SEPTEMBER 2019
MEET THE
RASNER
FAMILY Photo by Studio NINE 13
T H E P U B L I C AT I O N F O R T H E R E S I D E N T S O F H A R M O N Y A PUBLICATION OF QUANTUM MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
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LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER Welcome to the September 2019 edition of Harmony Life Magazine. Last month we misspelled the Cover family's name —it is Knappins! Our apologies for that mistake. Sign up on MyHarmonyFL.com for weekly emails of events and happenings. Harmony Life Magazine is produced by residents for residents. Please feel free to message me directly with content and pictures: Bill@QMCWorld.com Join the Harmony Resident Facebook group for the most up to date happenings and information. Make sure to include your address when you request access to the Facebook Group. Harmony CDD meetings have moved to a new location. Creative Inspiration Journey School in St. Cloud has offered space in their brand-new facility to use for our meetings. The meetings are at the normal last-Thursday-of-the-month at 6pm. The school address is 2030 Old Hickory Tree Rd. in St. Cloud. This location is directly opposite the Wawa at Old Hickory and US-192. Need a ride to or from the airport? Call or text Harmony Resident, Roy Sampson, at 407-791-2759. Jeanine and I have used Roy for several rides to the airport. He is highly recommended! I recently had a great experience getting my car detailed by Matt Siwula. He did a special ceramic coating that last for years and really protects the original paint. I highly recommend him! Here are his Services: Paint correction, outside detailing, inside detailing, waxing, coating, shampooing seats and carpets, conditioning leather, glass sealants. Call or text Matt from MES Details: 407-499-0101 (his parents are Harmony residents). The Corcoran Connection has teamed up with Royal St. Cloud Golf Links to add extra value when using them for your real estate needs. See The Corcoran Connection advertisement inside for details. See you in October! Bill Bokunic Bill@QMCWorld.com
SEPTEMBER 2019
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 Kristin Macari Studio Nine 13
CONTRIBUTORS
Steve Berube Chairman HCDD and President HROA Jeanine Corcoran The Corcoran Connection Kerul Kassel, PHD
Hamony CDD Board Member
Stephanie Milfeld Z&Q–A Children's Boutique Harmony Life is published by Quantum Marketing Communications, LLC. The publisher disclaims all liability for any and all advertisements, promotions, articles, and other affiliated content contained within this publication. The opinions of the authors are those alone. We do not accept any liability for information or advice provided by any advertiser, sponsor, or associated business provided in this magazine. ©2019 Quantum Marketing Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Harmony Life Magazine
CONTACT INFO FOR RESIDENTS CDD HarmonyCDD.org, 407-566-1935 Steve, Mike, Bill, Kerul or Dave@HarmonyCDD.org SHERIFF, NON-EMERGENCY 407-348-2222
SPECTRUM CABLE / INTERNET
877-892-3279
CENTURY LINK CABLE / INTERNET
866-314-4148
OUC ELECTRIC
407-957-7373
HROA
Association Solutions, 811 Mabette St., Kissimmee 407-847-2280, MyHOASolution.com
866-724-2989
CONDOS HOA
Sentry Management, 407-846-6323
WASTE MANAGEMENT Monday: Recycling pick up Wednesday: Yard Debris pick up Friday: Trash pick up
TOWNHOMES HOA HARMONY DEVELOPER OFFICE
Association Solutions, 811 Mabette St., Kissimmee 407-847-2280, MyHOASolution.com
OSCEOLA COUNTY COUNTY COMMISSIONER FRED HAWKINS
Osceola.org “Citizen Action Center” fhaw@osceola.org
407-891-8358, HarmonyFL.com
September 2019 | Harmony Life Magazine 1
MEET THE
RASNER FAMILY What is‌ Your name? Tim Rasner Your spouse's name? Hien Rasner Your children's names? Adam Luong, Carlee, Blaire and Delaney Rasner Your Cock-A-Poo's name? Blue When did you move to Harmony? July 2018 What street do you live on? Feathergrass Ct. What do you love most about Harmony? The quiet, closeness to nature, activities and neighbors. What is your kids' favorite things about Harmony? The proximity to Harmony High and having a pizza joint right in the neighborhood. Where did you move from? Turtle Creek in St. Cloud. What do you miss most? Nothing! What is your background? I had a 20+ year career in the financial industry managing IT teams globally. What is a good story about Harmony? How we discovered Harmony. We own a local residential cleaning business called Molly Maid. We discovered Harmony by servicing customers in the area. Based on what we experienced, both from the attractiveness of the area plus the friendliness of our customers, we decided this is where we wanted to end up in St. Cloud.
