Happy Thursday!
WITHINANUTSHELL - Ahhhh, gotta love that post-holdaze/pre-spring winter-feel. A pleasant pace as we sail through the cosmos. Mary is on vacation from the Post Office during which the Post Office has different hours! The Oswegatchie remains "noisy" above the Footbridge but is freezing up! Fresh melt-water has gone up onto of frozen river under footbridge. Speaking of freezing up... Cranberry Lake has been enjoyed by ice fishing and snowmobiling alike. Two weeks 'til the fishing derby! Hiking/snowshoeing/skiing trails are usable. Been ice skating on The Mill Pond three times this past week, if that says anything about the weather! Some warm/rain may have compromised it a bit, but the ten-day forecast looks COLD! Ranger schoolers have been on winter break for a few weeks but as of last week have returned for their second and final semester! FRESH still-wet yellow property-line paint up the Moore Trail. Recent article about local experience: Peavine Swamp: Ski it while you can - Adirondack Explorer. Regular Town Board Meeting Second Wednesday, February 8th @ 6:30 Star Lake. Here’s a link to the most recent town board meeting minutes HERE: Town Of Fine: Minutes: January 11, 2023: January Meeting Minutes [Digital Towpath] Today's Ice Jam Danger remains LOW (two years in a row without an ice jam). ONLY ***0*** WANAKENA WEEKLY LEFT UNTIL WW #156 (that will be THREE years’ worth of WANAKENA WEEKLY).
FORECAST - 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! Wanakena, NY 10-Day Weather Forecast | Weather Underground (wunderground.com)
WHITE OUT WEEKEND 2023 - It is happening. Presidents Day Weekend February 17th and 18th! More info to come!
DOWN AT THE ABODE - We're SUPER excited to announce: OPEN AIR OPEN MIC out in ZPARK Friday, Feb 17th 2023 6pm - 9pm. This event is held in conjunction with Otto's Abode's SEVENTH Birthday Bash and Clifton-Fine White Out Weekend. MORE INFO TO COME! Snow Croquet Course out front is crusty but plays well! FLOWJAK every Sunday. Fantastic Gwizdala paintings remain on the wall! Produce rack is STOCKED with a bunch of Juniper Hill greens'n'gourds. Farm eggs $5.75! Swickamillo Sourdough every Saturday morning. Got some great gifts from local crafters here in the shop. C'mon down to Wanakena!
ABODE CONTINUED - Fresh produce stocked all year long. Dry, cooled and frozen groceries galore. Bread, milk, eggs. Beer cave with other sixty varieties of beer and hard cider. Ice cream, candy and snacks. HOT coffe and tea as well. Maps, books, music. Art supplies. Fishing, camping, hiking knickknacks. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to go out of the way to support small, local, family-owned businesses!
WANAKENA POST OFFICE 13695 - Open for business six days a week! Thanks, Mary for running the show! Send us a postcard: POB # 1 Wanakena, NY 13695
BLACKWATERS CAFÉ AND TRADING POST - Open 8AM - 3:30PM Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Special dinner hours Fridays until 7pm! Closed Sundays and Mondays and Tuesdays and Wednesdays. www.blackwaterscafe.com
RANGER SCHOOL - Class of 2023 in session! Campus hiking trails remain open to the public. Stay away from the buildings, though. Park way up in the student parking lot if you must. Alumni newsletter: FALL 2022 Newsletter.pub (nysrsaa.org). CHECK OUT THEIR TRAIL CAM. Webcam | The Ranger School | SUNY ESF
PACKBASKET ADVENTURES – Website says: "We are OPEN FOR BUSINESS"
WANAKENA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION – There are a few permanent kiosks that stay up all winter long! Worth a look! C'mon out and take a peek. History Center and The Walking Tour around Wanakena has been CLOSED-UP and TAKEN DOWN for the cold-weather months - will re-open end of June 2023.
