PINE HILLS, Fla. – The success stories of people who live in Pine Hills are sometimes overshadowed by negative stories about crime.
As part of our News 6 Hits the Road series, we spoke with residents in Pine Hills about how things are changing in a positive way, despite a history of high crime.
Leo Laplante grew up in Pine Hills and said he faced many challenges along the way. Some of his friends were not able to pull themselves out of the rough times, but Laplante managed to build a successful career with Ramko Realty on Old Winter Garden Road. The company specializes in the Pine Hills area and work with locals on creative financing to get them into their own homes.
“Some of Pine Hills was a lot tougher when I was growing up. It wasn’t easy for a lot of the kids,” Laplante told News 6. “There were a lot of things that we couldn’t do -- simple things, like playing outside, playing basketball, things that were sort of posing a big risk for kids my age because of possible violence. But, you know, we were able to make it through going to Evans and Meadowbrook Middle School and things like that. It definitely played a big part in showing me who I am, because this community isn’t for the weak, you know, isn’t for the faint of heart.”
After graduating high school, he faced decisions about which direction he would take his life.
A chance meeting with the owner of Ramko Realty, Ramko Kallicharran, helped Laplante to put his energy into buying and selling homes in Pine Hills. After a few short years he became a top seller, helping the some of the very same friends and family he grew up with become homeowners.
“Crime has gone down over the past couple of years, especially violent crime,” Orange County Commissioner for District 6 Mike Scott said. “There are also several infrastructure and beautification projects underway. We are in a project to bring Pine Hills off of septic and onto sewer. We are investing in the infrastructure so that we get less or little to no flooding complaints, making this look more like a metro West or Ocoee.”
Laplante says even though some people who make it are tempted to move out of the community, he says he wants to stay and be part of the positive change.
“I’m happy to give back to give back to my community,” he added.
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