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Community Garden Established at Botsford Commons

Farmington Hills, MI (October 24, 2000) - A reception was held last week honoring the establishment of the Linda S. Mlynarek Community Garden on the grounds of the Botsford Commons Community, an adult residential development in a beautiful, peaceful, wooded setting.  This lovely garden was made possible through the generous donations of Linda Mlynarek’s friends, family and colleagues who wished to commemorate her many years of dedicated service to this community.  Mlynarek was president of the Botsford Continuing Care Corporation (BCCC) at the time of her sudden death in late 1998.

“Linda was a visionary for the long-term care industry, and we are very pleased to open this beautiful garden in her memory,” said BCCC Administrator and Chief Operating Officer Margaret Lightner.

The reception provided an opportunity for donors and Botsford Commons residents to see the results of this summer-long garden design and construction project.  Master Gardeners Jody Sorenen, a BCCC member of the Board and former mayor of Farmington Hills, and Carol Eve-Hyska, a longtime Botsford volunteer, provided the design expertise for the perennial “friendship” garden.

The garden will be a lasting tribute to a very special person. “It’s a remarkable achievement—beautiful, peaceful, welcoming.  Linda would have loved it,” commented BCCC Executive Assistant Kimberly Gimmarro.

With curving walkways, lush lawns, extensive perennial flowerbeds and both deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs, the garden also features ongoing giving opportunities for tribute and memorial engraved bricks that provide walkways and seating areas with benches for viewing and enjoying this lovely space.

The Botsford Health Care Continuum is an integrated system of care that includes Botsford General Hospital, the Botsford Physician Network, Community Emergency Medical Service, the Botsford Continuing Care Corporation and the Botsford Center for Health Improvement. Botsford’s Web address is botsfordsystem.org.