Thursday, May 7, 2026 | Vol 40 No 8

Menifee Native Supported Artemis II Recovery

Mission in the Pacific

NASA

The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Menifee.

"Growing up, my father always taught me the importance of com- pleting the job in front of you, then moving forward to the next," Mercado said. "This gave me the no-quit mentality and strong work ethic I have today."

Mercado joined the Navy more than eight years ago. Today, Mercado is a hospital corpsman who has earned both Fleet Marine Force and Surface Warfare quali-

MILLINGTON, TN When NASA's Artemis II crew splashed down in the Pacific upon their return to Earth from their flight around the moon, U.S. Navy sail- ors stood ready to welcome them home.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Nicholas Mercado, from Menifee, California, was among the sailors who supported the recovery of the crew and the Orion space capsule. Mercado, a 2014 graduate of Heritage High School, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to USS John

P. Murtha, the ship tasked with re- trieving the astronauts and space- craft.

Mercado serves as a hospital corpsman and was the flight deck corpsman during the recovery fications.

"I joined the Navy to travel the world and do cool things for the Navy," Mercado said. "My father served in the Army, and my grand- father served in the Navy."

mission.

"My role was to maintain a medi- cal safety cover for the ship's avi- ation crew," Mercado said.

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Continued from page 4

California Youth Groups

"It's important for young people to be in these spaces because it's about building a legacy and a lad- der of leadership," Cole said. "Ad- vocacy is a long-term process. We need to continuously revisit the table and consistently revisit the legislators to remind them to build power into the young people."

Cole added, "Learning the pro- cess is important although, of tentimes, it seems difficult and arduous. Sometimes it feels like our legislative leaders are distant figures that we can't touch or talk to. We have to remind our young people that these people work for you."

Cole previously served as the National Director for the NAACP Youth and College Division, where he managed campaigns for over 700 youth and college chap- ters, focusing on student debt can- cellation, police accountability in schools, and voter access.

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THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2026

BBOP Center Announces 5th Annual Innovation Pitch

• Competition, Set for June
• 19 in San Bernardino
• YOUTH & ADULT PITCH COMPETITION
• Big ideas. Real solutions. Stronger communities.
• BBOP
• CENTER
• INNOVATE CONNECT CMPACT
• SAN BERNARDINO, CA

The BBOP Center is proud to an- nounce its 5th Annual Innovation

Pitch Competition, a flagship event designed to support entrepreneurs, innovators, small business own- ers, and community-driven ven- tures ready to grow their ideas and expand their impact. The competi- tion will be held on Friday, June 19, 2026, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the BBOP Center, located at 599 N. Arrowhead Avenue, San Bernardino, CA 92401.

Since its inception, the BBOP Center has served more than 250 entrepreneurs and helped facilitate over $460,000 in capital access, building a growing ecosystem fo- cused on economic empowerment and business development. This year's pitch competition contin- ues that mission-not simply as a contest, but as a launchpad for opportunity.

The BBOP Center Innovation Pitch Competition gives selected entrepreneurs the chance to pres- ent their business ideas before a panel of judges, gain meaningful exposure, connect with communi- ty leaders, and compete for prizes, mentorship, resources, and poten- tial capital support.

The competition features two di- visions. The Youth Division, open to participants ages 10 through 19, is designed for students with ideas or early-stage businesses fu- ture entrepreneurs who are ready to learn, compete, and receive mentorship. The Adult Division is geared toward entrepreneurs with validated ideas or operating busi- nesses founders preparing for growth, capital access, or expan- sion. Both divisions will compete across Ideation and Startup cate- gories, with only ten participants selected per division.

Winners will have the opportunity receive cash prizes, Al-powered business support tools, hands-on coaching and mentorship, a live pitch experience in front of a real audience, and increased visibility within the broader BBOP ecosysto tem.

The competition is open to en- trepreneurs, startups, small busi- nesses, innovators, and communi- ty-based ventures seeking growth, visibility, funding opportunities, and strategic connections. Appli- cants must be available to present in person on June 19, 2026. Youth participants will require parent or guardian consent, and one submis- sion is permitted per individual or team.

Applications opened April 25, 2026, with a deadline of May 23, 2026. Pitch preparation work- shops are forthcoming, with the Final Pitch Competition taking place June 19, 2026, at the BBOP Center in San Bernardino. To apply, visit: info.bbopcenter.

com.

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