Happy Thursday!
This past week in a nutshell… Dusty snow collects upon goldenrod deadheads. Western sky trio of Saturn, Jupiter and a sliver of the waxing moon. River freezing over when freezable – it’s been freezing! 14 degrees and snowy Wednesday Morning! SINGLE DIGITS WEDNESDAY NIGHT! Christmas music on the radio and lots of north country holiday decorations! WIDE REPORTS of a MAJOR DECLINE in nuisance mouse populations. WEAR ORANGE IN THE WOODS… Regular hunting season began Oct 24th and continues through most of December!! Report of freshly PAINTED trail blazes in the woods up the Dobson. Who paints trees in the Five Ponds Wilderness?!?!
Upcoming… Weather forecast says… warming up a bit with wet weather on the horizon… Up near 50 on Friday is certainly warm compared to weather we’ve experience here and there this autumn. Rain/snow Sunday into Monday. As it stands: a snowy/wet Thanksgiving in the 40s. This weather forecast is brought to you by Wanakena’s own PATTIJACKNAN weather team – a Wanakener garage pole mounted weather station and crew. THANKS, TEAM! This weather station can be found at: https://www.wunderground.com/weather/us/ny/wanakena/KNYWANAK8 - Also, always beautiful photography at the Wanakena Tracks facebook page.
DOCK AND PUBLIC RESTROOM CLOSED FOR THE SEASON… REASON?? FREEZIN’!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, that’s right folks you heard it here! The dock at Wanakena’s "public" beach has been unhooked from it’s summer resting place. Where many a family and friend basked in the sun, picnicked and swam. This summer was particularly interesting considering the fact that a fair amount of the local Wanakena population was downright floored at the sheer number of out-of-towners day-tripping at the Wanakena Beach. The public restroom saw RECORD NUMBER OF DEPOSITS this summer as well. Folks were out and about during the pandemic and Bo’s State Park was packed to the gills all the season though! Many a joyous experience this past warm-weather season via the Wanakena Public Dock and Wanakena Public Restroom. Cheers to many more years!!!!
Bridgework continues… A crew of six, headquartered out of Schenectady, NY are Wanakena Car Bridge bound this week with one goal: GET THOSE GUARD RAILS UP AND GUARDING! Yes, six humans will be responsible for getting those guard rails goin’. Then what?!?!As they say around Wanakena: WE’LL BE DRIVING OVER THAT NEW BRIDGE IN NO TIME!!!!!!
TWO COVID 19 CASES in Town of Fine. Last week we reported ONE case. It has been increased to TWO. As far as we’ve heard these two cases are individuals from the same household. There are no further details. This is a reminder to stay vigilant when it comes to wearing facemasks, practicing social distancing, etc… Covid numbers are on the rise just about everywhere. It wont be fun, but lets do the right thing to flatten the curve. This graphic is from the St. Lawrence County’s website where they have very informative and up-to-date information regarding Covid-19 in the county. https://www.stlawco.org/covid-19-daily-update-center
The following is copy-pasted from the Fine Town Board Meeting hours from last Wednesday 11/11/2020: Jeremy wanted the board to be aware that the Dollar General is looking into putting a store at the former Great American site. This would not be required to go to site plan review since it is not a change of use. https://townfine.digitaltowpath.org:10054/content/MinuteCategories/View/1 Here’s an interesting discussion from a website called The Institute for Local Self Reliance: https://ilsr.org/dollar-stores-target-cities-towns-one-fights-back l A quick google search of GREAT AMERICAN STAR LAKE gave us this interesting image of what looks like it could be the grand opening of the GA a few years back. Looking close one might notice it's KIM and TOM of Kim's Lost Dog Report! WOOHOO!
Down at the Abode… After a LONG, LONG RUN (since re-opening Memorial Day weekend (all summer))… the TWENTY FIVE YEARS Microburst Exhibition has been taken off the walls. MICROBURST TSHIRTS STILL AVAILABLE! We’ve been in touch with a landscape painter from Keene, NY. As it stands an exhibition of her work will be UP and ON VIEW on the walls of Otto’s Abode Wednesday, November 25th! NEXT WEEK!!! We’ll probably be closed Thanksgiving day (the 26th) and be back open for the weekend! C'mon down to Otto's Abode!!!!! Perhaps you’ll go home with something you did not realize you needed. Perhaps you’d find a perfect gift for someone.You’re purchases down here at Otto’s Abode help keep us open and going all year long. Take some time out of your day, to go out of the way. Support local year-round businesses! Why wouldn’t you want to purchase healthy, organic ingredients for delicious treats such as : NACHOS (cheese, chips, salsa, hotsauce, beans), and LOTS MORE! And at the same time support a local, year-round business that showcases EVER-ROTATING art/history/interest exhibitions, creations by local artists and musicians , trail and local information, books, maps, DAMN FINE COFFEE! Come see why we call ourselves an ART-CENTRIC ADIRONDACK TRAVEL AGENCY AND INCONVENIENCE STORE! Curbside pickup available. Whatever you want – let’s do it.
