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Patti McGee, pioneering pro skateboarder with a San Diego youth, dies at 79

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Patti McGee, pioneering pro skateboarder with a San Diego youth, dies at 79


Stand at the top of the Loring Street hill in Pacific Beach — one of the steepest in San Diego — and let yourself be transported back to the early 1960s, when children and teenagers flew down the precipitous grade on makeshift skateboards, the ocean sprawled in the distance ahead.

These were some of skateboarding’s first takers, the kids who helped pave the way for future generations of a sport that for decades was widely seen as a societal menace and a fringe subculture.

Among these skaters was Patti McGee. For the Point Loma teen, skateboarding down Loring Street was just another way to kill time when the surf blew out in the afternoon and she wasn’t ready to go home to do homework.

Loring Street “was a challenge. That was like surfing a big wave, if you could make it,” McGee told the skateboarding magazine Juice in 2017.

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Seeking a challenge and staying active were part of what drew her to skateboarding. But McGee — who died Oct. 16 at her home in Brea at 79 following a recent stroke — was also a natural.

Considered the world’s first professional female skateboarder, McGee carved a name for herself in the sport when it was even more dominated by men than it is today.

Her career kicked off in 1964 when she took first place at the inaugural national skateboarding championships in Santa Monica, clinching the win with her signature trick, a handstand on the skateboard.

That move was later cemented into the culture’s history when she graced the cover of LIFE magazine in May 1965, feet high in the air, board rolling beneath her.

A replica of the 1965 LIFE magazine cover featuring Patti McGee performing her signature trick. (Photo by Michael Kitada, Orange County Register contributing photographer)

After the win in Santa Monica, McGee received a brand deal with skateboard manufacturer Hobie and traveled the country promoting its boards.

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She was inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame in 2010. That year, San Diego’s then-Councilmember Kevin Faulconer gave her a special commendation honoring her achievements.

But becoming a trailblazer for women in skateboarding wasn’t exactly the goal for McGee; the San Diego Evening Tribune reported in 1965 that she wanted to pursue acting or be a “movie stunt girl.”

“She was a sweet angel, but she was also a wild woman,” her daughter Hailey Villa, 46, told the Union-Tribune last week. McGee is also survived by her son, Forest Villa, 45, as well as two grandchildren and her brother, Jack.

“She did a lot of different things in her life,” Villa said, pointing to her mother’s time working in turquoise mining and leather goods and even at a casino. “Skateboarding was just kind of a little blip.”

McGee was born on August 23, 1945, at Fort Lewis in Washington state, and her family moved to San Diego when she was about 5 years old. Her parents split when she was young, and she was mostly raised by her mother, who worked at Montgomery Junior High School.

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McGee’s youth was in many ways a quintessential San Diego one.

Like many skaters of the 1960s, she had begun as a surfer — first surfing in 1958 and hitting spots such as Newport Street, North Beach and Ocean Beach and in La Jolla, at the shores and Windansea.

When she was 16, she ventured up the coast for more — to Tamarack, Oceanside, Doheny and County Line, she told Skateboarder magazine in 1965, when she was on its cover.

The president of an all-girls surf team in 1963, McGee described herself as a “rowdy surfer” — unafraid to be aggressive as one of the few girls in the water, when “guys would just push you out of the way or kick out into your ankles, like, ‘My wave,’” she told Juice.

McGee first found her way to a skateboard in 1962 through a DIY project: Her brother, Jack, stole the wheels off her roller skates and attached them to a wooden board he’d made in shop class.

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Later, she rode a Bun Buster, equipped with those same wheels from her roller skates.

She and her friends cruised the streets of San Diego, even the parking garage of downtown San Diego’s Concourse — their Mount Everest, as she described it.

They were unruly, and they always got in trouble.

“Thank you for helping to pave the way for all of us when skateboarding was simply considered a ‘menace’ in the 1960’s,” Tony Hawk wrote in a recent Instagram post in her memory.

McGee was also a member of the Pump House Gang, a group of teen surfers who gathered around a sewage pump house at Windansea Beach in the 1960s. The writer Tom Wolfe later wrote an essay about the group and named his 1968 collection of essays after it.

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But her 1964 championship win in Santa Monica inexorably changed her life.

