Harmony Life Magazine - February 2023

Photo: Abbey Evans

LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

Welcome to the February 2023 edition of Harmony Life Magazine

Please support our advertisers as they help bring this monthly publication to the community.

Did you know that my wife, Jeanine Corcoran, puts out a weekly video and email for all the Harmony events? Send me your email address and I will add you to the list. You can always opt out at any time. Bill@QMCWorld.com

Harmony Life Magazine is produced by residents for residents. Please feel free to message me directly with content and pictures: Bill@QMCWorld.com

Remember to join the Facebook groups, Harmony Residents Forum, AND THE NEW, ADDITIONAL, HARMONY RESIDENTS FORUM, DRAMA FREE.

See you in March!

Bill Bokunic Publisher Bill@QMCWorld.com

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FEBRUARY 2023

A publication of Quantum Marketing Communications, LLC

www.QMCWorld.com

PUBLISHER & CEO

Bill Bokunic

321.331.6398

Bill@QMCWorld.com

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Renée Blair Blair Creative Group, Inc.

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY

Abbey Evans

CONTRIBUTORS

Jeanine Corcoran Corcoran Connect

Kerul Kassel PHD Hamony CDD Board Member

Teresa Kramer Chair, Hamony CDD

The opinions expressed in the Harmony Life Magazine articles are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions of Quantum Marketing Communications, Harmony Life Magazine or the Publisher.

Harmony Life Magazine, Quantum Marketing Communications, LLC and the Publisher can, in no way whatsoever, be held responsible for the content of such views, nor can it be held liable for any direct or indirect damage that may arise from such views.

All rights reserved. No part of any Quantum Marketing Communications, LLC published work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.

CONTACT INFO FOR RESIDENTS

HarmonyCDD.org, 407-566-1935

Teresa, Dan, Mike, or Kerul@HarmonyCDD.org

NON-EMERGENCY 407-348-2222

Association Solutions, 811 Mabette St., Kissimmee 407-847-2280, MyHOASolution.com

CONDOS HOA Sentry Management, 407-846-6323

TOWNHOMES HOA Association Solutions, 811 Mabette St., Kissimmee 407-847-2280, MyHOASolution.com

HARMONY DEVELOPER OFFICE 407-891-8358, HarmonyFL.com

SPECTRUM CABLE / INTERNET 877-892-3279

CENTURY LINK CABLE / INTERNET 866-314-4148

OUC ELECTRIC 407-957-7373

ADVANCED DISPOSAL – OSCEOLA

MEET THE CORONEL FAMILY

What is…

Your name? Brittany Coronel. Your spouse’s name? Allan Coronel. Your children’s names? Jacob, Matthew, and Benjamin Coronel.

Your pet’s name? Cody, a Cavapoo.

When did you move to Harmony? December 2020.

What street do you live on? Clay Brick Rd., but moving to Dark Sky.

What do you love most about Harmony? Slower pace, friendly neighbors, sense of community, Safety, picturesque scenic views.

What are your kids’ favorite things about Harmony? Proximity of the schools, playgrounds, Sunday markets.

Where did you move from? New York City.

What do you miss most? Walkability and food.

What is your background? We are born and raised in NYC, as are our parents, but we are of Hispanic descent. Brittany is Dominican and Allan is half Dominican and half Ecuadorian.

What is a good story about Harmony? A few months ago, a neighborhood boy was missing. The way this community came together was moving. Everyone dropped what they were doing and got out here until he was back home. That is the essence of Harmony.

What is unusual or unique about Harmony, in comparison to your previous home? Neighborly, sense of safety.

What is your favorite weekend activity? Baking with the kids and family gatherings.

Do you do any charity or non-profit work? We work with Samaritan's Purse and Toys for Tots every holiday season.

What do you do for fun? Bike rides, swimming, and baking.

What was the last movie that you have seen in the theatre? “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”

What are your favorite TV Shows? “The Office”, “Friends”, “Shark Tank”, “The Big Bang Theory” and “King of Queens.”

What else should we know about you or your family? We started “dating” in 7th grade, at 12 years old, and have been together ever since. We may be a little chaotic, but always happy to set an extra place at our table (figuratively and literally). n

HARMONY RESIDENTIAL OWNERS ASSOCIATION

NOTES FROM THE JANUARY 25TH HROA MEETING

Mark Catanese, Karen Grissom, Cheryl Gelinas, Jerry Mick, Kerul Kassel, and Cherry Heck were in attendance. Mark Hills from Association Solutions was there, as well as ten residents.

