New Merced small business grant program renamed to honor late pillar of the community
A new Merced small business grant recently conceived by Councilman Jesse Ornelas in honor of Black History Month is being renamed to pay tribute to a pillar of the local business community.
Former Merced NAACP chapter president and local businessman Napoleon Washington Jr. was chosen by City Council to serve as the grant program’s namesake.
Washington, an insurance broker and owner of Napoleon Washington Jr. Insurance Agency, passed away in 2017 at age 69 in Merced — a community he called home for nearly 60 years.
During his decades in Merced, Washington was noted for his myriad local roles. He was an ordained pastor, a former director of the North Merced Rotary Club, a member of the American Legion Post 83, served on the City Parks and Recreation Commission and was a bible teacher for the Merced County Rescue Mission, among other roles.
Washington worked to combat community violence and made time to coach Merced’s youth. He was also known to be outspoken when situations arose concerning civil rights that he felt needed be addressed in the community.
“I had the opportunity to talk to (Washington’s) wife and we had a wonderful conversation about the impact that he had, the type of man that he was, the type of businessman that he was,” Ornelas said at the City Council meeting this week.
“I think when it comes to a small business, that’s the type of small business that we want.”
Grant was formerly named for another late champion of Merced
The grant program was renamed for Washington after having been previously titled after Charles Huddleston, a man once affectionately known to some residents as the “mayor” of south Merced. Huddleston died last year after decades of advocating for the City of Merced and its youth.
Merced City Council in January voted to title the grant after Huddleston in anticipation of upcoming Black History Month. But after the name was chosen, some of Huddleston’s family members and friends contacted the city during the next council meeting’s public comment portion.
Comments stated that they had not been aware of the business grant and that it would be preferred for any program named after Huddleston to be focused on Merced’s youth, as he was.
Councilman Kevin Blake suggested that Washington’s legacy as a businessman and community member made him an apt alternative for the grant’s name. Ornelas and the rest of City Council concurred that Washington would be a good fit.
The grant program, which is still in development, will allocate $10,000 for a new small business with five or fewer employees. Applicants’ business plans will be reviewed by the small business development center. The grant funding will offset licensing costs that new businesses must obtain.
Council members have said that they hope the grant becomes an annual opportunity to help new small business ideas become realities. Depending on how the program goes, city officials say funding could grow.
“The plan is wonderful,” Blake said. “It fulfills a lot of needs in our community, the spirit of it is wonderful.”
