On May 9, volunteers teamed up with residents of Island Terrace Apartments to install a community garden on the Island Terrace grounds. It is Bainbridge’s only low-income apartment complex open to all ages.

Some residents have permanent disabilities; others are seniors or mothers with small children. The gardens will enable them to grow organic produce.

The installation was a work party in the best sense of the term. A dozen BHS students from the Camp Siberia program provided muscle, equipment and good humor.

Council member Hilary Franz and her son Nathaniel lent their farming expertise and hard labor, as did Richard Vancil and a couple of master gardeners. With organization from apartment manager Renee’ Levesque, tenants worked on the garden and fed the crowd a tasty potluck barbecue.

Enormous thanks for their generosity and support to: Bay Hay and Feed, North Mason Fiber Company, Pro Build Lumber, Town & Country, Home Depot, Safeway, Rite Aid, Chuck Estin, Dan Mallove, Debbi Lester and Ryan Vancil, Helen Lolea, Susan Sivitz, and the Camp Siberia students, without whom the project would have taken twice as long and would have been half as fun.

Depending on funding, we hope to add seating, fencing and a picnic area in the future. We’re grateful for all donations, large or small. They are tax-deductible. Send to: Housing Resources Board, P.O. Box 11391, Bainbridge Island. Specify “Island Terrace Garden” on your check.

Althea Paulson

Bainbridge Island