Happy Thursday! Happy Winter!
WITHINANUTSHELL – We were CLOSED this past SAT+SUN+MON and therefore don't have any pictures from throughout the week - the photos shown here are all from one afternoon walking around town. Also, since we were out of town, we don't have a lot to report. We got some snow which is nice! Cold, too! Lots of deer footprints zig-zag though the town and yards. Rangerschool Students home on break, Blackwaters is CLOSED for a two-week winter hiatus and will return Tuesday, January 4th! ONLY ***5*** WANAKENA WEEKLYS LEFT UNTIL WW #104 (that would be TWO years’ worth of WANAKENA WEEKLY) Next Regular Town Board Meeting January 12th @ 6:30 Star Lake. Here’s a link to the most recent town board meeting minutes HERE: Town Of Fine: Meetings: December 08, 2021: Town Board Meeting [Digital Towpath] Local COVID info HERE: COVID-19 Daily Update Center | St. Lawrence County (stlawco.org)
FORECAST - Going to be COLD Thursday morning; single digits. Waming- up though the weekend with daytime temps around 30, nighttime temps in the 20s. Snow/rain showers here and there. Christmas looks like mid 30s and sprinkly. Looks like a White Christmas. Weather looks about the same for next week; 20s/30s by day and 20s/teens by night with precipitation here and there. 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: Wanakena, NY 10-Day Weather Forecast | Weather Underground (wunderground.com)
DOWN AT THE ABODE - We'll be OPEN regular hours Christmas Eve and CLOSED Christmas Day. All of the sculpted-snow has melted away and the croquet course will need to be started from scratch - that's OKAY! NEW YEARS EVE FESTIVITIES down at ZPARK start at 8pm BALL DROPS AT MIDNIGHT. We'll be open all night. Also: Wednesday 2/2/2022 is GROUNDHOGS DAY and it is also the 104th edition of WANAKENA WEEKLY (#104 = two years) therefore we are planning something - stay tuned. ALSO PLAN ON IT: Otto's 6TH BIRTHDAY BASH Friday night of 2022 Whiteout Weekend Festivities in Wanakena; Friday night of Presidents Day Weekend. WE'RE CLOSED ON TUESDAYS!
ON VIEW - Two POP-UP Exhibits: ONE OF A KIND QUILT made by Wanakena's own Primrose McVay and Carrol Cassidy. $5 raffle tickets to WIN IT! Drawing is Fourth of July. Also on view: WHATSYERPACKWEIGH. JUNK DRAWER also remains on view. Lots more to look at and think about, too - c'mon down!
WHAT'S WINTER LIKE? - All summer long we get asked questions like: "Are you from here?" and a whole lot of: "What's winter like?" So, in celebration of WINTER we're going to try and compile a list of WHAT'S WINTER LIKE comments. #1: COLD. Yes, it's COLD. 3 degrees this morning. There, got that one out of the way.
BLACKWATERS CAFÉ AND TRADING POST - CLOSED FOR HOLIDAY BREAK! Back open Tuesday, January 4th for Regular hours: Tuesday and Wednesday 8am-3pm & Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 8am - 7pm. Closed Sunday and Monday. "We added a DELI to out cafe and trading post! Daily meat & cheese discounts, veggies, dairy items, bread, specialty foods and gifts, dozens of teas, fishing supplies, local artisan pieces, books. We have two air purifiers, and we have an ONLINE take-out menu if you don't want to come inside. And YES, we still serve beer and wine with your meal!!! www.blackwaterscafe.com 3153094040 - closed the last two weeks of December and the last two weeks of April." CHECK OUT THEIR TRAIL CAM HERE: gotsnowcams.com - New York - paul@NorthernChateau@.com
RANGER SCHOOL - Students out of town for Holiday Break. NEW Ranger School video on YouTube HERE: The Ranger School - YouTube OH NO! THEY FORGOT TO MENTION THE WALK-IN BEER COOLER DOWN AT OTTO'S! Campus hiking trails remain open to the public. Stay away from the buildings, though. Class of 2022 is IN SESSION! CHECK OUT THEIR TRAIL CAM HERE: Webcam | The Ranger School | SUNY ESF
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!"
WANAKENA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION – Wont see THIS on Facebook: QUILT RAFFLE down here at Otto's! Quilt by Carol Cassidy and Promrose McVay - $5 tickets - drawing on 4th of July. WHA Donation Jar down here at Otto's! The bottle and can cart is GONE for the winter. The Walking Tour around Wanakena is CLOSED for the cold-weather season! The History Center is CLOSED for the cold-weather season! WHA Picture Kiosks can still be seen around town, though. Intriguing artifact at Station #4 (photo below)
WANAKENA PUBLIC BATHROOM AND DOCK - Public Bathroom CLOSED for the season. Public dock CLOSED for the Season. Well, not "closed", rather, moved to its winter hiatus position down-river. Reason? Freezin'.
HAREWOOD – Cranberry Lake Fire Dept's First Strike FISHING DERBY on Cranberry Lake January 29th - sign-up here: Cranberry Lake Fire Department (profishingtournaments.com) Clifton Community Library in Cranberry Lake is OPEN Tuesday – Friday 10:00-2:00, Saturday 10:00-1:00, Wednesday Evening 6:00-7:00, ****CLOSED ON MONDAYS****. Library Board holds public meetings the 3rd Tuesdays of each month at 6pm. Cranberry Lake Book Club first Mondays of the month in the basement. Tooley Pond Duck Decoy Showroom in Cranberry Lake is OPEN!!!!!!! John Dragun NEON ARTWORK and MORE down in Windfall… OPEN! Cranberry Lake Boat Club's NEW boating navigation Map is OUT TO THE PUBLIC! Pick up your copy at OTTO'S ABODE in WANAKENA for $11.95. Cranberry Lake North Shore Hub has a new break wall, and the public docks are TAKEN OUT OF THE LAKE FOR THE SEASON - THANKS HUBBAS! Tilly's Stone Manor is CLOSED for the winter BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THEY ARE GETTING THE OL' NEON SIGN FIXED-UP! Lakeside General Store CLOSED for the season.
