5 Things You Need to Know About Watsonville: May 1

Good morning, it's May 1.

As a kid, we called this "May Day" and would sneak over to our neighbor's house with a bouquet of flowers we yanked out of mom's garden. Mary, our grandmotherly neighbor, loved the attention and rewarded our effort to surprise her with Swedish fish, the little gummies she kept in a jar on her kitchen counter.

None of that is really news, but this stuff is. Have a cup of coffee and read on.

Watsonville's population growth was sluggish last year.

Although the city had the biggest population bump in the county when were released earlier this year, Watsonville only saw 0.5 percent growth in its number of residents from January 2010 to January of this year, according to figures releaasd by the state Department of Finance.

Watsonville went from 51,243 residents a year ago to 51,495. The 252-person increase was lower than the county average of 0.7 percent and a far cry from Santa Cruz's 1.4 percent population rise.

Of course, all of the figures are estimates based on averaging drivers license change forms, tax information and elementary school populations, so it's not an exact science.

The Watsonville City Council met last week, but they'll meet again this Tuesday too.

City councilors will interview applicants to replace , who resigned April 6 after just four months in office, during the meeting on Tuesday meeting.

Two candidates—Dobie Jenkins, who is active with several city commissions and community organizations, and Lowell Hurst, a retired school teacher and former mayor—have declared interest in the seat. In a new twist, Jenkins will answer question over Skype, an online phone program that provides free and low-cost international calling, because he is vacationing in Europe.

This week is National Teacher Appreciation Week.

Starting Monday, Watsonville Patch will feature heart-warming anecdotes from Pajaro Valley students and educators about what makes a good teacher. Feel free to weigh in.

Step on up, salsa classes are back at .

The popular adult dance classes went on hiatus earlier in the spring, but they resume Wednesday at 7 p.m. The hour-long drop-in instruction costs $3 a person. Open dance runs from 9-10:30 p.m.

Three new Watsonville police officers started in April.

Curtis Hall and Noe Rocha were sworn in April 14, and former WPD officer Tony Figueroa rejoined the department earlier in the month, according to Watsonville Police Chief Manny Solano.

Figueroa first joined the department in July 2002. Four years ago, he went to work for another police force in the region.

Hall, a native Canadian, attended college in Green Bay, WI, where he met his wife, Mandie.

Rocha was born in Zamora, Mexico, and came to California with his parents in 1987. He attended Watsonville High for a year and graduated from Riverbank High School in Modesto. He earned a B.A. degree in Criminal Justice from CSU-Stanislaus. He and his wife Tania attended high school and college together.