WANAKENA CHURCH – Closed for the season! See you in the spring. Did you know this song was performed and recorded via the Wanakena Church Organ in May 2016? Cranberry Lake | Z Plan (bandcamp.com)
WANAKENA PUBLIC BATHROOM AND DOCK - Funds for the NEW WANAKENA DOCK have been fully raised thanks to donations big and small! Get ready! Here it comes! The old dock has sold! Make way for new this spring. As of 11/16/22 the BATHROOM IS CLOSED FOR THE SEASON. Great job everyone! In case you or anyone else was wondering: Wanakena Sewar and Wanakena Water are well and in working order as well. Speaking of pickles: Wanakena Saturday Morning Pickleball has wrapped it up for the season; pickle paddles are packed-up!
WANAKENA CEMETERY ASSOCIATION – First time ever: someone had to get paid to mow the cemetery (no volunteers available). 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.
WANAKENACCOMODATIONS - As the Zplan song goes: "I got the Hotel Wanakena tryna' find a place to stay-a blues" but less-poetically and more often heard: "Where do people stay?" is the question... the answer: IN A TENT. Just kidding - it's more complicated than that. But we'll start with the tent (or hammock, or under stars, etc...) Lots of primitive camping!!!!!! All free and open to the public!!!!!! State Campground when it's open. Looking for more? A roof over-head? Coyote Den Motel in Cranberry Lake. Besides that, Packbasket Adventures Lodge in Wanakena. Wanakena has a number of "vacation" rental homes available. They are all of ADKbyOWNER/AirBnB/VrBo variety -only available during warm months only, usually. 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 ADKbyOWNER/AirBnB/VrBo rentals and stuff will pop-up.
HAREWOOD – FIRST STRIKE CLFD Fishing Derby on Cranberry Lake January 28th, 2023! Folks have been out on the lake - fishing, sledding, etc! Snowmobile trails are YUCKY, though! Clifton Community Library in Cranberry Lake is OPEN six days a week (closed Mondays)! Don't forget about the Book Drop Box at Otto's Abode! Bridgework has FINISHED over the Oswegatchie in Cranberry Lake. Vroom vroom! Neon Sign is hanging back up at Stone Manor... it's now lit up and had said "NO VACANCY but now simply says: "NO". That's almost as funny as the fire department's sign jokes! Cranberry Lake Mountaineers gearing-up for another season - looking for support! They deserve it: voted BEST club in the STATE last year! Lakeside Genral Store has CLOSED for the season. The business has been sold to new owners and we should all be excited to see what happens next! NEW Motel in town! It's called Coyote Den. Right by the Oswegatchie on Rt. 3. The HUB and TILLY'S are still in early developmental stages. Five Ponds Partners kickstarted and initiated port-o-johns at some local trailheads! Tooley Pond Duck Decoy Showroom in Cranberry Lake is OPEN! John Dragun NEON ARTWORK and MORE down in Windfall! Cranberry Lake State Campground is CLOSED FOR THE SEASON. Don't forget about our other nearest-by neighbors to east: Sevey's Point and Thirsty Moose! By January 1, 2025, every operator of a motorized boat in New York State must obtain a boating safety certificate in order to legally operate their boats. There are no age exceptions to this law — and, if you're from out of state, New York will recognize your boating safety course certification.
GRASSE RIVER RAILWAY - Remember that? Here's some information from the wilds of the internet: 2022 Update - Yes, we are still collecting donations although our progress with trail development has been significantly slowed due to DEC and landowner negotiations that are a bit problematic. Pete Moreau is still taking lead and is making slow incremental progress. We have about 12k in hand and anticipate that over the next five years we may need to double that amount to install bridges and other wetland fixes — but that is still in the very early stages of planning. We are keeping after this as best we can and are learning a special kind of patience. We have mapped a few alternate routes to the original if we cannot get DEC / landowner buy in for the original plan. So, in short. Yes. We will need more financial support and patience. If you want to be a part of this we will be very grateful. We have changed our fund manager to the NNYCF so all gifts need to be made out to the NNYCF/GRRR Trail Fund. You should still mail them to me as I am remaining in the fund collector role until we finally put bikes on the whole darn trail!!!! We deeply appreciate the support and patience of our community. If you want to make a donation send it along to me made out to NNYCF/ GRRR Trail Fund- Susan Smith, POB 726, Cranberry Lake, NY 12927. I will forward it to the NNYCF - they will send you a receipt as will I. Thanks for caring!
