Happy Thursday!
WITHINANUTSHELL – This past week saw the FIRST lawn mow(s) of the season. We’ve arrived, folks. Along with it: blackflies. Not many, just a few buzzing and bugging here and there. But, alas… they’ve arrived; right on schedule. It’s been very rainy! Someone in town said called the Dam Commissioner and that the lake level was indeed lowered. Cold and windy, too. The Ice Jam Danger is also LOW. The Public Bathroom down by the Gazebo is OPEN for the season. The Village Dock is also floated and nestled into place and squired into the riverbed bellow. More and more Cranberry Lake 50 folks passing through town. They are reporting splendid weather and trail conditions. The labyrinth is abloom with floral pleasures! Two loons were spotted down Inlet Flow. Only a couple of days left for the County Burn Ban! Light 'em up! As mentioned, it has been very rainy and therefore a forest fire risk should be LOW. Cranberry Lake Store should be opening soon. Wear a life jacket AND DON’T SPREAD INVASIVE SPECIES! Carry it in carry it out, leave no trace. Also watch out for ticks! Clifton Fine Economic Development Corporation is looking for board members. Here’s a link to the most recent town board meeting minutes – a Special JOINT TOWN Board Meeting! (04/07/21): HERE YES there is still snow in Wanakena. Here is a shot of the snow mound down on River Street:
ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY BURN BAN – A burn ban is in effect from March 16th through May 14th in St. Lawrence County and the rest of the state according to the DEC. Open burning is prohibited in NY, with several exceptions: Campfires less than 3 feet in height and 4 feet in length, width and diameter are allowed; small cooking fires are allowed; fires cannot be left unattended and must be filly extinguished; only charcoal, or clean, untreated or unpainted wood can be burned; Ceremonial or celebratory bonfires are allowed. In towns with a total population less than 20,000 you may burn tree limbs with attached leaves. The limbs must be less than 6 inches in diameter and 8 feet in length (also referred to as brush). However, this is NOT allowed from March 16th – May 14th due to increased risk of wildfire.
FORECAST - Remember last week when we said the 10 day forecast says 60 by day 40 by night? Well, the next 10 days say the same. Major meteorological event in the near future: Perhaps some thunderstorms Sunday! Also, a rummage sale down at 22 South Shore Road May 21st and 22nd 9-5pm. 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 HERE: Also, always beautiful photography at the Wanakena Tracks facebook page
UP THE RAPIDS – Sitting on a rock along the Oswegatchie rapids. Windy and sunny! Very windy, sometimes sunny. Sometimes overcast. Hold on to your hat. All around fiddle heads unfurl. Static hush of rapids broken by pronounced birdsong. Trout Lilly speckle the newly grown grasses. River foam gathers and swirls behind shoreline boulder. Boughs bend, sway and rattle violently among the dust scattered gusts. The lilies waving side to side. Someone’s glasses down in the dirt and mosses atop the boulder in a crack in the rock. They are prescription. Not mine.
BRIDGEWORK – THE BRIDGE CREW IS BACK AT IT! Work, work, work. The wetlands on the SW side of bridge appear to be scraped down to where it needs to be. Lots of green flagging on the SE and NE side of bridge; future trees. Moore Trail Parking Lot is looking HEALTHY! Big mound of dirt at O’Leary’s. It will be very nice when things start to grow and nature reclaims it's root beds. AS OF 11/25/20 THE NEW WANAKENA CAR BRIDGE WAS OPEN FOR PUBLIC USE!
ROADWORK – Three culverts installed! Big bump on the curve: GONE! In a few spots along RT 61 (Wanakena Road) there are random piles of culvert. ALSO, the shoulders have been scraped down alongside the road. Things in the way (fallen trees, boulders) are pushed out of the way. There is heavy machinery down by the Wanakena Sign. County Highway crew was seen in town. Could this be what we think it is? Is the County beginning to work on RT 62 leading into Wanakena? All the way from RT 3 down to Ranger School Road?! We’ll see! Town of Fine Board meeting from 3/10/21 says RT 61 (Wanakena Road) will be replaced/resurfaced this summer.
