It was freezing outside but that didn’t stop people from taking the plunge! All donations benefit the Special Olympics of Virginia.

Once again, Tim’s Rivershore Restaurant & Crabhouse will host a Polar Plunge to benefit Special Olympics Virginia. The event will take place on February 27, 2010 from 10AM-2PM. The plunge will take place along the bank of the freezing Potomac River, pictured above.

The event will feature live music, a costume contest and tons of great prizes (plus, its for a great cause)! The plunger who raises the most money will receive a pair of roundtrip tickets on JetBlue Airways. For more info, check out Tim’s new website.

As previously noted, Belgique Gourmande has been up for sale. The authentic Belgian restaurant is located right in the center of town and has a very nice outdoor eating area on Union Street. My wife & I have eaten there many times (ice cream & waffles for breakfast, yum!) and although a bit dingy, the food is tasty and the location convenient.

Now comes word that the restaurant has been sold! The new owners are planning to rebrand the restaurant the Cock & Bowl. This is great news, I’m looking forward to having a new restaurant in town. Will post more details as they become available.

In 2010 the residents of Occoquan will once again have the opportunity to elect a Mayor and new Town Council. Voting will take place at Town Hall from 6:00am – 7:00pm on Tuesday, May 2. Reminder, you must be registered to vote by April 12 in order to participate.

In 2008, the elections were a bit of a drag because there was only one mayoral candidate and only 5 Town Council candidates (vying for a total of 5 open seats). Out of 593 registered voters, only 131 cast votes (22% turnout). James Walbert was elected to the Town Council with only 90 votes!

If you are interested in running for Town Council, now is your opportunity. You may obtain the necessary filing forms by contacting the Office of General Registrar at (703) 792-6470 or by downloading the forms from the State Board of Elections website.

The current Occoquan Town Council consists of:

• Mayor Earnest W. Porta, Jr.
• Vice Mayor Ken Brunsvold
• Council Member James N. Walbert
• Council Member Denise M. Bush
• Council Member Joao Paul “JP” Cunha
• Council Member Barry G. Dean

2010 has arrived and Main Street continues to slump (well, in this case Mill Street). The Great Recession has not relinquished its icy grip on the world and small towns far and wide continue to struggle, including Occoquan.

Now word comes that two fine restaurants, The Garden Kitchen and Belgique Gourmande, are both up for sale. Apparently, each restaurant has been listed on craigslist (although, I was unable to find either listing).

That’s not all. The well-known local shop Country Morning is also for sale. Sadly, Irish Collection has become the latest business to announce that it will be closing.

What can you do? Shop and eat locally! If you have other ideas on how to help, sound off in the comments or drop me a line. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

The season of giving is upon us and once again the Town of Occoquan is counting on local generosity to help the homeless. To get involved, you can buy a $5 ornament, sign it and hang it on the tree at Occoquan Town Hall.

Ornaments will be available for purchase until Dec. 31 for a minimum donation of $5 at Simply Country, located at 311 Mill Street.

In the past 10 years, the Tree of Hope has raised over $8,500 to help the homeless. Proceeds from the Tree of Hope go to the Resident Rent Fund at the Hilda Barg Homeless Prevention Center.

Wedged along the side of Occoquan Road, Bistro L’Hermitage is the apex of fine dining in Occoquan. The low-slung, cozy French restaurant serves up flavorful dishes in memorable style. The menu is constantly changing but the simple flavors are always delicious.

Bistro L’Hermitage is the closest you’ll come to Top Chef without traveling 20 miles north to DC and you don’t have to take my word for it. Nowadays, even veteran restauranteur Tom Sietsema from the Washington Post ventures into Prince William to dine. Mr. Sietsema labeled Bistro L’Hermitage an Editor’s Pick in his October 18th review.

If you find yourself lucky enough to dine at Bistro L’Hermitage, remember to say hi to Youssef!