Phishing email seeks Apple billing info

By Suzanne Choney

You won't get an email from Apple asking you to update your billing information. But if you think you got one in recent days, delete it; it's a phishing scam designed to snatch that info from you, and it's definitely not from the Cupertino company.

The "vast phishing attack," as Mac software security firm Intego calls it, began around Christmas Day, and seeks to prey on those who got new Apple gear for the holiday. The spammers don't know whether you did or not; they do know that with Apple products as popular as they were on holiday gift lists, the odds are in their favor of getting some hits on this.

The email's subject line is "Apple update your Billing Information." Says Intego: "These well-crafted emails could fool many new Apple users, especially those who may have found an iPhone, iPod or iMac under their Christmas tree, and set up accounts with the iTunes Store or the Mac App Store for the first time. The messages claim to come from 'appleid@id.apple.com.'" And here's what it says:

Intego

Looks official, right?

Intego says if you click on the link in the message, you'd be taken to a "realistic-looking sign-in page, then, after entering your Apple ID and password, you?ll be taken to a page asking you to update your account profile, notably entering your credit card information. Again, this page looks realistic, and many of the elements it contains are taken from Apple's own Web pages."

But if you moved your cursor over the link in the message and waited for a "tooltip to pop up," you'd see this:

Intego

The URL that's shown is not an apple.com address, Intego says, "but rather a numerical address (we've blurred the first part of the address). At the end of the address is a page called apple.htm, which could fool people, but that?s not what?s important. Always look at the part right after the http:// in the URL: if it's not something.apple.com (it could be www.apple.com, store.apple.com, or something else), then it's bogus."

Thanks to Intego for the heads-up and the reminder that phishing scams may be at their worst during the holidays, but can also proliferate after them, too.

? Via TheNextWeb

Related stories:

Check out Technolog, Gadgetbox, Digital Life and In-Game on?Facebook,?and on Twitter, follow Suzanne Choney.

Source: http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/27/9747036-phishing-email-seeks-apple-billing-info?chromedomain=gadgetbox

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iPhone 4S real estate video sample

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? 2011 ActiveRain Corp. All Rights Reserved

Source: http://activerain.com/blogsview/2669047/iphone-4s-real-estate-video-sample

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Judge: Actress must reveal name in IMDb lawsuit

The actress suing Hollywood information database IMDb for listing her true age cannot move forward with the case unless she reveals her identity, a federal judge has ruled.

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Story: Actress wants $1 million for age reveal on IMDb

In a sharply-worded decision issued on Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Marsha Pechman found that while the anonymous actress who sued for $1 million fears blacklisting and other retribution in Hollywood if her true identity is known, "the injury she fears is not severe enough to justify permitting her to proceed anonymously," the ruling states.

PHOTOS: Crazy Cases! 18 of Hollywood's Outrageous Entertainment Lawsuits

Judge Pechman gave the woman who sued as "Jane Doe" 14 days to refile the case under her own name or it will be dismissed. The woman now must choose to either move forward under her real name or drop the litigation entirely.

The IMDb case, first filed in October against IMDb and parent Amazon, argues that actors who are perceived as "over the hill" at age 40 have trouble finding work. The case has become something of a lightning rod in Hollywood as both actor guilds, SAG and AFTRA, backed the lawsuit, arguing that the listing service opens up actors to discrimination in ageist casting circles. Another actor later came forward to blast IMDb for listing his age incorrectly in an opinion piece published by The Hollywood Reporter.

STORY: An Actor Pens An Open Letter To IMDB; Says He's 4 1/2 Years Younger Than They Claim

In its motion to dismiss, IMDb argued that the actress was being "selfish" and that she wouldn't suffer significant discrimination from revealing her actual name in the lawsuit. The judge essentially agreed, siding with the strong public interest in litigants proceeding publicly in open court. She declined to award monetary sanctions to either side.

Story: 'Porky's' star Knight found dead of apparent suicide

The woman, who apparently resides in Texas, must now decide whether the case is worth the trouble of litigating in public. THR has reached out to her lawyer, John Dozier, for comment and will update with a response.

