LOCAL SATURDAY DEC 2ND - This is it folks! 7th Annual Shop Local organized by the gang at S.O.S. Adirondack Exhibit Center in Star Lake. Get out there and get your passports stamped! There is A LOT going on! Here we go: 10-4pm!!!!!! SOS/Adirondack Exhibit Center in Star Lake is SHOP LOCAL HEAD QUARTERS! Get there! They will have passports for you to pick-up to participate in their gift certificate drawing! Other businesses will have passports too. SOS HQ will have local crafters set-up and HOT DRINKS! Paul Kaiser will have the Benson mines model train set up running! GO CHECK OUT SOS! Around the corner at the A-Frame WAPChurch QUILT FEST folks will be showcasing creations and collecting stories about CF Hospital. While you're there!!!!! Local music outfit NORTH COUNTRY FAIR will be tuning-up around 1pm for a sneak peak of their 7pm CELTIC CHRISTMAS PERCORMANCE - live music and seasonal poetry by NORTH COUNTY FAIR featuring BRIAN KIRWIN. Again: 1pm sneak peek and 7pm performance! WOOHOO!!! Down the road... HOLY GRAIL GIFT SHOP is STOCKED and has a spin-your-deal wheel! American Legion will have a bunch of local vendors set up and UGLY SWEATER PARTY AND DJ TROY later that evening! Stop-in to Ub's and Adirondack Rustics (HOME OF THE BARGAIN HUNTER!) in Oswegatchie! River Road connection to Newton Falls/Cranberry Lake?!?! Stop-in to see ROAD RUNNER REDEMPTION near Benson Mines - they have a new LOUNGE area and a BIG AUCTION event the next day, Sunday 3rd. Also, FOOTHILLS REDEMPTION is open Eastside of Star Lake. Newton Falls Church's CHILDRENS KIDS SHOP! Affordable gifts that KIDS can buy for OTHERS! SANTA FREAKING CLAUSE will be there at 6pm! The church continues events the following day as well. A little farther east... OTTOS ABODE IN WANAKENA!!!!! GET OUT HERE!!!!! Weather looks good for an afternoon campfire. Stop down, park it, check the shop and poke around town a while! Further down the road... WOODEN FISH HATCHERY down in Windfall IS OPEN! Clifton Community Library in Cranberry Lake (Harewood) is OPEN 10-1pm! Cranberry Lake Fire Department POTLUCK DINNER 5pm that evening!!!!!! LOOP AROUND RIVER ROAD TO OSWEGATCHIE? Sevey's Point and Thirsty Moose are a tad bit further east, but still pretty close in the big picture and also St Lawrence County/ADK! Back in Star Lake: Todd Hardware and Adirondack Pharmacy are OPEN all year but closed on Saturdays!!! Also, surfing the web: check out Wanakena's PACKBASKET ADVENTURES LODGE weekly pre-order to-go pick-up weekend dinners! Maybe we're missing something?! Either way, THERE IS A LOT GOING ON 'ROUND HERE! Cheers to SOS for drumming this up for all of us year after year! We sincerely hope folks just come out to say hi and get the passports stamped! More the merrier! Thanks to those who are able and do take the time out of their day to go out of their way to support small, family-owned, local, year-round businesses! RISE AND SHINE CLIFTON-FINE!!!!!!!
