16 Days to Fishing the Florida Keys Pension fund land deal? We’re halfway through hurricane season, The Key West police and firefighter pension and that’s good news for Keys fishing. fund considers trying to purchase the Pier Captain’s column, 1B House Caribbean Spa. Story, 2A Sept. 30 - Oct. 2 WWW.KEYSNET.COM WEDNESDAY,SEPTEMBER 14, 2011 VOLUME 58, NO. 74 ● 25 CENTS MONROE COUNTY SCHOOLS Teacher arrest possible By SEAN KINNEY School District, declined to Sheriff’s Office, hotline caller is male or female or if the anew when a similar allega- [email protected] go into detail about what is “inappropriate teacher behav- tion was made via the dis- alleged to have happened and report ‘inappropriate’ behavior ior” included physical contact. trict’s new waste, fraud and A Key Largo School who was involved, but said The problem was first abuse hotline, which allows teacher will likely face crim- Tuesday that prosecutors involved have ties to employ- contact with students at the brought to Jara’s attention would-be tipsters to offer inal charges related to what from the Miami-Dade State ees of the Monroe County school, which is kindergarten toward the end of the last information on potential tight-lipped schools officials Attorney’s Office would like- State Attorney’s Office. through grade eight; he also school year by staff at the wrongdoing in the schools are calling “inappropriate ly issue an arrest warrant for “These are tough situa- said the teacher could face Monroe County Sheriff’s system while retaining teacher behavior with a stu- the teacher today. tions,” Jara said, adding that sanctions from the district up Office, who requested coop- anonymity. dent.” He said prosecution the teacher is still working to “termination.” eration in “monitoring” the Chief Internal Auditor Jesus Jara, superintendent would be farmed out of the but has been reassigned out Jara declined to say situation. of the Monroe County county because some of the classroom so there’s no whether the teacher or student The issue was brought up ● See Hotline, 2A COUNTY COMMISSION KEY LARGO Final throes for Hickory House? July, with just the West Palm West Palm man Beach-based Florida Yacht makes an offer and Richard Buckheim of Key West responding. for county site Buckheim indicated he’d want to put a fish house and By RYAN McCARTHY dockage for commercial fish- [email protected] ing boats on the Maloney Avenue site, but county staff Despite getting the first says his dollar figures aren’t realistic offer for it they’ve specific enough. received in years, Monroe Florida Yacht proposes to County commissioners aren’t lease the property for $2,000 sold on a Florida Yacht monthly for four years, with Charters & Sales Inc. bid to an option to purchase after take over the Hickory House that time for $1.01 million. bar and restaurant property The proposal also includes on Stock Island. $700,000 worth of building The county bought the and dock renovation over the property in 2005 for $3.14 at four-year lease. the behest of then- “Considering the current Commissioner Dixie Spehar, market and the economy and and the move has been wide- the depreciated real estate ly scrutinized since. value it is a favorable offer. Originally intended for use as We really hope to move for- public waterfront, its laid ward,” company owner dormant for six years. David Sell said. Commissioners ignored The County Commission county staff’s 2009 recom- is scheduled to consider the mendation to tear the restau- bids at its meeting Sept 21 in rant down at a cost of rough- Marathon. ly $75,000, and decided in Sell didn’t want to discuss April to go out for a fourth plans for the property in The pilot whale known round of proposals for the detail, but said the property as 300 (above) rises on property. a stretcher Sunday at ● See Hickory, 2A The bids were opened in the Marine Mammal Conservancy in Key Largo. UPPER KEYS The whale was subsequently loaded onto a truck (left) and Sun worshipper taken to SeaWorld in Orlando (story, Page 3A). bares too much The day before, an animal-rights activist was Cops: Miami man heading to arrested for allegedly an event to trespassing at the exposes self mark the 2001 terror conservancy. through sunroof attacks. They were behind Photos by ANDY NEWMAN Keynoter Staff a Mercedes Benz. A Miami man out for For some some sun on Sunday got a lot MOMPELLER reason, Animal activist charged more exposure than you’d Mompeller, who was in the think: He was arrested for front passenger seat, decided is charged The Marine Mammal servancy when he blocked exposing himself through the to stand through the luxury Off-duty cop with