Croatian Place, San Pedro, California

A block-long stretch of Ninth Street in San Pedro, California was renamed Croatian Place in honor of the community's century-old Croatian/American community. The City Council voted Tuesday to change the name of the street between Grand Avenue and Gaffey Street. The ceremonial "Croatian Place" signs will go up soon, but the street section officially will remain Ninth Street.

"Croatians were pioneers in San Pedro, going back to the late 1800s," said Joe Mardesic, president of the Croatian American Club. "This gives some recognition to this history." Efforts for the street name change began about two years ago when club members approached Councilwoman Janice Hahn with the request, said Vladimir Lonza, past president of the San Pedro Croatian-American Club. The street designation is a way to honor the historic Croatian-American influence in San Pedro, said Lonza. "It's symbolic and special for us old-timers," Lonza said. "We're getting older and some of us are passing away. This says, 'We were there.' Even if the club disappears, it will be Croatian Place." September 24, 2003 (Associated Press 2003)