Photo: Courtesy Cherry Heck
LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER
Welcome to the July 2025 edition of Harmony Life Magazine.
Big changes are coming to Harmony Life Magazine so, stay tuned!
Please welcome our new advertiser Furniture One in Saint Cloud (the old Ashley Furniture location). Owner David Fletcher has been a good personal friend for many years so please see them for all your furniture needs!
A big thank you to Mango Wellness! I became their weight loss client in February 2025 and have lost 30 pounds so far. The staff and owners are so super nice that I look forward to my weekly weigh-in and office visits! They also offer a variety of other services from detox to cosmetic and hormone replacement therapies. Message me directly if you want to discuss or learn more from my experiences: Bill@QMCWorld.com
Did you know that Jeanine Corcoran puts out a weekly video and email for all the Harmony events? Send her your email address and she will add you to the list. You can always opt out at any time: Jeanine@CorcoranConnect.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 Harmony Residents Forum AND THE NEW, ADDITIONAL, HARMONY RESIDENTS FORUM, NO DRAMA.
See you in August!
Bill Bokunic, Publisher Bill@QMCWorld.com
JULY2025
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
Cherry Heck
CONTRIBUTORS
Jeanine Corcoran
Corcoran Connect
Kerul Kassel PHD
First Nature Foundation
Kim Kirsch
National Marketing Director, Healthcare Solutions Team
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
CDD HarmonyCDD.org, 407-566-1935 Dan, Jo, Lucas, Brittany or Julie @HarmonyCDD.org
SHERIFF, NON-EMERGENCY 407-348-2222
HROA Association Solutions, 811 Mabette St., Kissimmee 407-847-2280, www.MyHOASolution.com
CONDOS HOA Association Solutions, 407-847-2280
TOWNHOMES HOA Association Solutions, 811 Mabette St., Kissimmee 407-847-2280, www.MyHOASolution.com
3501 Pug Mill Rd. Kissimmee, FL 34741 OsceolaFL@advanceddisposal.com
OSCEOLA COUNTY Osceola.org “Citizen Action Center”
COUNTY COMMISSIONER ricky.booth@osceola.org
RICKY BOOTH
HEALTHCARE
By Kim Kirsch Healthcare Solutions Team
WHAT IS BALANCE BILLING AND WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?
Balance billing is a term that often comes up in healthcare discussions, and it’s important to understand what it means and how to protect yourself from it. Essentially, balance billing occurs when a healthcare provider bills you for the difference between what they charge for a service and what your insurance is willing to pay. This often happens when you receive care from an out-of-network provider who isn’t part of your insurance network.
Let’s say you go to the emergency room for a severe headache. If the hospital is out of your insurance network and charges $10,000 for your treatment, but your insurance only covers $6,000, you might receive a bill for the remaining $4,000. That’s balance billing, and it can lead to unexpected financial strain.
So, how can you protect yourself from balance billing? Here are some proactive steps you can take:
1. Know Your Network: Always check if your provider is in-network before receiving services. This can save you from surprise bills later on.
2. Ask for Estimates: Before undergoing any procedures, ask your healthcare provider for an estimate of costs and whether they will balance bill you. Many providers can give you a good idea of what to expect.
3. Negotiate: If you do receive a balance bill, don’t hesitate to negotiate with your provider. They may be willing to reduce the amount owed, especially if you can demonstrate financial hardship. Many insurance plans have advocates (or you can buy a separate plan for this) that will do the negotiating for you.
4. Review Your Insurance Plan: Familiarize yourself with your insurance policy's terms regarding balance billing. Some states have laws that protect patients from balance billing in certain situations, especially in emergencies.
If you find yourself facing a balance bill or have questions about your coverage, don’t hesitate to reach out for help. Understanding your rights and options can empower you to take control of your healthcare costs.
Call us today at 407-870-3462, and let’s work together to navigate your healthcare options and protect you from unexpected bills! n
HARMONY, FLORIDA: LIVING WITH NATURE IN A NEW TOWN
By Harmony's Own, Anthony James Catanese
We know that Harmony is a very special place. This book tells how it was done. It started with a vision supported by science on how important regular interaction with nature and animals is to human health. This led to creating a new community whereby these interactions were incorporated at the very beginning of the development. It is intended for people who want to learn and take action. We can achieve greatness and conservation through proper development of our land. This is how to do it.
FLOORING :
KITCHEN
DID YOU KNOW?
By Kerul Kassel President, First Nature Ranch / First Nature Foundation
CHOOSING THE RIGHT PLANTS
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.
