Its been awhile since the hum of bulldozers has accompanied the morning song of local osprey but it seems that is about to change.

When the housing bubble burst, new home construction in Occoquan came screeching to a halt. The brick townhouses on Center Lane sit right next to a string of cement foundations, the Gaslight Landing complex on Mill Street is only half-built (and mostly unoccupied) and WCI stopped halfway through building Occoquan Reach.

As part of WCI’s recent emergence from bankruptcy, the remaining undeveloped parcels in Occoquan Reach have been old to Stanley Martin Homes. Just last week, Stanley Martin announced that construction on slightly modified Occoquan Reach townhouses around September 8th. Time to break out the earplugs!

If you’ve been to Tim’s Rivershore in Dumfires, you’ll love this story!

Last week, David Yount walked into Tim’s at 2:15 p.m on Wednesday afternoon. He was drunk and carrying a .40-caliber handgun in plain view so the bartender refused to serve him.

Moments later, the rejected patron walked outside and fired four to seven rounds at a nearby flock of ducks. The mother duck was killed and it was all caught on video by a woman at the restaurant.

Police were unable to apprehend him at the time but two hours later he was arrested when he crashed his car into Powell’s Creek in Woodbridge. In the end, he was charged with a DUI and reckless handling of a firearm.

Insidenova.com first reported this story.

Some would call the Potomac River northern Virginia’s most underused highway. But commuters may be putting that highway to work in the future. According to WJLA, for the third time in eight years, Prince William County will once again be testing the viability of a ferry service from the county to the district.

There’s no single funding source that ferry proponents have identified to pay for the service, if it gets approved. County officials say that about $600 million from the federal economic stimulus package could help cover construction costs for docks at ferry stations.

Come and celebrate the good life on the Occoquan on Saturday, May 2nd at the Occoquan River Festival!

The festival includes a number of events in and around the town of Occoquan. The festival culminates with a firework extravaganza at 7:30, viewable from anywhere along the Occoquan River.

Here is a rundown of the planned events:

Occoquan Regional Park
Family Paddle Event (10:00AM – 1:00PM)
Exhibitor Area Open (10:00AM – 7:00PM)
Food Wagon (10:00AM – 7:00PM)
Family Bicycle Fun (12:00AM – 4:00PM)
Northern Virginia Ultimate Frisbee Championship (12:00PM – 7:00PM)

Historic Town of Occoquan (10:00AM – 7:00PM)
Farmers Market (8:00AM – 12:00PM)
Sidewalk Sale
Roaming Musicians
Craft Demonstrations
Historical Re-enactments
Carriage Rides
Children’s Activity Area
Ghost Walks
Taste of Occoquan with wine pairing samples at Madigan’s Restaurant

Prince William Marina (11:00AM – 5:00PM)
Children’s Inflatable Midway
Carnival Food Vendors

Belmont Bay (11:00AM – 5:00PM)
Wet & Wild Wheels Show (Boat, JetSki, ATV, Motorcycle)
DJ & Bud Booth
Steamed Crabs by Osprey’s Landing Restaurant
Vendor’s Area Open
Wine Tasting by Potomac Point Winery
Golf Putting Contest, Golf Clinics & Golf Pro-Shop Discounts at Osprey’s Landing Golf Course
Moon Bounce & Festival Concessions
Food by Dixie Bones
Bungee/Trampoline Rides (12:00 – 4:00)
Live Country-Rock Band at Village Green

Pavilion Workhouse Arts Center (10:00AM – 6:00PM)
Shops Open
Live Music on the Quad
Live fireworks concert (7:00PM – 8:30PM)

Vulcan Quarry (10:00AM – 4:00PM)
Public Tours

Rivergate (11:00AM – 4:00PM)
Classic Car Show

The Occoquan River Festival is the brainchild of the Occoquan River Communities organization. Click here to download event schedule PDF.