Her one-year, $250-a-month brand deal with skateboard maker Hobie took her around the country, where she demonstrated skateboarding in department stores and shopping malls, largely for audiences of children.

Landing the cover of LIFE propelled McGee to yet another level of recognition. Soon after the iconic shoot, she booked appearances on the game show “What’s My Line?” and the “Mike Douglas Show” and taught Johnny Carson to skate on “The Tonight Show.”

At the time, mainstream culture was still deciding how it felt about skateboarding. Initially seen as a fun new fad for kids and often dubbed “sidewalk surfing,” by the late 1960s and 70s it was more widely considered a nuisance, something for kids up to no good.

McGee and her generation saw that shift firsthand and are part of the reason that skateboarding became closely associated with punk, said Haley Watson, a filmmaker who was working on a documentary about McGee before she passed away.

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“There’s no way that skateboarding as we know it would take the shape that it has without Patti,” Watson said.

McGee returned to San Diego after her national tour in the mid-’60s, but she didn’t stay long.

She soon moved to Lake Tahoe with her first husband, Glen Villa, where they mined turquoise and made leather goods. Later she moved to Cave Creek, Ariz., where she raised two children, gave tours to tourists panning for gold. There, she met her second husband, William Chace, who died in 2015.

But there was little concrete in their rural town, and few places to skate, Villa remembers — her mom would take her and her brother to a nearby elementary school to skateboard.

And when she was in third grade, her mother brought a skateboard team to her school to give a demonstration. Among its members was Tony Hawk.

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“I think that was the day I understood my mom was more special in the skateboarding realm,” Villa recalls.

Villa became a skater herself, and she and McGee founded the Original Betty Skateboard Company, which spawned its own all-girls skate team, sponsoring young skaters, some of whom went on to compete in the Olympics.

Patti McGee, right, and her daughter, Hailey Villa, left, listen to remarks during the re-opening of the Brea skate park on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, in Brea, California. (Photo by Michael Kitada, Orange County Register contributing photographer)
Patti McGee, right, and her daughter, Hailey Villa, left, listen to remarks during the re-opening of the Brea skate park on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, in Brea, California. (Photo by Michael Kitada, Orange County Register contributing photographer)

The family bond was clear to Watson.

“It was very evident to me that she really loved her family and that she had a very special connection with her daughter,” the filmmaker said. “They had so much of their own language.”

McGee’s story was brought to a younger, wider audience in 2021, when Orange County author and school librarian Tootie Nienow published the children’s book “There Goes Patti McGee! The Story of the First Women’s National Skateboard Champion,” illustrated by Erika Medina.

Nienow became close with McGee as she wrote the book.

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McGee could make a person feel like they were the only one in the room, Nienow said — a sentiment echoed by McGee’s friend and skatemate Di Dootson Rose, who was also inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame earlier this year.

She was “magnetic,” Rose said, recalling how McGee would connect with people, sometimes placing her hands on their faces and really looking them in the eyes. “People would let her in.”

The skateboarder’s charm and talent captivated her friends and family — and the world.

Rose points to McGee’s LIFE cover in 1965 — a far cry, she said, from some of the magazine’s more serious covers of that time.

“Then one day they come out with this sky blue cover of a blonde, upside down (doing a) handstand — white capris and a red sweater,” Rose said. “If that isn’t a breath of fresh air, then I don’t know what is.”

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The nonprofit Exposure Skate will hold a ceremony for McGee at its annual skate event for women and nonbinary skaters in Encinitas this Saturday at 5 p.m.





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The best things to do this week in San Diego: Dec. 15-19

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The best things to do this week in San Diego: Dec. 15-19


Here are some of the best things to do this week in San Diego, from Monday, Dec. 15 to Friday, Dec. 19.

Check back Wednesday for our guide to things to do this weekend.