four Conservancy was founded to Lagergren’s car and pulled a sunroof of a car traveling on car’s sunroof with his pants pulls his gun misde- treat stranded whales and gun on the suspect. U.S. 1 in the Upper Keys. down, displaying his private meanor dolphins and prepare them Monroe County Court It was an especially bad parts for all to see. on the suspect counts of for return to the wild. Judge Regan Ptomey set day for Julio Mompeller, 31, As he exposed himself, the trespass and However, two pilot whales bonds totaling $30,000 on who’s charged with indecent Mercedes driver reportedly By KEVIN WADLOW vandalism from a Lower Keys strand- the four charges, according exposure, because the person ran a red light at Sunshine Senior Staff Writer for alleged ing in May were turned over to court records. who saw him expose himself Boulevard and U.S. 1. [email protected] incidents at to SeaWorld after experts “This is a very politically around mile marker 90.5 was Deputies Todd Wyatt and LAGERGREN the Marine concluded that neither a calf charged situation, obvious- an off-duty state trooper in a Yunier Galvez pulled the car A Miami police officer Mammal Conservancy. nor a sickly adult could sur- ly,” said Richard Wunsch, car behind the one over around mile marker 85, arrested at gunpoint Saturday Police reports describe him vive if released. Lagergren’s defense attorney. Mompeller was in. and saw Mompeller in the pas- an animal-rights activist out- as affiliated with the interna- Javier Ortiz, described in “It does raise concerns,” The Monroe County senger seat, belt unbuckled. side a marine-mammal reha- tional Animal Liberation a Monroe County Sheriff’s Wunsch said. “Anybody Sheriff’s Office says the troop- Asked why he exposed bilitation site in Key Largo. Front organization, which Office report as an off-duty would wonder how you get er, with his family, was driving Arnold Christopher advocates “direct action” Miami police sergeant, was southbound around 9 a.m., ● See Mompeller, 2A Lagergren, 41, also of Miami, against animal captivity. volunteering with the con- ● See Lagergren, 3A INDEX Printed on 100% Classifieds . .3B recycled newsprint Living . .4B Big win for CONTENTS © 2011 Solid victory Business . .5A KEYNOTER PUBLISHING CO. the Canes North Miami Beach visits Obituaries . .2A Key West and heads back to The Hurricanes of Coral Opinion . .4A the mainland after falling to Shores High crush Sports/Outdoors . .1B the Conchs. Story, 1B Northwest Christian to go to 2-1. Story, 1B Crossword . .6B 7786790 22222 2A Wednesday, September 14, 2011 KeysNet.com Keynoter NEWS BRIEFS KEY WEST TAVERNIER Big Coppitt woman hurt in car crash Manhole lifted when A Big Coppitt Key woman was flown to Ryder lines go ‘ka-pow’ Trauma Center in Miami on members on the line lost Monday following a morning About 1,000 power for about 45 minutes. auto crash on Stock Island. FKEC members No one was injured. The Florida Highway Southbound traffic on Patrol says Sharon Gillis, 61, lose power U.S. 1, just south of the was driving a 2000 Mercury Tavernier Creek Bridge, south about 7:50 a.m. when Keynoter Staff was slowed briefly while she crossed lanes and struck a crews put the 200-pound 2006 Isuzu driven by Dayner The force of a massive metal cover back in place. Sedano, 35, of Ramrod Key. short-circuit in an under- Three separate feeder Sedano had been stopped at ground power line flipped a lines run through an under- the traffic light at U.S. 1 and weighty manhole cover ground vault beneath the Cross Street. onto U.S. 1 in Tavernier highway at the approach of Gillis was ticketed for not Sunday. the bridge, Newberry said. wearing a seatbelt. A splice in a main feeder Sliced links connect the line failed, said Florida heavy power lines every Passport agency Keys Electric Cooperative few hundred feet. Keynoter photo by SEAN KINNEY Chief Executive Officer One of the splices appar- opens Saturday Scott Newberry. ently failed, Newberry said. This building contains the Pier House’s Caribbean Spa, a conference center and guest “Those high-voltage “It’s not something that Florida Keys Community rooms; the city owns the land and building, which is leased to the resort through a lines carry a lot of power,” happens a lot. It’s been sev- College is marking the U.S. deal that’s valid until 2020. he said. “When one of them eral years since we had a Department of State’s goes, it makes a pretty big problem,” he said. “For one Passport Day on Saturday by ka-pow.” thing, we don’t have that opening its Passport About 1,000 utility many underground lines.” Application Acceptance Pension Board eyes Agency for special hours.