TOSS - Tonawanda Opposed to the Sheridan Span

   When Tonawandans were alerted to the impact of a international crossing advocated by Sam Hoyt and Robin Schimminger to be located at the foot of Sheridan (toward the close of 2002), they were very alarmed. Meeting at Holmes School with a bridge authority spokesperson and politicians, they realized they had to organize. Several firemen were involved and meetings soon moved to the Sheridan Park firehall. The group knew that the bridge authority would not be interested in a community that opposed the span, especially if the Town Board went on record with their opposition. TOSS, by distributing flyers and phoning, produced the largest audience in a decade at a town bord meeting and on March 24, 2003 following a rally on March 19th at the small boat launch when Erie County Executive Joel Giambra reversed his position, and Legislator Chuck Swanick and others spoked against the Tonawanda span (also known as (SGI), the Tonawanda Board voted 4 to 2 to oppose any international span in their town.