Monday

Light Up Oceanside: Chabad Jewish Center of Oceanside/Vista holds its annual community-wide Hanukkah celebration, themed “Light Up Oceanside.” Highlights include lighting of a giant 16-foot menorah, donuts, latkes and hot cocoa along with live DJ, fire show and Gelt drop. 5:30 p.m. Monday. Regal Cinema Plaza, 401 Mission Ave. Admission is free. jewishoceanside.com

Hanukkah Festivities: Seaport Village is partnering with the Chabad of Downtown San Diego to host a family-friendly Hanukkah event from 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 15 in the lighthouse district, including live music, festive performers and the traditional lighting of the menorah. Visit https://www.seaportvillage.com/events/hanukkah-25

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A guide to San Diego area community events for Hanukkah–the Festival of Lights

Silent Movie Mondays: As part of its silent movie series, the Balboa Theatre will play a double feature of “Old Scrooge” (1926) and “A Dog’s Life” (1918). Organist Ken Double will accompany the films, and there will be a post-film conversation with Double and Kristian Perez-Franco, exhibitions senior manager at Media Arts Center. 7 p.m. Monday. Balboa Theatre, 868 Fourth Ave., San Diego. $28. sandiegotheatres.org/events/detail/old-scrooge-1913-and-a-dog-s-life-1918-2025

Derrick R. Cartwright author event: Derrick Cartwright is director of curatorial affairs at the Timken Museum of Art and an associate professor of art history at the University of San Diego. He will discuss his new book “Wayne Thiebaud: A Radical Realism.” 7:30 p.m. Monday. Warwick’s, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. Free. $55 for book and reserved seats. warwicks.com/event/cartwright-2025

Holidays at LEGOLAND: Live entertainment, twinkling lights, holiday treats and some snowfall will be on display through Jan. 4.  Throughout the holidays, the park’s 30-foot LEGO tree decked with lights and LEGO ornaments built out of more than 350,000 LEGO and Duplo bricks. Photos can be taken with life-sized festive LEGO models or costumed characters such as a LEGO Santa, toy soldier, gingerbread man and elf characters. The annual Kids’ New Year’s Eve Party is Dec. 31. Activities inside the park are included with regular park admission. LEGOLAND California, One Legoland Drive. legoland.com/california.

SeaWorld Christmas Celebration: Holiday wonderland runs daily to Jan. 4 with live musical shows, faux snowfall, over a million lights, Santa and real reindeer, singing elves and the SkyTower decorated as San Diego’s largest Christmas tree along with festive food and beverages. One Million Twinkling lights, nightly snowfall and immersive holiday experiences. There’ll be a new Clyde & Seamore’s Christmas Special at Sea Lion Stadium and a new Mrs. Claus story time show. All included with park admission Tickets start at $61.99 during the Black Friday Sale. www.seaworldsandiego.com

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Belmont Park’s Winter Wonder: The  annual event at the beachside amusement park, 3146 Mission Blvd., runs through Jan. 4 with hundreds of twinkling lights, carolers, holiday-themed treats and drinks and special events on weekends. Attractions include the Giant Dipper Roller Coaster, Peppermint Putt Putt at Tiki Wonderland and Candy Cane Lanes Go Karts and and Polar Plunge. Tickets and passes are at belmontpark.com.

Tuesday

“Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet”: Talmi Entertainment’s 34th annual holiday touring production is visiting 100 cities this fall. The production features Ukrainian dancers, puppetry and acrobatics. 7 p.m. Tuesday. Jacobs Music Center, 750 B St., downtown. $74.60-$135.75. sandiegosymphony.org/performances/nutcracker-2025

Menorah Lighting at One Paseo: A community menorah lighting celebration will include festive music, donuts, hot latkes, face painting and balloons along with traditional lighting ceremony. 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday. Koi Pond at One Paseo, 3725 Paseo Place. onepaseo.com/events/menorah-lighting/

Wednesday

‘Cygnet’s A Magical Holiday Celebration!’: Cygnet Theatre’s education and outreach director Carlos Mendoza presents this holiday song-and-dance show for all ages. Inspired by the annual Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, the high-energy show will feature performances of songs including “All I Want for Christmas is You,” “Feliz Navidad” and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” 7 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays; 2 p.m. Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Through Dec. 28. The Dottie Studio Theatre, The Joan, 2880 Roosevelt Road, Arts District, Liberty Station, San Diego. $83. 619-337-1525, cygnettheatre.org

