Seniors at Pleasant Valley Village enjoy a new sign and new cedar units with flowers around their back decks.
Donated by Myrna Himech in memory of her late husband John Himech, who died Sept 2009, the cedar units frame the cement pads at the back of the apartments providing some privacy from the busy 11th Street.
“Mom and Dad had the vision that they wanted to provide some privacy to for these folks from this very busy road,” said Myrna’s daughter Janice Himech.
“Every time they would drive by, they would see them sitting out on their little concrete pad and it looked so lonely and not very private.”
Myrna and John had been planning to do something when John passed away, and Myrna wanted to carry on with the plans in his name, said Janice.
Tanya Margerm, owner of TM Designs, had been developing a landscape plan to enhance the appearance of the building, so Myrna and her family worked with Tanya to finalize the plans, said Janice.
The plan included four cedar units, a sign and flowering crab apple trees for the front, said Margerm.
The cedar units have a small storage space for garden tools, and a long, flower-box frame outside their back doors, creating a bit of a deck.
“I love them,” said Margaret Siemens, a resident at Pleasant Valley Village. “It makes it look so much better. Before it was just such a plain wall.”
We had hanging baskets before, said Mary Axen, but taking care of it gets harder to do the older you get.
Nearly all members of Myrna’s family were involved in planning, designing and building the units and sign, said Janice.
Ervin Himech, Myrna’s son, custom cut and milled the cedar and Mike, her son-in-law, built the cedar units, said Janice.
Another son, Kevin, and son-in-law Bill designed and made the Pleasant Valley Village sign and its flower box base.
“Hopefully somebody else picks up the ball and does other things,” said Janice, “there is so much that can be done here.”
Margerm has designed a Master Landscape Plan if anyone else is interested in getting involved in further development.