2 Harmony Life Magazine | September 2019
What is unusual or unique about Harmony, in comparison to your previous home? The feeling that you are living out in the country, but at the same time, being relatively close to stores, restaurants, attractions and beaches. What is your favorite weekend activity? Relaxing at home on our patio as well as going to restaurants and the beach. Is there a neighbor experience you are most proud of? We moved into our new home just before July 4, 2019, and although there were only about 8 families on the street so far, we all got together to plan a 4th of July block party with food, drinks and fireworks. It was a great introduction to our neigborhood and neighbors. Are there any recommendations for other neighbors? Enjoy the amenities, such as the boats on the lake, etc. Get to know your neighbors–there is a great sense of community here. Do you do any charity or non-profit work? Through our business we participate in a few events, but the main thing we participate in is a foundation called the Ms. Molly Foundation. The focus of the foundation is to support victims of domestic violence. A portion of every cleaning is donated to the foundation and we also participate in the annual Make a Difference drive where we gather donations from our customers and donate them to a local shelter. Do you have a cause or business that you would like to promote? My wife and I are the owners of the local Molly Maid residential cleaning franchise. We have been in business for 5 years, covering both Osceola and Polk counties. As mentioned before, we have quite a few Harmony customers and look forward to building relationships with many more. n
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Jeanine Corcoran - Broker | Owner The Corcoran Connection 407-953-9118 - office 407-922-3308 - cell Jeanine@TheCorcoranConnection.com TheCorcoranConnection.com Connect with us on Social Media! September 2019 | Harmony Life Magazine 5
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SOCIAL MEDIA HAS CHANGED OUR CULTURE By Stephanie Milfeld
S
COURTESY OF STEPHANIE MILFELD
ocial media has changed our culture in so many ways. While some feel that social media is tearing us apart, others feel that it has brought people together. Let’s cut to the chase—and this is all in MY opinion, and I am in no way quoting any real studies of any kind. Simply put, I was raised in the emergence of social media. I was in middle school when we all made our first AOL screen names, classy as they may be, and set our 'away' messages while simultaneously tying up the phone line and hoping someone would leave us a message. The main pro I have come by with social media today, is I have connected with friends and family who live far away that I may not have otherwise. There are so many more positive things about social media, but the negatives list is never ending. The one thing I hate the MOST is the mom shaming, judging and self doubt it can bring you. Listen, I don’t care if you breastfeed or bottle feed, co-sleep or sleep train, are screen free or let your kids watch a tablet at the table, stay at
home mom or working mom, c-section mama or natural birth—we are ALL moms here. I’ll be honest with you, personally I vaccinate my kids, I let them play on the phone and tablet, both were formula fed since the day they were born, I co-sleep with one and the other sleeps in their room, I am a working c-section mom of two, and as adorable as my kids are, they are still jerks sometimes. Your kids are jerks sometimes too, and it’s ok. It doesn’t make you a bad mom. Stop looking at everyone’s perfect social media posts and comparing yourself, and most of all don’t judge another mom for the way she is doing something. You do YOU! Just know that when your kid is throwing food on the floor, screaming like a lunatic in public because you said no, when you are tired and let them eat a cupcake for dinner because you just don’t care tonight—it’s OKAY! You are still a rockstar. When "Pam" comments on your status about how you are raising your kids, or you find yourself annoyed at her posts, just mute her for 30 days and start following people who make you happy, who are inspiring, who make
you want to be a better version of you. You control your feed, don't let it control you. You got this! If you ever feel down about yourself, need a break, want an adult to talk to while your kids play, please stop in and see us at Z and Q – A Children’s Boutique—we are a judge-free zone always there for you. n Z and Q – A Children's Boutique 1037 New York Ave. • Downtown St. Cloud Store Hours: Monday-Friday, 10am–7pm and Saturdays, 11–7pm
September 2019 | Harmony Life Magazine 7
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HARMONY RESIDENTIAL OWNERS ASSOCIATION HOW TO REACH YOUR ASSOCIATION SOLUTIONS COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT TEAM Physical & 811 Mabbette Street, Mailing Address: Kissimmee, FL 34741 Email: info@myhoasolution.com Website: www.myhoasolution.com Telephone: 407-847-2280 Fax: 407-847-2882 Hours: Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm (your call will be answered by a member of our staff and you will not encounter a voicemail) Out of Office Hours: When our office is closed, there is an emergency answering service. This service is for Emergencies ONLY. If you have a question regarding payments, a letter received or general information, please do not leave a message on the answering service, but call us during normal office hours or send an email requesting a return call during regular business hours.
