Tristan Geary for The New Pine Plains Herald
While driving on Feb. 7, Debra Vespa, who delivers newspapers in Milan, collided with a plow truck while she was turning left onto Academy Hill Road from North Road. She suffered brain bleed and a broken wrist. Town Clerk Ingrid Kulick read a letter from Vespa to the town at the March 16 Town Board Meeting, in which Vespa advocated for multiway stop signs at that intersection and the others on Academy Hill Road.
“As I began my turn, a cloud of dust came down the road and there was not enough time for either of us to react,” wrote Vespa, who also noted that first responders used jaws of life to remove her from the vehicle. Academy Hill is a Dutchess County road, and Town Supervisor Bill Jeffway stated he will be asking county officials to examine the intersection.
In other business, the Town Board approved $794,000 for the replacement of culverts on Battenfeld Road and Torre Rock Road. The work will be done by Van Etten Contracting, LLC, which made the lowest bid. The board also authorized a $300,000 bond for the purchase of a new Western Star plow truck for the Highway Department.
The board voted to impose a 12-ton weight limit on Rock City Bridge, which previously was unrestricted. After making minor repairs to the bridge last year, Highway Superintendent Glenn Butler received the weight limit recommendation from Creighton Manning, LLC engineers.
Kathryn Kassner spoke to the board about having the town register with the Department of Environmental Conservation as a Climate Smart Community. In the program, municipalities that commit to green energy actions and environmental conservation practices — such as using electric vehicles, developing renewable energy sources, and improving flood prevention infrastructure — can receive grants from the state. Jeffway said that a motion could be held at the next board meeting.
The board adjusted the mileage reimbursement rate for town officials driving on town business. It rose from 70 cents per mile to 72.5, the IRS published rate for 2026.
The next Milan Town Board meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on April 20.
I had no idea that accident happened and feel horrible for that woman. Academy Hill Road is beautiful….and dangerous. All hairpin turns; including one that gives me pause when I turn into my own driveway. I can see how there would be limited visibility for both drivers. A stop sign is a good idea. But I would urge the county people who maintain the road to exercise extreme caution at all times.