The Route 66 Gasconade River Bridge Guardians on Tuesday won a lawsuit in St. Louis small-claims court against the Michigan-based group better known as Workin’ Bridges.
Rich Dinkela, president of the Route 66 Association of Missouri and a member of the group trying to save the Gasconade River Bridge near Hazelgreen, filed the lawsuit in December against North Skunk River Green Belt Association of Holt, Michigan. The North Skunk River Group also is known as the Workin’ Bridges team that seeks to preserve historic bridges.
On Tuesday, Judge Lynne Raynard Perkins awarded the Gasconade group $1,000 plus court costs, according to online court documents.
The lawsuit stated refunds from the North Skunk River group to the Guardians were short by $1,000.
The Guardians had a public falling-out in early 2018 with Workin’ Bridges after the group and other Route 66 advocates questioned the group’s plans and transparency — especially after Workin’ Bridges embarked on a 2,000-mile Revive 66 road trip amid a $7,000 campaign with a Nashville marketer.
Dinkela said Workin’ Bridges returned most of the $6,900 given to it and that disputed $1,000 was paid to a consultant.
Dinkela posted several times on Facebook about the progress of the lawsuit.
One thousand dollars may sound like small potatoes to some people, but it’s not to a small charity like the Guardians — especially when it’s still fighting to save the nearly century-old Gasconade River Bridge and faces an April deadline to do so.
(Image of the Scales of Justice by North Charleston via Flickr)
Way to go Rich! Glad to see you got the money that the Guardians were owed.
It is the principle that counts.