Happy Thursday!
WITHINANUTSHELL – Merry Christmas! And almost Happy New Year! There is a New Year's Eve Party at The Legion, we hear. Also, Dollar General is OPEN... YIPPY SKIPPY. Folks say it's not fully stocked yet; makes sense. In the meantime,... SHOP AT OTTO'S! ZPARK NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY 8-MIDNIGHT plus BALL DROP plus AFTER PARY. Trail conditions: If you called and asked how the XC skiing conditions were.... well, someone skied up the Truck Trail this past week... but the conditions are not great for skiing... It has warmed up quite a bit and is quite slushy out there. There is snow, though! We do have snow! Early last week - just before XMAS - it was QUITE COLD! Single digits which re-froze the river. Chickadee, warbler, blue jay, sparrows at the feeder. There have not been sightings of Blackie the Wanakena Wildcat for a couple weeks now... Perhaps Blackie is on vacation. Rangerschool Students home on break, Blackwaters is CLOSED for winter hiatus and will return Tuesday, January 4th! ONLY ***4*** 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 - YIKES... The weather forecast has changed quite a bit this past week. It appears we will have a WARM AND WET new year. Hopefully not too many showers will damper the festivities. After New Years the temerature will PLUMIT! Looking like some snow mid-next week. Warm/winter conditions next week, too. 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 - Snow Croquet IS BACK! We were able to groom a never decent course and will see what the warm weather does to it... WE HAVE FAITH! Produce rack FULLY STOCKED for the Holiday Weekend. Over SIXTY varieties of beer, cider, seltzers, etc... in the walk-in cooler. FARM FRESH eggs from Wintonbury Farms arrive THURSDAY! Wintonbury Farm is where we get shiitakes in the warmer months. Bread, milk, cheese and many more grocery offerings HERE and NOW! 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 GROUNDHOG 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 Carol 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! Otto's Abode is ALWAYS looking for new exhibitions to exhibit... give us a shout!
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. #2: Sounds different... YES it SOUNDS different. One MAJOR sound difference is the earthy "DUNK" a croquet wicket makes when it's frozen solid in the ground. #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 – Won't 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'.
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 – Clifton Historian Mark Freiden sent us this NEAT weather article from 1933 (see below) THANKS MARK! 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.
CRANBERRY LAKE MOUNTENEERS - Check out these photos of NEW WARMING HUTS out there on the trail. Also they report: "Our Southern St. Lawrence County Map looks fantastic! We expect to start distributing them to our sponsors in the next 10 days." Cranberry Lake Mountaineers Snowmobile Club - Home | Facebook
OUT WEST - New Year's Eve at the Legion! Dollar General OPEN. Hillside Diner CLOSING for winter.... will re-open someone in March 2022. 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! 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: TEMPORARILY CLOSED
STAR LAKE LOON RESCUE - SLFD Facebook page describes the following: "We cleared a runway for the loon last week to take off but he only flew a short distance and then returned to water hole, acting like he may have been injured. The ADK Loon Conservation group reached out to see if we'd be willing to assist with securing him so they could check him over and relocate him of course we agreed. He checked out alright and is now on his way to Lake Champlain where he'll be able to stay in open water all year."
Also, please consider reading this recent message from the SLFD: Dear Residents and Supporters, First and foremost, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your ongoing support over the years and ask for some additional support. For those that may not be aware, on November 27, 2001, our fire station burned to the ground causing us to lose almost all our equipment at that time. Since that time we have replaced, upgraded as well as expanded the lost equipment that we use during an emergency response. Initially the focus was put on replacing the building and the safety equipment then came the time for upgrades and expansion to meet the ever-changing needs of the fire service. One area that has not yet been replaced is our Class A or dress uniforms. There are only a few remaining as the majority of them were lost during the fire. Those that remain are in excess of 20 years old. The decision has been made that it is time to replace the Class A uniforms, putting the last piece back together. These uniforms obviously are not used during emergency situations hence the reason they haven’t been at the top of the priority list. Class A’s are worn during special occasions such as parades, banquets and in the unfortunate times of a funeral/memorial service. Some of you may have seen firsthand that the lack of these uniforms has not hindered our participation in these special functions. Our department simply does what they do well: Think outside the box and adapt and overcome. We feel that purchasing the Class A uniforms demonstrates an investment in people who serve, protect and respond when we place a call for assistance. Our community is one of the best around when it comes to showing support for our members. This is why we are asking you to join us in supporting our members by considering a donation to help offset some of the cost associated with the purchase of the new Class A uniforms. Donations marked “Uniforms” may be sent to: Star Lake Fire Department, PO Box 22, Star Lake, NY 13690. Sincerely, Star Lake Fire District Commissioners, Star Lake Fire and Rescue Officers.
KIM AND THOMS LOST DOG REPORT - As of today, there are NO lost dogs in Wanakena. There IS a LOST DOG near Inlet (just up-river from Wanakena). It is a beagle-looking coon hound. Mr. Booth has a flyer with his number hanging-up out front of the Post Office/Otto's Abode. The dog was last seen 12/26/21. THE DOG WAS FOUND UP NEAR RANGER SCHOOL TUESDAY MORNING! Here's something we found out in the wild.... we'll leave it here with you:
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 sign 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 #47 - 12/24/20 - 12/30/20 (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.
"Through drifting snow and cutting sleet I've trudged and toiled my friends to greet; And tug'd beneath my lumb'ring gear, to wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR." - An Old Almanack (January 1824)
ONLY ***4*** WANAKENA WEEKLYS LEFT UNTIL WW #104 (that would be TWO years’ worth of WANAKENA WEEKLY)