ISLAMORADA -- A village code enforcement officer got a talking-to from deputies last week after he was spotted taking down a sign outside Theater of the Sea.

Monroe County Sheriff's Deputy Winfred Higgins spotted code officer George Martell as he turned over an unaffixed sign advertising the marine park late on the morning of Oct. 27, not long after park owner Phelps McKenny had complained that a similar action by village code enforcement the previous day had damaged the sign.

In an interview with the Free Press last Wednesday, Martell said he hadn't damaged the sign. He had, however, taken it down on two occasions, but only after Theater of the Sea had ignored a citation declaring the sign illegal. The sign is free standing and many times larger than the common sandwich board A-frame.

Martell said he didn't plan to take such action again without first consulting village management. But he noted that Theater of the Sea had the sign back up, looking no worse for wear.

"It's there and it's illegal," he said.

Monroe County Sheriff's Office Capt. Don Fanelli, who runs Islamorada police operations, said he doesn't believe Martell tried to damage the sign.

"Everybody's making a bigger deal out of this thing than it is," he said.

But Martell did come in for criticism from Undersheriff Rick Ramsey on Bill Becker's US 1 Radio's Morning Magazine show last Wednesday.

"Damaging and tearing down signs I don't think is in their purview," Ramsey said of village code enforcement.

rsilk@keysnews.com