Happy New Year. With apologies to the Gregorian Calendar, we all know the year really begins in September. The rhythm of the year is established in our minds at an early age. It begins in September when everything is fresh and new: Our school workbooks are free of scribbles, our textbooks have clean supermarket-bag covers, and every slot in our box of Crayolas is filled with sharp-pointed crayons.

We carry the rhythm over into adulthood. As Ron Rollins writes in our “My Ohio” column this month (“Empty Nest” ), as adults our year is built around the experiences of our children. And when we are empty-nesters, each September our thoughts and minds turn to the rituals of back-to-school life.

You’ll find several harbingers of the new year in our September issue:

Our annual “Arts in Ohio” section, edited by Senior Editor Linda Feagler and with stories by writer Colleen Kennedy, is your comprehensive guide to the premier events planned for the new 2010–2011 arts season across the state. 

In our travel section, writer Jenny Pavlasek focuses on the Lake Erie shores and islands (“Islanders Relish an Autumn Change of Pace”) and the excursions that will clear your mind and fuel your soul before harsher weather sets in.

And our annual “Guide to Education” section (“College-Bound”) provides tips for preparing your student for college as they transition from young adults to life in the workaday world.

Also be sure to visit OhioMagazine.com, our newly expanded website. Of particular note is Linda Feagler’s webcast feature on “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition,” which continues through Sept. 6 at the COSI science center in Columbus.

Linda interviews Carli Lanfersiek, COSI’s director of advertising and promotions, who gives her a tour of the exhibit, a magnificent display of more than 300 items recovered from the legendary ocean liner RMS Titanic. A special salute, too, to Ohio Magazine’s art director, Lesley Blake, who produced the webcast.

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Make your plans now for the eighth annual statewide Ohio Solar Tour, presented by Green Energy Ohio. Free open houses of energy-saving buildings and homes will be on display Saturday, Oct. 2, and Sunday, Oct. 3. Read all about it in this month's issue.