I enjoyed reading all the remarks. Didn't know there were that many fixers in the world. Actually, I fixed the darn thing quite a while ago. There is a little switch behind the lens cover that is supposed to tell the camera when the cover has been opened. When I found the proper tools, mostly a really tiny phillips screwdriver, I was able to remove the cover. I then cleaned and adjusted the switch and it worked.
Thanks for all your help and concern and speculation regarding free enterprise in Nevada.