Is it possible for this Malverne park to get even better?

Ed and Veronica Mahoney have enjoyed an extended backyard of sorts at Westwood Park in the Village of Malverne for decades.

Since moving into their home across the street from the Foster Avenue park in 1979, the Mahoneys have brought their children and now grandchildren to the park and have consistently led efforts to beautify the public space.

The village is now renovating Westwood Park, spending about $29,000 to increase accessibility for people with disabilities, among other improvements — the latest in a decades-long commitment to upgrade the park.

“When we moved here, it wasn’t even a park,” Ed Mahoney, 75, said. “It was just a drainage basin. The things we’ve done here are unbelievable.”

Mahoney, known as the unofficial “Mayor of Westwood,” gives the project a thumbs-up — especially the addition of two pickleball courts.

The latest improvements include installing irrigation to add more grass fields, removing old trees and planting new ones. The village also built a communication board with pictures and photos that nonverbal kids can use.

“Malverne is known for its overwhelming sense of inclusivity and comfort,” Mayor Tim Sullivan said. “The addition of a communication board extends our efforts to meet the needs of every resident.”

Since he served as a village trustee, Sullivan has worked at maintaining and improving Westwood Park, and said this latest effort is “taking it a step further” by making the park accessible for all kids.

The park also has become a focal point for community benefit projects. An Eagle Scout project led to the addition of a gazebo and picnic table, and a number of memorial benches and various plantings have been added to make the park more inviting.

The Steven McDonald Garden of Forgiveness — created in honor of the NYPD detective who was shot and paralyzed in the line of duty in 1986 — remains an inspiration to many people, with its garden features, fountain and lighted walkway. Mahoney said in honor of McDonald’s Irish heritage, garden plantings create a shamrock effect.

McDonald died in 2017, and almost $100,000 was raised for the memorial garden, which was dedicated in September 2019.

The plaque honoring McDonald reads, in part, “Steven became an incredible example of the power of forgiveness and love for people around the world. This garden was created to provide a quiet place for people to meditate and reflect on the peace of Steven’s message of faith and forgiveness.”

Westwood Park features at least 10 benches and other dedicated areas.

“I’m out there many, many nights enjoying the park,” Mahoney said. “And to make sure nobody’s destroying anything. They even set up a bench for me so if anybody ever screws up, I’m sitting there.”

When the Mahoneys first moved into the house across from the park, their daughters, Tara and Lauren, were 5 and 2, and Veronica Mahoney was pregnant with Kelly. Ed Mahoney said he and his wife brought the girls to Westwood Park almost every day.

“I raised them in this park,” he said. “As they were growing up, they would tell people, ‘This is my daddy’s park.’”

Since then, Mahoney has been instrumental in beautifying the park with plantings and memorials. The Mahoneys also were responsible for removing old rides and installing new play areas for kids of all ages, with better safety measures. He has worked with village officials while his wife has made suggestions about what improvements are needed.

Village Trustee Scott Edwards said the latest improvements are designed to beautify every square foot of the park.

“We’re really trying to spruce up the last piece of Westwood,” Edwards said.

The pickleball courts should be finished this fall, and the village will provide equipment for players to borrow.

And as he has done for more than four decades, Ed Mahoney will be watching the park to make sure it remains pristine.

“If people should get accolades, it’s Kevin Brady at the DPW (Department of Public Works), because they did 90 percent of the work,” Mahoney said. “He’s really a super dude.”