A question was asked about commercial vehicles, RV, and boat parking on Harmony streets and if the HROA is doing anything about this. Mark explained that they are indeed sending out violation letters as allowed. A question about the general upkeep of homes and yards and is the HROA doing anything about this was asked. Mark answered yes. He has employees that drive around to inspect for violations and letters are sent out. He went over the amounts and types of violations they found during the last inspection.

The board has been discussing the best option for house paint colors and approvals. At the September meeting the board decided to have Mark Hills contact Sherwin Williams and see if they could put some colors together for us to add to our current Color Book. They provided 36 new color schemes, and the board voted unanimously to adopt all 36 schemes and add them to the existing book. This will take Sherwin Williams about eight weeks to do. We will now have 77 color schemes to choose from. You must choose one color scheme and not mix and match. Association Solutions will have the new colors available at their office if you would like to look at them and use before they get uploaded into our book. If you are repainting your house the color it currently is, that is considered general maintenance, but you will still need to submit for approval. Please include the color names when submitting the application.

The board voted unanimously to no longer use Melrose Management as our Social Event insurer due to a rate increase or possible cancellation. Instead, we will insure each Social Event separately but will not be able to have activities such as bounce houses, petting zoos, carriage rides, etc., as insurance companies are increasing their rates for these types of activities or canceling

policies. Jennifer will have a list of the activities not allowed and will come up with new activities for our social events. This will be less expensive for the HROA, which means more money for events. The board also decided to have Jennifer put on all advertising of HROA events that these are for residents only.

It was brought to our attention that outside companies are trying to come in and do vendor markets on the weekends. Mark Catanese asked Mark Hills if the HROA can stop this from happening. The answer is no, we cannot. But no one can come into Harmony and do markets or events without approval from the CDD. This was the opinion of the HROA attorney.

Mark Catanese has been looking into what we can do about speeding in the neighborhood, especially along Five Oaks. He has been looking into Speed Cameras. The board decided we needed more information before any decisions are made.

The Harmony Nature and Animal Committee members have been working on clearing some of the trails. A Conservation Cafe Club has been formed for children five and up. They will meet monthly to do conservation activities, science experiments, and the garden club has donated a garden plot to them to grow plants.

The committee meets every month or two and is looking for members to clear trails, help with the feral cat population, the new Cafe Club, and more. Upcoming events include a Garden Tour and a Photo Contest. See www.harmonynac. com for more information.

Mark Hills went over the financials, and we are staying on budget. As of December, there was approximately $8000 in delinquent dues for which Association Solution is aggressively chasing collection.

Next Meeting Date: Tentatively set for March 29, 6:00 pm in the ballroom.

UPCOMING HROA SOCIAL EVENTS

February 19 – Harmony Sunday Market from 10 am-2 pm in the Town Square.

February 24 – Country Night, 7:30-10:30pm, Harmony Courtyard – Harmony Residents only – Adults only

March 19 – Harmony Sunday Market from 10 am-2 pm in the Town Square.

A few changes to enforce policies

The CDD is now trimming all street trees in Harmony. Violation letters will NOT be sent for street trees. For sidewalks not owned by the CDD, cleaning them is the owner's responsibility. Violation letters will NOT be sent, since they are county owned, but if yours are slippery or dirty please clean them for safety and to keep the neighborhood looking nice. For the verge areas (the strip of land between the sidewalk and street) that the CDD is no longer maintaining (Cat Brier, Schoolhouse, and Five Oaks), residents WILL receive violation letters if they are not maintained. n

Awesome Dealership! HHHHH

“Kisselback Ford is an awesome dealership to work with! By the time I got to the dealership, all I had to do was sign papers and I was on my way. Smoothest deal ever! And that is all due to one great salesman...Ray Carbral! He was so pleasant to deal with...no pressure...no all day sitting at the dealership haggling over a price....great salesman...very professional...honest...trustworthy! Thank you Ray and Kisselback Ford!” — Susan S.

Best Car Buying Experience I’ve Ever Had! HHHHH

“Absolutely one of the best car buying experiences I’ve ever had! Ray and his team are amazing. Great communication, very efficient, quick and ever better customer service!! Super happy we chose Kisselback!” — Sasha M.

