Suffolk towns to get state health grant

The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County has received a $1.2 million grant from the state health department, money that will go to towns in part to help provide healthier food options for residents.

Babylon, Riverhead and Southampton were selected as the first towns to take part in Cornell's Creating Healthy Places in Suffolk County initiative. Project coordinator Susan Wilk said the towns were chosen based on census and behavioral risk data, as well as health data that showed a high incidence of diabetes.

Wilk said the program will focus on these towns for the first 18 months of the five-year grant before expanding. "Every single community is at risk, but we're starting with these," she said.

The goal, she said, is to increase access to healthier food choices and increase opportunities for physical activity, while reducing access to unhealthy foods to stem chronic diseases.

Wilk estimates much of the grant will be dedicated toward early child care and after-school nutrition programs. Other areas of focus include improvements to walking and biking trails, improving street design and the creation of community gardens and farmers markets. Wilk said Cornell also hopes to work with restaurants to provide healthier food options and with grocery stores to reduce marketing of nutrient-poor food and drinks.

She said some town projects already in development could benefit from the grant, including a planned community garden and walking trail at Hampton Bays Middle School and community gardens on the Shinnecock reservation and in Riverhead.

Supervisors in all three towns welcomed news of the grant, with Riverhead and Babylon hoping some of the money will be put toward their existing community garden projects.

Riverhead resident Amy Davidson, 43, has been working with town officials for more than a year to start the West Main Street garden. Davidson said money from the grant "could be huge" as initial start-up costs for the first year could run about $20,000, and she has only secured $500.

"A garden is a great way to build community," she said. "I think many find when they beautify their neighborhoods in this way, they can conquer other social problems."