2015 TOUGHMAN CLOSURE OF ROUTE 9/9A, WHO SIGNED OFF ON THE CLOSURE

BACKGROUND: In a Sept. 2015 LOHUD article on the Toughman, Mayor Wiegman made the following statement among others: "Mayor Leo Wiegman said the village has no control over the event because the state Department of Transportation has given Toughman permission to close the state highway."  You can read more about that article here http://www.crotonunited.org/blog-n/2015/9/2/real-toughmen-dont-pass-the-buck

Please take a moment to read the following letter BELOW from Richard Nagle. It is in the 10/22/15 edition of THE GAZETTE; the documents obtained through freedom of information tell a very different story:

To the editor: 

In the past I have blamed Dr. Richard Izzo from Rye Brook, NY for the traffic disruptions caused by the "Toughman, Inc." event that closed down 14 miles of southbound Rts. 9/9A to accommodate the bicycle portion of his annual race. Well, I was wrong. Dr. Izzo did everything that the DOT required in order to get a Special Use Permit (PERM 33a) to shut down the road. After receiving copies of his permit from the DOT (via FOIL) I saw that the elected officials in each affected municipality had signed off, or had their subordinates sign off for them, on the permit application. 

So, next year, should the DOT issue the permit again and you are stuck in traffic or lost in confusing detours, remember to blame the following elected officials (or in some cases, their predecessors)  who gave their "local consent" to closing Rts. 9/9A: Frank Catalina, Mayor of Peekskill; Linda Puglisi, Supervisor, Town of Cortlandt; Leo Weigman, Mayor of Croton on Hudson; Susanne Donnelly, Supervisor, Town of Ossining; Victoria Gearity, Mayor of the Village of Ossining and Lori Sullivan, Mayor of Briarcliff Manor.

Richard Nagle