MOTORIST drives right by a police cadet in a crosswalk during an enforcement operation in Garden Grove (GGPD photo).

When you are driving along and see a pedestrian step out onto the crosswalk, do you stop your car to let him or her walk by … or do you zoom right past?

If you answer that incorrectly, it could cost you an expensive traffic ticket, just as it did on Oct. 26 when 70 motorists were cited for failure to yield to a pedestrian at Lemonwood Lane and Garden Grove Boulevard.

As part of a special enforcement program in the wake of four pedestrian incidents in the last month, the Garden Grove Police Department put a police cadet in a reflective safety vest start walking across the marked crosswalk.

Nearly six-dozen motorists failed to yield and were ticketed. Other such operations by the GGPD’s Accident Reduction Team are planned. Pedestrians, police point out, have the right of way at any crosswalk or intersection.

TURKEYS ON THE MOVE

State Sen. Janet Nguyen (R-Garden Grove) and Golden State Water Company are working together to provide free turkeys to needy local families.

They will distribute 100 turkeys to local organizations such as the Kiwanis Club of Santa Ana, Garden Grove Rotary Club, H.O.P.E., Vietnamese American and others.

The event started at Sen. Nguyen’s district office at 10971 Garden Grove Blvd., Suite D (at Main Street) in Garden Grove on Wednesday, Nov. 16.

TESTING FOR GIFTED AND TALENTED ON

The Garden Grove Unified School District is offering free testing for the Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program in January.  Parents who live within GGUSD boundaries and whose children are not currently attending a GGUSD school can request to have their child tested for the program.

Requests for student testing must be submitted by Dec. 1, 2016.  To download a parent referral form, visit http://www.ggusd.us/GATE or contact the GATE Department at (714) 663-6488 for more information.

Children in grades kindergarten through 11 who reside within GGUSD boundaries and are homeschooled, attending a private school, or who may have transferred to another district are eligible to be tested for the GATE program.

The GGUSD serves most of Garden Grove as well as portions of Westminster and other cities.