Transportation may get a little better in the East Bay. In coalition with the RIDOT, the town of Barrington is working to build a new bridge connecting the Hampden Meadows neighborhood to Barrington Village. The standing 2 lane bridge conveniently joins the area with County Road at the local High School and the Barrington Congregational Church. The new construction over Hundred Acre Cove will stay in the same location. The bridge was proposed in order to combat the heavy traffic flow between the two areas, and the design includes 3 traffic lanes to ease right hand turns.

While this new addition is a welcome improvement to the community, there is some debate over the prospective bridge height. RIDOT plans to elevate the structure 10 inches, but that is 16 inches less than the HarborMaster’s recommendation. However, the number of piers below the bridge will be reduced, so that boaters have more room for travel.

The bridge will be assembled in a way that ensures the present travel patterns will not be affected. Roadway construction will take place offsite, and the final product will be put in place sometime around Spring 2014. The RIDOT and the town of Barrington are shaping this project with the convenience of the community in mind.

Hampden Meadows is a more affordable neighborhood in Barrington. Known for it’s privacy, this quiet area is surrounded on 3 sides by water and is home to the Barrington Yacht Club. It is also an easy commute to Providence.

The holidays can be an especially daunting time for those in need. Although most of our clients at Residential Properties are those who can afford to buy and sell real estate, we haven’t forgotten about less fortunate members of the community. This year, several agents are trying to make a difference in the lives of families throughout the state who cannot necessarily afford to have traditional holiday celebrations. Providing holiday gifts to families in need, these compassionate agents are trying to give Rhode Islanders a better holiday experience.

Sandy Soares, an agent in our Cumberland office, got involved with Adopt-A-Family after learning about the number of children in Woonsocket living under the Poverty line. For 20 years, she has been an advocate for the cause and is a member and former President of the AAF Woonsocket Board of Directors. Currently, she is the organizations Program Coordinator and maintains a blog dedicated to the organization.

If you live in the Providence area and would like to Adopt-A-Family locally, Sandy Conca, an agent in our Providence office, has teamed up with the Salvation Army on Broad Street to bring gifts to children in need. For the past 3 years, she and members of the Providence Office have been helping between 10 and 20 families experience a bountiful holiday, providing gifts for children. Through the generosity of the Providence agents and staff, Sandy manages to deliver almost everything requested, and looks forward to this years Adopt-A-Family endeavors.

If you live in the East Bay area, our office in Barrington collects donations to support the purchase of gifts for women and children affected by domestic violence. Each year, the office raises hundreds of dollars to buy gifts for the Women’s Resource Center of Bristol and Newport Counties. This organization is a safe house for victims of domestic violence, offers programs for children who have experienced this abuse, and is an advocate for these affected families with the courts and police.

An agent in our East Greenwich Office, Denise D’Amico, is spearheading an Adopt-A-Family type Holiday drive, but with a twist. The program, called Adopt-A-Senior, provides Holiday Feasts to elderly people in need. These folks would otherwise not engage in any festivities. To accompany the dinners, agents in the East Greenwich Office are also collecting gifts suitable for seniors.

If you would like to help or become a volunteer in any of these projects, email Adoptafamily@cox.net to reach Sandy Soares, sconca@residentialproperties.com for the Providence Office campaign, Marlene Manchester at mmanchester@residentialproperties.com to contribute to the Barrington cause, and ddamico@residentialproperties.com to keep those seniors involved.

The best take away from these endeavors is the spirit of giving. This is always a good time of year to reflect on your achievements and help others if you can. We believe in it.