WITHINANUTSHELL - Meanwhile, around Wanakena.... FULL MOON! December is up and down, mostly cold with some warm spots. Snow here and there. Oswegatchie freezing up to the footbridge. But looks to be a warmish weekend. Ranger School had no water for a day 'cause of a waterpipe burst! Deer in town. Same bird batch at the feeder. WANAKENA WILD CAT footprints still around town... "BOB"... Still wondering: What's up with that MYSTERY RING in The Mill Pond? That tree see see from the footbridge isnt looking too healthy since its lightning strike last year.... Regular hunting season now - one week left. WEAR ORANGE IN THE WOODS! SHOP LOCAL - big weekend! CELTIC CHRISTSMAS is one not to be missed! Check this out: https://www.cranberrylakemountaineers.com/places-to-stay. Hungry? Don't forget.... place your order on Monday and/or Tuesday for Packbasket Adventures' Take-Out dinners hot and ready Thursday and/or Friday nights! Perhaps stop-in at Otto's to grab some beverages, and/or other groceries while you're out picking it up?!? C'MON!!!!!! Regular Town Board Meeting Second Wednesday, December 13th @ 6:30 Star Lake. Here’s a link to the most recent town board meeting minutes HERE: Town Of Fine: Minutes: November 08, 2023: Public Hearings, Preliminary Budget Hearing & Regular Meeting [Digital Towpath]. WANAKENA NEW YEARS EVE MIDNIGHT BALL DROP!!!! 2024 WHITE OUT WEEKEND PRESIDENTS DAY WEEKEND FEB 16th & 17th! C'MON!!!! We are less than a year away from the SUPER LOCAL Solar Eclipse on the afternoon of April 8, 2024! Plan on it! It's a Tuesday afternoon... Get up here! Today's Ice Jam Danger remains LOW (THREE years in a row without an ice jam... ever since they built that new bridge...). KIM AND TOMS LOST DOG REPORT - As of today, there are NO lost dogs in Wanakena.
DOWN AT THE ABODE - Wanaken Weely #200!!!!!! C'mon! That's A LOT! Thanks for bearing with us as we closed up the shop for most of last week! We'll be closed a bit around the Christmas Holiday, too. We'll inform you as we figure it out ourselves. THIS SATURDAY!!!! SHOP LOCAL CLIFTON FINE! We'll get a campfire going for SHOP LOCAL DAY and mostly be our special selves! In the past, this event brings people out and about; local folks who may only come in one day year; this is the day. Who knows what the day will bring!? THANKS SOS! Can't make it out? Don't know what to get someone? How about an OTTO'S ABODE GIFT CERTIFICTE?!?! Fool proof! Just ask... we'll mail it to you! Did you see the new cushion on the porch chair!? THANKS, OZZY!!! OPEN ALL YEAR LONG, BABY! Write it down: New Years Ever Ball Drop Wanakena, NY.... 2024 WHITE OUT WEEKEND Feb 16th & 17th... Totality Eclipse Event April 8th in WANAKENA... But before all of that: Here we are NOW!!!! Jane Irvin's NEW Book! New GIFTS by LOCAL ARTISTS in the shop.... Calendars by DeKalb's Joanna Kingsley, Greeting Cards by Wanakna's own Julie Fogden and Hen Island Bags by Trout Lake's Laura Foster!!! NEW ART ON THE WALLS... more info below. CURRENTLY ON VIEW - CHOCK CHECK (KEYS TO THE CITY). The Doorstopper Show. STILL ACCEPTING DOOR STOPPERS. More info to come. We have in-stock the BRAND-NEW 2nd edition Cranberry Lake 50 Guidebook... CL50 maps, too. Happy to mail one to you - let us know. We ALSO have a stack of the GIANT Cranberry Lake Boat Club/Green Goat Maps available for purchase. ALWAYS ON THE SHELVES: FRESH PRODUCE! Outstanding selection. FROZEN RED BARN MEATS! Local and tasty! Bread, milk, eggs, groceries, cheese, ice cream, candy and tons more. Local maple syrup and honey! BEER CAVE with other sixty varieties of beer, seltzers, hard cider and more! BEST BREW SELECTION IN SOUTHERN ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY. Hot coffee and tea, too. Susan's Swickamillo Sourdough every Saturday morning and Hannah's random baked goods like scones and banana bread throughout the week. Maps galore... MAPS GALORE! Books, music, art supplies. Fishing, camping, hiking knickknacks. Gifts, goodies and more! We rent bear canisters that also double as conga drum. All sorts of ART and GLORIFIED junk on-display throughout the shop ALWAYS. Out on the porch you'll find a community message board, a Clifton Community Library DROP BOX and the legendary Wee-Kena Library. Out in ZPARK you can have a picnic and play CROQUET EVERY DAY if you want to! ALL YEAR LONG! Mallets-in-hand, balls-in-pockets; hittin' sticks, wicket clicks. Is it Snow Croquet Season yet? Occasional campfires and home of the Clifton-Fine Summer Music Series and OPEN AIR OPEN MIC. And don't forget: THREE YEARS of Wanakena Weekly archived on our website. Why be a square when you could be a deconstructed cube? We have a Facebook but we don't know how to use it... here's the link to our profile-----> Facebook.
