Highway 129 Renamed to Honor People Who First Settled in the Paj - Central Coast News KION/KCBA

WATSONVILLE, Calif - A portion of State Highway Route 129 in Santa Cruz County will now be named the Ohlone Kallentaruk Highway, said Assemblymember Luis Alejo (D-Salinas) in a news release.

The portion of State Highway Route 129 to be renamed is between Blackburn Street and Murphy Crossing Road in Watsonville.

"I am happy to co-author ACR 100 which pays tribute to the Ohlone Indian people who settled in the Pajaro Valley, near the Pajaro River, and in the Watsonville wetlands and sloughs.  The Ohlone Indian were the first inhabitants of the Pajaro Valley and have contributed rich cultural, economic, and environmental traditions to the region.  It is important that we recognize their contributions to the present-day understanding of Native American culture and history," says Alejo.

Alejo co-authored the bill with Assemblymember Bonnie Lowenthal (D-Long Beach).

The name Ohlone Kallentaruk was chosen in consultation with Ohlone Indian descendants from the Pajaro Valley. It means "house by the sea" and was chosen by the Ohlone Indians to describe the Watsonville region.