Copyright 2011 The Hollywood Reporter

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45795719/ns/today-entertainment/

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Chinese police told to 'put public first'

Chinese media has criticised local officials in the country's south for letting a protest about land seizures get out of hand and urged authorities around the country to "put the public first".

Residents of Wukan village in Guangdong province lived under police blockade for more than a week after driving out local Communist party leaders they say have been stealing their land for years.

The stand-off ended on Wednesday after provincial authorities held talks with the villagers and agreed to investigate their complaints, free three detained residents and release the body of another who died in police custody.

The People's Daily, the mouthpiece of the ruling Communist party, said local authorities had erred by failing to "heed the reasonable demands of villagers" which had allowed a "reasonable petition to escalate into excessive actions".

The newspaper's commentary, however, heaped praise on the later efforts of the provincial authorities whose "full acknowledgement that most of the people's demands were reasonable" had helped to resolve the crisis.

An editorial in the Global Times called on local governments around China to "take every quarrel from the people seriously and show a responsible attitude towards people's demands", saying such disputes were likely to increase.

"Putting the public first and helping them fulfil reasonable interests should be the aim of local government officials," the newspaper said.

The decision to send senior provincial leaders to deal with a village dispute signals the level of concern in Guangdong over the rare revolt in Wukan, which made world headlines.

It came as a protest in the town of Haimen, also in Guangdong, turned violent for a second straight day on Wednesday when police fired tear-gas and beat residents protesting against a power plant they say is a health hazard.

Officials overseeing Haimen said in a statement late on Tuesday they would suspend the power station project and refer the case to "supervisory authorities".

But protesters were either unaware of the suspension or sceptical about the government's intentions and have continued to take to the streets.

China's Communist party is preparing for a once-in-a-decade transition of power that begins next year, and leaders are eager to keep a lid on social unrest which they admit poses a major threat to their hold on power.

The People's Daily commentary indicates the protest may not jeopardise the expected promotion next year of Guangdong's reformist Communist party secretary, Wang Yang, to the national Standing Committee.

Source: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/8393869/chinese-police-told-to-put-public-first

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NYC protesters scale fence at vacant lot (AP)

NEW YORK ? Dozens of Occupy Wall Street protesters were arrested Saturday after they scaled a chain-link fence or crawled under it to get to an Episcopal church-owned lot they want to use for a new camp site.

Protesters used a wooden ladder to scale the fence or lifted it from below while others cheered them on. A man wearing a Santa suit stood on the ladder among others, as they ignored red "Private Property" signs.

As officers made arrests, protesters shouted obscenities and hollered: "Make them catch you!" The group was inside the lot for a short time before being led out by police in single file through a space in the fence. About 50 people were arrested, police said.

"We're just trying to say that this country has gone in the wrong direction, and we need spaces that we can control and we can decide our future in, and that's what this is about," said David Suker, who was among those who scaled the fence.

Before the arrests, several hundred gathered in Duarte Square, a half-acre wedge of a park at the edge of Manhattan's Tribeca neighborhood and across the street from the vacant lot. They gathered partly to mark the three-month anniversary of the Occupy movement and partly to demand use of the lot, owned by Trinity Church.

After police cleared the protesters from the lot, about 200 people regrouped for a march on Seventh Avenue. Police began making arrests, tackling at least two people in the street and handcuffing them. When the protesters cleared the avenue, the crowd continued to march to Times Square under a heavy police presence.

The original Occupy Wall Street camp in Zuccotti Park in lower Manhattan was shut down last month. Trinity is a Zuccotti Park neighbor that helped demonstrators assemble, and provided them shelter in the three months since the movement began. The day after authorities moved in and cleaned out Zuccotti Park, about a dozen protesters went to the vacant lot, clipped the fence at the church-owned property and were arrested, along with some journalists.

Since then, some Occupy protesters have launched a bid to gain the church's consent for them to use the space. Trinity's Rev. James H. Cooper said giving the protesters access to the lot would not be a safe or smart move.

"There are no facilities at the Canal Street lot. Demanding access and vandalizing the property by a determined few OWS protesters won't alter the fact that there are no basic elements to sustain an encampment," he wrote in a statement. "The health, safety and security problems posed by an encampment here, compounded by winter weather, would dwarf those experienced at Zuccotti Park."