WHAT’S YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS?
Please add your email address to your owner account. There are many exciting events coming soon and we need to make sure you get your invitation! To add any of this information to your account, please email it to us: info@myhoasolution.com or use the contact us form on our website.
PARKING
On street parking is increasingly becoming an issue throughout our community. Specifically, on streets that do not have designated parking. Please be mindful of your neighbors and park your cars in driveways or garages. Several streets in Harmony are very narrow and end in cul-de-sacs; with cars parked on the street, the trash trucks cannot travel on the street, never mind make the turn in the cul-de-sac. So, they tend to bypass the entire street. Parking on the street not only detracts from property value, but it also greatly diminishes the curb appeal of any community. It is also a huge safety concern for everyone in the community, especially our young children. In an effort to help curb this activity, The Association will solicit assistance from the Sheriff ’s office to issue tickets for various on street parking violations, i.e. blocking sidewalks, parking against the flow of traffic, parking too close to a traffic control device, etc. For more information on parking violations, please refer to Florida Statute 316.1945
DATES TO REMEMBER
For those of you who have not been on our website, we do have a calendar with information such as trash dates, meeting dates, events and other details. We invite you to take a look at your community page. Go to www.myhoasolution.com and look for Harmony.
ANNUAL MEETING: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30th, 6:00PM
HARMONY RESIDENTIAL OWNERS ASSOCIATION ANNUAL FEE
By now, you should have received your 2019–2020 Annual Assessment Statement for your Harmony ROA Annual Fee. If you have not, please contact Association Solutions as soon as possible to receive a copy. All payments are payable before October 1, 2019 to avoid late charges and interest. Payments can be made via our website, www.myhoasolution.com. Just click on the 'Make a Payment' link and you will be directed to the Union Bank payment page. We recommend you sign-in/register as this is a FREE e-check payment option. If you select to 'Pay as a Guest', the bank will charge a service fee of $14.95. To make the payment, you will need your account number which can be found on the top right hand corner of your statement. You can also mail a check made payable to "Harmony ROA" to our office at 811 Mabbette Street, Kissimmee, FL 34741. Checks must be received by October 1, 2019 to avoid late charges.
HARMONY GARDENS
October 1, 2019 starts the new leases for the Harmony garden lots. The CDD did change the lease rates for the upcoming year. They are now: Small: $10.72 per year, including tax Medium: $21.44 per year, including tax Large: $42.88 per year, including tax All leases are for 12 months, October to September (or part thereof) and are payable in full in advance. The Garden Committee is looking at holding an open house at the end of September. If you would like more information, please contact us, info@myhoasolution.com.