CALL FOR ART – 1st ANNUAL BLACKFLY PLEIN AIR JAMBOREE. Artwork must be created en plein air during the periods of May 10th – May 30th. Drawing, painting, watercolor, sculpture, photography, video… all mediums welcome! $10 to enter. Artwork must be received by Otto’s Abode on or before Sunday, May 30thrd. Artwork will be on-view at Otto’s Abode. June 2nd – July 12th. Artist Meet-Up in Z-Park, Wanakena Saturday, June 26th to celebrate. Rain or shine! For more information visit Otto’s Abode in person at 6 Hamele st, Wankena or www.ottosabode.org
DOWN AT THE ABODE – YOU KNOW SUMMER IS ON THE WAY… when the plastic off the Porch! SUMMER HOURS HAVE BEGUN: OPEN WEDNESDAY - SATURDAY 9am - 8pm + SUNDAY - MONDAY 9-6pm. WE’RE CLOSED ON TUESDAYS. Maple Syrup is in!!!!! Worms in the walk-in cooler! Fresh Wanakena t-shirts, sweatshirts and stickers, too! JUNK DRAWER SUBMISSIONS ON VIEW! C’mon down. Pop-up exhibition “BLOBS” on view by the coffee bar. Sculpture by Katie Westmoreland, Map by NYS, Photography by Michael Mandolfo. All: BLOBS. WIIIIIIIIIIDE SELECTION of packaged beer in the walk-in cooler; light stuff, dark stuff, ales, porters, stouts, ciders, seltzers, cheap stuff, expensive stuff, bottles, ambers, lagers, cans, TO GO – c’mon down! HOT coffee, coffee BEANS, ORGANIC groceries, REFRESHED HALF GALLON FLAVORS of ice cream, NEW books, NEW music, HIKING and PADDELING maps, OUTDOOR ADVENTURE supplies, EDUCATIONAL gifts and more!!!!
ON VIEW – JUNK DRAWER SUBMISSIONS – JUNK DRAWER - We’ll call it our JUNK DRAWER. Sometimes you need a place to put things. Uncategorical things. Things you don’t want to put in the trash. Important knickknacks you might need. They don’t really have a place, but now you know where to find them – usually. Five years ago, when Otto’s Abode first opened its doors to the public, we came into possession of some beautiful, old, glass & wood cases that had been used to display merchandise here in the store, some of which for nearly one hundred years. In a world where billion-dollar mega-media corporations hire folks like Marie Condo to tell you to get rid of everything, behold: a small “best-of” selection of GLORIOUS JUNK that has been collected and displayed in the (now) empty case behind you over the past five years. Allen Ditch – Notepad – Contents written when Doug Facey explained how to turn on and off water at home in Wanakena - kept in junk drawer ever since along with - Pinecone Drink Chip, Ring Sizer, Small Vile. Resa Eberhart – Plastic Egg Timer – The timer absorbs heat, just like the eggs do, and the redness darkens to indicate how cooked the eggs are getting. It shows you when the eggs are soft, medium, hard, and all the stages in-between. The egg timer: another way to measure time. Sometimes I like my eggs soft which takes three minutes. Sometimes I like a hard-boiled egg which takes ten minutes. What can you accomplish in three to ten minutes? Try a little self-care. STOP! Take several deep breaths, smell the flowers, look around at your surroundings, stretch, pet the dog, smile, make a call to someone you haven’t talked to in a while, think of someone special, pray. Brian Kirwin – Escargot Platter - Purchased at a rummage sale in New York City and used as a paint palate. Kitchen Utensil – Probably used for scooping food out of frying-oil. Kitchen Utensil – Serving spoon of some sort. Jean Szkotak – Photographs - Here are my random picture submissions for your display. 3 of the Prohibition era bottle opener. 1 Picture from the Labyrinth last spring. 2 “Gnome Home” pictures. Suzie Thaller – Keychain, Pinecone Drink Chip, Stone Manor Postcard, Mysterious Suction-Object - Found during some good-old spring cleaning. Susan Ziemba – Stack of Mimi’s Student Lessons – Mimi Keith did art lessons - $5 a lesson. All the kids in our house took lessons at one time or another. According to Mimi, they were all potentially great artists! “Don’t Quit!” She would say. Children’s art is so special to me. I can’t throw them away so they are kept in a drawer – Not exactly junk, but what are they? - Old Stained Bag – Just can’t bear to throw it away. Don’t want to use it. Who wants it? Blizzard of 1977. Dave was working in Rochester at Wegmans – training to open a new store in Buffalo. I was in my last semester of Alfred Tech. We were getting married in June. He left work and drank - I believe a six pack of Schlitz - on his way through the storm to come and visit me in Alfred.
BLACKWATERS CAFÉ AND TRADING POST – Summer hours have begun! Open Sun, Tues, Wed 8-3pm & Thurs, Fri, Sat 8-7pm (closed Mondays). CHECK OUT THEIR TRAIL CAM HERE.
