The VDOT wetlands tradeoff project scheduled for September has been rescheduled to start in mid October. Metro Earthworks, the contractor, is working another site prior to starting in the Harbour. The main impact of the work will be moving 7,000 yards of dirt from the area at the end of Delaware Drive to the "old school site" off Harpoon Drive under the power lines. Total performance time for the visible work is still approximately 3 weeks. The invitation for bids for this year's paving are on the street. The areas to be repaired/repaved include Aquia Drive near Forsail Cove, Washington Drive from the Business Office to Blackbeard Drive, Aquia Drive from Washington Drive to Vessel Drive and the bridge on Aquia Drive. We would like to include more but budgetary limitations won't allow it. Road striping of all major roads will follow soon after. Our in-house Roads and Grounds crew will be finishing up patching the potholes that have developed. Recently several homeowners have used herbicides (weed and grass killers) to control vegetation in the ditches along the road. If you are so inclined I would ask that you reconsider. The runoff goes into our waterways and the loss of vegetation allows serious erosion endangering the road shoulders and contributing to silting in our channels. As hard as it is, the answer is to keep cutting the vegetation that loves to grow in the ditch.

The sale of lot #1237 (on Aquia Drive across from Dewey Drive) fell through and the lot is back on the market. If interested, contact the Business Office prior to November 14th. The ballot for this year?s annual election will contain several issues for vote. The potential Second gate issue with the Garrett Corporation and the possible sale of the underutilized park on Harpoon Drive. Details are available elsewhere.

Dominion Virginia Power Company is installing lighting on the new storage lot behind the stables. Fencing is scheduled to follow. The goal is to have the lot open in late October or early November. A waiting list is being maintained at the Business Office.

A contract for a new membrane roof for the flat portion of the Harbour Inn Community Center has been signed. Work is expected to start in the next few days. Work continues on the Marina bathrooms with completion expected within the month. The study of the entire marina facility is underway by Langley & McDonald Inc. The idea is to have a professional plan that will allow modernizing of the facility over the next few years and will coincide with the requirement to remove the underground fuel tanks.

Several issues have recently come to the forefront. Free roaming dogs. In the past month several residents received serious bites from another resident's dogs. The law is very specific. Dogs must be leashed even when taken for a walk. The friendliest dog can bite under certain circumstances. Numerous residents have reported seeing a bear or bears. For some reason bears have not gone back into the mountains like they normally do this time of year. Play it safe. Keep pet food, birdseed and trash in secure locations that are not easily accessible. If you do see a bear avoid it and immediately report it to the police. Let the police deal with it.

We are actively working with Stafford County authorities to get the publicized potential FRED Bus system to include a stop in the community. As soon as we pin down more details they will be advertised.

The Business office and I get as many as 50 E-mails a day. Many are SPAM but a significant number are from members of the community trying to communicate. If you send us E-mail please make sure to include a subject line that indicates association business. Because of the many viruses we do not open any message that is in doubt.