On Friday, the top bishop of the Episcopal Church asked protesters not to trespass on the property. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori warned it could result in "legal and police action."

Trinity Church dates back to the colonial era and was a refuge for relief workers after the Sept. 11 terrorist attack. A sculpture out front was made out of a giant sycamore tree destroyed on 9/11.

"I feel it is very much in keeping with the tradition over the years of Trinity to work with poor people, to help poor people," said Stephen Chinlund, 77, a retired Episcopalian priest and one of several at the square Saturday.

Chinlund held a sign that read: Trinity, hero of 9/11, be a hero again!"

___(equals)

Associated Press writer Cristian Salazar and broadcast newsperson Julie Walker contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/religion/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111217/ap_on_re_us/us_occupy_new_york

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Drones: Coming soon over a home near you?

Eric Gay / AP

A Predator B unmanned aircraft lands after a mission at the Naval Air Station, Tuesday, Nov. 8, in Corpus Christi, Texas.

By Sylvia Wood, msnbc.com

The Federal Aviation Administration is preparing new rules that could make it easier for law enforcement agencies to use drone aircraft in?the U.S., raising concerns about privacy at a time when the aircraft are already conducting surveillance missions in some parts of the country.

The American Civil Liberties Union released a report?Thursday demanding better protections against a surveillance society, ?in which our every move is monitored, tracked, recorded and scrutinized by the authorities.?

?Our privacy laws are not strong enough to ensure that the new technology will be used responsibly and consistently with democratic values,? warns the ACLU report, "Protecting Privacy From Aerial Surveillance: Recommendations for Government Use of Drone Aircraft."

---

The?report follows a weekend story by the Los Angeles Times that detailed how the unmanned aircraft are being used in domestic law enforcement cases, and not just along the country?s borders to track illegal immigrants and drug smugglers?as was originally authorized by Congress in 2005.

?

The Times said a North Dakota county sheriff asked federal authorities to employ a drone for surveillance in a standoff with three men on a farm June 23, resulting in the first known arrest of U.S. citizens involving the spy planes in a domestic case.

Live Poll

Do you think domestic drones pose a privacy concern?

• 170999

  Yes. They will, by making surveillance much easier and cheaper for law enforcement.

  63%

• 171000

  No. As long as they stay focused on criminal activity, they're no different than regular aircraft.

  35%

• 171001

  I don't know.

  2%

VoteTotal Votes: 7828

Since then, the Times said, two unarmed Predators based at Grand Forks Air Force Base have flown at least two dozen surveillance flights for local police. The Times reported the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration have also used drones in domestic investigations.

Next month, the FAA is expected to issue proposed rules that the?ACLU warns could expand their use by domestic law enforcement agencies.

The FAA declined comment for this story but in a recent fact sheet acknowledged the growing interest by law enforcement in unmanned aircraft.

?The FAA is working with urban police departments in major metropolitan areas and national public safety organizations on test programs involving unmanned aircraft,? the FAA statement said. ?The goal is to help identify the challenges that UAS (umanned aircraft systems) will bring into this environment and what type of operations law enforcement can safely perform.?

Texas Gov. Rick Perry has supported expanding the use of domestic drones along the border with Mexico. In October, the Sheriff's Department in?Montgomery County, north of Houston, bought a $300,000 ShadowHawk drone from Vanguard Defense industries using federal homeland security grant funds.

?It's an exciting piece of equipment for us," Chief Deputy Randy McDaniel of the sheriff's office told the Houston Chronicle at the time. "We envision a lot of its uses primarily in the realm of public safety -- looking at recovery of lost individuals and being able to utilize it for fire?issues."

McDaniel said the aircraft would not be used to track suspects? vehicles but may provide surveillance for officers serving warrants.

M. Ryan Calo, director for privacy and robotics at the Stanford Law School's Center for Internet and Society, says widespread use of drones domestically seems inevitable, particularly since they are an efficient and cost-effective alternative to helicopter?and airplanes.

?Drones are capable of finding or following a specific person,? he writes in a recent article in the Stanford Law Review. ?They can fly patterns in search of suspicious activities or hover over a location in wait. Some are as small as birds or insects, others as big as blimps. In addition to high-resolution cameras and microphones, drones can be equipped with thermal imaging and the capacity to intercept wireless communications.?