ON VIEW - Early Works - Oil Paintings by Joshua Crabtree - Joshua Crabtree is a writer and painter from Canton, N.Y. Although he grew up in a military family, living primarily in the South, he developed a love of the North Country while spending every summer with his grandmother. He eventually returned to attend St. Lawrence University, married and raised two daughters in Canton where he and his wife owned a health food store for 21 years. “This series of paintings was inspired by an old trunk of photographs I've been enamored with since receiving them about a decade ago from my Great Aunt Lyda. I enjoy studying them, especially the backgrounds, for details about what life was like here over a century ago.” Also on view: CHOCK CHECK (KEYS TO THE CITY) - A COLLECTION OF DOORSTOPPERS - Yes, we finally did it. We asked if folks would loan us their doorstoppers. And WE'RE DROWNING IN THEM! Also on view: JUNK DRAWER and MORE!
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.
HAREWOOD – Clifton Community Library open Tuesday - Saturday. Don't forget about utilizing the Library Book Drop Box at Otto's Abode - it's a fantastic service brought to you by Library folk! Wooden Fish Hatchery OPEN! Snowing yet? Cranberry Lake Mountaineers gearing up for another great season of snowmobiling. The Cranberry Lake Mountaineers hosted a free NYS Snowmobile Safety course at the Cranberry Lake Fire Department on Saturday, November 11, from 8:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m! A message from the CLVFD: The Cranberry Lake Fire and Rescue Department has decided not to hold the First Strike Fishing Derby in 2024. This decision did not come lightly for us. After many hours of thought and discussions, we decided that we will take 2024 off as a restructuring year. There were multiple issues with the 2023 derby. These issues have been identified and we plan on using this year to recreate our fundraiser. We hope that this will not discourage you from joining us for a great derby in 2025. In other news: Coyote Den Motel OPEN! Down in Windfall you'll find the Tooly Pond Wooden Fish Hatchery & Duck Decoy Showroom and John Dragun Neon shop OPEN for business. Birch's Lakeside has closed for the season - cheers to many more! Cranberry Lake North Shore Hub protects the historic church & grounds promote regional info and tourism/shopping Facebook stuff on Facebook. Cranberry Lake State Campground closed through May 16th, 2024. Tilly's summer 2024? Cranberry Lake Boat Club still floatin'! 2024 Cranberry Lake Art Show August 10th and 11th! Don't forget about our other nearest-by neighbors to east: Sevey's Point and Thirsty Moose in Childwold! 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 - Oswegatchie First Baptist Church has raised that dough for the steeple repairs! SOS Shop Local Saturday is coming up DEC 2nd!!!!!!! Santa at The Legion Dec 17th! FREE COMMUNITY MEAL at St. Huberts Church Wednesdays at 5PM! Cranberry Lake Mountaineers are gearing up for another fantastic season of snowmobiling! NEW OWNERS at the old Mountain Gate Bottle Redemption center near Benson Mines Dec 3rd XMAS Auction! NEW OWNERS running a bottle redemption at the old Little River Shop - more to come! ADK Holy Grail Gift Shop, Twin Lakes Hotel, American Legion, Todd Hardware, Adirondack Pharmacy, Community Bank, Dollar General and Circle J’s in Star Lake are OPEN! New York State's smallest hospital - Clifton-Fine Hospital - is open! CFCSD Fitness Room and OPEN GYM: OPEN to community members (paperwork required). GO EAGLES! Further west in Oswegatchie UB’s, Green Pinky Farm and Adirondack Rustics (HOME OF THE LEGENDARY "BARGAIN HUNTER" NEWSPAPER) are open! H Brothers! Alcoholics Anonymous Friday nights 7pm @SOS. Hop on shuttle #22 of the St Lawrence County Volunteer Transportation Bus if you need a lift! Fingers-crossed for the Town of Clifton Star Lake Ice Rink will have ice this winter. Newton Falls Paper Mill | Facebook
WHAT ELSE? - Like what you're reading? Tell a friend to tune-in as well! 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!
