RESIDENTS OPTIMISTIC DESPITE DRUGS, VIOLENCE

Bridge Street East is Steve Prices favourite street in Belleville.

With its Victorian architecture, well-manicured lawns, quiet
neighbourhoods and proud homeowners, the historic street may as well
be thousands of kilometres away from Prices home.

But its not.

Price, his wife and their eight-year-old son live on the corner of
Dunbar and Catharine streets in the city's West Hill.

An area recently the topic of conflicting opinions on its state of
repair and character, the West Hill has been at the centre of talk
about a perceived lack of policing, absentee landlords and drug
problems. Its also the section of the city which Mayor Mary-Anne
Sills referred to as the ghetto at a police services board recently.
She insists the remark was made as a term of joking endearment, as
she lives there.

Still the term stung some.

The Prices house is unassuming no spectacular lawn, though the grass
is cut low, and the front porch provides a perfect venue for the
Prices to sit and watch the comings and goings in their neighbourhood.

Theres too many drugs around here, Price readily admitted. I don't
know how it compares to the rest of the city, but theres a lot of
drugs in the West Hill.

For the past 11 years, Price has called the West Hill home. Its an
area he doesn't consider safe and though hes never been a victim of
crime he refuses to allow his family members to walk the streets after dark.

Theres no lack of police presence which is a double-edged sword, he
said. Marked cruisers are often seen patrolling the neighbourhood,
but does that mean its safe or does it mean they're being reactive to
something happening there, he asked.

Price often refers to his neighbourhood as the low society side of
town and refers to the East Hill, as an example of what he wants his
neighbourhood to look like.

I prefer the East Hill when it comes to the way homes are kept up.
Its just the appearance of places around here. It doesn't seem to be
kept up as nice. Theres a lot of run-down homes with broken-down cars
in the yard, he said.

But, Price is also seeing some changes in his neighbourhood which
have him hoping things are going to turn around.

I do see a lot of improvement here and I'm hoping it brings the
property values up.

Directly one block east of the Price house is another West Hill home
that also reflects some pride of place. Bright flowers draw the eye
toward well-kept gardens, a cobblestone walkway invites visitors to
the front door and a couple sitting in the shade provided by their
home greet passersby with a friendly hello.

Al Marks and Gert Buckley are relatively new to the West Hill,
calling the area home for three years. Like most of the homes on the
southern stretch of Octavia Street, their home is neat, tidy and
truly an eye-pleaser.

The comfort of their home comes from being comfortable in their
neighbourhood, Marks said.

We haven't really had any problems, he said.

Buckley agreed, saying shes happy living in the West Hill and likes
Octavia Street. Traffic is a bit heavy at times, meaning the elderly
couple can't leave their windows open at night due to the noise, but
its a minor thing, she said.

Its not the only issue in the neighbourhood, but Marks said other
issues haven't really become problematic for them.

Theres drugs around but it hasn't impacted our lives, he said.

Buckley said the drug trade in the neighbourhood is a concern, but
shes noticed an increased police presence. Nearly every day there's
an officer either going by in a cruiser or on a bicycle, she said.

The police are battling crime, but little's being done about the
tangible, visual issues, she said.

Buckley pointed up the street and said there are homes farther up
Octavia that don't fit into her idea of a picturesque neighbourhood.

There are some houses that need to be fixed up. Theres just three or
four eyesores, but that's the people themselves. They don't seem to
care, she said.

A walk past the intersection of Octavia and Catharine streets
provides a visual testimony to Buckleys comments. Immaculate lawns,
charming homes and an almost Rockwellian atmosphere are quickly
suppressed by buildings crying out for fresh paint and new masonry,
lawns which should be thriving and green are dead brown or simply
non-existent and yards are cluttered not cultured.

This is the part of the West Hill that Karen Fisher has called home
for one year. It's not the best neighbourhood, but it could be worse, she said.

It's not bad. It's a quiet neighbourhood.

A quiet neighbourhood doesn't translate to safety for Fisher who said
she doesn't like to be in her home without company.

When I have somebody in here with me I feel safe, but when I'm alone?
No, she said.

Crime is a concern for Fisher, 36, who said she has had items stolen
from her property. Police are in the area but she only sees them once
or twice a week.

Fisher said drugs are her main concern. The area is known for its
crack houses and she said she could point out some of them.

Theres a lot of them around here. At night, you can smell (crack) in the air.

Three blocks away, at the base of the hill, Shane Slaunwhite has been
a resident of Cedar Street for three years and hes proud to call it
home. His residence, one of the neighbourhoods older homes, needs
some work and he and his wife, Nicola, are happy to be improving it
and their neighbourhood.

I feel completely safe living here and I'm tired of having city
council and the police being put down, Shane said. In the last few
years theres been a dramatic improvement. A lot of the houses are
being fixed up.

Crime exists in the West Hill, he said, but its not a concern for
him. Police presence has been stepped up and recent drug busts in the
area are a testament to their work, he said.

The Slaunwhites front yard is also a testament, this one to the
efforts of the family to make the neighbourhood more appealing. Light
landscaping highlights their small lawn while their back yard still
filled with shovels, rakes and other tools of the trade is coming
along. Fresh grass seed lies on dark earth and some small blades poke
up through the dirt.

Living here is no different than any other community I've lived in,
Shane said. I feel very safe living here and I love this area.