Since Europeans began settling this country, though especially in the last hundred years of development, Americans have selected plants from around the world for their homes and parks. While this has resulted in some beautiful gardens, it has also greatly reduced the amount of both native plants on which our native wildlife depends, and on the biodiversity of our ecosystems. Our local animals, birds, fish, and insects need native plants, and lots of them, to survive and reproduce. This has been documented through thousands of studies about how energy moves through food webs. Animals get their energy either directly from plants, or by eating something that has already eaten a plant. The group of animals most responsible for passing energy from plants to animals that can’t eat plants is insects. This is what makes insects such vital components of healthy ecosystems. So many animals depend on insects for food (e.g., spiders, reptiles and amphibians, rodents, 96% of all terrestrial birds) that removing insects from an ecosystem will cause it to crash. With few exceptions, only insect species that have shared a long evolutionary history with a particular plant lineage have developed the physiological adaptations required to digest the chemicals in their host’s leaves. They have specialized over time to eat only the plants sharing those particular chemicals.
Native plants are adapted to the local cli-
mate and soil conditions where they naturally occur. These important plant species provide nectar, pollen, and seeds that serve as food for native butterflies, insects, birds and other animals. Unlike natives, common horticultural plants that you buy at Home Depot, Lowe’s and Walmart do not provide energetic rewards for their visitors and often require insect pest control to survive. Native plants are also advantageous because they do not require fertilizers and require fewer pesticides and less water than lawns. Native plants help reduce air pollution, and sequester, or remove, carbon from the air, in addition to providing shelter and food for wildlife, while promoting biodiversity and stewardship of our natural heritage.
And native plants are interesting and beautiful. You can find out more at the Florida Native Plant Society’s website at http:// www.fnps.org/plants and at the Extension Service’s web page for native plants at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/EP297
or do a web search for Florida Native Plants.
Whatever you plant, choose “the right plant for the right place.” Consider the amount of sunlight, soil moisture, spacing, and type of soil, before you purchase. When purchasing native plants, ask about the origin of the plant. Plants that were derived from seed or plants of natural populations in other parts of the country might not perform that well in Florida. There are many beautiful native species that are under utilized or not used at all in our landscapes. Don’t let the appearance of plants in their natural habitats discourage you from using native plants. Under maintained home and park landscape conditions, these plants can express the full potential and beauty that they may not reach in some natural habitat conditions. n
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
FURNITURE
Furniture One
1750 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy. St. Cloud 321-364-4300
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 SERVICES
Blair Creative Group, Inc.
Renée Blair
Lake Nona 321-972-3669 www.BlairCG.com
HOSPITAL
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
Gredy Insurance
Brady Evans
*Harmony Resident* 812-798-2199 brady@gredyinsurance.com
Healthcare Solutions Team
Kim Kirsch 407-870-3462 kkirsch@myhst.com
Kisselback Insurance Agency 321-316-3360 1118 13th St. St. Cloud 34769
LAWN SERVICE
Champions Property Maintenance
*Harmony Resident* Joe Murray 407-766-5051 ChampionPropertyMaintenanceLLC@gmail.com
MORTGAGE LENDING
Northpoint Mortgage Mike Demarse 407-863-0858 mdemarse@northpoint.com www.MikeDemarse.com
MUSIC LESSONS
Harmony Performance Arts Studio
Amber Lanning & Ellen Short Voice/Piano/Acting 682-936-9551
PAINTING & PRESSURE WASHING
AAA All Star Painting LLC. Commerical & Residential Licensed & Insured 407-908-5525
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
Rivera's Pet Luv Spa 407-556-3555 7264 S. Harmony Square Dr.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Abbey Evans Photography Weddings, Families, Newborns, Seniors www.abbeyevansphoto.com
REAL ESTATE
Corcoran Connect
*Harmony Resident*
Jeanine Corcoran Owner/Broker Buy/Sell/Rent/Property Mgmt. 407-953-9118
www.CorcoranConnect.com
REMODELING
All Flooring USA & Cabinets
1021 N. Narcoosee Rd., St. Cloud Located Next to Domino's 407-593-9481 www.AllFlooringUSA.com
ROOFING
Hogan Roofing
Corben Hogan 407-449-ROOF Office@HoganRoofs.com www.HoganRoofs.com/Refer
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
WEIGHT-LOSS PROGRAMS
Mango Wellness
2801 13th St., St. Cloud Located in the Saint Cloud Pharmacy Building 407-483-3571 www.MangoWellness.us
WINE & SPIRITS
Levee Liquor & Gas
Now Delivering in Harmony! 718 13th St., St. Cloud 407-593-9605 www.LeveeLiquor.com