"Puss from Devon was probably the oldest male cat ever recorded. He dies the day after his 36th birthday which was 28th of November 1939." - from The Cat Lovers Companion
WITHINANUTSHELL - Meanwhile, around Wanakena.... FULL MOON! December is up and down, mostly cold with some warm spots. Snow here and there. Oswegatchie freezing up to the footbridge. But looks to be a warmish weekend. Ranger School had no water for a day 'cause of a waterpipe burst! Deer in town. Same bird batch at the feeder. WANAKENA WILD CAT footprints still around town... "BOB"... Still wondering: What's up with that MYSTERY RING in The Mill Pond? That tree see see from the footbridge isnt looking too healthy since its lightning strike last year.... Regular hunting season now - one week left. WEAR ORANGE IN THE WOODS! SHOP LOCAL - big weekend! CELTIC CHRISTSMAS is one not to be missed! Check this out: https://www.cranberrylakemountaineers.com/places-to-stay. Hungry? Don't forget.... place your order on Monday and/or Tuesday for Packbasket Adventures' Take-Out dinners hot and ready Thursday and/or Friday nights! Perhaps stop-in at Otto's to grab some beverages, and/or other groceries while you're out picking it up?!? C'MON!!!!!! Regular Town Board Meeting Second Wednesday, December 13th @ 6:30 Star Lake. Here’s a link to the most recent town board meeting minutes HERE: Town Of Fine: Minutes: November 08, 2023: Public Hearings, Preliminary Budget Hearing & Regular Meeting [Digital Towpath]. WANAKENA NEW YEARS EVE MIDNIGHT BALL DROP!!!! 2024 WHITE OUT WEEKEND PRESIDENTS DAY WEEKEND FEB 16th & 17th! C'MON!!!! We are less than a year away from the SUPER LOCAL Solar Eclipse on the afternoon of April 8, 2024! Plan on it! It's a Tuesday afternoon... Get up here! Today's Ice Jam Danger remains LOW (THREE years in a row without an ice jam... ever since they built that new bridge...). KIM AND TOMS LOST DOG REPORT - As of today, there are NO lost dogs in Wanakena.
