Happy Thursday! Happy Summer!
WITHINANUTSHELL – And the roller coaster weather continues! Dry and humid turns to cold and rainy. Wanakeners woke up to 40 degrees the other morning. Felt pretty nice, actually. Rain here and there though this past week. The garden is loving it and it’s nice to know the forest is getting a good soaking. River still looks like it’s still trickling down the rapids, though. All the rain in the forecast should help with that. It will also help the DUCK RACE on the 4th. Ducks go on sale Sunday the 27th. Quack Quack Honk Honk ducks and geese feather around town. Goose turds the size of hot dogs. Yikes! Reports of the stretch of trail from High Rock to High Falls is VERY WET… lots of rain in combination with beaver ponds. Trailhead parking has seemed quiet – maybe folks are scared of the rain. Also the deer fly and mosquito will bite your head off. Summer cottage rentals have begun to pick-up pace around town. Beach is bopping. Blueberries almost there in the forest. And the days only get shorter from here…. Up next: WINTER. 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. (06/09/21): HERE
FORECAST – Warming up! Will get up in the 80s by Sunday. Also, RAIN ON THE WAY…. And lots of it. Forecast says Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday: RAIN… we’ll see if it tapers off in time for 4th of July Parade! 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 Summer Concert Series information HERE.
ROADWORK – Well, June 23rd came and went… previously reported: Someone told us that the rt. 61 project will begin June 23rd. Here’s the older news: 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 61 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.
DOWN AT THE ABODE – DUCKS GO ON SALE THIS SUNDAY THE 27th! Fourth of July Parade Sunday July 4th at noon. ROUST IS COMING! Yes! That’s right… ROUST returns for ROUST IV. There is a chance a few of the ROUST members may not be in attendance. This event is held in conjunction with the Black Fly Art Party; This Saturday at 2pm. Out on the front porch we’ve got a new produce rack. Produce arrives Thursday afternoon. We will make an effort to have a list of what produce will arrive – this list will be posted by the produce stand early in the week. Milk, eggs, bread and more groceries within. Bread from the Potsdam Coop arrives Thursday afternoon and Wanakana’s own Swickamillo’s Sourdough bread hits the shelves every Saturday morning! WIDE 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.. Ice cream, candy, snacks, music, books, maps, t-shirts, hiking, fishing, and MORE! Also, art and history exhibits ALWAYS on view. WE’RE CLOSED ON TUESDAYS.
ON VIEW – 1st Annual Black Fly Jamboree – June 2nd – July 12th - WELCOME TO THE FIRST ANNUAL BLACK FLY PLEIN AIR JAMBOREE HELD RIGHT HERE AT OTTO’S ABODE IN WANAKENA. LOCAL ARTISTS WERE INVITED TO MAKE ART EN PLEIN AIR DURRING THE INFAMOUS ADIRONDACK BLACK FLY SEASON. FOR ONE PARTICIPATING ARTISTS IT MEANT HIKING HALWAY ACROSS THE WILDERNESS TO CAPTURE A PERFECT PHOTO. FOR ANOTHER IT MEANT CELEBRATING THE FACT THAT THERE ARE ACTUAL BLACK FLYS ON THE SURFACE OF THE PAINTING. WHILE THE BLACK FLYS ARE MOST LIKLEY OUT AND BITING, WE HOPE YOU ENJOY SPENDING TIME WITH THIS COLLECTION OF RECENTLY CREATED ARTWORKS. AN ARTIST MEET-UP WILL BE HELD IN Z-PARK SATURDAY, JUNE 26TH AT 2PM – ALL ARE WELCOME. DON’T FORGET THE BUG SPRAY. Featuring the works of: Annette Swartz, Jack Williams, Jack LaQuay, Carol Cassidy, Deb Roberts, Sara Cibelli, Bernie Siskavich, Bev McKeown, Holly Woodworth, Maria Ortega.
BLACKWATERS CAFÉ AND TRADING POST – Open Sun, Tues, Wed 8-3pm & Thurs, Fri, Sat 8-7pm (closed Mondays). CHECK OUT THEIR TRAIL CAM HERE. The Motel rooms next door should be opening any day now!
WANAKENA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION – Walking Tour around Wanakena is OPEN for the warm-weather season! History Center open in August? That’s what we heard!
PACKBASKET ADVENTURES – Website says: We are OPEN FOR BUSINESS and following NYS DOH Guidelines. We are accepting reservations with proof of completed vaccination protocol OR proof of negative Covid test within 3 days of planned arrival. Come have a safe and relaxing stay!
RANGER SCHOOL - The Dubuar Forest will be open to the public again effective Tuesday June 1. This includes the fire tower. Happy Trails! CHECK OUT THEIR TRAIL CAM HERE.
WANAKENA CHURCH – OPEN FOR SUMMER SUNDAY SERVICES STARTING JUNE 6th – Service starts at 9:15 AM!!! Ring that bell!
WANAKENA CEMETERY ASSOCIATION – Got yer raffle tickets? 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 – Cranberry Lake Boat Club 5k Firecracker Race July 4th! Register NOW or day of event. Cranberry Lake Boat Club Poker Paddle will be held on July 24th in Wanakena – more info to come! Carl and Maria have retired from Stone Manor Diner and Motel! Congratulations! Therefore, the diner is CLOSED until further notice! New owners say they will re-open ASAP. Clifton Community Library OPEN 6 days a week: Mon-Fri 10-2pm also Wed 6-7pm and Saturdays 10-1pm. The Library has a Story Walk out-back. The Library has also announced: LIVE MUSIC with The Nelson Brothers 2pm August 29th. Cranberry Lake Book Club first Mondays of the month in community room below the library. Cranberry Lake Dry Dock and Marine Services LLC (Billy’s Boat Shop) has a new phone number: 3156032108. Lakeside General Store is OPEN! 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 – Major Power outage in Star Lake this past week. A big old tree took down a bunch of power lines on rt 3 right by Golf Course. SOS announced an August 14th-15th South Woods Historical Society event. Summer Yoga back at the Star Lake Community Center on Wednesdays, call ‘em up! Big news about Benson Mine solar farm HERE. The Fitness Room at CFCS is OPEN to community members 6pm – 10pm M-F starting May 3rd (paperwork required). Also, volleyball at school Thursday nights at 5:30pm, outside. Mountain Gate Redemption near Benson Mines is open. Golf course is open. Twin Lakes Hotel, Coffee Fever, American Legion, Todd Hardware, Adirondack Pharmacy (vaccines available!!), Community Bank and Circle J’s 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. 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/2020/06/wanakena-weekly-20-061820-062420.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.
“To the glutted blackbird all cherries are bitter.” – German Proverb