VEHICLE STORAGE LOT
You may be aware that the CDD are extending the existing lot and creating more large (RV sized) spaces. The existing lot will have a new layout creating wider, longer spaces for boats and trailers, while still keeping some smaller spaces for commercial vehicles. The CDD did change the lease rates for all leases starting October 1st. They are now: Odd Shape: $257.28 per year, including tax Small: $514.56 per year, including tax Medium: $643.20 per year, including tax Large: $771.84 per year, including tax RV: $964.80 per year, including tax All leases are for 12 months and are payable in full in advance. We have no further information at this time; when complete information is available, we will send a community-wide email. n
You should have recently received information about the Harmony ROA Annual Meeting. If you did not, please contact us, info@myhoasolution.com and request it be resent.
September 2019 | Harmony Life Magazine 9
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10 Harmony Life Magazine | September 2019
HROA & CDD MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
T
By Steve Berube Chairman HCDD and President HROA
he HROA held its regular meeting on August 28; the Board was joined by eight residents. Of note is something that might become visible very soon, and that is insurance requirements for vendors at Activities & Functions. In short, anyone who comes here and provides a service, such as face painting, hay rides, snow hills or any other function, must provide a $1 million certificate of insurance. In the past, this was only an occasional trouble spot. However, in our litigious society, fueled by personal-injury lawyers, the vast majority of these small operators cannot afford such insurance, so their contracts now disclaim all liability, meaning the Association must cover the insurance for any such event. Of course, we face the same issue: very expensive insurance and, in some cases, like mechanical bulls and hay rides, NO insurance is available. So, while we investigate alternatives, some activities at Jennifer’s functions might be non-existent. Please be patient with her as this is not her fault. On a happier note, the finances look good with expenditures significantly under budget and collections running extremely well. In fact, our delinquent receivables now are right at about $7500; in reality, that is about as low as they will get. Consider that when this resident Board took over in Sept of 2017, those delinquencies were about $65,000. The primary impact of this drop is that we were able to lower your dues 25% last year and another 5% this year— with money left over which this year went to increasing the Social Activities Budget. You should have received your Annual Meeting Notice which from this point forward, will entail an Annual Election. This year, three seats are open and next year the same will occur. The mailed notice gives more details. On to the CDD Meeting which was held at our new location, the Creative Inspiration Journey School in St. Cloud. (A big THANK YOU to Harmony resident Patty Marquis for providing us a comfortable space in this brand-new facility.) We were joined by six residents. You might remember that we’ve discussed trails for the past several months. Part of these discussions has been trying to focus on just two aspects of this originally multi-faceted
proposal. As it stands now, we are waiting for a cattle land lessee to remove some fences from CDD lands so that Billy’s Trail can be relocated slightly to CDD land. That brings us to a proposal to add boardwalks and/or other enhancements to wetlands along Buck Lake, north of neighborhood F, which is on Dark Sky drive. This has been met with both yays and nays from area residents. So, we will solicit additional ideas and concepts in trying to come up with an improved access point to Buck Lake. No matter what, this will require some complex permitting from at least three governmental agencies. Video streaming of meetings has also been a continuing topic. The laws on this are complex, what with ADA requirements for subtitles, public records custody and retention requirements, and many other potential pitfalls that need to be carefully avoided. So, this remains a continuing discussion. Another ongoing discussion has been the need to move the Field Services operations trailer and storage pods from private land. This is another complicated item with many moving pieces including utility relocations and permitting. Also, the existing trailer is 22 years old with a certain amount of wear and tear plus deterioration. As it will cost about $8K just to move it, we authorized the purchase and placement of a new trailer, plus its placement and securement. Including the new utilities and other sundries, this is likely to cost about $55,000. Even though this is an unforeseen (and unbudgeted) expense, there will be no impact to your fees. I had opened this conversation by requesting that we explore a permanent building instead, but that discussion detoured to this trailer plan. The day before the meeting, we received a quote for $263,000 to treat an infestation of “Old World Climbing Fern” which is a fast spreading and growing invasive fern that, under our wetlands control permit, must be treated. Again, this is a multi-faceted item with many moving pieces requiring input from various people and agencies. The good news is that Field Services already employs two licensed herbicide application technicians as a result of our pond maintenance program. We also already own a 4-wheeler and a trailermounted powered sprayer intended specifically for herbicide application. The outcome of all this is that we expect to be able to treat this