Winter Wonderland at Lakehouse Resort: One of the most family-friendly pop-up experiences, Lakehouse Resort throws an annual holiday festival with candy cane cruises on Lake San Marcos as a highlight. Seasonal drinks will be for sale for all ages. Activities include a frozen fun zone, a train, a s’mores station, bounce houses and more. Groups of families and friends can rent out igloos with fire pits, s’mores, charcuterie, wine and family dinners. Early bird prices are available online through Nov. 26. Prices vary per activity. Nov. 28 to Dec. 26. 1025 La Bonita Drive, San Marcos. $10 admission for ages 10 or older, free for kids under age 10. events.thelakehouseresort.com/e/winter-wonderland-at-lakehouse-resort-2025

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“2 Pianos, 4 Hands”: North Coat Repertory Theatre presents Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt’s autobiographical comedy with music about two aspiring concert pianists who grow up as friends and then enemies before making their peace with music. 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays; 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Through Dec. 31. 987 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Solana Beach. $70.50. 858-481-1055, northcoastrep.org

Burnout Paradise”: La Jolla Playhouse presents a return engagement of Australia’s Pony Cam troupe performing their audience-interactive treadmill-of life comedic show that was the hit of the 2025 WOW Festival. 8 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Potiker Theatre,La Jolla Playhouse, 2910 La Jolla Village Drive, La Jolla. $49-$59. 858-550-1010, lajollaplayhouse.org

“A Christmas Carol”: Cygnet Theatre’s 10th anniversary production of Charles Dickens’ redemptive holiday tale about miserly Victorian money-lender Ebenezer Scrooge has debuted at Cygnet’s new home theater, The Joan. 7 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Through Dec. 24. Joseph Clayes III Theater, The Joan. $73. 619-337-1525. cygnettheatre.com

“A Christmas Story”: San Diego Musical Theatre brings back this holiday musical adaptation of the beloved 1983 film about Ralphie, a precocious boy in 1940 Indiana who dreams of getting a a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. This will be the second time the company will produce the popular show. 7 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays. 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. SDMT Stage, 4650 Mercury St., San Diego. $30-$75. 858-560-5740, sdmt.org

Thursday

Festival of Lights at the Highlands: The event, hosted by Congregation Beth Am, will feature the lighting of the 5th night candles, singing and donuts along with other treats. There will be a musical revue by San Diego’s Jewish theatrical company, Shayna Punims, titled “Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah.” 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday. Outside the Cinepolis movie theater at the Del Mar Highlands Town Center, 12925 El Camino Real. betham.com/event/cbaevent121825

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Wine & Lecture — El Presidio de San Diego: SDSU lecturer, author and historian Richard Carrico will discuss El Presidio Real de San Diego. 5:30 p.m. Thursday. Coronado Historical Association Lecture Hall, 1100 Orange Ave., Coronado. $15 members, $20 nonmembers. coronadohistory.org/calendar/event/wine-lecture-el-presidio-de-san-diego/

Coastal Christmas at fairgrounds: The Del Mar Fairgrounds hosts Coastal Christmas, a festival with holiday light attractions. Highlights include a walk-through display of more than 1 million lights, “glice” skating, a holiday market, Frosty’s Fun Zone, Holiday Wine Walk and Santa and Friends. Igloos and fireside lounges can be reserved for cozying with some hot cocoa. S’mores kits, festive food and drinks will be sold. 4 to 9 p.m. Dec. 18-23 and Dec. 26 at 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd. Tickets start at $26.98 for adults and $20.61 for kids on select nights. Admission is free for kids 3 and younger. The Holiday Wine Walk is $54.99. Promotional nights include military, first responders and nurses, seniors and students. Also, the first 1,000 kids get in free Dec. 14 if they bring one unwrapped toy for children in need, and general admission tickets are buy one, get one free on Dec. 18. delmarfairgrounds.com/events/2025/coastal-christmas.

