A DUI CHECKPOINT Friday night and Saturday morning is planned in Garden Grove.

A DUI/drivers’ license checkpoint will be held on Friday by the Garden Grove Police Department between the hours of 9 p.m. and 3 a.m.

According to the GGPD, over the course of the last three years, police have investigated 486 DUI collisions, which have claimed eight lives and resulted in another 252 injuries.

Officers will be looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment and will check for proper licensing. The process should delay motorists “only momentarily.”

In some cases, specially-trained officers will be on hand to evaluate those suspected of drug-impaired driving, which now accounts for a growing number of impaired driving crashes.

The checkpoint is being conducted in coordination with the city’s Accident Reduction Team with funding from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Be aware! Coyotes on the prowl!

Recent coyote sightings in Garden Grove mean that residents need to take measures to protect themselves, their family and pets.

COYOTE sightings are on the rise in Garden Grove (City of Garden Grove photo).

The community is encouraged to report coyote sightings by calling the City’s coyote hotline number at (714) 741-5286. Callers should include date, time, and location of sightings. If the coyote is acting aggressively, call Garden Grove Animal Care Services at (714) 741-5565, or the Garden Grove Police Department at (714) 741-5704.

Some coyote safety tips from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife are:

• Keep small pets inside particularly at dawn and dusk when coyotes are most active.
• Keep pet food and water dishes inside.
• Secure food and trash at all times and remove all sources of water.
• Pick up fallen fruit and keep compost piles tightly sealed.
• Sweep up fallen birdseed, which can attract mice and rats, a common food source for coyotes.
  • Remove brush, wood piles, and debris where coyotes can find cover and where rodents are abundant.
  • Install motion-activated lighting or sprinklers.
  • If a coyote approaches or acts aggressively, throw rocks, make noise, look big, and pick up small children and pets. Do not turn your back to the animal.

            More information is available on the City of Garden Grove website at www.garden-grove.org , or visit the U.S. Humane Society website at www.humanesociety.org/animals/coyotes.

Dual Language Vietnamese program on the way

Garden Grove Unified School District is developing a dual language program in Vietnamese.  The school district is in the process of hiring a K-6 Vietnamese Dual Language Development Preparation TOSA (Teacher on Special Assignment) and a K-6 Vietnamese Language Teacher.

The adjacent Westminster School District has a dual language Vietnamese program as well.

GGUSD serves more than 44,000 students including a large Vietnamese population, the second largest ethnicity in the district.  The K-6 Vietnamese Dual Language Development Preparation TOSA will research and visit existing Vietnamese dual language programs and will develop Vietnamese language materials and lesson plans aligned to rigorous learning standards.  The district’s plan also includes a District Dual Language Focus Group consisting of parents, teachers, and community members.

For more information, contact Luisa Rogers, Director of English Learner Programs, at (714) 663-6143.