South Kingston Education Foundation

A graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, Christopher Hood Little has more than four decades of experience in dispute resolution. Now retired from legal practice, he serves as a legal consultant and arbitrator in complex construction and commercial cases, as well as consumer disputes. Over the years, Christopher Hood Little has maintained involvement with nonprofit organizations such as the South Kingstown Education Foundation, of which he was a founding board member.

The South Kingston Education Foundation (SKEF) works to improve and enhance the experience of students in South Kingstown Public Schools through annual grants and scholarships. The SKEF focuses on funding special projects, programs, and activities that provide innovative learning opportunities for students. Grant applications are open to educators, parents, and students whose creative and experiential proposals will help to promote excellence in South Kingstown public schools and improve the school’s relationship with the wider community.

In their application, grant seekers should outline the purpose and scope of their project. Because grants are usually $1,000 or less, applicants should also explain how they will procure additional funding to implement their project.

Hiking the Trustom Pond National Wildlife

A resident of Wakefield, Rhode Island, Christopher Hood Little practiced law for more than 40 years before retiring in 2020. He has also served on the board of numerous civic and community organizations. Outside of his professional and volunteer endeavors, Christopher Hood Little is an avid hiker and outdoorsman.

The independent hiking authority AllTrails ranks the Trustom Pond National Wildlife Refuge Trail as the top trail in the immediate Wakefield area. This trail extends 2.5 miles around the scenic saltwater Trustom Pond in the heart of one of Rhode Island’s five national wildlife refuges.

Appropriate for hikers of all skill levels, the Trustom Pond National Wildlife Refuge Trail is relatively flat and moderately trafficked. In addition to the green shrubs and narrow-leaved cattails that skirt the pond, the area is a great place to see wildflowers.

Hikers also commonly spot wildlife along the trail, including piping plover seabirds and New England cottontail rabbits. Aquatic life such as striped bass and blue crabs inhabit the salty water of Trustom Pond.

Three of Rhode Island’s Top Golf Courses

A 1975 graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center, Christopher Hood Little practiced as an associate and then a partner at a large regional law firm in Rhode Island before establishing his own firm, Little Bulman Medeiros & Whitney, PC (LBMW), in 1993. In 2013, he spearheaded the merger of LBMW with Pierce Atwood, another major New England law firm. Although he left the full-time practice of law in 2020, he continues to serve as an arbitrator and mediator. Christopher Hood Little now has more time to pursue his leisure interests, which include hiking, rowing, swimming, and golf.

Though Rhode Island is the U.S.’s smallest state, it has no shortage of golf courses for enthusiasts to enjoy. One of the state’s finest courses, the private Newport Country Club, hosted the first US Open golf tournament in 1895, just two years after the course was established. Another popular private club is the Wannamoisett Country Club, located in Rumford. It hosted the 1931 Professional Golfers Association Championship and is home to the annual Northeast Amateur Invitational tournament .

The Newport National Golf Club in Middletown is a 200-acre public course situated on the site of a former orchard and nursery. The course sits very near the water and many holes offer spectacular views of Sakonnet Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Because of this proximity to the coast, a steady ocean breeze adds to the challenge of playing this historic course, which is considered by many to be one of the nation’s top ten public courses.