WANAKENA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION – The Wanakena Walking Tour is “closed” for the winter… but deep in the bowels somewhere, some folks are 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.
RANGER SCHOOL – THIS SATURDAY IS GRADUATION! SEE YA!!!!!! Sounds like Summer Classes at Ranger School start SOON! So we doubt the Dubar Forest will be open to the public any time soon. CAMPUS IS CLOSED!!!! Here’s a message from the Ranger School from this past Fall: 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 HERE. CHECK OUT THEIR TRAIL CAM HERE.
WANAKENA CHURCH - CLOSED FOR WINTER!
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.
HAREWOOD - Clifton Community Library OPEN Mon + Wed 10-2pm also Wed 6-7pm and starting May 1st Saturdays 10-1pm. The Library has a Story Walk out-back outside May 15th – June 2nd. The Library has also announced: LIVE MUSIC with The Nelson Brothers 2pm August 29th. Cranberry Lake Dry Dock and Marine Services LLC (Billy’s Boat Shop) has a new phone number: 3156032108. Manor Diner and Motel is OPEN, but sale is pending! Tooley Pond Duck Decoy Showroom in Cranberry Lake is OPEN (call first)!!!!!!! John Dragun NEON ARTWORK and MORE down in Windfall… OPEN! Check out the Cranberry Lake Boat Club and The North Shore Hub are up to on Facebook. We heard that the Cranberry Lake Art Show will be held Sat and Sun August 14th and 15th this summer. What ever happened to Grass River Railway? We spoke with someone who’s workin’ on it! Also, check this out: http://cranberrylake.com/defaults.asp
NEWTON FALLS: Recent article about NF development HERE. Robust discussion of Newton Falls on Facebook HERE
OUT WEST - Lady Golf League forming at the Star Lake course now! Big news about Benson Mine solar farm HERE. There is a VIRTUAL MEETING may 25th at 6pm regarding the solar farm: https://tinyurl.com/BR-Benson. The Fitness Room at CFCS is OPEN to community members 6pm – 10pm M-F starting May 3rd (paperwork required). Also, community volleyball at school Thuraday nights at 5:30pm, outside. Mountain Gate Redemption near Benson Mines is OPEN. Twin Lakes Hotel, Coffee Fever, American Legion, Todd Hardware, Adirondack Pharmacy (vaccines available!!), Community Bank and Circle K in Star Lake are OPEN! Alcoholics Anonymous Friday nights at 7pm in the SOS Building. UB’s, and Adirondack Rustics, Hillside Diner in Oswegatchie are OPEN! The following is copy-pasted from the Fine Town Board Meeting hours from 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.
KIM AND THOMS LOST DOG REPORT: As of today, there are NO lost dogs in Wanakena. Coyote has been prowling around dusk downtown, though.
ALL FOR NOW!!!!!!
Any questions, comments, concerns, trail condition inquiries, legends, jokes, animal sightings, cartoons, 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 Also, we probably wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to publish your submission! Write “submission” in the subject line! Wanakena Weekly is brought to you by the folks at Otto's Abode.
“I am for an art that is political-erotical-mystical, that does something other than sit on its ass in a museum.
I am for an art that grows up not knowing it is art at all, an art given the chance of having a starting point of zero.
I am for an art that embroils itself with the everyday crap and still comes out on top.
I am for an art that imitates the human, that is comic, if necessary, or violent, or whatever is necessary.
I am for all art that takes its form from the lines of life itself, that twists and extends and accumulates and spits and drips, and is heavy and coarse and blunt and sweet and stupid as life itself.
I am for an artist who vanishes, turning up in a white cap painting signs or hallways.
I am for art that comes out of a chimney like black hair and scatters in the sky.
I am for art that spills out of an old man’s purse when he is bounced off a passing fender.
I am for the art out of a doggie’s mouth, falling five stories from the roof.
I am for the art that a kid licks, after peeling away the wrapper.
I am for an art that joggles like everyone’s knees, when the bus traverses an excavation.
I am for art that is smoked like a cigarette, smells like a pair of shoes.
I am for art that flaps like a flag, or helps blow noses like a handkerchief.
I am for art that is put on and taken off like pants, which develops holes like socks, which is eaten like a piece of pie, or abandoned with great contempt like a piece of shit.
I am for art covered with bandages. I am for art that limps and rolls and runs and jumps.
I am for art that comes in a can or washes up on the shore.
I am for art that coils and grunts like a wrestler. I am for art that sheds hair.
I am for art you can sit on. I am for art you can pick your nose with or stub your toes on.