In addition to privacy concerns, Calo said, drones also raise safety and security issues, particularly because they can crash and their guidance systems can be hacked. He cited the case of the CIA drone recently lost in Iran. The Christian Science Monitor on Thursday reported a claim by an Iranian engineer that?the Iranians were able to exploit a navigational weakness in the drone?s technology to make it land in Iran.

Catherine Crump, the ACLU report?s?co-author and staff attorney with the Speech, Privacy & Technology Project, said the organization isn?t against the use of all domestic drones but rather wants to make privacy a central issue as the technology becomes more available.

"We have a clear opportunity to get ahead of the game,? she said.

Some of the ACLU?s recommendations include not deploying drones unless there is?certainty that they will collect evidence of a specific crime. If a drone will intrude on reasonable privacy expectations, a warrant should be required, the ACLU said. The report also calls for restrictions on retaining images of identifiable people, as well as an open process for developing policies on how drones will be used.

?Historically, the fact that manned helicopters and airplanes are expensive has imposed a natural limit on aerial surveillance. But the prospect of cheap, flying video surveillance cameras will likely open the floodgates,? said Jay Stanley, the report?s other co-author and senior policy analyst with the ACLU?s Speech, Privacy & Technology Project.

More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:

Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/15/9476623-domestic-drones-coming-soon-over-a-home-near-you

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UK crime reporter arrested in corruption inquiry

LONDON (AP) ? Scotland Yard has arrested former News of the World crime editor Lucy Panton as part of the investigation into police corruption, a former employee and British media reported Thursday.

Police declined to confirm the report, saying only that a 37-year-old female journalist was arrested in Surrey, a county south of London, shortly before dawn. Authorities in Britain rarely name suspects until they have been charged.

Several U.K. media outlets named the journalist as Panton. A former News of the World employee also told The Associated Press that Panton was the person arrested, speaking anonymously because he still works in the media industry.

The phone hacking scandal in Britain has forced media mogul Rupert Murdoch to close the tabloid and prompted the arrests of more than a dozen former reporters. Several senior Murdoch lieutenants have been forced to resign because of the scandal.

Panton served as the News of the World's crime editor. A report in the Guardian newspaper earlier this year identified her as being married to a Scotland Yard detective.

Panton had high-level contact with the Metropolitan Police; a list of meetings made public earlier this year notes that then-Assistant Commissioner John Yates met Panton and her then-boss, News of the World editor Colin Myler, for dinner in November 2009.

That was only a few months after Yates had decided not to reopen the police investigation into allegations of systematic phone hacking at the paper. Yates was one of two top Scotland Yard officers to quit over his failure to tackle the scandal.

Myler, whose career as editor also was cut short by the scandal, on Thursday told a wide-ranging inquiry into media ethics that he had no reason to believe that phone hacking went beyond a single rogue when he took over at the paper in 2007.

But he told the inquiry that by 2008 he had changed his mind, citing an incriminating email uncovered during a lawsuit which suggested that others were involved in the practice.

That drew questions from inquiry lawyer Robert Jay, who asked why Myler was still suggesting to Press Complaints Committee in 2009 that only one rogue reporter was to blame for phone hacking.

When inquiry lawyer Robert Jay gently asked whether "it might be said that you didn't give them quite a full and frank answer. Can I suggest that?" Myler dodged the question, saying instead that he had "no reason not to give them a full and frank answer."

Myler wasn't pressed on the inconsistency, or on other apparent contradictions.

For example, Myler assured the inquiry that he and his team would "make sure that pictures were taken properly, not in breach of the (Britain's media) code."

But he wasn't quizzed about one of the most notorious incidents of his career, in which, as editor of the Sunday Mirror in 1993, he published hidden camera pictures of Princess Diana working out at a private gym.

The inquiry is charged with clearing the rot from Britain's scandal-tarred media industry, but the relaxed approach of the inquiry's cross-examination is facing criticism.

"It's a bit like being slapped around with a wet fish," said Mark Stephens, a media lawyer and consultant, who has worked for the AP in the past.

