Community spirit grows at Brentwood garden

Doris Davidson was tired of pulling a hose from a generous neighbor's home to water the Brentwood community garden she and several members of the Northeast Neighborhood Watch began in June.

The group had hauled out trash from a barren town-owned plot that sits on Fulton Street between Commercial Boulevard and Ridgewood Avenue, then planted flowers all over the patch, but found there was no water to maintain their new project.

That all changed when Davidson, president of the watch group, contacted the office of Legis. Ricardo Montano (D-Brentwood). Working with the Suffolk County Water Authority, Montano arranged to have a direct water line installed at the garden. The project cost about $1,650, Montano said.

"It's important because we all believe in the same thing -- a better quality of life," Davidson said about the garden.

Davidson and others said they were excited about the water line's potential to make the garden a permanent fixture.

Town of Islip Supervisor Phil Nolan said at least two more community gardens in Central Islip and Brentwood are scheduled to launch soon. "It's just a really great example of the community stepping up with a really worthwhile project," he said.

Maria Malave, 48, a special-education teacher in Brentwood and a watch group member who helped clear debris, said she and others hope to plant vegetables in the spring. Davidson said anyone in the neighborhood can plant flowers and anyone interested in vegetables can apply through the Northeast Neighborhood Watch.

The initiative echoes first lady Michelle Obama's campaign to increase the number of community gardens around the nation to promote healthy eating.

For many who attended a recent gathering to celebrate the Fulton Street garden's new water line, the garden is a small step in improving Brentwood and bringing its residents closer together.

"It's another effort to clean up and preserve the community," said Montano, who attended the celebration.

"This is something that we worked very hard at," said Malave, adding that the area had been a longtime eyesore for residents tired of looking at mounds of trash. She said she was delighted to reclaim the land for something positive.

"It was something that brought many people together," she said. "It's something we can admire now."