WANAKENA WEEKLY #106 - 02/10/22 - 02/16/22


Happy Thursday!

WITHINANUTSHELL
– Hi everyone! We're too excited for the weekend to work on this with much detail. Forgive our typos and gibberish (always!) Well, the weather changed but our plans have not! WHITEOUT WEEKEND IS HERE! Get your ass out to Wanakena! Snow Croquet Court is rollin' WELL! We must also remind you all: OTTO'S ABODE CARTOON CONTEST OPENS FRIDAY! The10 inches of fresh fluffy snow we got a couple weeks ago is BATTERED! Snowmobile trails could be narsty. Snowshoe and ski trails have been BLISSFUL but have taken a turn for the crusty nasty slop crap! The lake WAS reported to be a bit SLUSHY but had since Froze-up! This weekend it could be cold enough to de-slpoify it! Had a Warbler of some sort at the feeder along with the crowds of Blue Jays and occasional Chickadees. A turkey trotted though the yard. The Oswegatchie is SILENT burried in ice and snow. Cheers! Next Regular Town Board Meeting Feb 10th @ 6:30 Star Lake. Was there a January Board Meeting? Here’s a link to the most recent town board meeting minutes HERE: Town Of Fine: Meetings: February 09, 2022: Regular Monthly Meeting [Digital Towpath]


FORECAST
- We'd prefer SNOW over RAIN but ya get what ya get! Looks like it's going to be a COLD WhiteOut Weekend! 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)


WHITE OUT WEEKEND
- Yes! It is that time of the year! Adirondack WhiteOut Weekend! Party ALL WEEKEND at Otto's Abode. FRIDAY NIGHT SKATE PARTY AT ARENA! There is a NEW Art Event at SOS on Saturday. Contra Dance and MORE Saturday night in Crnaberry Lake. AND MORE! This week's Bargain Hunter has a FULL PAGE SPREAD of all scheduled (and not shceduled) events. Check it out. Or go on the WOW website HERE: Adirondack WhiteOut Weekend (google.com)


DOWN AT THE ABODE
- LETS PARTY! Bonfire all weekend, c'mon out! MEET AN ARTIST Friday Night here at Otto's - Carol Cassidy will be selling raffle tickets for her quilt!


ON VIEW
- CARTOON CONTEST opens FRIDAY!!!!!! Come on out and see the show! Up now: Two POP-UP Exhibits: ONE OF A KIND QUILT made by Wanakena's own Primrose McVay and Carol Cassidy. $5 raffle tickets WHA Fund Raiser for chance 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!


CARTOON EXHIBITION AND CONTEST
- CARTOON CONTEST.... Get on it, people! Scribble it on a cocktail napkin or SOMETHING. C'mon! Carol Cassidy is giving us a hard time.... DONT LET HER DOWN! ** added note: we forgot to specifically mention you can snail-mail us cartoons, too. ** Attention all Earthly inhabitants of Deep Winter! Otto's Abode invites YOU to submit your original cartoon to our FIRST ANNUAL CARTOON CONTEST AND EXHIBITION. ----- The other day while mindlessly thumbing through social media, wasting away precious minutes of my short time here on earth, the following inspirational-meme-quote appeared: "Make decisions as if you were on your deathbed.". A couple of days later the surficial "you only live once" interpretation was challenged by a pot of coffee. You see, there was an old, unfinished pot of coffee perched and warming on the machine. It had been there since morning and had cooked down to a dark, burnt-smelling mud. Recalling the meme, I wondered: If I were on my death bed, what I would do? Would I dump-out the coffee-sludge for a new pot and live-up my last moments on earth with fresh coffee or would I poetically drink the old, toasty coffee soup? Had I been on my death bed in that moment perhaps I would embrace the undesired brew and gulp it down deep into my decaying physical form. Considering the fact that I was not on my literal death bed I dumped it and made a new pot. This existential conundrum seemed to me as well-suited for exploring though the cartoon-form. ----- Otto's Abode wants YOU to ponder your existence and translate it into the cartoon form. One panel, two, maybe three? Funny, deep, dull, political; black and white, full-color, photo-realistic, scribbled stick-figures, etc... ALL CARTOONS WELCOME! No prior cartoon-creating experience needed. ----- Otto's Abode MUST receive your original cartoon - dropped-off in-person or digitally emailed image file (we'll print it) - on or before Wednesday, February 16th. The collection of cartoons will remain displayed ON VIEW on the gallery wall of Otto's Abode for all to see from February 18th - March 28th. We will hang them simply with thumbtacks, tape or other hanging method of your choice. ----- Voting occurs in-person during regular operational hours of Otto's Abode February 18th - March 14th. Winners announced Wednesday, March 16th. CASH PRIZES awarded for "Funniest Cartoon", "Best Cartoon", and "Best Artwork". Winning cartoons will also be published in Clifton-Fine's Bargain Hunter the week of Tuesday, March 22nd. ----- Otto's Abode requests a $5 - $15 sliding scale entry fee for exhibition/contest participants. Noone will be turned away for lack of funds! Otto's Abode asks that the cartoons be no larger than 10" x 10". One cartoon entry per participant please. Otto's Abode reserves the right to reject any cartoons we deem too vulgar and/or inappropriate. Any questions, comments or concerns can be directed to otto@ottosabode.org or 3158483008 or in person at Otto's Abode, 6 Hamele Street, Wanakena, NY 136965. ----- Get thinking! Get writing! Get drawing! Tell a friend or few! Otto's Abode wants to see YOUR original cartoon here on the gallery wall!


