Since the holiday season is upon us, we thought it might be appropriate to give a quick update on Residential Properties charity endeavors.

A few weeks ago, we blogged about the Woonsocket Adopt-A-Family. The group provides gifts and toys to children of needy families, and two Residential Properties agents―Sandra Soares and Janice Geddes―are actively involved. Their goal is to deliver a message of hope to those youngsters who might not get to have a traditional holiday celebration, and we think this is an admirable aim.

While the organization has matched 1,400 children with donors this year, they are still in need of volunteers to provide for the remaining 472 children. If the group cannot find additional volunteers, this will be the first time in nine years that they have had to turn families away. If you would like to help bring the holidays to those less fortunate, contact Sandy Soares at ssoares@residentialproperties.com

The RPL Providence office is also getting in on the holiday giving. For the past four years, the office has worked with the Salvation Army on Broad Street to bring gifts to children in need. Organized by agent Sandy Conca, the office has delivered almost everything requested in years past, and looks forward to doing the same in 2011. If you would like to contribute to this initiative, contact Sandy Conca at sconca@residentialproperties.com

The Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular at Roger William’s Park Zoo displays a Rhode Island autumn in all it’s glory. This year’s presentation of Halloween bliss features over 5,000 carved pumpkins that describe a “Journey Around the World.” That’s the theme. The scenes are set to music, and spectators can enjoy designs of everything from the Seven Wonders to representations of nations around the world.

This is one of those Rhode Island traditions I can’t help but love, and apparently, I’m not the only one—the event attracts over 80,000 visitors each year. There’s nothing that says ‘welcome to autumn’ quite like the bold glow of a Jack-O-Lantern, and the intricate carving on display at this event doesn’t hurt either. The Spectacular can’t quite be defined; it’s at once artistic, spooky, and agricultural, but incredibly goofy and light hearted at the same time. This may explain the mass appeal—it speaks to that je ne sais quoi at the heart of Rhode Island culture. The birthplace of Pauly D, H.P. Lovecraft, and Mr. Potato Head, the state also bore the World’s Biggest Pumpkin in 2006 and 2007.

And that is what the Roger Williams Park Zoo asks us to remember at this year’s “Journey Around the World.” Diverse populations can exist in harmony, with the help of the pumpkin medium. Perhaps Rhode Island is something of a pumpkin itself? Regardless, the October-long Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular is definitely worth the trip.

If you’re in the Providence area this weekend, you might want to check out the Providence Rotary Street Painting Festival. This event, held downcity in the skating rink, is sure to be a day of family fun and artistic expression. Hundreds of artists flood Kennedy Plaza each year for this event, and take up sidewalk chalk to create large, detailed drawings that celebrate a specific theme. This year, the artistic prompt is “Reach Within to Embrace Humanity” in honor of the Rotary Club’s 100th anniversary.

One of the great things about Providence is the abundance of art and culture. Just think of all the venues—the Rhode Island School of Design, PPAC, Trinity Rep., The Providence Art Club, AS220. These haunts are a reason why the Creative Capital is such a wonderful place to live. Artists have the ability to see the beauty in their surroundings, enhance it, and create something worth keeping, and this is what they bring to our city on a daily basis.

Art makes areas more enjoyable to live in. The Street Painting Festival provides the opportunity for artists to create on an uncommon canvas, and for the public to see these detailed images come to life. This is a promising way to spend a bright autumn day.

Cumberland Manager, Holly Applegate and I are members of this group. More information can be found on The Rotary Club of Providence website.

Our Cumberland office recently underwent a service upgrade for internet. In the process of this effort, we’ve discovered that the house (that is our office) was formerly the home of Ray Mullin, owner of Ray Mullin Music. His popular store was founded in 1929 and originally headquartered in Pawtucket next to the LeRoy Theater. In fact, there was a tunnel between the theater and the music store, so when big acts performed, they could sneak out through this passage. Sandy Soares got her first guitar (a Les Paul) from Ray Mullins and Debby Smith used to babysit his grandchildren. Today, both the Pawtucket store and the LeRoy Theater are gone; the Company has relocated to Swansea.

This got us thinking. Time works differently in Rhode Island. Instead of living by that clock thing hanging on the wall, nostalgia seems to be the dominant rhythm of life here. While new construction may change the terrain, the Rhode Island conscious is embedded in the past. Just ask a true Rhode Islander for directions. Instead of street names, they will most likely be given by landmark. And usually this landmark will be outdated, like where the old I-195 used to be. With this trait in mind, we’ve created a list of some famous Rhode Island Used-To-Be’s that are important to our culture.

If you live in the Ocean State and are over the age of 20, there’s a really good chance you have some childhood memory of Rocky Point Amusement Park. This Warwick Park, established in 1847, grew quickly in popularity, and from the 1850’s through the 1980’s it was the most popular attraction in New England. Tom Flanagan remembers spending Saturdays there, full of laughter and cotton candy. The park closed in 1995 and was demolished in 2007. The town of Warwick is currently looking to make the land into a public park.

Much like Rocky Point, Crescent Park in East Providence (named for the crescent shape of the Riverside beach) was renowned in its time. Founded in 1886 by George Boyden, the venue was known as the “Coney Island of the East”, with hot air balloons and extravagant carousels providing the Park’s main attractions. Tom Flanagan also remembers the delicious candy apples he enjoyed here (there is a theme here with Tom about amusement venues). The park closed in 1979, and the surrounding area was developed. The only remnant of these sweet roots is the Crescent Park Carousel, which remains open to this day.

Today, The Towers set the backdrop to the Narragansett social scene, but they once provided entrance to the Narragansett Pier Casino, another source of turn-of-the-century entertainment. The Casino was completed in 1886 and provided a refuge for the areas social elite, offering a variety of recreational opportunities, such as boating, tennis, billiards, bowling, cards, and shooting. The venue also had restaurants, stores, reading rooms, a theater, a bandstand, a ballroom, and a beautiful beach. While Residential Properties Ltd. has been around for a long time (this year is our 30th anniversery!), none of us were there to enjoy the pleasures of The Casino, since the building burned down in 1900. However, locals like Anita Langer cherish The Towers for uniting a community with their granite walls.

Our final used to be is much less romantic, but is a part of Rhode Island history none-the-less. In the 1980s, Providence was included in the Guinness Book of World Record for holding the distinction of World’s Widest Bridge. Known as the Crawford Street Bridge at 1,147 feet, the structure grew when several normal sized bridges were covered with decking and turned into a parking lot. Oh yeah, this monstrosity was located across the Providence River. Ed Hardy remembers thinking this bridge was gross in his youth. This monstrosity has since been dismantled; the river has been moved; Waterfire caldrons line the center of where the bridge was; and the whole transformation turned the area into an asthetically pleasing area. While this demolition was integral in developing our Capital Center, we just couldn’t let you erase this Used-To-Be from your memory. So, remember, you can get to the downtown area from the East Side by crossing over the river where the world’s widest bridge was.

Admittedly, we’ve left out numerous landmarks that could be used for directions, so you can expect another Used-To-Be compilation in the near future.