OUT WEST - UB's has live minnows and more! Star Lake Ice Rink ("Town of Clifton") is making ice when they can! FREE COMMUNITY MEAL at St. Huberts Church Wednesdays at 5PM! Chili Conest at the Legion Feb 11th. Hop on shuttle #22 of the St Lawrence County Volunteer Transportation Bus if you need a lift! Have you heard about the Holy Grail Gift Shop opening up this spring in Star Lake? CCL Book drop has moved from the (CLOSED Coffee Fever) to the Star Lake Community Bank. Clifton-Fine Hometown Heros Banner initiative has been engaged... banners on rt. 3 like Harrisville, Croghan and more! More information to follow. Cranberry Lake Mountaineers gearing-up for another season - looking for support! They deserve it: voted BEST club in the STATE last year! AA every Friday night at SOS 7pm. Western Adirondack Presbyterian Church in Star Lake welcomes you! Largest Adirondack solar project to date goes before APA (adirondackexplorer.org) Coffee Fever has CLOSED. "For good." Yikes! That also means NO CCL book drop-box there - luckily there is one at Otto's Abode in Wanakena. Hillside Diner has recently closed for good, also. Wanakena's closest neighbor, Mountain Gate Redemption near Benson Mines, is open. SCOOPS Ice Cream has closed for the season. Jrecks has closed for the season. Twin Lakes Hotel, American Legion, Todd Hardware are OPEN! Dollar General and Circle J’s in Star Lake are OPEN! SOS is OPEN here and there for programing. CF Golf Course, Clifton-Fine Hospital, Community Bank, Adirondack Pharmacy, Clifton-Fine Community Center OPEN! Still further west in Oswegatchie UB’s, and Adirondack Rustics are open! Check out Green Pinky Farm near Oswegatchie! CFCSD Fitness Room: OPEN to community members (paperwork required). Also, the school is ALWAYS hiring, various positions. Lots more to discover on their facebook page. GO EAGLES! Need a good port-a-potty? Call-up the H Brothers! Sovie's Bait & Tackle | Harrisville NY | Facebook.
KIM AND TOMS LOST DOG REPORT - As of today, there are NO lost dogs in Wanakena. Woof Woof!
HAREWOOD – FIRST STRIKE CLFD Fishing Derby on Cranberry Lake January 28th, 2023! Folks have been out on the lake - fishing, sledding, etc! Snowmobile trails are YUCKY, though! Clifton Community Library in Cranberry Lake is OPEN six days a week (closed Mondays)! Don't forget about the Book Drop Box at Otto's Abode! Bridgework has FINISHED over the Oswegatchie in Cranberry Lake. Vroom vroom! Neon Sign is hanging back up at Stone Manor... it's now lit up and had said "NO VACANCY but now simply says: "NO". That's almost as funny as the fire department's sign jokes! Cranberry Lake Mountaineers gearing-up for another season - looking for support! They deserve it: voted BEST club in the STATE last year! Lakeside Genral Store has CLOSED for the season. The business has been sold to new owners and we should all be excited to see what happens next! NEW Motel in town! It's called Coyote Den. Right by the Oswegatchie on Rt. 3. The HUB and TILLY'S are still in early developmental stages. Five Ponds Partners kickstarted and initiated port-o-johns at some local trailheads! Tooley Pond Duck Decoy Showroom in Cranberry Lake is OPEN! John Dragun NEON ARTWORK and MORE down in Windfall! Cranberry Lake State Campground is CLOSED FOR THE SEASON. Don't forget about our other nearest-by neighbors to east: Sevey's Point and Thirsty Moose! By January 1, 2025, every operator of a motorized boat in New York State must obtain a boating safety certificate in order to legally operate their boats. There are no age exceptions to this law — and, if you're from out of state, New York will recognize your boating safety course certification.
