matter.
According to the settle-
ment paperwork fi led, in
exchange for the suit
to be dropped, “Defen-
dants hereby confi rm that
Defendants do not hold
any right, title or owner-
ship to the name, assets,
or subscriber lists, of The
Record-Courier, a news-
paper businesses located in
Baker County, Oregon, and
Defendants confi rm that
all archival records of The
Record-Courier previously
in Defendants’ possession
are now in the posses-
sion of the Baker County
Library.”
In addition, “Defendants
hereby agree not to engage
in, consult with, be em-
ployed by or otherwise be
involved in any business or
enterprise which publishes
news articles whether in
paper, electronic or other
form of medium located
within 100 miles of Baker
City, Oregon, for a period
of fi ve years from the date
of this Agreement.”
McQuisten believes
that the one positive that
came from the situation
is that the Baker County
Public Library now has
possession of the historic
archives from The Record-
Courier.
Library Director Perry
Stokes says that due to
the width of the bound
archives, shelving at the
local library isn’t suffi -
cient to display them. Any
donations from the public
toward helping construct
such a display are wel-
come.
Meanwhile, The Baker
County Press continues to
operate regularly com-
ing up on its third year of
reporting Baker County
news, releasing a new is-
sue like clockwork every
Friday afternoon.
Hells Canyon road delays expected
The road over Hells
Canyon Dam will be
closed during work hours
Monday, Sept. 26 through
Thursday, Sept. 29, with
brief openings to allow
traffi c to pass. Delays
could last up to four hours.
The
(All times are Mountain
Time.)
Monday: The road will
be closed from 7:30 a.m. to
noon, and 1-4:30 p.m.
Tuesday and Wednesday:
The road will be closed
from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and
from 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Thursday: 7:30 - 11:30
a.m. and from noon to 4:30
p.m.
Maintenance crews will
be using a crane to install
stoplogs on the upstream
side of the dam.
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Bebe’s word search
The Littles’ crossword puzzle
Across
1- Deep unconscious
state;
5- Type of pilot;
9- Examine account
books;
14- Graceful horse;
15- Effort;
16- Monster;
17- Supercool;
19- Slippery as ___;
20- Trader;
21- Dirties;
23- Georgia neighbor;
25- Sgt., for one;
26- Poetic pugilist;
29- Caustic chemical;
30- Spontaneous gen-
eration;
33- 1985 Kate Nelligan
fi lm;
34- Annul;
35- Ultimate;
38- Pampering, briefl y;
40- French 101 infi nitive;
41- Lets up;
44- Emulate Romeo and
Juliet;
47- Dislike of human-
kind;
49- Predating;
52- “The X-Files” extras;
53- O sole ___;
54- City in W central
Israel;
56- Hindu social class;
58- Period of immaturity;
59- Philbin of TV;
62- Dinosaur;
64- Meanies;
65- Don’t look at me!;
66- Sun. speeches;
67- Snare;
68- Growl;
69- Sinclair rival;
Down
1- Taillike;
2- Cantankerous;
3- Title for a woman;
4- White-barked poplar
tree;
5- Assign;
6- ___-Aztecan lan-
guages;
7- Town near Santa Fe;
8- Stretched fi gure;
9- Ornamental shell;
10- Coffee servers;
11- Deserved;
12- Mineral suffi x;
13- Business card no.;
18- Pertaining to the
kidneys;
22- Cake fi nisher;
24- Isn’t wrong?;
26- I’d hate to break up
___;
27- Person who is liable
to tell untruths;
28- Land in water;
31- Fuel transport;
32- Piece of fencing?;
33- Bluesy James;
35- Unconvincing;
36- Somewhat;
37- Disrespectful back
talk;
39- Thicken;
42- As a group;
43- Show signs of life;
45- Uncovered;
46- Support tower;
48- Sharpening;
49- Dodges;
50- Hardships;
51- Be that as it may;
55- Win by ___;
56- Competes;
57- Dramatic confl ict;
59- Wood of the Rolling
Stones;
60- Sense of self;
61- Miracle-___ (plant
food);
63- Tony winner Hagen;