THE WARREN-WATCHUNG CONNECTION PAGE 6 JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 2025 8 Medical Minutes: Performance Ortho 10 Financial Forum: Shapiro CPAs 15-19 HEALTH & WELLNESS 16 Senior Health: Chatham Hills Subacute Care 18 Food for Thought: Lori Kolodin, MPH, RD 19 Heath Hotline: NMR 20-28 YOUR GUIDE TO SUMMER DINING 33-39 SHOPPING, BEAUTY & EVENTS 34 Community News: Summit Downtown 35 Teen Voice: Adithya Bharath 36 Community News: Warren County Farmers’ Fair 38 Slice of Life: Ellyn Mantell 39 Community News: HOME of Somerset County Inc. 40-43 KIDZ CONNECTION 41 Commends: HudsonWay Immersion School 42 Commends: Mount St. Dominic Academy 43 Family Adventures: Joanne Kleinle 44-51 HOME & DESIGN 48 Creative Corner: Carolyn Hanson 51 Hints for the Home: Fair Street Interiors 52-53 SENIOR LIVING 53 Senior Corner: Ellyn Mantell 54-55 COMMUNITY CALENDAR Esme McLaughlin Title: Homemade Fruit Tart Medium: Oil paint on 12" x 12" stretched canvas Esme McLaughlin is a senior at Watchung Hills Regional High School. She was always drawing and making art in her spare time ever since she could remember, but it was when she joined the Fine Arts Honors and AP Art classes taught by Ms. Kate Griffin that her portfolio really began to develop. She enjoys experimenting with different mediums such as gouache and ink, and using saturated colors in her art. She especially enjoys creating characters on her drawing tablet. At school, she is a member of the National Art Honor Society and National Honor Society, and she contributes T-shirt and pin designs as graphic designer and safety captain to the school's robotics team. Esme has also received recognition for her artwork. One of her pieces was chosen as runner-up in the 2024 Congressional Art Competition for the 7th District of NJ and was displayed in a congressional office in the US Capitol. Her work has been displayed at the Grounds for Sculpture through AENJ, and she won First Place in Painting at the Mount Olive High School Invitational. In the fall she will be attending NYU Steinhardt, earning a BFA in studio art. THE CONNECTION MAGAZINE'S TEAM PUBLISHED BY Donna Reina, Georgeann Agaisse, Heather Silver, Patty Herman, Alicia Singman The Connection Magazine P.O. Box 4081, Warren, NJ 07059 908-903-1799 | info@theconnectionsnj.com Somewhere in this magazine is aFAKE AD. Spot it and send your answer, along with your name, city or town and phone number to: spotthefake@theconnectionsnj.com or play online at theconnectionsnj.com The WINNER of the InstaGourmet ad in the April issue is Melissa Ho man of Gillette. Melissa won a gift certificate to Providence Bar & Kitchen in New Providence. Next Issue September! Advertising deadline August 8, 2025 SPOT THE FAKE! Disclaimer: The views expressed in the articles are the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Connection Magazines. We publish all advertisements, editorials and other content in good faith. We cannot guarantee or accept liability for the accuracy of the claims made by the advertisers. ON OUR COVER Highlights... As the publisher of The Connection Magazines and a longtime resident of this area, I take great pride in the small businesses that make our towns so special. These businesses are the heart and soul of our neighborhoods, offering unique products, services, and experiences that you won’t find anywhere else. I hope you enjoy all that the Warren-Watchung edition of our June issue has to offer! With summer beginning and graduation season upon us, it’s the perfect time to celebrate and support our community. Whether you’re shopping for gifts, planning a celebration, or simply enjoying all that the season brings, be sure to check out our Shopping, Beauty & Events section for inspiration and ideas. Patronize our local restaurants, not only for graduation parties and celebrations, but also for casual summer dining. Think of it as a fun night o from cooking in the heat! Your Guide to Summer Dining makes it easy to find an amazing, new local restaurant. In honor of this exciting season, we are proud to feature cover artwork created by talented high school students from our local school districts. Choosing from among the many incredible submissions was no easy task! Each selected artist shares the story behind her work in a short bio—be sure to read about what inspired their creativity. The artwork on our cover was created by Esme McLaughlin, a senior at Watchung Hills Regional High School. She was inspired to paint the delectable dessert through her joy of baking and decorating pies and cakes. This painting portrays one of her homemade custard pies, which she decorated with berries. It looks scrumptious! Anyone can make a di erence—why not start this summer? Summer is a season of renewal and possibility, making it the perfect time to give back and get involved in your community. HOME of Somerset County (Housing Outreach Multifaith Empowerment) is making a powerful impact by supporting individuals and families in need. Read our Community News article and visit homescnj.org to learn more about their inspiring work and to discover how you can be part of the change. Aside from connecting you to fabulous shops and restaurants, we love to provide you with fun and exciting events and experiences. Warren County has a plethora of special events beginning in June and running through September. Please read “Plan for a Year of Celebrations & Hot Air Balloons in Warren County!” and attend The Warren County Farmers’ Fair (celebrating its 87th year!) & Hot Air Balloons Festival, Arts & Crafts Festival, and Fun & Games Festival (please see article for more details.) As always, when you visit a business you discovered through The Connection, let them know you saw them here and #TellThemWeSentYou! Wishing you a joyful and meaningful start to summer! Anna Petro Publisher, The Connection Magazines A Note From Our Publisher... CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Adithya Bharath, Gail Bicknell, Barry Farber, Giulia Grotenhuis, Carolyn Hanson, Joanne Kleinle, Lori Kolodin, Ellyn Mantell, Alyssa Martini, Dr. Joseph Mejia, James Preimesberger, Dr. Vincent Sferra, Robert Shapiro
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzA2NDY0