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!

Aquapalooza 2009 was pretty crazy. The sun was out and the bands rocked until about 8pm when a nasty thunder storm rolled through. According to NOAA, the wind kicked up to 39 mph and although there wasn’t much rain, it was enough to put an end to most of the celebrating.

When the storm came through people where screaming and yelling and trying to stop other boats from hitting them. On the way out, I saw lots of dinged up boats and one that was sinking. It was a big mess and a sobering experience.

If you have some pics to share or stories to tell, drop us a note or sound off in the comments below.

Just read an interesting article about Occoquan on InsideNova.com that highlights the struggle of small town merchants during the great recession. The article does a good job summing up the efforts of local government and the Occoquan Merchants Association to increase the foot traffic in town.

Between the Summer Trolley Tour and the upcoming third annual 5K race in October, I am pleased to see such effort! I really hope the creativity pays off and our local merchants will survive and thrive.

PS – The battle over the Gaslight Landing project in the comments below the InsideNova.com are comical.

Here is a fantastic picture taken by Patrick Worcester on July 4th, 2009 from his boat on the Potomac river, between the 14th Street bridge complex and the Memorial bridge.

Prince William Marine is hosting Aquapalooza this year at Tim’s II at Fairview Beach on the Potomac River. I’m looking forward to a good party this year, albeit with a country twang. Headlining the Occoquan-Washington DC Aquapalooza this year will be country singer Daryle Singletary and Thunder 104.5 will be onsite broadcasting live.

Daryle Singletary is a crooner that topped the country charts with a few hits way back in 1995. In February 2009, Singletary released a new single, “Love You With the Lights On”. The single was the lead-off single to a new album, Rockin’ in the Country, released in June 2009. Give his new album a listen:

Here’s the rest of the musical line-up for the weekend: Key West Band, the Wild Bunch, Borrowed Time Band, Drivin’ South Band and the Darby Brothers. I haven’t seen any of these guys before, leave a comment if you know who they are.

The FAQ put together by PW Marine is full of helpful tips, if you have not attended Aquapalooza previously. Check out the map of Fairview Beach below. If you will be arriving by boat (the preferred method of transport), check out our nautical map of the Potomac River to chart your route.

Take your cameras, remember to take some pictures and send us your best, we’ll post them after the main event! We’ll be there partying it up, see you there!

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.

AquaPalooza, the World’s Largest Boating Party, brought to you by Sea Ray, is right around the corner and ready to rock your summer! Boaters and non-boaters alike are invited to take a break and join us at the biggest bash on water – AquaPalooza 2009.

This year’s Signature Event, featuring country-music superstar Alan Jackson, runs from July 24th to 26th at Lake Martin, Alabama. The big event near Occoquan will take place at Tim’s II, along Fairview Beach.

Find your local event and register online at www.AquaPalooza.com today and receive two free t-shirts (while supplies last).

Don’t miss the biggest and best boating celebration of the year! I hope we see you on the water

Hard to believe but each year biologists with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries shock the hell out of our lakes and rivers to determine where the best fishing is to be had.

The sampling with the powerful probes was conducted during day hours. The biologists targeted largemouth bass, primarily those of 15 inches or more since those are the kind of bass most anglers prefer.

The 2,100-acre Occoquan Reservoir has the most largemouth bass. It had the highest CPE-P (catch per effort of preferred fish) and the highest relative stock density. In other words, check it out. This lake is very good for fishing.

On a final note, the largemouth bass pictured above (16lbs. 4oz.) is the largest ever caught in the commonwealth of Virginia. It was hooked by Richard Tate on May 20, 1985 at Connor Lake. Click here to see all record fish caught in Virginia.

Check out this CNN iReport video that recounts the dramatic river rescue that occurred just above the Occoquan Resevoir Dam on Monday, June 1st.

Sucks for those dudes that their boat was destroyed but let’s hear a big round of applause for the Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton Volunteer Fire Department!

The 2009 Occoquan Spring Craft Fair will take place in Historic Occoquan, this weekend, June 6th & 7th. Per the semi-annual tradition, it will feature lots of greasy food and crafts from an array of artists and vendors.

You can park in nearby commuter lots and take a shuttle to Occoquan for $4/person (kids free). If you don’t mind a little traffic, there is parking to be found in the neighborhoods surrounding the fair.

UPDATE: Here are some pics from the craft fair:[Gallery not found]