infestation for less than $100,000 using inhouse staff which is a significant savings. That leads me to the next item which is the approval to add another Field Services staffer. While this was a planned (and budgeted) addition intended to increase customer service levels by, amongst other things, cleaning ALL CDD-maintained sidewalks throughout the community, the mandate of treating the fern infestation noted above solidifies the need for additional manpower, partly because that fern spreads and is generally regarded as being impossible to eliminate. Obviously, that means once you have it, you’ll be treating it forever. This new hire will be made with an eye to having he/she be licensed for herbicide application, meaning we will then have three licensees. This additional manpower will also be used to handle ever-increasing irrigation line breaks as well as sidewalk-panel replacements; as Harmony ages, the maintenance needs steadily increase. Along with another staffer comes the need to purchase a vehicle; after careful investigation of the requirements, we approved the purchase of a Polaris PRO2000XD 4-wheeler. This unit was selected primarily because of its exceptional towing capacity which is needed to be able to haul our pressure washer with a full tank of water. Currently, the only way to do that is to use the GMC pickup to haul it, which is a very inefficient use of that asset. It is also inefficient to send out the washer with only a half-tank of water. Hence, this new unit will be assigned to hauling the washer and an existing unit will be assigned to the new hire. The hire and vehicle will be after October 1st, as they are budgeted for FY2020. Finances remain strong with income slightly over expectations and spending slightly under expectations. We approved the meeting schedule for FY2020 all of which will take place at Creative Inspiration Journey School. As the Buck Lake Sharing Agreement with Harmony West has been approved, we will soon be deeded the land at the far east end of Lakeshore Park. This means a complete transformation of that area most likely to result in the construction of a Community Center. I will be starting the groundwork needed for this huge undertaking, which will involve much community input as to what it needs to be. Stay tuned!! Thanks for reading—see you next month. n September 2019 | Harmony Life Magazine 11
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DID YOU KNOW?
D
By Kerul Kassel PHD Hamony CDD Board Member
ID 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? Harmony incorporates natural and human-built environments that blend in ways designed to enhance the relationships between humans and animals and maximize the benefits of their peaceful coexistence. While retaining natural areas, Harmony is part of a human-dominated landscape where our actions profoundly affect the welfare of wild animals. Here are some tips for living in harmony with our wild animal friends. DON’T AUTOMATICALLY REMOVE THE WILDLIFE FROM YOUR YARD. In Harmony we are tolerant of our wild neighbors. Wildlife experts state that it is perfectly normal to see possums, deer, turkey, cranes, armadillos, raccoons, and even alligators in our backyards and people shouldn’t automatically want them gone. One solution is to live trap these animals and move them elsewhere, but this is not an answer. If you move out wild animals from your yard other animals will eventually move in. We encourage you to be patient. Most wild animals are nomadic and in time they will move on. DON’T DRASTICALLY TRIM TREES. Local wildlife refuges takes in many baby birds each year that are orphaned when their nest is cut from a tree. Experts say there is no substitute for being raised by a parent. It is traumatic for animals to be taken away from their families and reared by humans since they can’t be taught by humans the same way they are taught by their parents. If you accidentally knock a nest out of a tree, the Humane Society of the United States suggests that you should retrieve the nest and re-nest them in the same location. CLEAN UP FOOD. The smell of garbage is a huge attraction to wildlife. To prevent wild animals from being attracted to your yard, keep lids secured or store garbage in the garage, especially overnight. In addition, don’t leave pet food or water bowls outside and be sure to clean below bird feeders, as seed can attract scavengers such as raccoons and rats. It’s also a good idea to pick up fruit as soon as it has fallen from any fruit trees.
