Millbrook, Washington, fare well following nor’easter

MILLBROOK — The village of Millbrook received 15 inches of snow during the nor’easter on Wednesday, Dec.  16, and Thursday, Dec.  17, with few glitches and its snow removal went well, according to all reports. 

In talking to Millbrook Highway Superintendent Bob Collocola, he said the Highway Department was able to cleanup village streets with few issues. 

One hiccup that did occur involved the sidewalk snow plow. Thursday morning a message was emailed to the Village Board and posted on its website announcing that village sidewalks could not be cleared due to the sidewalk plow breaking down. However, by early afternoon another announcement appeared.

“Thanks to Reardon Briggs Lawn and Garden Equipment for the quick turn around,” it read, posted by Collocola. “The sidewalk plow is back in service! The sidewalks are being cleared. We want to thank our residents for being patient and understanding. Crisis averted!” 

Sidewalks were quickly cleared for holiday shoppers along Franklin Avenue and other village streets.

“It was a heavy snow, but all sidewalks were cleared and the streets were open fairly quickly,” said Collocola.

Village snow ordinances do not allow parking on village streets; obstruction of snow removal and street cleaning is prohibited from Dec. 1 through March 31 between the hours of 1 and 6 a.m.

Town of Washington Highway Department Supervisor Joseph Spagnola also said the town’s snow removal efforts went well. 

“Fine,” he said, “no real problems. It was slightly blinding. We lost a few hoses and windshields.”

The town’s highway crew went out three separate times to clear the snow in an effort to keep the roads clear.

Spagnola added the town’s salt shed is on the small side, and that crews used a good portion of the de-icing materials that were being stored there. Crews salted and sanded town roads, but the highway supervisor pointed out that the town currently uses less salt and more sand than it previously did, which is better for the roads as it is less corrosive.

Spagnola also pointed out that the town has been fortunate that it hasn’t had any cases of COVID-19 within the Highway Department, so that in weather emergencies like last week’s nor’easter it can have all hands on deck. 

The Millbrook Highway Department handles the village streets while the Town of Washington Highway Department takes care of the rest of the roads, except for Franklin Avenue, routes 44 and 344, which are state roads and therefore maintained by New York State.

The Millbrook police and fire departments cleared snow away from fire hydrants, which property owners are supposed to do but often forget to. The two entities worked together for several hours clearing hydrants in the village.