Happy Thursday!
WITHINANUTSHELL – Some rain, some cold nights; overall: starting to feel like summer! Black Flys are OFFICIALLY out and biting. Mosquito was slapped on the wrist just hours ago. Big COVID-19 outbreak in Town of Fine (that's us!) The Bridge crew paved around the new car bridge (NOT rt 61). Ranger School graduated this past Saturday. Summer sessions must start soon. Wanakena Historical Association installed the Walking Tour around town and put the CAN CART out in front of the future History Center - NO POO BAGS PLEASE. Lots of volunteer work up at the Wanakena Cemetery. More and more Cranberry Lake 50 folks passing through town. Overall more day-trippers and outdoor recreationists passing through town. They are reporting splendid weather and trail conditions.They're yanking big 'ol pike out of the Oswegatchie above the Footbridge and lots of trout in spots where they have been stocked. The labyrinth is abloom with floral pleasures! Hares hopping around town. Coyote at dusk. Two loons were spotted down this side of The Narrows. Fabulous flowers and fiddle heads. The County Burn Ban is OVER. As mentioned, it has been very rainy and therefore a forest fire risk should be LOW. Getting green around here! 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. SLOW DOWN WHEN YOU DRIVE THOUGH WANAKENA, PLEASE! Wear a life jacket AND DON’T SPREAD INVASIVE SPECIES! Carry it in carry it out, leave no trace. Also watch out for ticks! Here’s a link to the most recent town board meeting minutes – a Special JOINT TOWN Board Meeting! (05/12/21): HERE Also, the Clifton Fine Economic Development Corporation is looking for board members.
FORECAST: 70s by day 50s by night through the weekend. Maybe some showers Sunday. Cooling down into the 60s next week before some thunder/rain Tuesday. 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 Also, a rummage sale down at 22 South Shore Road May 21st and 22nd 9-5pm. Chicken BBQ at American Legion May 22nd at noon.
UP THE RAPIDS – Has anyone else noticed the odd white layer on the rocks along the Oswegatchie? We had no idea until we chatted with some folks. We’re thinking perhaps its something with the high water and pollen in the water? We didn’t make it up the river far enough to see the extant and/or source of the stuff.
BRIDGEWORK – THE BRIDGE CREW IS BACK AT IT! Work, work, work. Have you seen the Moore Trail Parking Lot? Wow! Topsoil is being piled and spread. Approaches paved. 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. Re-planting will be soon! 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! The shoulders have been scraped down alongside the road. Things in the way (fallen trees, boulders) are pushed out of the way. 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! Seems like it. The Town of Fine Board meeting from 3/10/21 said RT 61 (Wanakena Road) will be replaced/resurfaced this summer. So… yeah.
2021 CLIFTON FINE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES ANNOUNCED – A post on their Facebook Page announced the launch of a NEW WEBSITE and the 2021 Concert Series Line-up. The Clifton Fine Summer Concert Series is organized by the Cultural Arts Committee of the Clifton Fine Economic Development Corporation. Say that ten times fast.
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 – ****NO MASKS NEEDED IF YOU’RE VAX’d**** Can’t drink beer inside, though. TAKE IT OUT TO ZPARK. Otto’s Houseplants out of in-doors and out on the porch! Ah! Like a breath of fresh air; both inside and out! Bill from Irish Hill stopped by with some tomato plants. Sounds like he will be doing MORE…. Stay tuned. JUNK DRAWER SUBMISSIONS ON VIEW! CALL FOR ART – Wanakena Plein Air Fest. 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. NEW 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…. Along with…. 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! NEW in the freezer: ground beef and tater tots. 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.
WANAKENA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION – Walking Tour around Wanakena is OPEN for the warm-weather season! Also the CAN CART.... please no hard cider cans... they don't have a deposit!!! 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 – The 2021 Ranger School Class has graduated! GREAT JOB EVERYONE! The fresh CAUTION TAPE at all the entrances of the Dubar Forest make us think it is still closed to the public. Actions speak louder then words, right? Words are nice too, though. We’re not calling them – YOU call them! We heard the Fire Tower Cabin was locked all year and most likely will continue to be. CHECK OUT THEIR TRAIL CAM HERE.
BLACKWATERS CAFÉ AND TRADING POST – Facebook says: Beginning Wednesday, May 19th: IF YOU ARE FULLY VACCINATED, you may visit our establishment without a mask. ALL NON-VACCINATED PERSONS OVER 16 MUST STILL WEAR THEIR MASKS. Thank you for getting vaccinated - it helps us all move forward! Summer hours have begun! Open Sun, Tues, Wed 8-3pm & Thurs, Fri, Sat 8-7pm (closed Mondays). CHECK OUT THEIR TRAIL CAM HERE.
WANAKENA CHURCH - CLOSED FOR WINTER! Sounds like a congregation under the tent is planned for ZPARK last weekend of July.
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 – Carl and Maria have retired from Stone Manor Diner and Motel! Congratulations! Therefore, the diner is CLOSED until further notice! Someone bought it and will be re-opening it, soon hopefully. Clifton Community Library OPEN Mon + Wed 10-2pm also Wed 6-7pm and Saturdays 10-1pm. The Library has a Story Walk out-back 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. 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 - SOS has a meeting May 19th at 7pm – public welcome! 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, volleyball at school Thuraday nights at 5:30pm, outside. Mountain Gate Redemption near Benson Mines is open. Twin Lakes Hotel, Coffee Fever, American Legion (Chicken BBQ at American Legion May 22nd at noon), 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 downtown ‘round dusk, though. ALSO!!! Town of Fine is doing a Dog Census this summer. All dogs over 4 months are required to be licensed in the Town of Fine.
THIS TIME LAST YEAR: http://www.ottosabode.org/2020/05/wanakena-weekly-15-051420-052020.html
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.
"Only begin and then the mind grows heated. Only begin and the task will be completed.” – J. W. Von Gothe (1749 – 1832)