HOLLYWOOD RESIDENT RALLIES NEIGHBORS FOR VIGIL TO STAMP OUT DRUGS

HOLLYWOOD . When Saul Tirado began building his Habitat for Humanity house
in Liberia, he knew some of the challenges that awaited him.

Tirado and his wife put in 4,000 hours of "sweat equity'' to build their
homes. If it wasn't for the help of church members and friends, he says,
they couldn't have done it.

But building the house was only the first hurdle Tirado had to overcome.
Fighting drugs in his newfound neighborhood would be the next.

"Before we put up our fence, we had drug dealers cutting through our yard,
dropping their garbage and paraphernalia,'' says Tirado, who in March moved
into the home, close to the busy 22nd Avenue and Raleigh Street corner,
with his wife and four children.

"We were skeptical at first. But then I thought, if we run from here we'll
run from everywhere, because wherever you go there will be problems.''

So, instead of running, Tirado, aggravated neighbors and some local
politicians have decided to walk. Together they will comb the area around
22nd and Raleigh this evening at a vigil aimed at chasing away drug dealers.

"The police seem to have their hands tied, there's but so much they can
do,'' said Tirado, who believes having a 24-hour convenience store on the
corner feeds the drug activity.

Liberia, a predominantly black community wedged between Sheridan Street to
the south, Stirling Road to the north, North 26th Avenue to the west and
Ely Boulevard to the east, has long suffered from drug dealing, a lack of
home ownership, and zoning and land use inconsistent with the residential
neighborhood.

As of last year, the average household income, according to a consultant
hired by the city, was $21,000.

But, when Tirado looks at his new neighborhood, he sees potential.

"We want people to wish they lived here, and residents to walk down the
street without having to worry,'' he said.

Dania Beach Vice Mayor Robert Chunn and Hollywood Commissioner Beam Furr
have volunteered to help the residents and said they plan to participate in
the vigil.

"We share a common goal,'' said Chunn, who said he doesn't see it as a
Hollywood or Dania Beach problem, but an issue that affects both cities.
"We're saving our children. We shouldn't worry about whose city it's in.''

Furr, who lives in the district being targeted, said residents have
repeatedly raised concerns about drug selling on that corner.

"What we have now are some real dedicated citizens who have reached the
height of their frustration,'' Furr said.

Those who have lived in the neighborhood for some time say that, despite
their efforts, the problem seems to come and go.

Horace Martin, president of the Liberia Civic Association, said the drug
problem on Raleigh Street is nothing new. But, he added, it appears to have
worsened over the last few months.

"We've always been fighting drugs in our area,'' Martin said. "The police
would crack down on them, it would get better and then after a month passed
it would start right back up.''

Martin said the increase in the number of drug dealers in his neighborhood
might be linked to the recent street closings in the southwest section of
Dania Beach, a neighborhood close to Liberia.

Dania Beach is taking part in a pilot program to determine if barricading
side streets near Sterling Road and Dixie Highway will curb drug traffic in
that area.

Martin said he believes that that simply caused the problem to move from
one location to another.

Some residents are hoping a stronger police presence in the area may reduce
the corner's popularity.

The police department plans to build a community center/police substation
across the street from the same corner residents are targeting in Liberia,
said police spokesman Detective Carlos Negron.

Dubbed a neighborhood network center, it would house a full-service police
substation, code enforcement officers and other city services.

Tirado said seeing the 30 or so children who live in a two-block radius of
his home is all the encouragement he needs to try to clean up the area.

"Simply by trying, we're empowering others,'' he said.