He and his wife, artist Lynn Beldner, bought their own home in mid-1998, one that, as a crack house, had been the scourge of the neighborhood for many years. Most area residents applauded the arrival of their new neighbors, although every now and then some lost soul will come straggling up the porch steps, hoping to score--only to be confused by the freshly mown lawn and barking dog in the front window.