WANAKENA WEEKLY #266 - 05/09/25 - 05/15/25

Happy Thursday!

HELLO EVERYBODY! Well, the black flies are here! AND THEY ARE THICK! THICKEST IN YEARS! And the Wanakena Public Bathroom is OFFICIALLY open! Quite possibly the nicest public bathroom in the Adirondacks... YOU KNOW WHO TO THANK! Memorial Day Weekend is getting closer and closer! Soon the big summer BOOM will start our mad dash to Autumn. The days are still getting longer, though.... the decent has not yet truly begun. NEW ART SHOW IS UP ON THE WALLS!! OPEN MIC AND MEET THE ARTIST MAY 24TH! MEMORIAL DAY SATURDAY 6-9PM! (THAT IS ALSO RANGER SCHOOL GRADUATION DAY). Monday morning views from Cat Mountain and Dead Creek Flow above. Hannah's homemade CARROT GINGER SOUP this friday! And she's wrapped up some chickpea curry and tuna salad handhelds for you to nibble on. We'll be open on TUESDAYS moving forward. SEVEN DAYS A WEEK ALRIGHT! All for now. Luv ya, buh bye! 

DOWN AT OTTO'S WE'RE STOCKED UP SO STOP IN! COME ON DOWN AND FIND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKIN' FOR AND PERHAPS WHAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW YOU NEEDED! WAY AT THE BOTTOM OF ST LAWRENCE COUNTY! WAY UP IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE ADIRONDACKS! RISE AND SHINE CLIFTON FINE! GRAB AN UMBRELLA AND C'MON DOWN AND POKE AROUND TOWN! WE WELCOME YOU TO STOP IN, CHECK US OUT AND WARM UP! WE LOVE SHARING OUR KNOWLEDGE OF LOCAL TRAIL CONDITIONS AND INFO AND KEEPING RELEVANT AND IMPORTANT MAPS, BOOKS AND SUPPLIES IN STOCK FOR YOU! SHELVES FILLED WITH FRESH PRODUCE AND GROCERIES GALORE! OUR WALK-IN COOLER BRIMS WITH BREWS! ENJOY HOT COFFEE AND TEA, COLD DRINKS, SNACKS, ICE CREAM, CANDY! GIFTS, GOODIES, ART, MUSIC, NECESSITIES AND MORE! WEE-KENA LIBRARY ON THE PORCH! SNOW CROQUET IN ZPARK! ART AND MUSIC EVENTS AND MORE! THANKS FOR SHOPPIN' AND HANGIN' LOCAL AND KEEPING YEAR-ROUND INCONVENIENCE ALIVE! HOPE TO CATCH YOU AROUND DOWNTOWN OVERLOOKING THE OSWEGATCHIE IN THE HEART OF WANAKENA NEXT TO THE POST OFFICE! OPEN TIL 7PM! OPEN TIL 5PM ON SUNDAYS AND CLOSED ON TUESDAYS! WANAKENA! AND DONT FORGET ABOUT FRIDAY HANNAH'S HOMEMADE SOUP! AND OF COURSE... CROQUET ALL YEAR LONG, BABY!!!! THANKS AS ALWAYS, FOR THOSE WHO ARE ABLE TO AND CHOOSE TO TAKE TIME OUT OF YOUR DAY TO GO OUT OF YOUR WAY TO DIVERT A PORTION OF YOUR HARD-EARNED CASH TOWARDS SUPPORTING SMALL AND LOCAL BUSINESSES! YOUR SUPPORT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE! CHEERS! LIVE LOCAL! SHOP LOCAL!