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 HERE: #8 TIME TO PARTY! This weekend is Clifton-Fine's own version of a Winter Carnival. Almost TEN years ago some local folks came up with the idea of Whiteout Weekend. There was NO WOW last year due to Covid, but this year it's BACK. Bundle-up and lets CELEBRATE! #7: Sometimes rainy - yes, yuck... RAIN! Folks sure do love those warm winter days in the high 30s low 40s (like we had yesterday). #6: This one was submitted by reader and Wanakener Resa E., she writes: BLUE SKIES! and wow we couldn't agree more. What an outstanding sight is a crystal-clear blue sky on a FREEZING COLD cloudless day in Wanakena. Thanks for your submission, Resa! #5: SONICALLY ALIVE WHEN ALL IS STILL! - Wow, the other night it was inching towards 20 below (which the old timers laugh at) and the moon was full. The village was SILENT. And then you hear it... POP.... CRACK.... silence... POP! The trees let you know. Sometimes durring the day a pop will awaken chilly birds hiding in trees... they all go "meeeep!". The still silence of the night. Under your feet... *crunch crunch crunch*... stop... silence... POP! WOW! WE'RE TRYING TO GET SOME SLEEP AROUND HERE!!!!! POP! #4: We'll share a recent thought-provoking headline below instead... #3: Lively! Wow! What a fun weekend seeing everyone! Quiet is nice, too. But great party! Thanks for coming out, everyone! Happy New Year! #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.


WANAKENA POST OFFICE 13695
- Open for business! Thanks, Mary for running the show!

BLACKWATERS CAFÉ AND TRADING POST - Regular hours: Tuesday and Wednesday 8am-3pm & Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 8am - 7pm. Closed Sunday and Monday. www.blackwaterscafe.com - CHECK OUT THEIR TRAIL CAM OF THE AIRBNB NEXT DOOR!

RANGER SCHOOL - Will there be a RS Reunion this summer? YES, THERE WILL BE! 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 ON THEIR WEBSITE!

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 ACCOMODATIONS - Lots of primitive camping!!!!!! All free and open to the public!!!!!! Besides Packbasket Adventures Lodge, Wanakena has a number of "vacation" rental homes available. They are all of ADKbyOWNER/AirBnB/VrVo variety. It's someone else's place that YOU stay at. In other words: you can't just show up in Wanakena and expect to get a hotel roof under your head. You need to plan accordingly with your fancy pants smart phone. Do an internet search for Wanakena rentals and shit will pop-up. WELCOME TO WANAKENA & CRANBERRY LAKE, NY.... no bars and no hotels! We DO know how to have a good time, though! Plenty of non-profits and clubs also, if you're into that kind of stuff. C'mon around and check it out - we don't bite!

WANAKENA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION – !!!!!!!!!! You won't here about this anywhere else!!!!!!!! QUILT RAFFLE Fund-Raiser down here at Otto's! Quilt by Carol Cassidy and Primrose 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.

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 HISTORICAL 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.

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
– Contra Dance SATURDAY NIGHT OF WHITE OUT WEEKEND! More info on WOW website and flyer hanging up on the porch and in The Abode! Snowmobile trails OPEN! Our local club THE CRANBERRY LAKE MOUNTENEERS continue to do a FANTASTIC job! Lake Ice is reported to be AT LEAST 12 inches thick AND IS known to be even THICKER! 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 - Whiteout Weekend events coming to a village near you! FRIDAY NIGHT ICE SKATING PARTY for WOW! Ice Rink hours listed below!! The Adirondack Exhibit Center/SOS Schoolhouse is hosting a FREE ART EVENT on Saturday in conjunction with WOW. UB's WOW EVENTS ALSO! Snowmobile trails OPEN! Now that snowmobile trails are open The American Legion has food on the weekends - open to the public! St. Patrick's Day dinner at The Legion. Do NOT snowmobile on Hospital Property. Coffee Fever CLOSED starting this past Monday the 10th. Wanakena's closest neighbor, Mountain Gate Redemption near Benson Mines, is open. A little further west Twin Lakes Hotel, American Legion, Todd Hardware, Adirondack Pharmacy, Dollar General and Circle J’s in Star Lake are open! Still further west within Clifton-Fine, UB’s, and Adirondack Rustics in Oswegatchie are open! Hillside Diner CLOSING for winter.... will re-open someone in March 2022. Community Bank has different/random hours. What's The Scoop has CLOSED for the season. Golf Course and Jreck's too. They'll be back! CFEDC Fitness Room: TEMPORARILY CLOSED OPEN to community members 6pm – 8pm and 5pm - 10pm M-F and weekends 6-10am (paperwork required). GO EAGLES! Also, the school is ALWAYS hiring, various positions. Clifton Fine Hospital in Star Lake is rockin' and rollin'! Alcoholics Anonymous Friday nights at 7pm in the SOS Building.

CLIFTON-FINE ARENA - WOW ICE SKATING PARTY!!! Friday the 18th! Clifton-Fine Arena Committee is happy to announce the CF Arena Schedule for 2022. OPENING Friday, January 14th. OPEN SKATE Friday + Saturday 6-8pm!!! Must wear a mask while you skate. NO SNACK BAR!!!! Figure Skating MONDAYS and THURSDAYS 5-9pm, Ranger School Private Session TUESDAY 8-9 and SUNDAY 8:30-9:30, CLOSED SUNDAY AND WEDNESDAY. More info on Clifton Fine Arena FACEBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOK.

STAR LAKE FIRE DEPARTMENT - 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.

THIS TIME LAST YEAR HERE - Some photos from last year's Whiteout Weekend... WE HAD SO MUCH SNOW! Otto's Abode: WANAKENA WEEKLY #54 - 02/11/21 - 02/17/21 (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 is archived on our website. Wanakena Weekly is brought to you by the folks at Otto's Abode.


"Let us then try what love will do... Force may subdue, but love gains, and he who forgives first, wins..." William Penn (1644 - 1718)