COURTESY KERUL KASSEL
TAKE CARE OF YOUR LAWN AND GARDEN WITH WILDLIFE IN MIND. Always check over your lawn before you mow and search for turtles and rabbit nests. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) advises people to move turtles gently, but rabbit nests should be left alone (and don’t mow near them) so that the mother will return to the nest to feed them. You should also keep your lawn grub-free and you will prevent raccoons, armadillos and opossums from tearing up your lawn to feast on them. If you’re trying to keep animals out of your garden, the best way is to erect a chicken wire fence at least 36″ above the ground and 12″ below the ground. You can also place mesh cages over young plants. Motion-activated noisemakers available from garden centers, owl decoys and pinwheels can also be effective deterrents. CHECK ACCESS POINTS. Check and screen off any entry points that allow wildlife access. You should also check your roof eaves, overhangs, vents and even cracks around windows or pipes that lead into the house for bat entryways. They can squeeze through openings 1/2 inch wide. Do not patch holes between May and September or you may trap young bats inside. Small animals can access buildings through holes as little as one-inch wide, so be sure to seal any holes with heavy-weight material (hardware cloth or heavy-gauge screening) or steel wool. Wire mesh can also be used to plug openings in walls and floors. As suburban sprawl continues to displace wild animals, encounters with humans are inevitable. Ongoing development has forced many wild animals to relocate, so clashes between humans and animals will most likely increase. However, many of these situations can be avoided with a little effort and planning. The bottom line is that all of us need to do our best to live in harmony with wildlife. n September 2019 | Harmony Life Magazine 13
HARMONY W e
e x i s t
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k n o w
H i m
a n d
m a k e
H i m
k n o w n
www.harmonycommunity.church
Free 1-Year Golf Membership! Playing the #1 Rated links course just got easier! Contact us to learn more. The Corcoran Connection and Royal St. Cloud have teamed up for a great offer. New clients receive a one-year Individual Golf Membership with the purchase or sale of a home when using The Corcoran Connection. This is a $950 value. For more information and details, contact The Corcoran Connection.
The Corcoran Connection LLC 407-953-9118 - office Info@TheCorcoranConnection.com TheCorcoranConnection.com Restrictions: Cart fee not included. Valid for 1 year. No cash value. Limited time offer. Non-transferable. One per family.
14 Harmony Life Magazine | September 2019
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www.lach-ortho.com EXP 04/30/19. ADA CODES: 0150, 8070/8080/8090, 8660, 8670, 0330, 0340, 0350, 0470 & 8999) THE PATIENT AND ANY OTHER PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYMENT HAS A RIGHT TO REFUSE TO PAY, CANCEL PAYMENT, OR BE REIMBURSED FOR PAYMENT FOR ANY OTHER SERVICE, EXAMINATION, OR TREATMENT WHICH IS PERFORMED AS A RESULT OF AND WITHIN 72 HOURS OF RESPONDING TO THE ADVERTISEMENT FOR THE FREE, DISCOUNTED FEE, OR REDUCED FEE SERVICE, EXAMINATION OR TREATMENT. LIC# DN12168.
September 2019 | Harmony Life Magazine 15
You're Invited The increasing cost of health care is a growing concern for current and future retirees. In fact, 25 years ago, retirees spent almost twice as much on food as on health care; now the amounts are nearly equal.* Join us for our presentation Health Care and Your Retirement. We’ll discuss:
Dinner will be served.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019 at 6:00 pm
• Medicare coverage and traditional medical expenses • Long-term medical care expenses • Strategies for addressing uncovered expenses
The Tavern at Harmony 7251 5 Oaks Drive Harmony, FL 34773
We hope you will join us. Please call Carol at 407-498-0147 by September 16th.
*Source: The Federal Reserve and Edward Jones estimates. The contents of this presentation are for informational purposes only. Edward Jones doesn’t offer health insurance; however, we believe discussing the impact of health care costs within your retirement strategy is important, especially considering that rising health care costs may affect many investors approaching retirement. While the information is believed to be accurate, its accuracy and completeness are not guaranteed and are subject to change without notice. You should rely on Medicare for complete program details. For more information on Medicare, visit www.medicare.gov.
Kerry L Scott, CRPC® Financial Advisor
4115 Neptune Rd St Cloud, FL 34769 407-498-0147
MKD-7893C-A-FL EXP 31 JUL 2020 © 2018 EDWARD D. JONES & CO., L.P. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
16 Harmony Life Magazine | September 2019
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