HERE'S A LIST OF SOME UPCOMING EVENTS HAPPENING AROUND THE AREA!
                                ****UNDER CONSTRUCTION****

MAY 24TH - 6-7PM MEET THE ARTIST JOHANNA KINGSLEY
MAY 24TH - 6-9PM OTTO'S ABODE OPEN MIC
JUNE 4TH - CRANBERRY LAKE HUB BOAT RIDE TO BIO STATION

JUNE 7TH - CHICKEN BBQ AT THE LEGION  
JUNE 14TH - 3-5PM WANAKENA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION 60's FOLK FEST ZPARK
JUNE 20TH - ZPARK WANAKENA SUMMER SOLSTICE WITH WINDIER AND LADYBRAIN 
JUNE 21ST - WANAKENA HISTORY CENTER SEASONAL OPENING
JUNE 25TH - CRANBERRY LAKE HUB BOAT RIDE TO BIO STATION
JUNE 23RD - BOAT RIDE FROM CRANBERRY LAKE HUB FOR SUNY ESF BIO STATION TOUR
JUNE 29TH - 7PM - ROUST - ZPARK WANAKENA
JULY 4TH - CRANBERRY LAKE BOAT CLUB FIRECRACKER 5K
JULY 4TH - WANAKENA 4TH OF JULY PARADE
JULY 5TH - 7PM SUMMER SERIES CONCERT 1/5 FOOLISH PRIDE
JUY 8TH - 1:30PM SUNY ESF LED LOST POND NATURE WALK
JULY 10TH - BETH DAUT'S FORESTER PRESENTATION AT CRANBERRY LAKE HUB
JULY 12TH - CRANBERRY LAKE BOAT CLUB'S POKER PADDLE WANAKENA

JULY 15TH - MICROBURST THIRTY YEARS SUNRISE GATHERING ZPARK
JULY 18TH - CLFD AUXILIARY BACKWOODS CRAFT FAIR 9 - 4PM
JULY 19TH - CLFD AUXILIARY BACKWOODS CRAFT FAIR 9 - 4PM
JULY 19TH - 7PM SUMMER SERIES CONCERT 2/5 THE LIVING ROOM
JULY 20TH - 1PM KNOTTY PADDY LIVE AT THE CRANBERRY LAKE HUB
JULY 23RD - NCPR/ACW HOWL STORY SLAM ZPARK WANAKENA
JULY 24TH - DAVE SCHRYVER WATERFALL RESEARCH AT CRANBERRY LAKE HUB
JULY 26TH - 7PM HIGH ON THE HOG LIVE ZPARK WANAKENA
JULY 31ST - EMILY DEAN CRANBERRY LAKE FISH RESEARCH AT THE CRANBERRY LAKE HUB
AUGUST 1ST - SUMMER SERIES CONCERT 3/5 - DENNIS STROUGHMATT & CREOLE STOMP
AUGUST 3RD - CHRIS COLE LIVE AT THE CRANBERRY LAKE HUB
AUGUST 9TH & 10TH - CRANBERRY LAKE ART SHOW
AUGUST 14TH - MARK HALL PRESENTATION AT CRANBERRY LAKE HUB
AUGUST 21ST - JACKIE AND KEVIN WOODCOCK PRESENTATION AT CRANBERRY LAKE HUB
AUGUST 23RD - CRANBERRY LAKE BOAT RACE
AUGUST 23RD - 7PM SUMMER SERIES CONCERT 4/5 - ORQUETA LA MURALLA
SUGUST 23RD - PRESBYTERIAN PICNIC ZPARK WANAKENA
AUGUST 30TH - 7PM SUMMER SERIES CONCERT 5/5 - SOULSHOT

SEPTEMBER 6TH - STAR LAKE CRAFT FAIR ARENA
SEPTEMBER 27TH - OPEN AIR OPEN MIC ZPARK WANAKENA
OCTOBER 31ST - OPEN AIR OPEN MIC HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR ZPARK WANAKENA