Jingle Jets: The USS Midway Museum will be decked with more than a million lights as part of its “Jingle Jets” holiday light show and festivities from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on select nights from Nov. 28 to Dec. 30. Highlights include Holiday Dancing Light Show, Midway’s Magical Penguin Search, Christmas Carol Karaoke, Bring Your Dog Night, Santa’s Christmas Rush Virtual Reality Ride and expanded Reindeer Games, among other festivities. Holiday eats & treats will be sold. Tickets are $20-$30 and sold only online; discounts for museum members; free for children 3 and younger. Visit midway.org/event/jingle-jets-2025

“Rent”: New Village Arts presents an intimate staging of Jonathan Larson’s musical about one year in the life of a group of friends in 1990 struggling to create art and survive in AIDS-plagued New York. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Through Dec. 24. 2787 State St., Carlsbad. $35-$80. 760-433-3245, newvillagearts.org

Friday

Bingo Loco: What started in Ireland is now arriving in San Diego. Bingo Loco is an interactive game night filled with dance competitions, lip sync battles, prizes, comedy hosts and DJs playing throwback anthems from the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. Bingo Loco is for individuals 21 years of age and older. 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Dec. 19 and 27. Quartyard, 1301 Market St., San Diego. us.bingoloco.com/san-diego 

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Camarada presents “Charlie Brown Jingles & Jazz”: Camarada’s annual all-star concert is a consistent crowd-pleaser, thanks to a musical lineup that features some of San Diego’s leading jazz and classical musicians. This year’s lineup features flutist and Camarada co-founder Beth Ross Buckley, guitarist Peter Sprague, multi-lingual singer Allison Adams Tucker, pianist Danny Green, flutist and saxophonist Tripp Sprague, bassist Mackenzie Leighton and percussion mainstay Duncan Moore. 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The Baker-Baum Concert Hall, Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, 7600 Faye Ave., La Jolla. $28-$98. camarada.org

Family Hanukkah Party: Congregation B’nai Tikvah will hold its annual community Hanukkah Party and Latke Contest on the sixth night of Hanukkah at 6 p.m. Dec. 19 at the Masonic Center, 1331 S. Escondido Blvd. There will be latkes and donuts for dinner. Bring your menorah and seven candles to light. There will be Hanukkah songs led by Cantor Larry Kornit and retelling of the Hanukkah story. Free. Bring something dairy to share at the party and non-perishable food for Interfaith Community Services along with gently used coats, hoodies, shirts to donate to Sharia’s Closet that provides emergency clothing in the San Diego State area. For more information, call 760-650-2262 or visit bnaitikvahsd.org.

San Diego Civic Youth Ballet presents “The Nutcracker”: Celebrate the San Diego Civic Youth Ballet’s 80th Anniversary Season with a trip to the Enchanted Land of Sweets. Danika Pramik-Holdaway directs the students of the Balboa Park-based company in the annual “Nutcracker” production. 7 p.m. Friday; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Casa del Prado Theater, Balboa Park $27. 619-259-0220, sdcyb.org

“Mistletoe Melodies” with Erica Marie!: San Diego musical theater performer Erica Marie Weisz presents her jazz-and-classics holiday cabaret show at two local theaters in December. 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday. White Family Stage, New Village Arts, 2787 State St., Carlsbad. $28-$33. 760-433-3245, newvillagearts.org

“La Pastorela: A Shepherd’s Tale”: Teatro Máscara Mágica will present Timothy Paul Evans’ 37th anniversary pastorela play about the shepherds’ journey to Bethlehem on the first Christmas. The bilingual faith-based play will be performed mostly in English with Christmas carols sung in Spanish in two locations. 7 p.m. Friday through Tuesday; 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. at Southwestern College Performing Arts Center, 900 Otay Lakes Road, Chula Vista. $10-$25. 619-987-5616, tickettailor.com/events/teatromscaramgica.

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San Diego Symphony: “Noel, Noel”: Conductor Christopher Dragon leads the San Diego Symphony, San Diego Master Chorale, Children’s Choir and Musical Theatre Academy in this annual musical tale of Noel the Elf’s music-filled journey to find Santa. Jonathan Gilmer directs. 7:30 p.m. Friday; 6 p.m. Saturday; 5 p.m. Sunday. The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, 222 Marina Park Way, downtown. $55-$125. 619-235-0804, theshell.org

“Amahl and the Night Visitors”: Genesis Opera Theatre presents Gian-Carlo Menotti’s 1951 one-act, English-language Christmas opera inspired by the story of a poor disabled boy who meets three wise kings on their way to meet the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. The production is directed by Cynthia Leigh with musical direction by Abraham Fabella. 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday. Trinity Episcopal Church, 845 Chestnut St., Escondido. $30.95-$41.95. genesisoperatheatre.com