DOWN AT THE ABODE - Wanaken Weely #200!!!!!! C'mon! That's A LOT! Thanks for bearing with us as we closed up the shop for most of last week! We'll be closed a bit around the Christmas Holiday, too. We'll inform you as we figure it out ourselves. THIS SATURDAY!!!! SHOP LOCAL CLIFTON FINE! We'll get a campfire going for SHOP LOCAL DAY and mostly be our special selves! In the past, this event brings people out and about; local folks who may only come in one day year; this is the day. Who knows what the day will bring!? THANKS SOS! Can't make it out? Don't know what to get someone? How about an OTTO'S ABODE GIFT CERTIFICTE?!?! Fool proof! Just ask... we'll mail it to you! Did you see the new cushion on the porch chair!? THANKS, OZZY!!! OPEN ALL YEAR LONG, BABY! Write it down: New Years Ever Ball Drop Wanakena, NY.... 2024 WHITE OUT WEEKEND Feb 16th & 17th... Totality Eclipse Event April 8th in WANAKENA... But before all of that: Here we are NOW!!!! Jane Irvin's NEW Book! New GIFTS by LOCAL ARTISTS in the shop.... Calendars by DeKalb's Joanna Kingsley, Greeting Cards by Wanakna's own Julie Fogden and Hen Island Bags by Trout Lake's Laura Foster!!! NEW ART ON THE WALLS... more info below. CURRENTLY ON VIEW - CHOCK CHECK (KEYS TO THE CITY). The Doorstopper Show. STILL ACCEPTING DOOR STOPPERS. More info to come. We have in-stock the BRAND-NEW 2nd edition Cranberry Lake 50 Guidebook... CL50 maps, too. Happy to mail one to you - let us know. We ALSO have a stack of the GIANT Cranberry Lake Boat Club/Green Goat Maps available for purchase. ALWAYS ON THE SHELVES: FRESH PRODUCE! Outstanding selection. FROZEN RED BARN MEATS! Local and tasty! Bread, milk, eggs, groceries, cheese, ice cream, candy and tons more. Local maple syrup and honey! BEER CAVE with other sixty varieties of beer, seltzers, hard cider and more! BEST BREW SELECTION IN SOUTHERN ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY. Hot coffee and tea, too. Susan's Swickamillo Sourdough every Saturday morning and Hannah's random baked goods like scones and banana bread throughout the week. Maps galore... MAPS GALORE! Books, music, art supplies. Fishing, camping, hiking knickknacks. Gifts, goodies and more! We rent bear canisters that also double as conga drum. All sorts of ART and GLORIFIED junk on-display throughout the shop ALWAYS. Out on the porch you'll find a community message board, a Clifton Community Library DROP BOX and the legendary Wee-Kena Library. Out in ZPARK you can have a picnic and play CROQUET EVERY DAY if you want to! ALL YEAR LONG! Mallets-in-hand, balls-in-pockets; hittin' sticks, wicket clicks. Is it Snow Croquet Season yet? Occasional campfires and home of the Clifton-Fine Summer Music Series and OPEN AIR OPEN MIC. And don't forget: THREE YEARS of Wanakena Weekly archived on our website. Why be a square when you could be a deconstructed cube? We have a Facebook but we don't know how to use it... here's the link to our profile-----> Facebook.
ON VIEW - Early Works - Oil Paintings by Joshua Crabtree - Joshua Crabtree is a writer and painter from Canton, N.Y. Although he grew up in a military family, living primarily in the South, he developed a love of the North Country while spending every summer with his grandmother. He eventually returned to attend St. Lawrence University, married and raised two daughters in Canton where he and his wife owned a health food store for 21 years. “This series of paintings was inspired by an old trunk of photographs I've been enamored with since receiving them about a decade ago from my Great Aunt Lyda. I enjoy studying them, especially the backgrounds, for details about what life was like here over a century ago.” Also on view: CHOCK CHECK (KEYS TO THE CITY) - A COLLECTION OF DOORSTOPPERS - Yes, we finally did it. We asked if folks would loan us their doorstoppers. And WE'RE DROWNING IN THEM! Also on view: JUNK DRAWER and MORE!