RISE AND SHINE CLIFTON-FINE... Starting from the west... Historic Fine Town Hall Building in Fine Village seeking input for its use and future! Fine Volunteer Fire Dept THANK YOU! Lodge at Dodge Pond OPEN. UBs Mercantile and ADK Rustics in Oswegatchie (Home of The Bargain Hunter!) are OPEN! Around Star Lake: Star Lake's ADK Holy Grail gift shoppe OPEN with A GIANT LOON out front!! ADK Pharmacy OPEN. Clifton Fine Central School GO EAGLES! Fitness Center at the school is open M-F 5-8am & 5-10pm and weekends 5-10pm! Community Bank OPEN! Clifton Fine Hospital OPEN and HOPIN' you're healthy! They raised enough money to expand - check out their live construction camera! And look out for Food Truck Thursdays and Farmers Markets in the summer! Dollar General OPEN! Twin Lakes OPEN! CF Arena HAD A GREAT WINTER! Golf Course CLUB GRUB at the CLUB HOUSE has LUNCH AND DINNER coming soon! CF Golf Course OPEN!! Star Lake Volunteer Fire Department THANK YOU! SOS Adirondack Exhibit Center EVENTS HAPPENING... stay tuned! Every Friday Night, open meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous at the Schoolhouse 7PM. Clifton-Fine Community Center and Food Pantry & Free "Community Meal" Wednesdays! Todd Hardware OPEN and FOR SALE!!!!!! Coffee Fever SOLD? Circle Jays OPEN! What's The Scoop CLOSED FOR THE SEASON but opening SOON with new management! American Legion OPEN and REFURBISHED with LOTS OF EVENTS! Newton Falls Giving Box & Post Office & Community Church OPEN. Newton Falls Volunteer Fire Department THANK YOU! Mountain Gate Plaza Bottle Hometown General Store, Deli and Redemption Center OPEN! Down in Wanakena Packbasket Adventures Lodge and Event Space in Wanakena OPEN... with NEW OWNERSHIP! Mary holds down 13695 Wanakena Post Office - Clifton Community Library Book Drop Box and Lost and Found and MORE out-front on Otto's Porch! OTTO'S ABODE OPEN ALL YEAR DOWN HERE! Wanakena Ranger School!! Wanakena Historical Association Walking Tour UP AND RUNNIN' FOR SEASON and the History Center OPENS JUNE 20TH and are every sat and sun though summer 11-4pm... NOW CLOSED! Don't forget about the Wanakena Walking Tour and Labyrinth AND MORE! Clifton-Fine Summer Series in ZPARK SUMMETIME check it out CLIFTON FINE ARTS. Common Thread Quilt Fest Labor Day Weekend! Out in Harewood: Wooden Fish Hathery OPEN! Coyotes Den SOLD and CLOSED but listed on AirBnB for rentals! Billy's BLACK LIGHT ART SHOW this past Halloween! Cranberry Lake Volunteer Fire Department THANK YOU! Birch's Lakeside CLOSED FOR SEASON! OPENING SOON! Tilly's? Cranberry Lake Art Show 2025 GET READY!! Cranberry Lake North Shore Hub hosts space use, dock use, summer concerts and summer lectures! Clifton Community Library OPEN! Cranberry Lake Boat Club summer events ON THE WAY! CHECK OUT THE Cranberry Lake DEC Campground! Cranberry Lake Mountaineers Snowmobile Club, check 'em out! THEY HAVE A GREAT LISTING OF LOCAL YEAR-ROUND RENTALS ON THEIR WEBSITE! Grasse River Railway, anybody? Sevey's Point at Sevey's Corner OPEN. Thirsty Moose Childwold OPEN and FOR SALE!! Childwold Presbyterian Church though September 15th! And don't forget... Back West: 2E's, Edwards Opera House, Jim's Auto in South Edwards OPEN! Plum Brook Cafe in Russell OPEN! Jockos in Degrasse OPEN and re-painted and hosting SUNDAY FUNDAYS!! CLIFTON-FINE RT. 3 CORRIDOR ROLL-CALL ROUND-UP! We're Southern St. Lawrence County. We're Northwestern Adirondacks. We're BOTH. We're NEITHER! WE'RE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE-LESS! WILD WEST! GREAT SOUTH WOODS WAY SOUTH OF THE ROCK! ALL THAT STUFF! OH YEAH! (Who's missing? What's stale? Les us know! Zoom Zoom!) Also... if you appreciate the work put into these newsletters (and Otto's Abode in general) consider donating something extra to the cause! We're on VENMO as Otto's Abode. Or as Click and Clack used to say: Write our address on a twenty-dollar bill and mail it to us! 

"Only begin and then the mind grows heated. Only begin and the task will be completed.” – J. W. Von Gothe (1749 – 1832)