March 2, 2013 – Sempra Energy, parent company of SDG&E, this week reported 2012 earnings of $859 million, or $3.48 per diluted share, compared with $1.3 billion, or $5.51 per diluted share, in 2011.

Earnings for Sempra Renewables division took a huge leap in 2012, increasing to $61 million from $7 million in 2011. Fourth-quarter earnings for Sempra Renewables were $14 million in 2012, compared with a loss of $2 million in 2011, due primarily to the addition of solar and wind assets in 2012.

Earnings for SDG&E increased to $484 million in 2012 from $431 million in 2011.

For details, see the company’s announcement.

March 2, 2013 (Spring Valley) – Spring Into Healthy Living, a health and wellness fair featuring free health screenings and healthy living information from seniors and community service providers in the East County, will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, March 20 at the McGrath Family YMCA, 12006 Campo Road, Spring Valley. Admission is free, and continental breakfast will be served.



Health screenings will check blood glucose, blood pressure, body mass index, hearing and stroke risk. Information will be available on nutrition, volunteer opportunities, disaster preparedness and various diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and diabetes. Demonstrations of tai chi and zumba, along with tours of the YMCA, will be held. Health officials will accept unused prescription medications.

San Diego Republicans drop opposition, vote to pass measure

By Miriam Raftery

March 1, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – Two Republican Congressmen from San Diego, Duncan Hunter and Darrell Issa, previously voted against renewal and expansion of the Violence Against Women Act to include protections for Native American, gay and immigrant women.

But this week, both shifted their stance and joined with Democrats to pass  the measure 286 to 138. Local Democratic House representatives Susan Davis, Scott Peters and Juan Vargas also voted in favor. (View roll call) The bill has also been approved by the Senate, where California Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein supported it, and is expected to be signed into law by the President.

The law had expired, leaving all battered women without the protections afforded by the Violence Against Women Act, due to the House blocking the measure for over a year.  But after mounting public pressure by women’s groups, Native American rights advocates, immigrant and gay rights organizations and others, 87 House Republicans joined with all 199 Democrats to pass the reauthorization bill, expanding rights to include all women.

By Marsha Kay Seff

March 1, 2013 (San Diego) -- Becoming your parents’ parent conjures up pictures of “tangled apron strings.”

As a child, the strings seemed well-defined.  You needed your parents and their role was to fulfill your needs.  Now, with your parents aging and leaning increasingly on you, the apron strings are tangled and wound tightly around you.

This role reversal isn’t easy for any of you.  Your parents, no doubt, are fighting furiously to cling to their dignity and independence.  At the same time, you’re pulled between the demands of your own family and the need to help your parents.

By Carolyn Ballou, California Department of Veterans Affairs



March 1, 2013 (San Diego) -- U.S. Air Force veteran, Ohio native, and California resident George Chappell loved classic cars.  In fact, he owned a ’36 Olds and ’67 Chevy, which he occasionally entered into competition. As a surprise for his 59th birthday in 2006, his wife, Sue, gave him a beautiful, new, last-year-of-production GTO.



George and Sue loved going to classic car shows together—especially Hot August Nights in Reno—in their limited-edition desert orange corvette, another car he occasionally showed. They also shared a love of George’s children, his grandchildren, their three rescued dogs, ‘50s and ‘60s music, and art. George was quite an accomplished artist! He also belonged to a model car club and built models with his sons. His perfectly-crafted models won many awards through the years and were sometimes featured in model car magazines.

March 1, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – It wasn’t a Valentine that the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors voted on February 14 to deliver to CEO Scott Alevy.  Facing a budget crunch, the inland region’s largest Chamber voted to eliminate its full-time paid CEO position, relieving Alevy of his duties.

“Both Scott Alevy and the Chamber are on soild ground,” acting President and Chief Executive Officer Becky Burgstiner told Chamber members at a First Friday breakfast this morning in the La Mesa Community Center. 

She announced that Board Chairman Marcel Becker will be taking the leadership helm as soon as he is fully recovered from surgery  in a couple of weeks.  Becker is also Chair of JCI Metals in Lemon Grove.

March 1, 2013 (Santa Ysabel) – You can savor local vintages and meet winemakers from our region at Santa Ysabel Casino’s “Meet the Winemakers” event on March 16 from 3-6 p.m. Participating vintners include J.Jenkins, Woof ‘N Rose, and Witch Creek wineries.

The event costs $30 and includes gourmet appetizers, wine tasting from local vintners, $5 in slot machine play, and $5 toward tasting on a new state-of-the-art wine system.