EL CHICANo Weekly
Vol 58, NO. 20
May 06, 2021
Blighted apar tment complex receives $2 million makeover, celebrates g rand opening By MJ Duncan
www.iecn.com
Application process open for restaurants COVID r elief funding Pg. 3
A
n apartment complex riddled with blight and woefully located near Jefferson Hunt Elementary school underwent a $2 million transformation after the city of San Berardino shut it down last March for posing a public health hazard. Berto Ramos and Manuel Ramirez of HomeVestors franchise located in San Bernardino, took on the task with their “We Buy Ugly Houses” mentality. Built in the 1960s, the 44-unit complex, formerly known as Brentwood Apartments located at 1415 E. Date St., spent years in a state of disrepair as one of the area’s most troublesome residential properties. So far beyond code that apartments were left with no running water, windows or electricity, the City had forced Apartment, cont. on next pg.
COURTESY PHOTO
San Bernardino City Mayor John Valdivia, investors Manuel Ramirez and Cuthberto Ramos, and 7th Ward City Councilman Damon Alexander were onhand to celebrate the grand opening of the rehabilitated apartment complex.
Operation New Hope of fers programing to transfor m lives of at-risk youth in San Ber nardino County By Manny B. Sandoval
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Community remembers workers who passed away Pg. 5
H OW TO R E AC H US
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n April 2021, California State Representative Pete Aguilar announced $145,000 in federal grant funding to Operation New Hope, a nonprofit in San Bernardino that specializes in connecting at-risk and underserved youth with social services to succeed in life. The organization, which services well over 600 youth per year, will now have the ability to strengthen its current programming and continue the rollout of its latest initiative undertaking Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which fosters leadership, partnerships, prevention and accountability. “PSN is a nationwide initiative that brings together a coalition of federal, state, and local community leaders, prosecutors and law enforcement officials to find solutions to the most pressing ONH, cont. on next pg.
PHOTO
OPERATION NEW HOPS
The organization’s Youth Reinvestment Grant graduates posing for a photo after completing the multifaceted pathway program with the goal of finding longterm success in life.