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 – Lodge open for business and PICK-UP DINNERS TO-GO Thursday and/or Friday nights - place your order Monday and/or Tuesday nights. (Perhaps stop-in at Otto's to grab some beverages, and/or other groceries while you're out picking it up?!?!?) Visit their website for more information: www.packbasketadventures.com
WANAKENACCOMODATIONS - "Where do people stay?" is the question. The aforementioned Packbasket Adventures Lodge in Wanakena is a great option. Also, there are all sorts of AirBnB/VRBO/ADKbyOWNER/ places - some are open year-round (Suzie's Guesthouse and Legacy Stays), most are not. Coyote Den Motel, Birch's Lakeside Campground and the Cranberry Lake State Campground are near-by options. And of course: Lots of primitive camping all around in Wilderness/Wild Forest State Parcels - all free and open to the public, first come first serve... LEAVE NO TRACE - CARRY IT IN CARRY IT OUT. Don't forget about the Town of Fine Wanakena Primitive Campground and Picnic Area on South Shore Road by Cat Mountain trailhead. Handy local winter rental compilation from Cranberry Lake Mountaineers here ----> Places to Stay (cranberrylakemountaineers.com)
RANGER SCHOOL - Class of 2024 in session! Visit their website for more information: www.esf.edu/rangerschool
WANAKENA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION – Get out here and check out that footbridge! Although the History Center is CLOSED for the cold-weather months, there are numerous informational kiosks located around town for you viewing pleasure all year long.
WANAKENA LABYRTINTH - Unwind the mind... STAY TUNED THIS WINTER FOR ICE SKATING ON THE GRASSY SPOT BELOW THE LABYRINTH!
WANAKENA CHURCH – Sunday services have concluded for the 2023 season. There is no heat in the church! Presbyterian Services held in Star Lake all winter.
WANAKENA CEMETERY ASSOCIATION – 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.
TOWN OF FINE WANAKENA CAMPGROUND AND PICNIC AREA - First come first serve. Please leave no trace and carry in what you carry out.
TOWN OF FINE WANAKENA PLAYGROUND - Is in good shape! Lots of Pickle Ball played there this past summer. Town of Fine Crew switched out the gravel for sand - NICE!
WANAKENA SEWER AND WATER - Are operational!
WANAKENA PUBLIC BATHROOM AND DOCK - The Bo State Park Public Restroom has been CLOSED FOR THE SEASON! REASON: FREEZIN'! See you in the spring. AS OF 10/24/23 THE PUBLIC DOCK HAS BEEN MOVED TO ITS WINTER HIBERNATION LOCATION! Catch you at the next springtime dip in The Oswegatchie!?
CLIFTON-FINE SUMMER SERIES - website here---> cliftonfinearts.blogspot.com
HAREWOOD – Clifton Community Library open Tuesday - Saturday. Don't forget about utilizing the Library Book Drop Box at Otto's Abode - it's a fantastic service brought to you by Library folk! Wooden Fish Hatchery OPEN! Snowing yet? Cranberry Lake Mountaineers gearing up for another great season of snowmobiling. The Cranberry Lake Mountaineers hosted a free NYS Snowmobile Safety course at the Cranberry Lake Fire Department on Saturday, November 11, from 8:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m! A message from the CLVFD: The Cranberry Lake Fire and Rescue Department has decided not to hold the First Strike Fishing Derby in 2024. This decision did not come lightly for us. After many hours of thought and discussions, we decided that we will take 2024 off as a restructuring year. There were multiple issues with the 2023 derby. These issues have been identified and we plan on using this year to recreate our fundraiser. We hope that this will not discourage you from joining us for a great derby in 2025. In other news: Coyote Den Motel OPEN! Down in Windfall you'll find the Tooly Pond Wooden Fish Hatchery & Duck Decoy Showroom and John Dragun Neon shop OPEN for business. Birch's Lakeside has closed for the season - cheers to many more! Cranberry Lake North Shore Hub protects the historic church & grounds promote regional info and tourism/shopping Facebook stuff on Facebook. Cranberry Lake State Campground closed through May 16th, 2024. Tilly's summer 2024? Cranberry Lake Boat Club still floatin'! 2024 Cranberry Lake Art Show August 10th and 11th! Don't forget about our other nearest-by neighbors to east: Sevey's Point and Thirsty Moose in Childwold! 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.
WHAT ELSE? - Like what you're reading? Tell a friend to tune-in as well! 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!
"Puss from Devon was probably the oldest male cat ever recorded. He dies the day after his 36th birthday which was 28th of November 1939." - from The Cat Lovers Companion