Happy Thursday!
DIDJAHEAR? - We love maps! Here is a "handy" guide for traveling out and about down and around the neighborhood. The data is mostly collected with local locations in-mind. Some of the data may SHOCK you! Clifton-Fine is flanked by two much-bigger towns (Harrisville in Lewis County to the West and Tupper Lake in Franklin County to the East.) We're reporting from smack-dab-in-the-middle! Both and neither. What a splendid place to be! The choices! We're hoping this data may convince some folks on either side of us to stay/head INTO Clifton-Fine (Wanakena/Otto's) for groceries as an alternative to heading OUT of Clifton-Fine into ANOTHER COUNTY! Spread the word and spread the dough! LIVE LOCAL!
WITHINANUTSHELL - RISE AND SHINE CLIFTON FINE! ***Green Bough Browsers Book Club can pick up their copy of INHERIT THE WIND any time down here at the shop!*** Reporting LIVE from the mostly frozen shores of The Mighty Oswegatchie River! This past week brought us some COLD and some SNOW! Looks and feel like winter. Reports of otters swimming and gnawing on fish over by the car bridge. Lots of wild canine prints in the woods and around town. Junco, Chickadee, Blue Jays, Nuthatch, Goldfinch at the feeders. Some SUPER chubby gray squirrels too. Even though some Ranger School students were ice fishing on the Setback, most of the lake is not ready for it. This weekend looks WARM, though. RAIN SUNDAY. Could lose the little snow we have. NOT ON THE SNOW CROQUET COURSE, THOUGH! We've been harvesting snow, so it lasts through the melts. Next week leading up to Christmas appears to be below freezing. And then one more week after that is NEW YEARS EVE BALL DROP A LA WANAKENA! See you there. Haven't seen much of any CL50 traffic the past couple of weeks but did welcome and host a solo hiker for some coffee n such! Great to see it! We LOVE being a part of the CL50 YEAR 'ROUND! Have you seen the new Adirondack Life Magazine? WHITE OUT WEEKEND MEETING THURSDAY DECEMBER 14TH 7PM WAPCHUCH STAR LAKE AFRAME CHURCH! Hungry? Santa will be jamming round town again this weekend! Lighting up the TREE AT THE HOLY GRAIL GIFT SHOP, TOO! CF Girl Scout Caroling Dec 19th!!! Don't forget.... place your order on Monday and/or Tuesday for Packbasket Adventures' Wanakena 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. YOU'D BE DOWNRIGHT FOOLISH NOT TO! Regular Town Board Meeting Second Wednesday, January 10th @ 6:30 Star Lake. Here’s a link to the most recent town board meeting minutes HERE: Town Of Fine: Minutes: Town Board Meetings [Digital Towpath]. WANAKENA NEW YEARS EVE MIDNIGHT BALL DROP!!!! 2024 WHITE OUT WEEKEND PRESIDENTS DAY WEEKEND FEB 16th & 17th!!!!! Come to Wanakena and experience a SUPER LOCAL Solar Eclipse TOTALITY on the afternoon of Monday, April 8, 2024! 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.
ABODE CONTINUED - Smack dab in the middle. WE ARE STOCKED, BABY! NEW in the shop: JAMIE SAVAGE CDs! Adirondack Rail Trail OFFICIAL Maps. Also NEW BOOK about our neighbors to the south: BEAVER RIVER COUNTRY! Holiday gift shopping? 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! Just in: 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!!!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. Did you see the new cushion on the porch chair!? THANKS, OZZY!!! Out across Hamele Street in ZPARK you can have a picnic and you can 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 - UP FOR ONE MORE MONTH! 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 Glorified Junk Collection 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. NEW "OFFICIAL" RULE: NO DOGS IN THE LOBBY.
PACKBASKET ADVENTURES – Open for lodging, guiding, catering 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 and their webcam here: http://173.245.150.16:8080/view/viewer_index.shtml?id=6722
WANAKENA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION – SANTA IN THE HISTORY CENTER?!?!? 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. Note: there is an outhouse at the Town of Fine Wanakena Campground a Picnic Area on South Shore Road by the Cat Mt Trail head. AS OF 10/24/23 THE PUBLIC DOCK HAS BEEN MOVED TO ITS WINTER HIBERNATION LOCATION!
CLIFTON-FINE SUMMER SERIES - website here---> cliftonfinearts.blogspot.com
HAREWOOD – LOTS of CLM volunteer snowmobile trail maintenance this past weekend! Wooden Fish Hatchery OPEN and offering 10% discount until New Years Eve! 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! Snowing yet? Cranberry Lake Mountaineers and the St Lawrence County Snowmobile Association is 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 (Snowmobile Ride-In on Saturday the 17th) 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. Blast from the past: https://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2012/07/high-peaks-happy-hour-windfall-bar-and-grill-cranberry-lake.html
OUT WEST - LOTS of CLM volunteer snowmobile trail maintenance this past weekend! TREE LIGHTING OUT SIDE OF HOLY GRAIL THIS SATURDAY! SANTA LIGHTS UP THE NEIGHBORHOOD! Also... WHITE OUT WEEKEND MEETING THURSDAY DECEMBER 14TH 7PM WAP CHUCH STAR LAKE! Lion's Club Community Christmas Card deadline Dec 15th and their Adopt-a-Platoon donation boxes out at local businesses. Common Thread Quilts is collections stories about the CF Hospital! Clifton-Fine Elementary Drama Club presents VELVETEEN RABIT this Friday the 8th. Mountain Gate Redemption is OPEN and adding a grocery store! Oswegatchie First Baptist Church has raised that dough for the steeple repairs! Santa at The Legion Dec 17th! FREE COMMUNITY MEAL at St. Huberts Church Wednesdays at 5PM! SQUARE DANCING and Country Music at The Legion Sunday, January 28th 1-5pm! Cranberry Lake Mountaineers and the St Lawrence County Snowmobile Association are gearing up for another fantastic season of snowmobiling! Foothills Redemption, 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 Remember the orchids? https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160427095101.htm?fbclid=IwAR1-f90tyHGgyl9UzUywnvPNCQIvfnC9D-1GNIodgTiUksN1UddCFYuOqXU
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 interested and able to take the time out of their day to go out of their way and support small and local businesses!
"The calander may say that winter is a week away - but we feel it is already here to stay." - an old almanack