WANAKENA’S BLACKWATERS CAFÉ AND TRADING POST FALL/WINTER hours/menu/etc. announced! Breakfast at B-Dubs returns! Dinner on Fri and Sat night. Hours are: Tues+Wed+Thus: 8am-3pm and Fri+Sat 8am-7pm. Call to make DINE-IN RESERVATIONS! 3153094040!!!! Open for pick-up/take-out too. Gifts and groceries galore via The Trading Post.
RANGER SCHOOL IS IN SESSION, BUT THE CAMPUS IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC!!! That means no hunting. Here’s a message from the Ranger School: The Ranger School's James F. Dubuar Memorial Forest will be closed to the public for an indefinite amount of time beginning Saturday, August 15, 2020. The Cranberry Lake 50 trail, which passes in front of the school, will remain open. This action is necessary to protect students and staff as they begin a new academic year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but it is a critical precaution as we work to ensure the health and success of the Class of 2021. Thank you for your cooperation. Here’s a story about it all: https://www.nny360.com/news/stlawrencecounty/property-sales/article_eeec3094-901a-531a-8a18-ab1b991b3a79.html
WANAKENA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION is hard at work actualizing the WANAKENA HISTORY CENTER. Here is a message from their website: Five equal partners (made up of groups of families and friends) are forming an LLC (Limited Liability Corporation) each pledging $25,000 for a total of $125,000 to own, renovate and restore one of the original Rich Lumber Company houses at 21 Second Street to its original facade. Their dream and intent are to provide a location for a Wanakena History Center where the WHA can continue its mission to encourage greater knowledge of the history and to display and make available for study: artifacts, relics, books, manuscripts, papers, photographs, and other records and materials relating to the history of the State of New York and particularly of Wanakena and the surrounding area.
WESTERN ADIRONDACK PRESBATYRIAN CHUCH zoom-zooms every Sunday at 10:45 using meeting #6663654813 and every morning at 9am for a Morning Prayer. WANAKENA CEMETERY ASSOCIATION announced that Cremation Remains burial has gone up from $150 to $250. Also, there is no longer a backhoe charge for cremation burial because they don’t use a backhoe for cremation burials any longer.
Important information from the other end of CRANBERRY LAKE: Stone Manor Diner and Motel CLOSED UNTIL DECEMBER 2ND FOR VACATION, The Clifton Community Library will return to curbside service. This is in response to the state of emergency declared in St. Lawrence County, as well as conditions in neighboring counties, due to the Covid 19 virus. Patrons may still pick up books five days per week at the library. Order online, or call or email your order in and our staff will get your books and arrange a time for pick up. Tooley Pond Duck Decoy Showroom in Cranberry Lake is open. LAKESIDE GENERAL STORE IN CRANBERRY LAKE IS CLOSED FOR THE LONG WINTER SEASON. Check out the Cranberry Lake Boat Club and The North Shore Hub online.
OUT WEST: Coffee Fever, Todd Hardware, Adirondack Pharmacy and Circle K in Star Lake are open! Mountain Gate Redemption near Benson Mines is open! The Clifton-Fine Municipal Golf Course is open seven days a week. Hillside Diner, UB’s Mercantile, Green Pinkly Farm and Adirondack Rustics in Oswegatchie are open! Both Twin Lakes and SOS in Star Lake got a fresh paint job but remain temporarily closed since March 2020. Word on the street is Twin Lakes is re-opening SOON!
Kim’s Lost Dog Report: As of today, there are NO lost dogs in Wanakena. No lost dogs... and no lost cats... no lost keys either.... these fresh prints are from BLACKIE the cat.... struttin' her stuff out in the single digits of Wednesday night!
All for now!
Any questions, comments, concerns, trail condition inquiries, legends, jokes, animal sightings, etc… feel free to email otto@ottosabode.org or call 3158483008 or pop-in the shop! Wanakena Weekly archive here: http://www.ottosabode.org/p/wanakena-weekly.html
"Rude weather and rough winds beyond the door, bring good books, good talk, and good friends galore." – Mare’s Tails and Mackerel Skies the Berkshire Travelers Press