GRASSE RIVER RAILWAY - Remember that? Here's some information from the wilds of the internet: 2022 Update - Yes, we are still collecting donations although our progress with trail development has been significantly slowed due to DEC and landowner negotiations that are a bit problematic. Pete Moreau is still taking lead and is making slow incremental progress. We have about 12k in hand and anticipate that over the next five years we may need to double that amount to install bridges and other wetland fixes — but that is still in the very early stages of planning. We are keeping after this as best we can and are learning a special kind of patience. We have mapped a few alternate routes to the original if we cannot get DEC / landowner buy in for the original plan. So, in short. Yes. We will need more financial support and patience. If you want to be a part of this we will be very grateful. We have changed our fund manager to the NNYCF so all gifts need to be made out to the NNYCF/GRRR Trail Fund. You should still mail them to me as I am remaining in the fund collector role until we finally put bikes on the whole darn trail!!!! We deeply appreciate the support and patience of our community. If you want to make a donation send it along to me made out to NNYCF/ GRRR Trail Fund- Susan Smith, POB 726, Cranberry Lake, NY 12927. I will forward it to the NNYCF - they will send you a receipt as will I. Thanks for caring!
OUT WEST - UB's has live minnows and more! Star Lake Ice Rink ("Town of Clifton") is making ice when they can! FREE COMMUNITY MEAL at St. Huberts Church Wednesdays at 5PM! Chili Conest at the Legion Feb 11th. Hop on shuttle #22 of the St Lawrence County Volunteer Transportation Bus if you need a lift! Have you heard about the Holy Grail Gift Shop opening up this spring in Star Lake? CCL Book drop has moved from the (CLOSED Coffee Fever) to the Star Lake Community Bank. Clifton-Fine Hometown Heros Banner initiative has been engaged... banners on rt. 3 like Harrisville, Croghan and more! More information to follow. Cranberry Lake Mountaineers gearing-up for another season - looking for support! They deserve it: voted BEST club in the STATE last year! AA every Friday night at SOS 7pm. Western Adirondack Presbyterian Church in Star Lake welcomes you! Largest Adirondack solar project to date goes before APA (adirondackexplorer.org) Coffee Fever has CLOSED. "For good." Yikes! That also means NO CCL book drop-box there - luckily there is one at Otto's Abode in Wanakena. Hillside Diner has recently closed for good, also. Wanakena's closest neighbor, Mountain Gate Redemption near Benson Mines, is open. SCOOPS Ice Cream has closed for the season. Jrecks has closed for the season. Twin Lakes Hotel, American Legion, Todd Hardware are OPEN! Dollar General and Circle J’s in Star Lake are OPEN! SOS is OPEN here and there for programing. CF Golf Course, Clifton-Fine Hospital, Community Bank, Adirondack Pharmacy, Clifton-Fine Community Center OPEN! Still further west in Oswegatchie UB’s, and Adirondack Rustics are open! Check out Green Pinky Farm near Oswegatchie! CFCSD Fitness Room: OPEN to community members (paperwork required). Also, the school is ALWAYS hiring, various positions. Lots more to discover on their facebook page. GO EAGLES! Need a good port-a-potty? Call-up the H Brothers! Sovie's Bait & Tackle | Harrisville NY | Facebook.
KIM AND TOMS LOST DOG REPORT - As of today, there are NO lost dogs in Wanakena. Woof Woof!
THIS TIME LAST YEAR HERE - Otto's Abode: WANAKENA WEEKLY #102 - 01/13/22 - 01/19/21 (ottosabode.org)
AND TWO YEARS AGO!!!!! HERE - Otto's Abode: WANAKENA WEEKLY #50 - 01/14/21 - 01/20/21 (ottosabode.org)
WHAT ELSE? - 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! How about a SUBMISSION?!! Write “submission” in the subject line if emailing. Wanakena Weekly is archived on our website. www.ottosabode.org Wanakena Weekly is brought to you by the folks at Otto's Abode. We appreciate all of our friends, neighbors, family and strangers who are able to take the time out of their day to go out of their way and support small and local businesses!
"A man must learn to endure that patiently which he cannot avoid conveniently." - Michel De Montaigne (1588)
"A man must learn to endure that patiently which he cannot avoid conveniently." - Michel De Montaigne (1588)
ONLY ***0** WANAKENA WEEKLY LEFT UNTIL WW #156 (that will be THREE years’ worth of WANAKENA WEEKLY).