WANAKENA WEEKLY #163 - 03/09/23 - 03/15/23


Happy Thursday!

WITHINANUTSHELL
- First up: St Lawrence County Burn Ban March 16th - May 14th. Also: LAST CALL!!! The Cranberry Lake Boat Club ICE OUT contest deadline is MARCH 18th - a very cool ICE OUT document with graphs and data on the Cranberry Lake Boat Club | Cranberry Lake NY | Facebook. In other news: We got some snow! Perhaps even a little more than what was forecast; at least ten inches of 50/50 dry/wet snow! It was relatively warm leading up to the storm, and as the snow fell and piled-up, the weight and warmth of it cause sudden cascades of snow zipping off of metal roofs, thundering to the ground. Big snow clumps blow off boughs in the breeze. Yet, it's still cold and snowy enough for folks to sled right up to the footbridge - those who dare, at least! Looking back through the Wanakena Weekly archive we see that the past three years have been "greener" around this time of year. That recent snow really gave winter a little BOOST! RAIN FRIDAY! This weekend - specifically Saturday and Sunday look "cold" and the snow should be lovely to play in! Swoosh swoosh! Brap brap! Whack whack! There was a woodchuck waddling down the middle of the road the other day! Ranger School has been on SPRING BREAK so they should all come back with nice tans and such. Not as good as ours, though - Did anyone catch that FANTASTIC forty degree and sunny Sunday we had? HOT DOG! We were able to make it out of Wanakena the other night to catch the LIVE MUSIC at The Legion - those guys can play! Highly recommended. Susan was out checking the labyrinth and noticed some beaver activity at the Mill Pond! Photo below. Regular Town Board Meeting Second Wednesday, April 12th @ 6:30 Star Lake. Here’s a link to the most recent town board meeting minutes HERE: Town Of Fine: Meetings: March 08, 2023: Public Hearings & Regular Meeting [Digital Towpath] Today's Ice Jam Danger remains LOW (two years in a row without an ice jam).


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)


DOWN AT THE ABODE
- Saturday and Sunday look like they ought to be nice days in the neighborhood! "Quality service year-round!" Yep, that's right - we're out here open and hopin' you'll be out and about and looking to poke your head in the shop and perhaps spend a little of that hard-earned dough! OPEN AIR OPEN MIC will return! Mark it down on your calendars: EVERY LAST SATURDAY OF THE MONTH 6-9pm starting APRIL and going ALL SUMMER LONG culmination OCT 28th for a FULL MOON HALLOWEEN OPEN AIR OPEN MIC! Out in the Gazebo, campfire and the works. In other news: CROQUET COURSE remains in GREAT SHAPE! We'll have it all cleaned-out and groomed for the weekend. It has been a pretty good season so far; no weather complaints here! ART ON VIEW: We are currently "in-between" exhibitions! Nothing wrong with a little aimless art wandering. Plus, you know there's plenty of "art" around here to absorb or ignore. Oh yeah: 30th annual Spring Fling March 25th.




ABODE CONTINUED
- Sure, shopping at a big box store saves you a few bucks, but does it help save a small business such as Otto's Abode? What are you really saving? We're not telling you NOT to shop BIG, but if you are ABLE to shop small and shop local, every bit counts. Thanks! Got some great gifts from local crafters here in the shop. Fresh produce stocked all year long. Organic farm eggs $5.75! Swickamillo Sourdough every Saturday morning and random baked goods throughout the week. Dry, cooled and frozen groceries galore. Bread, milk, eggs. Beer cave with other sixty varieties of beer, seltzers, hard cider and more! Ice cream, candy and snacks. HOT coffee and tea as well. TONS of Maps for browsing and/or buying. We've heard word CL50 maps and guidebooks won't be available for another month or two - ass soon as they are available, we will have them! Check out our books, music and art supplies. Fishing, camping, hiking knickknacks. Gifts, goodies and more! "Where's the Art?" Open your eyes! On top of buying/selling stuff we provide local information about events and trail conditions to the best of our knowledge and have often helped outdoor recreationists in a pinch; the cool kids call it a "Trail Center" these days. Community message board out front. Clifton Community Library DROP BOX on the porch. Wee-Kena Library on the porch as well - take a book, leave a book. Missing something? Perhaps what you've lost is in our lost and found? We have every issue of Bargain Hunter from 2018 - Present. And don't forget: Wanakena Weekly online every week! Missed a week? No problem.... CHECK THE THREE-YEAR ARCHIVE! Cheers to us and cheers to you. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to go out of the way to support small, local, family-owned businesses! Why be a square when you could be a deconstructed cube? Blah blah blah.