Golden State Ballet presents “The Nutcracker”: Choreographed by artistic director Raul Salamanca, the downtown production includes spectacular sets, elaborate costumes, and professional dancers and students from the award-winning academy. John Stubbs conducts a live orchestra from the San Diego Symphony. 7:30 p.m. Fiday; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; 1 and 5:30 p.m. Sunday. San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., downtown. $58.40-$199.75. Youth discounts available. goldenstateballet.org



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The gun violence that has taken place in the last two days is prompting San Diego community members to take action.

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The gun violence that has taken place in the last two days is prompting San Diego community members to take action.


As local members of the Jewish community celebrated the first day of Hanukkah, they joined in solidarity with those impacted by the tragedy in Australia.

Meanwhile, other members of the community honored the lives lost to gun violence.

Despite the somber and tragic events that have unfolded in the last two days, the community is holding strong.

San Diegans are choosing to focus on the light rather than the darkness.

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“Our job is not just to spread light with words, but with actions,” Rabbi Yossi Tiefenbrun, Director of Chabad of Pacific Beach said.

As members of the Jewish community gathered at Liberty Station Sunday night to kick off the first day of Hannukah by the lighting of the menorah, their hearts are with their brothers and sisters in Bondi, Australia, where two attackers killed at least 15 people in a shooting during the Jewish holiday celebration.

“Personally, it’s been a very difficult day. The Rabbi in the city of Australia was a classmate of mine. We grew up together in London, England. So waking up to that kind of news was devastating,” Rabbi Yossi Tiefenbrun said.

The tragedy in Australia comes just hours after a gunman opened fire at Brown University, killing two and injuring at least nine others.

“For every shooting, for every death, there’s a family behind that. There are friends, there are loved ones,” Carol Landale said.

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Sunday also marks 13 years since a gunman opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newton, Connecticut, killing 20-first graders and 6 staff members.

“When will this stop… When will the powers of this world say enough?” Rev. Penny Bridges, Dean, St. Paul Cathedral said.

The annual vigil of remembrance for the victims of gun violence was held Sunday night at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

“In this festive time of advent and festive season of Hanukkah, we call on our loving and living God to bring peace to our world, to end the evil of Gun violence,” Rev. Penny Bridges said.

With violence erupting on the first day of Hanukkah, the head of security for the Jewish Federation said they are working with other law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety of everyone in the community.

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“I think it’s important for everyone to know that there are no articulated threats in our area we just have to be situationally aware,” Bill Ganley, Community Security Director for the Jewish Federation said.

San Diegans are standing strong in solidarity for one another, hoping for a brighter future ahead.

“We will fight with light whenever there is darkness,” Michael Sclar, who attended the menorah lighting said.

In a statement to NBC 7, The American Jewish Committee of San Diego said in part, “Sadly, this is not an isolated incident, and while we are horrified and devastated, we are not surprised…Hanukkah is time for joy and light and this year, we hope others will join us as we light our candles in solidarity with the Australian Jewish community. Because antisemitism is a threat to all of society and if we fail to push back against this evil hatred, everyone is at risk.

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Two San Diego Police Officers Struck by Alleged DUI Driver

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Two San Diego Police Officers Struck by Alleged DUI Driver


PACIFIC BEACH (CNS) – Two San Diego police officers who were on foot in a Pacific Beach intersection were struck tonight by a car operated by a wrong-way driver who was believed intoxicated.

The crash occurred at 8:25 p.m. Saturday in the intersection of Thomas Avenue and Mission Boulevard, San Diego Police Department Officer Anthony Carrosco told City News Service.

The suspect’s Honda Civic was eastbound in westbound lanes when it struck the on-duty officers, Carrosco said. It was unclear what the officers were doing in the roadway.

One officer suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken by ambulance to a trauma center, he said. The other officer was not injured.

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The man driving the Honda was arrested for suspicion of felony DUI, Carrosco said. The man’s name and age were not immediately released.

The intersection was closed for the investigation, he said.

Copyright 2025, City News Service, Inc.





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