THE WARREN-WATCHUNG CONNECTION PAGE 6 SEPT/OCT/NOV 2026 theconnectionsnj.com 8 Medical Minutes: Performance Ortho 10 Commends: AccuTax Services, LLC 12 SENIOR LIVING 12 Senior Corner: Ellyn Mantell 13-23 AUTUMN’S ALLURE: EAT, DRINK, & CELEBRATE 14 Shelf Awareness: Charlotte Mitchell & Ameya Ram 16 Family Adventures: Joanne Kleinle 18 Creative Corner: Carolyn Hanson 20 Community News: Jewish Family Service 22 Connection Community Champions: STEMsters 23 Commends: Empty Nester Semester at Drew University 24 BACK-TO-SCHOOL 24 A Poet’s Playground: Hamsini T. 24 Teen Voice: Michelle Loia 29 Jetsetter’s Journey: Rainbow Travel 30-37 HOME & DESIGN 34 Hints for the Home: Fair Street Interiors 38-45 HEALTH & WELLNESS 38 Health Hotline: Natural Medicine & Rehabilitation 40 Campers & Caviar: Serafina Valentine 41 Healthy Happens Here: Living Boldly Wellness 42 Food for Thought: Lori Kolodin 44 Mind the Mind: Dr. Michael Osit 46-47 COMMUNITY CALENDAR 48 Community News: Somerset County Sheriff’s Office 48 Slice of Life: Ellyn Mantell Allan Zhu Title: Study of Still Life Fruit Photo Medium: Oil Paint A junior at Watchung Hills Regional High School, Allan Zhu is a self-proclaimed artist, although he spends more time reading Pokédex entries than actually drawing. He chose "Fine Arts Honors" as an elective this year to focus on art and balance academic stress by creating art, which he has loved doing since childhood as a hobby-turned-passion. He enjoys using any available mediums to create art, varying from acrylic and watercolors to charcoal sticks and digital art. Free time is usually occupied by new ideas, scrambles of original characters on notebook paper, and hastily written notes for a future "E.D.E.N." project that he hopes to release into the far future. Allan aims to continue his dream in college and push his art career to better heights, with a simple objective to make others around him seen or happy. He has taken steps to achieve this through obtaining two Scholastic Art Award "Silver Keys" and four Honorable Mentions, which would not be possible without years of support. He is very grateful for the opportunities that have shown up for him, and people and teachers who helped facilitate artistic growth. THE CONNECTION MAGAZINE'S TEAM PUBLISHED BY Georgeann Agaisse, Heather Silver, Alicia Singman, Jeanette Vogel, Kristi Abbey, Max Silver The Connection Magazine P.O. Box 4081, Warren, NJ 07059 908-903-1799 | info@theconnectionsnj.com Somewhere in this magazine is a FAKE 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 Flip Flop Finders in the June issue is Rita B of Gillette. Rita won a gift certificate to Malanga Farms in Warren. Next Issue November! Advertising deadline October 23, 2026 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... It’s hard to believe that summer is already coming to a close. It always seems to go by much too quickly, especially for me, since summer is my favorite time of year! While I’m never quite ready to say goodbye to the long, warm days, there is something special about the arrival of fall. Fall brings us back to familiar routines as children head back to school, schedules fill up, and our days begin to feel a little more structured again. The days grow shorter; the air becomes cooler, and the thing I look most forward to about the season is that first crisp scent of autumn in the air. Soon, the leaves will begin changing into beautiful shades of red, orange and gold, and weekends will be spent picking apples, exploring pumpkin patches, enjoying fall festivals and discovering all that our local communities have to offer. Welcome to the Warren-Watchung edition of our September issue! Our Autumn’s Allure section is filled with seasonal ideas, tips and resources to help you make the most of this beautiful time of year. You’ll also find plenty of reasons to seek out some of the hidden gems right here in our communities. Read our Back to School page featuring teen writers from the community! A Poet’s Playground captures the feeling of heading back to school in poetic verse. Teen Voice describes the mission of its writer, Michelle Loia, in creating The Bloom Project-a nonprofit initiative celebrating disadvantaged teens. And don’t miss, Shelf Awareness. The authors recommend 5 thrillers that are great reads for teens and adults alike. Our Health & Wellness and Senior sections focus on caring for ourselves and our families, from dental and eye care to mental health awareness and nurturing our bodies, both physically and emotionally. And as we look ahead to the holiday season, our Home & Design section offers inspiration and resources for home improvements, seasonal maintenance and getting your home ready for the busy months ahead. It’s never too early to start! Our radiant cover art was painted by Allan Zhu, a senior at Watchung Hills Regional High School. The color palette of varying hues of orange reminds me of the color-changing leaves so prevalent in the fall. It is painted with oil paints, and the underpainting is a brown turpentine wash. I certainly hope Allan will continue his artistic journey once he graduates! I always learn so much from reading the many articles within the magazine and hope you do so as well! If you love lighthouses and the mystique that surrounds them, please read our Family Adventures column by Joanne Kleinle. This feature highlights the upcoming “Lighthouse Challenge” along the New Jersey coastline. It is a wonderful activity for all ages, and the perfect reason to extend your shore visits into the fall. Turn to page 8 for a deep dive into chronic knee pain. In their article, “Bone-on-Bone Knee Pain Does Not Always Mean Knee Replacement,” the doctors at Performance Ortho explain that it is important to work with physicians that prescribe treatments based on the whole patient-not just X-rays, as the goal is keeping “patients out of surgery while restoring function and mobility.” I hope you enjoy this issue, support the wonderful local businesses within our pages, and take some time to enjoy everything this beautiful season has to offer. When visiting our featured advertisers, please let them know you discovered them through The Connection Magazine. #TellThemWeSentYou! Shop Local. Dine Local. Support Local. Wishing you and your family a happy, healthy and colorful autumn! Anna Petro Publisher, The Connection Magazine A Note From Our Publisher... CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Gail Bicknell, Lauren Boesch, Carolyn Hanson, Joanne Kleinle, Lori Kolodin, Michelle Loia, Ellyn Mantell, Dr. Joseph Mejia, Charlotte Mitchell, Iona Nandy, Melissa O’Selmo, Dr. Michael Osit, Ameya Ram, William Schievella, Dr. Vince Sferra, Hamsini T., Serafina Valentine
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