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LONGBOAT
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Author Michelle Phillips hands over her beauty blueprints. INSIDE
Garden Club blooms at fundraiser. PAGE 12A
OUR TOWN
Thursday, OCTOBER 27, 2011
hostile workplace?
Longboat Key enjoys fishy fundraiser for the Historical Society. PAGE 17A
by Robin Hartill | City Editor
Hogle’s notes reveal ongoing issues Longboat Key Police Chief Al Hogle’s notes surrounding an investigation of P&Z Director Monica Simpson detail increasing conflict with employees.
Courtesy photo
+ Student shows school spirit Longboat Key resident Savannah Schield has spirit, yes she does. She is junior class president at Manatee High School, in charge of the junior class float, which won first place in the school’s homecoming float contest, and she was also on the homecoming court for the first half of the homecoming football game. For the second half of the game, she returned to the sidelines to resume her role as cheerleader and lead the students in spirited cheers.
Bradenton attorney H. Hamilton “Chip” Rice Jr. will conduct an independent investigation of allegations that Longboat Key Planning, Zoning and Building Director Monica Simpson, who was placed on paid administrative leave Friday, Oct. 14, created a hostile work environment.
Hogle, St. Denis apply for county administrator position / Page 3A According to an Oct. 19 letter sent to Rice by W. Reynolds Allen, the town’s labor attorney, the in-
vestigation will likely include a review of Simpson’s personnel file, notes from a preliminary investigation conducted by Police Capt. Bill Tokajer and interviews with Simpson and those who worked alongside her — including former Town Manager Bruce St. Denis, who resigned last month.
The investigation will likely find glowing remarks in Simpson’s personnel file. Simpson’s last annual review was in 2004, when she held the position of planner. In that evaluation, then P&Z Direc-
SEE SIMPSON / PAGE 2A
LITTLE BOY BLUES
+ Library resumes full-time hours Beginning Tuesday, Nov. 1, Longboat Library will be open full-time from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday. The library has also expanded its collection of fiction and nonfiction books, including recent works from writers such as Stuart Woods, John Connolly, Clive Cussler, James Patterson, Sandra Brown and Lisa See. The library is located at 555 Bay Isles Road.
+ Turtle season comes to a close Sea-turtle season on Longboat Key ends Oct. 31. This year, there have been 267 loggerhead nests and 249 loggerhead false crawls recorded on the Key’s beaches. No green turtles were reported this year. Last year, there were 264 loggerhead nests and 230 loggerhead false crawls recorded. Last year saw a little green turtle activity: one nest and one false crawl were recorded.
Mallory Gnaegy
Ten-year-old Jacob Castro sings the blues alongside the Blues Pig band at the Longboat Key Historical Society’s Pioneer Day Fish Friday, Oct. 21. Castro has been playing the guitar for four years. For the story and more photos, see page 17A.
PAWS IN THE SAND?
by Robin Hartill | City Editor
Committee to sniff out dog beach issues Dogs could be a step closer to their day at the beach following a commission workshop. Gail Jordan remembers the time — she thinks it was last fall — when she saw her two dogs sitting at her window wagging their tails as they watched a Southeastern Guide Dog training on the beach near her Longboat Key home. Because her two small dogs are pets,
not service animals, they were prohibited by town ordinances from going onto the beach. “I had a hard time telling my Chihuahua and telling my teacup poodle that Southeastern wasn’t going to take them into the program,” Jordan said, draw-
See pet licensing story on Page 3A. ing laughter from the audience at the Longboat Key Town Commission’s Oct. 20 workshop. Jordan’s dogs, along with other
pets, are still not allowed on the beach, but they could be a step closer to gaining limited access. Commissioners reached consensus to establish a committee
SEE DOGS / PAGE 7A
INDEX Briefs....................4A Calendar............ 14A
Classifieds ........ 29A Cops Corner....... 11A
Crossword.......... 28A Opinion.................6A
Real Estate........ 18A Weather............. 28A
Vol. 34, No. 13 | Two sections YourObserver.com