Easy Car Buying Experience! HHHHH

“Very smooth process. Ray was a super helpful in getting me in my dream truck. Highly recommend to anybody.”

— Christopher F.

Professional, Courteous and Communicative! HHHHH

“My recent experience purchasing a vehicle at Kisselback Ford was excellent. Ray Cabral and the entire staff at Kisselback were professional, courteous and communicative throughout the process. This greatly helped the transaction proceed calmly and without difficulty.” — Dennis G.

NOTES FROM the CHAIR

By Teresa Kramer Chair, Harmony Community Development District

CDD Accepting Applicants to

Fill Vacant Seat on Board; Alleyway Paving Begins; Benchmark/Greenleaf Merger

Opening on the CDD Board

Supervisor

Dane Short was sworn in as a member of the CDD Board in July of 2022 to replace Steve Berube who resigned at that time. He has served Harmony faithfully during the past seven months, however he is no longer able to continue his service and has resigned effective January 26, 2023. His resignation leaves an opportunity for another Harmony resident to serve the community.

Since we are between elections, the remaining 4 supervisors will be appointing Mr. Short’s replacement as required by F.S. 190.006(4). The CDD Board would like to appoint the new supervisor at the meeting on February 23, 2023. The new supervisor will serve from then until November of 2026.

Qualifications

The Florida legislature has established that all CDD Supervisors be a “qualified elector of the District” (Fla Statues 190.006(3)(a)2. b.). To be a qualified elector of the District you must:

1. Be registered to vote in Osceola County Precinct 550, and

2. Reside within the boundaries of the District.

If you would like to serve, please send an email to Angel.Montagna@Inframark.com. This email needs to include:

1. Your name

2. The address of your legal residence.

3. Your occupation

4. Your educational background

5. Any special skills you have that might be helpful in serving on the Board

6. Any other information you would like to provide

7. Why you would like to serve on the Board

So, if you would like to be considered for the position of the Seat 4 Supervisor on the CDD Board, please get your email to Angel Montagna by February 21st.

Alley Paving Starts February 20th

Many of the residents in Harmony moved here, in part, because the homes had alleys. These alleys were provided to push the less desirable aspects of life such as garages, garbage pick-up, transformers and other utility service boxes, to the back of the homes and out of sight. But there is an additional benefit to Harmony’s alleys; they make our community more pedestrian friendly. With the garages opening onto the alleys, residents can stroll the streets without having to cautiously approach the driveway of every home. Another added benefit is that it is a safer place than the street for our children to play while watching them from the kitchen window.

It is important that the Harmony CDD properly maintain our alleys and the CDD has already paved the alleys in Ashley Park (condos and townhomes-Neighborhood A) and in Neighborhoods B (area bounded by Catbrier Trail, Schoolhouse Road, Five Oaks Drive, and Dog Trot Trail/the Gas Pipeline) and D-1 (Indiangrass Road and Gopher Apple). Each of these repaving projects was a major undertaking.

Now, Harmony is preparing to repave the alleys in Neighborhoods C-1 and C-2. This project also includes the placement of

trench drains under the alleys in certain locations and adjusting the heights of many of the stormwater inlets. This work will correct drainage problems that exist and extend the life of our alleys.

This alley renovation project will be completed in phases so that we will not be requiring too many cars to park on the streets at any given time. During the time that your alley is being renovated you will not be able to use your alley for any purpose. So, please, during the dates for work on your alley, park your cars on the street and remove anything from your garage or driveway that you would need to use the alley to move such as boats and golf carts. You will not be able to use your alley for any purposes whatsoever—no driving, parking, or playing. Your recycling, yard waste, and garbage will need to be placed at the curb for pick-up.

Below is the current work schedule, so mark your calendar now:

Phase 1: February 20 – March 8

Alley between Primrose Willow and Cat Brier

Phase 2: March 9 – March 31

Alleys bounded by Primrose Willow, Schoolhouse, Pond Pine and Cupseed

Phase 3: April 3 – April 24

Alleys bounded by Cupseed, Pond Pine, Primrose Willow, and Blustem

Phase 4: April 25 – May 18th

Alleys bounded by Beargrass, Pond Pine, Schoolhouse, and Cupseed

Phase 5: May 19 – June 9

Alleys bounded by Beargrass, Pond Pine, Bluestem, and Cupseed

Landscape Vendor-Update

In December of 2022, the CDD Board selected a new landscape vendor, Greenleaf, to replace Servello. Although we selected the bidder that best fit our budget, one of the other bidders, Benchmark, had many extras that were very attractive. It was a difficult decision. But, our decision has paid off for Harmony. These two companies, Greenleaf and Benchmark, have recently merged. This means that Harmony gets the best of both companies at the lower price that was presented. So, instead of shirts marked Greenleaf, we will be seeing uniforms marked Benchmark. As always, please give them a warm Harmony welcome. We are looking forward to the new and improved landscape services. n

DID YOU KNOW?