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 The business and property are for sale. Check the website.

RANGER SCHOOL - The Ranger School is once again looking to hire someone for a KICK-ASS position via the Cranberry Lake Biological Station this summer! 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. Cool map of trails: James F. Dubuar Memorial Forest Trail Map | Trailforks CHECK OUT THEIR TRAIL CAM. Webcam | The Ranger School | SUNY ESF

PACKBASKET ADVENTURES – "We are open year-round by reservation to adults and children 12 yrs. and older." Adirondack Lodgings & Adirondack Guide Services: Old fashioned Adirondack Lodge & Guide Services Packbasket Adventures - Packbasket Adventures


WANAKENA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
– Big white pine branch in the yard... who gonna cut it up?!?! 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. Home (wanakena.com)

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 - Dave said he wants to have a DOCK PARTY this summer when the dock arrives and the weather is good for swiming. 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 - buried in snow. 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! Croquet in ZPark ALL YEAR LONG; whack 'em balls!

WANAKENA CEMETERY ASSOCIATION – Cemetery buried in the 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.

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!!!!!! Don't forget about the Town of Fine Wanakena Primitive Campground and Picnic Area. 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. Also, check it out: Massawepie Boy Scout Camp has rentals in the offseason - seek and you will find.


HAREWOOD
– Check this out! Store Cranberry Lake | Birch's Lakeside General Store, Campground and Marina (lakesideoncranberry.com) The Cranberry Lake Boat Club ICE OUT contest LAST CALL - deadline March 18th. SEEK AND YOU WILL FIND! Cranberry Lake Mountaineers voted BEST club in the STATE last year - TRAILS LOOKING GOOD! 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! 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 (CLOSED FOR WINTER)! 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 and will do it again next year! 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.


OUT WEST
- Clifton Fine Golf Course hiring clubhouse attendants! Legion St. Patrick's Day Dinner Friday March 17th! AND Legion Chicken BBQ April 1st (NO JOKE!). Harrisville VFD Fish Fry every Friday through April 7th. Quilt Fest folks meet at the Presbyterian Church a couple times a week - join in! SOS is OPEN here and there for programing. UB's has live minnows and more! Star Lake Ice Rink ("Town of Clifton") did NOT open this winter.... bummer! Cranberry Lake Mountaineers voted BEST club in the STATE last year - TRAILS ARE LOOKING GOOD! FREE COMMUNITY MEAL at St. Huberts Church Wednesdays at 5PM! Hop on shuttle #22 of the St Lawrence County Volunteer Transportation Bus if you need a lift! Wanakena's closest neighbor, Mountain Gate Redemption near Benson Mines, is open. Twin Lakes Hotel, American Legion, Todd Hardware are OPEN! Dollar General and Circle J’s in Star Lake are OPEN! CF Golf Course (seasonal), Clifton-Fine Hospital, Community Bank, Adirondack Pharmacy, Clifton-Fine Community Center OPEN! Have you heard about the Holy Grail Gift Shop opening up this spring in Star Lake? Still further west in Oswegatchie UB’s, and Adirondack Rustics are open (HOME OF THE LEGENDARY "BARGAIN HUNTER" NEWSPAPER)! 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. AA every Friday night at SOS 7pm. 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. SCOOPS Ice Cream has closed for the season. Jrecks has closed for the season. 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! What else?


KIM AND TOMS LOST DOG REPORT
- As of today, there are NO lost dogs in Wanakena. Woof Woof!




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!


"The first pleasant day of spring come out like a squirrel and go in again."
- Henry David Thoreau's journal March 17th, 1855