Printer-friendly version
East County News Service
Nov. 4, 2025 (La Mesa) -- La Mesa City Council member Laura Lothian and The Cohn Restaurant Group are partnering to transform a tree at a local downtown La Mesa restaurant into a Christmas tree with a special star on top.
Casa Gabriela will be the site of the towering 80-foot tall Christmas tree, with a white and blue four-foot star on top dedicated to fallen La Mesa Police Officer Lauren Craven, who died in the line of duty last month.
Lothian said she had been thinking about a way to honor the memory of Craven, who was hit and killed by a suspected drunk driver on Interstate 8 the night of Oct. 20, trying to help a motorist who had been in a previous car crash.
The lighting ceremony, held in front of Casa Gabriela at 8384 La Mesa Blvd., will begin at 5:30 p.m., on Friday, November 7.
"Every year during the holidays and especially at La Mesa's Annual Holiday in the Village event, people come up to me say 'Downtown La Mesa should have a big ol' Christmas Tree,'" Lothian said. "Well, here's that big ol' 80-foot tall Christmas Tree!"
To celebrate the event, Casa Gabriela is offering Abuela hot chocolate with a pumpkins spic pepita scone.
The live pine tree will feature nearly 9,000 bright, multi-color LED lights.
In addition to Lothian and The Cohn Restaurant Group, other sponsors of the Christmas Tree are Webster Insurance, Mount Helix residents Frank and Ava Passiglia, La Mesa Realtor Andrea Flint-Gogek, Robert Clay of All Access Services, Steve and Janelle Clay of The Postal Annex, and La Mesa resident (and pickleball player) Dory Miller.
Pro Light Hangers of El Cajon installed the lights and star.
Recent comments