Living the Big Dream

By Nan Card

Big and small - all of us have dreams. Most of us realize some of the small ones, but unlike Robert and Verna Lehmann, few of us live out the really big ones – like winning a Kentucky Derby! Born in Risingsun in 1921, Robert Lehmann was a building contractor, who constructed many of Fremont’s businesses, including Kroger’s and Buckeye Mart. He later built office buildings and hotels in Clearwater, Florida.

What are your Mutual Funds REALLY Costing You?

By Darrin Critchet

Do you know all the charges you are paying for your financial portfolio? Are you receiving full disclosure from your advisor?

Consumers often turn to a financial advisor for assistance in making wise investment decisions. A skilled financial advisor has the ability to help you design a portfolio to meet your particular needs and goals. In this process it is important to understand all the costs you pay when you invest.

BOCKBRADER FAMILY REUNION

By Nan Card, Hayes Presidential Center

Summertime is a time for reunions. Families all over the country will gather with relatives they have not seen in years. They will tell and retell stories from the past, share photographs and family traditions, and laugh as they recall memories from "the good old days."

By Dr. Anita Lewis-Sewell

Has life ever stranded you somewhere you didn’t want to be, or someplace you hadn’t planned to go, far from home? Have you ever had an unexpected misfortune? Has a tragedy ever destroyed something or someone that you loved?

Such events are the middle passages of our lives. We all face them.

You may have lost a job, a home, or a loved one. Thousands of people are displaced, homeless refugees and orphans due to recent massive earthquakes, hurricanes, and devastating floods.

Roger Hart from Mole Hill Farm 

Q: I’ve been told to add "leaf mold" to my soil as a defense against nematodes. Does that mean to just old use old leaves that are left over from the fall? Do I just pile them around my tomato plants?

A: The term "leaf mold" technically refers to composted leaves but, yes, you can use last falls leaves. It is a very good practice to add leaves- or other types of organic material such as compost, straw or well-rotted manure to your garden soil. If you havenʼt planted the tomatoes yet, work the leaves into the soil before putting the plants in the ground; otherwise, carefully work the leaves into the soil around the base of the plants, taking care not to damage the roots and into the rows between the plants. The organic matter will not only add beneficial micro-organisms to the soil for pest control, they will improve the soil texture as well- improving water retention and drainage, air flow and nutrient availability. Healthy soil breeds healthy plants.