By Kerul Kassel PHD Hamony CDD Board Member

HARMONY'S DARK SKY

DID YOU KNOW that Harmony was designed to promote the peaceful coexistence of human and animal residents within the community while striking a balance between the preservation, use and enjoyment of Harmony's natural areas? Underlying these objectives are the values of fostering a respect for the land, the protection of wildlife and the sensible use and enjoyment of Harmony's abundant natural and manmade amenities by its residents.

This month’s subject is Harmony’s Dark Sky goals. Did you know that Harmony was designed for dark skies from its start?

Harmony was recognized by the International Dark Sky Association (IDA) in 2009 as the world’s first Dark Sky Development of Distinction, a new award designated by IDA to promote subdivisions, master planned communities, and unincorporated townships whose planning actively promotes a more natural night sky. Such lighting not only promotes the viewing of the night sky, it also minimizes impact on wildlife populations. You can see some of the early information at https://wec.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/gc/harmony/ darksky.htm.

Animals that are active only at night can be harmed by light pollution because they are biologically evolved to be dependent on an environment with a certain amount of hours of uninterrupted daytime and nighttime. Over-illumination of the night sky is affecting them (especially birds). Light pollution has also been found to affect human circadian rhythms. (See the Wikipedia entry for Dark Sky Movement for more info.) Landscape lighting usually creates wasted light and can interfere with plant flowering and even the activities of beneficial insects.

The advantages of reducing light pollution include an increased number of stars visible at night, reducing the effects of unnatural lighting on the environment, and cutting down on energy usage. A decade ago you could travel out to the end of Five Oaks on a moonless night and wonder at the incredible star-studded sky, but sadly development here,

locally, and regionally has reduced our ability to see many stars and the Milky Way.

Harmony’s street lighting is designed to point downward at the street, with the lightshade cutting off light above the bottom of the bulb. On Harmony schools sports fields, the lights have “eyebrow” shields to help direct light toward the playing field and not into the sky. You may have noticed that most Harmony residences were designed so that porch lights are recessed into the ceiling to provide a soft welcome for visitors and adequate light for porch use.

So, if you are considering any changes or additions to your outdoor lighting, please keep in mind these reasons to continue to keep Harmony a Dark Sky community. Contact info@myhoasolution.com for more information on how to comply with our Dark Sky standards. n

Below: Lights at the Harmony High School football field have “eyebrow”

to help direct light toward the playing field and not into the

Above: A full cut-off Harmony streetlight featured in a National Geographic article is fully shielded so that light is directed to the sidewalk and street below it.

shields

sky.

Top: Porch lights recessed into the ceiling provide a soft welcome for visitors and adequate light for porch use. The porch structure itself helps to shield neighbors from light trespass. Bottom: For many properties, a better solution for security lighting is to use a bulkhead or porch lights fitted with a low power 600-900 lumens (9/11w) compact fluorescent lamp.

QUICK REFERENCE DIRECTORY

ADVERTISING & MAGAZINES

Harmony Life

Bill Bokunic

321-331-6398

Bill@QMCWorld.com

www.QMCWorld.com

AIR-CONDITION SERVICES

Access Air

Eric Farnsworth

*Harmony Resident*

407-921-0760

ELFarnsworth@live.com

AUTO DEALER

Kisselback Ford

1118 13th Street

St. Cloud

407-892-2141

www.KisselbackFord.com

CHURCH

Harmony Community Church

Meeting 10am Sundays at Harmony Community School

(844) 444-FBCH

www.HarmonyCommunity.church

CHIROPRACTOR

Living Well Chiropractic

*Harmony Resident*

4041 13th St. St. Cloud 34768

407-957-1337

www.LivingWellCFL.com

FINANICAL SERVICES

Edward Jones

Kerry L. Scott, CRPC

4115 Neptune Rd. St. Cloud 34769

407-498-0147

www.EdwardJones.com

GARAGE DOORS & OPENERS

D.S.I.

