Roxroy McLean, Gleaner Writer

Jamaica's Melaine Walker celebrates winning the gold in the women's 400-metre hurdles during the athletics competition in the National Stadium at the Beijing Olympics yesterday. - AP

Melaine Walker's victory in the women's 400-metre hurdles in Beijing yesterday has brought hopes of peace to her community.

A resident of Maxfield Avenue in the Whitfield Town community, Walker won gold in an Olympic record of 52.64 seconds sending her community into a frenzy amid hopes of sustained peace.

"Long time this should happen," said Denise Keane, a resident of the Whitfield Town community.

"Borderline and borderline a come together ... watch there, look how them happy," she said.

She said that Walker's achievement shows that good things can come out of the ghetto.

"I feel good ... I love how she just big up the community," she added.

The Maxfield Avenue community has not been associated with a lot of positives in recent years. In the 1970s it was the home of the legendary Channel One studio which produced hit songs such as Roof Over My Head by the Mighty Diamonds and Ballistic Affair by Leroy Smart.

'The joint'

Walker's father, Japheth, said he remembers the studio and some of the entertainers that used to frequent 'the joint'.

"Artistes like Robbie Shakespeare and Barrington Levy used to record songs at the studio," said the 55-year-old carpenter.

He remembers a Chinese family - the Hoo Kim brothers - who were in charge of the studio and who were very kind to the residents.

"The Hoo Kims were always there for the people ... they would assist them in any or everything they asked," he said.

Leader of the Opposition and Member of Parliament for the South West St Andrew constituency, Portia Simpson Miller, said community members must unite and use what Walker has shown them as a motivation.

"What Melaine has done is to show that success can be achieved not only by the guns," she said. "This one is for the youths, don't destroy your future, look at what Melaine has done."