I am for art from a pocket, from deep channels of the ear, from the edge of a knife, from the corners of the mouth, stuck in the eye or worn on the wrist.
I am for art under the skirts, and the art of pinching cockroaches.
I am for the art of conversation between the sidewalk and a blind man’s metal stick.
I am for the art that grows in a pot, that comes down out of the skies at night, like lightning, that hides in the clouds and growls. I am for art that is flipped on and off with a switch.
I am for art that unfolds like a map, that you can squeeze, like your sweetie’s arm, or kiss like a pet dog. Which expands and squeaks like an accordion, which you can spill your dinner on like an old tablecloth.
I am for an art that you can hammer with, stitch with, sew with, paste with, file with.
I am for an art that tells you the time of day, or where such and such a street is.
I am for an art that helps old ladies across the street.
I am for the art of the washing machine. I am for the art of a government check. I am for the art of last war’s raincoat.
I am for the art that comes up in fogs from sewer holes in winter. I am for the art that splits when you step on a frozen puddle. I am for the worm’s art inside the apple. I am for the art of sweat that develops between crossed legs.
I am for the art of neck hair and caked teacups, for the art between the tines of restaurant forks, for the odor of boiling dishwater.
I am for the art of sailing on Sunday, and the art of red-and-white gasoline pumps.
I am for the art of bright blue factory columns and blinking biscuit signs.
I am for the art of cheap plaster and enamel. I am for the art of worn marble and smashed slate. I am for the art of rolling cobblestones and sliding sand. I am for the art of slag and black coal. I am for the art of dead birds.
I am for the art of scratching in the asphalt, daubing at the walls. I am for the art of bending and kicking metal and breaking glass, and pulling at things to make them fall down.
I am for the art of punching and skinned knees and sat-on bananas. I am for the art of kids’ smells. I am for the art of mama-babble.
I am for the art of bar-babble, tooth-picking, beer-drinking, egg-salting, in-sulting. I am for the art of falling off a barstool.
I am for the art of underwear and the art of taxicabs. I am for the art of ice-cream cones dropped on concrete. I am for the majestic art of dog turds, rising like cathedrals.
I am for the blinking arts, lighting up the night. I am for art falling, splashing, wiggling, jumping, going on and off.
I am for the art of fat truck tires and black eyes.
I am for Kool art, 7UP art, Pepsi art, Sunshine art, 39 cents art, 15 cents art, Vatronol art, Dro-bomb art, Vam art, Menthol art, L&M art, Ex-lax art, Venida art, Heaven Hill art, Pamryl art, San-o-med art, Rx art, 9.99 art, Now art, New art, How art, Fire Sale art, Last Chance art, Only art, Diamond art, Tomorrow art, Franks art, Ducks art, Meat-o-rama art.
I am for the art of bread wet by rain. I am for the rat’s dance between floors. I am for the art of flies walking on a slick pear in the electric light. I am for the art of soggy onions and firm green shoots. I am for the art of clicking among the nuts when the roaches come and go. I am for the brown sad art of rotting apples.
I am for the art of meows and clatter of cats and for the art of their dumb electric eyes.
I am for the white art of refrigerators and their muscular openings and closings.
I am for the art of rust and mold. I am for the art of hearts, funeral hearts or sweetheart hearts, full of nougat. I am for the art of worn meat hooks and singing barrels of red, white, blue, and yellow meat.
I am for the art of things lost or thrown away, coming home from school. I am for the art of cock-and-ball trees and flying cows and the noise of rectangles and squares. I am for the art of crayons and weak, gray pencil lead, and grainy wash and sticky oil paint, and the art of windshield wipers and the art of the finger on a cold window, on dusty steel or in the bubbles on the sides of a bathtub.
I am for the art of teddy bears and guns and decapitated rabbits, exploded umbrellas, raped beds, chairs with their brown bones broken, burning trees, firecracker ends, chicken bones, pigeon bones, and boxes with men sleeping in them.
I am for the art of slightly rotten funeral flowers, hung bloody rabbits and wrinkly yellow chickens, bass drums and tambourines, and plastic phonographs.
I am for the art of abandoned boxes, tied like pharaohs. I am for an art of water tanks and speeding clouds and flapping shades.
I am for US Government Inspected Art, Grade A art, Regular Price art, Yellow Ripe art, Extra Fancy art, Ready-to-Eat art, Best-for-Less art, Ready-to-Cook art, Fully Cleaned art, Spend Less art, Eat Better art, Ham art, pork art, chicken art, tomato art, banana art, apple art, turkey art, cake art, cookie art…”
-Claes Oldenburg (1961)