WANAKENA WEEKLY #167 - 04/06/23 - 04/12/23


Happy Thursday!


WITHINANUTSHELL
- Sprung is springin'! Too nice out to sit here in front of the computer - we'll try and get these fingers and brain connected to mash out some semi-enjoyable and informational content. You're just here for the photos anyway, right? Here we GO!!!!! Kind of a nice quiet spring week! MOST of the area was out of power yesterday - scheduled outage - we're back! EIGHTY DEGREES OUT! The ICE IS OUT on Cranberry Lake. The Oswegatchie is WIDE OPEN. The warm warm wamth has melted away most of the snow. We could use some rain! There's a WHOLE LOTTA SAND out there blowing in the breeze! BIG pile of OLD snow hiding under the sand in the big pile! (photo below) Critters are crittin'. Speaking of critters: "Summer Folk" are poking their heads around town just in time for "nice" weather. Watch out for ticks! BIG coyote scamperin' up 4th St. OPEN AIR OPEN MIC out in ZPARK Saturday April, 29th 6-9PM! Tell a friend or few see you there! Everyone is asking about Tilly's - we don't really know! Birch's SOON! SOS/Adirondack Exhibit Center FREE CLOTHING SHOP SATURDAY and hosts Crochet/Kninters Meet-up Sunday April 16th 1-4! Jeanne Lampson class May 20th! Star Lake Golfers meeting @ Twin Lakes April 18th. Clifton-Fine HOMETOWN HERO Banner initiative has LAUNCHED! April 23rd at The Legion: PAINT AND SIP! Ranger School hiring temp. summer positions. Clifton Community Library has ART on display from Clifton-Fine Central School! Lots of chitter chatter about the 2023 concert series! If feeling so inclined write checks to C.F.E.D.C. (Clifton Fine Economic Development Corportion) with "Cultural Arts" in the memo. DOWN AT JACNACKS THEY SAY YOU CAN HEAR THEM PLAY ALL THE WAY. CLIFTON FINE ARTS. Going to be a scorcher this weekend! Get on out to Otto's for a cold one! Stock up on groceries for dinner, etc... Hikers are out and about. Last weekend would have been a mixed-bag of conditions - will be much warmer and muddier this weekend. Remember: walk THROUGH the mud, not around it. Might bump into our NEW local Town of Fine Black Fly BTI guy - he's out and about treating the creeks for weeks. St Lawrence County Burn Ban March 16th - May 14th. Regular Town Board Meeting Second Wednesday, May 10th @ 6:30 Star Lake. Here’s a link to the most recent town board meeting minutes HERE: Town Of Fine: Minutes: April 12, 2023: April Town Board Meeting [Digital Towpath] Today's Ice Jam Danger remains LOW (THREE years in a row without an ice jam).


CRANBERRY LAKE BOAT CLUB ICE OUT CONTEST
- From their facebook: Aaron Petrosino is the winner of this year's Ice-Out. He had all five of his guesses today (4/13/23) starting every hour from 11 am (11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm & 3pm). The official date/time Ice-Out, declared by Chuck Yartz, was today 4/13/23 at 1:47 pm. Aaron wins 50% of the donations or $153.00. The same amount will be donated to the CLFD. We thank everyone for participating and look forward to the 2023 boat club activities coming up soon.




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
- Dont forget: April 29th is the next OPEN AIR OPEN MIC! THE GOOSE is temporarily off-the-air until we work out some kinks. BUMMER! Juniper Hill FRESH produce - KALE IS BACK! Starting to feel like Spring! "Summer Folk" and "Vacationers" coming back into town! CROQUET EVERY DAY if you want to! Check this out... go ahead and write this down! JAGUARDINI live music performance TUESDAY July 11th in the evening! He wears a TV on his head and everything. More info to come. Did you know? We rent bear canisters - they make a conga-like great drum too! Hot off the press: Otto's Abode was awarded $15,000 from the SLC IDA for refrigeration upgrades! More info next week. For those without radios... you know what you need to do. What else? "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! We got FROZEN MEATS from Redbarn in Croghan - chicken breast and halves, sausages, porkchops, steaks, bacon - check it out! FRESH PRODUCE GALORE - get down here and eat this stuff! Just got a FRESH order of beer/cider packed into the walk-in cooler. Upcoming: 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. 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.




ABODE CONTINUED
- You know we're here! You know we're open! Don't wait for a Facebook post to tell you to do so! "Forget the herd!" C'mon down to our inconvenience store! 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 artists/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. We rent bear canisters! 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! Broadcasting LIVE from the back room of Otto's Abode WANA 87.9fm THE GOOSE. HONK HONK! 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

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

RANGER SCHOOL - Ranger School hiring temp. summer positions. If you want your news printed in the 2023 Alumni News, please make sure your form is in to the RSAA office BY May 1. Hope to hear from you! - Ranger School Alumni Association. 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

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. 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 swimming. 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
– Clifton Community Library has ART on display from Clifton-Fine Central School! Everyone is asking about Tilly's - we dont know! The Cranberry Lake North Shore Hub is "... accepting building and grounds use requests for the summer starting now." Check this out! Store Cranberry Lake | Birch's Lakeside General Store, Campground and Marina (lakesideoncranberry.com) - we see the store has been plowed out after along winter burred under snow and set to "open in May"! Cranberry Lake Mountaineers voted BEST club in the STATE last year - TRAILS closed! Great job everyone! 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! NEW Cranberry Community Center Webcam! gotsnowcams.com - New York - paul@NorthernChateau@.com. Cranberry Lake State Campground is CLOSED FOR THE SEASON... BUT big news: they'll take walk-in registration from now on. 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 - "Opens in May"! 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! 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.


NEWTON FALLS
- The Post Office (13666) opened March 13th, 1896 in Newton Falls. Robust Paper Mill Facebook group here: Newton Falls Paper Mill | Facebook

OUT WEST - SOS/Adirondack Exhibit FREE CLOTHING SHOP SATURDAY! Center hosts Crochet/Kinters Meet-up Sunday April 16th 1-4! Jeanne Lampson class May 20th! Star Lake Golfers meeting @ Twin Lakes April 18th. Clifton-Fine HOMETOWN HERO Banner initiative has LAUNCHED! April 23rd at The Legion: PAINT AND SIP! Cranberry Lake Mountaineers voted BEST club in the STATE last year - TRAILS closed! Great job everyone! 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 but closing for good soon. 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! Word on the street is that the Harrisville Community Bank is closing, and as a result the Star Lake branch will be open MORE days/hours than it currently operates. CHA-CHING! 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! Star Lake Ice Rink ("Town of Clifton") did NOT open this winter.... bummer! 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? J&L / Benson Mines History | Facebook


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

THIS TIME LAST YEAR HEREOtto's Abode: WANAKENA WEEKLY #114 - 04/07/21 - 04/13/21 (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!




"Snow remains, trees are bare, but butterflies are in the air."
- unknown