WANAKENA CEMETERY ASSOCIATION – Under a blanket of snow. 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.
WANAKENA CHURCH – Wanakena Church CLOSED for Fall, Winter and Spring. Service schedule September 12th - May 29, 2022: Star Lake 11:00am. ZOOM meeting # 666 365 4813.
HAREWOOD – Cranberry Lake Fire Dept's First Strike FISHING DERBY on Cranberry Lake January 29th - sign-up here: Cranberry Lake Fire Department (profishingtournaments.com) Clifton Community Library in Cranberry Lake is OPEN Tuesday – Friday 10:00-2:00, Saturday 10:00-1:00, Wednesday Evening 6:00-7:00, ****CLOSED ON MONDAYS****. Library Board holds public meetings the 3rd Tuesdays of each month at 6pm. Cranberry Lake Book Club first Mondays of the month in the basement. Tooley Pond Duck Decoy Showroom in Cranberry Lake is OPEN!!!!!!! John Dragun NEON ARTWORK and MORE down in Windfall… OPEN! Cranberry Lake Boat Club's NEW boating navigation Map is OUT TO THE PUBLIC! Pick up your copy at OTTO'S ABODE in WANAKENA for $11.95. Cranberry Lake North Shore Hub has a new break wall, and the public docks are TAKEN OUT OF THE LAKE FOR THE SEASON - THANKS HUBBAS! Tilly's Stone Manor is CLOSED for the winter BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THEY ARE GETTING THE OL' NEON SIGN FIXED-UP! Lakeside General Store CLOSED for the season.
OUT WEST - Hillside Diner CLOSING for winter.... will re-open someone in March 2022. Green Pinky Farm has Christmas Trees and Wreaths and Kissing Balls HALF OFF! Mountain Gate Redemption near Benson Mines is open. UB’s, and Adirondack Rustics in Oswegatchie are open! Twin Lakes Hotel, Coffee Fever, American Legion, Todd Hardware, Adirondack Pharmacy and Circle J’s in Star Lake are open! Dollar General is almost open. Alcoholics Anonymous Friday nights at 7pm in the SOS Building. Community Bank has different/random hours. What's The Scoop has CLOSED for the season. CFEDC Fitness Room: OPEN to community members 6pm – 8pm and 5pm - 10pm M-F and weekends 6-10am (paperwork required). GO EAGLES!
KIM AND THOMS LOST DOG REPORT - As of today, there are NO lost dogs in Wanakena.
SECOND STREET BIRD AND CRITTER BUREAU - Critter report will let you know what is in town. Slow critter week, with the exception of the gray and red squirrels and a black squirrel has arrived. Resident black cat looks fatter with a beautiful thick coat. It will be his 4th winter. No report of coyotes (coydogs) this week. Have had the female and male Cardinals at the feeders for 4 days in a row. The female likes the flat hanging feeder while the male keeps watch on the deck railing. He prefers the seeds on the deck floor. The female is pretty. But the male is outstanding. The flash of red gives an immediate announcement that he is here. They are both very skittish but managed to get a pic of the male. Bernie and Val Carr presented me with a tub of Bird Butter. I filled 3 small cups and put them in the flat feeder. The Chickadee's love it! Thanksgiving Day the birds were heavy feeding – guess they knew that snow was coming. It’s here. Nuthatches, Blue Jays and Gold Finches round out the usual. They all seem to be happy! (11/27/21) Have heard coyotes (coydogs) at night traveling through and yipping to let you know they are around. It’s a strange and weird sound especially when they are in the back yard. Only a couple of bears this summer unlike our usual several. Word is the food was plentiful this past summer in the woods. Spotted a red fox this past summer scampering out of the swamp with a duck for dinner. Have seen a couple of red/gray fox along Route 3. A few deer pass through but not anything as in the past when herds would wander through the streets of town. Our plants and flowers have been safer this year than ever. The resident feral black cat (Blackie) has made his/her home here for the past 4 years and makes the round morning and night for a bowl of crunchies. He/she (not sure - can’t get close enough to look) has been spotted by the neighbor’s bird bath. They keep it warmed this time of year and Blackie warms his feet and gets a drink perched on the edge. Doesn’t seem to bother the birds but the chipmunks are fair game. The Blue Jays, Black-capped Chickadees, Juncos, Red and White-breasted Nuthatches and Gold Finches are starting to make the rounds at the feeders. Last year we had Snow Buntings, Pine Grosbeaks, and Red-breasted Grosbeaks. We have a pair of Cardinals that wintered over last year and have seen them again this year. Anyone spotting something other than above let us know. (11/11/21)
THIS TIME LAST YEAR HERE - Otto's Abode: WANAKENA WEEKLY #46 - 12/17/20 - 12/23/20 (ottosabode.org)
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! Also, we probably wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to publish your submission! Write “submission” in the subject line if emailing! Wanakena Weekly archive here: http://www.ottosabode.org/p/wanakena-weekly.html Wanakena Weekly is brought to you by the folks at Otto's Abode.
"Now comes on the long... winter evenings, when the farmer may... instruct and entertain his family by reading some useful books." - An Old Almanck (1793)
"Now comes on the long... winter evenings, when the farmer may... instruct and entertain his family by reading some useful books." - An Old Almanck (1793)
ONLY ***5*** WANAKENA WEEKLYS LEFT UNTIL WW #104 (that would be TWO years’ worth of WANAKENA WEEKLY)