Sales / Service / Repairs

407-970-5847

dsigaragedoor@yahoo.com

www.dsigaragedoorandopener.com

GOLF CLUB

Royal St. Cloud Golf Links

5310 Michigan Ave., St. Cloud, FL 34769

407-891-7010

GRAPHIC DESIGN & BRANDING SERVICES

Blair Creative Group, Inc.

Renée Blair Lake Nona

321-972-3669

www.BlairCG.com

HEALTH & FITNESS / GYM

The Workout 407-764-0297

1429 Hamlin Ave., Unit 10 St. Cloud 34771

HOME INSPECTORS

Budget Services

407-892-8811

HOSPITALS

Health First-Holmes

Regional Health Care

1350 South Hickory St. Melbourne, FL 32901

321-434-7000

Orlando Health

St. Cloud Hospital

2906 17th St., St. Cloud 407-892-2135

www.OrlandoHealth.com

INSURANCE

Brightway Insurance, The Sterner Agency 407-891-9361

www.BrightwaySterner.com

Healthcare Solutions Team

Kim Kirsch 407-870-3462 kkirsch@myhst.com

LAWN CARE

Luv-A-Lawn & Pest Control 407-908-9139 www.LuvALawn.com

Triple Palm Lawns

*Harmony Resident* 407-957-3489

TriplePalmLawn@aim.com

MORTGAGE LENDING

Mortgage Studio

Julie Bretz-Swinarksi 407-758-3443 julie@mtgstudio.net

Alyssa Shivmangal 407-408-1413

alyssa@mtgstudio.net

MUSIC LESSONS

Harmony Performance Arts Studio

Amber Lanning & Ellen Short Voice/Piano/Acting

682-936-9551

PAINTING & PRESSURE WASHING

Champions Property Maintenance

*Harmony Resident* Joe Murray, 407-766-5051

Performance Soft Wash LLC. Exterior House Cleaning & Paver Sealing 407-729-7567

PARK

Wild Florida

3301 Lake Cypress Rd. Kenansville 407-957-3135

www.WildFL.com

PET GROOMING

Pawfect Cuts of Harmony 407-257-1414

PawfectCutsOfHarmony.com

Serving Harmony & St. Cloud

PHOTOGRAPHY

Abbey Evans Photography Weddings, Families, Newborns, Seniors

www.abbeyevansphoto.com

PLUMBER

Mr. Rooter Plumbing 407-593-3737

www.MrRooter.com

PHYSICIANS

Miriam Carnemolla, APRN

AdventHealth Primary Care+ Partin Settlement

2488 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy Kissimmee, FL 34744

St. Cloud Medical Group 1700 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy. St. Cloud 407-891-2965

www.StCloudPhysicians.com

PRINTERS

Creative Printing Services

1115 Pennsylvania Ave. St. Cloud 34769 407-891-9797

Lucky Dog Printing

*Harmony Resident*

1014 New York Ave., St. Cloud 34769 407-593-6984

REAL ESTATE

Corcoran Connect

*Harmony Resident*

Jeanine Corcoran Owner/Broker

Buy/Sell/Rent/Property Mgmt. 407-953-9118

www.CorcoranConnect.com

RESTAURANTS

Koffee Kup 1407 13th Street

St. Cloud 34769, Under the Water Tower 407-891-81488

www.TheKoffeeKup.com

Phyre at Harmony

7251 Five Oaks Dr. Harmony

TRAVEL

Meisner Cruise and Travel

*Harmony Resident*

407-738-7088 • tvlwithlinda@gmail.com

Facebook: Harmony Get Aways With Meissner Travel

WATER SYSTEMS

Dependable Water Treatment 407-242-7150

WINE & SPIRITS

Levee Liquor & Gas

Now Delivering in Harmony! 718 13th St., St. Cloud

407-593-9605

www.LeveeLiquor.com

We provide trusted, quality care in your community. At Orlando Health St. Cloud Hospital, get access to care from an expert and compassionate clinical team for all of your healthcare needs — from emergency services to heart care, surgical services and more — all close to home. Giving you more reasons to choose well. OrlandoHealth.com/StCloud choose well.

be confident.