The inquiry, led by Lord Justice Brian Leveson, could recommend wide-ranging changes to Britain's media industry.

___

Associated Press writer Paisley Dodds contributed to this report.

___

Online:

Raphael G. Satter: http://twitter.com/razhael

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-12-15-EU-Britain-Phone-Hacking/id-63fcf87edecd41b8b8fb5b09da51e7d4

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Holiday Pets

We just had a pet emergency here at home. My corgi Kylie, who was never spayed (because she never leaves the yard or spends time with unfixed male dogs, and my pug needed a few surgeries that left me unwilling to put another beloved under the knife at the time), somehow contracted a very serious uterine infection that required an emergency surgery.

Kylie with my daughter, on a better day.

Due to her age, 10, and state of the infection, the doctor gave us dire warnings that she might not make it. But the alternative was kidney failure and death, so? the good news, she made it. She?s home recovering and it seems she will be just fine and with us for a while longer. Thank goodness!

Kylie, not feeling so great after surgery.

Starting to feel better, taking it slow.

This reminds me? pets are expensive. We love them and it?s worth it, but not everyone has a spare few hundred (or thousand, as it may be) for emergency pet care these days. Times are tough. Just something else to consider before adopting a new pet. I?m sure Jane Lynch here, who just adopted this lucky little one, won?t have any trouble.

Congrats to the Jane Lynch family!

But, giving a live animal as a holiday gift is usually a bad idea, for a number of reasons discussed here. But mainly because a) a lot of people who think they want pets are not really ready for the responsibility and b) even if the time is right to add a new member to the family, the holidays are a source of stress and new situations, and maybe the new addition would make an easier transition outside the added excitement/visits/decorations that the holidays can bring.

However.

If you?ve weighed the pros and cons and decide that a pet is right for you, please consider adopting from a shelter. Friend of Whine Sisters Connie Brockway is involved with?Secondhand Hounds. I just went out and fell in love. About ten times. We?re not ready for a new family member here, but one day, when I am, I am rescuing a shelter dog. Like this one:

Look at that face! A sweet little pug!

Or this:

Ohh.

Ohhhh, my tender heart!

Secondhand Hounds also has cats and other animals available. Author Eloisa James adopted her beloved Lucy, a dachshund mix, there.

Another great holiday gift idea: donations to Secondhand Hounds or an animal shelter near you.

Have you ever added a fur-baby over the holidays? Or maybe goldfish? Lizards? Turtles? Have any holiday pet stories to share?

Tagged as: dogs, Holidays, pets, Secondhand Hounds, Sherri Browning Erwin

Source: http://whinesisters.com/2011/12/14/holiday-pets/

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Fed points to risks from Europe (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? The Federal Reserve on Tuesday pointed to turmoil in Europe as a big risk to the U.S. economy, leaving the door open to a further easing of monetary policy even as it noted some improvement in the U.S. labor market.

The central bank characterized the U.S. economy as expanding moderately despite an apparent slowing in global growth and said that while there had been "some" improvement in the job market, unemployment remained elevated and housing depressed.

"Strains in global financial markets continue to pose significant downside risks to the economic outlook," the Fed said, alluding in a post-meeting statement to pressures stemming from the debt crisis in the euro zone.

Prices for U.S. stocks and government debt pared gains, while the dollar rose against the euro after the announcement.

The Fed's statement, issued after a one-day meeting, was little changed from the announcement it released after its last gathering in early November, and it touched only lightly on apparent improvements in the economy's performance.

"They are certainly ready to lean against the wind should the economy falter," said Cary Leahey, managing director at Decision Economics in New York.

EVANS DISSENTS AGAIN

The Fed offered no new guidance on its evolving communications policy and repeated that it expects inflation to settle at levels at or below those consistent with its price stability mandate.

For a second consecutive meeting, Chicago Fed President Charles Evans dissented against holding policy steady, saying he favored additional easing now.

However, the Fed pinned uncertainty more squarely on events in Europe. While in November it said risks to the outlook merely included global strains, on Tuesday it linked risks directly to volatility abroad.

The U.S. central bank has held overnight interest rates near zero since December 2008 and has bought $2.3 trillion in government and mortgage-related bonds in a further attempt to stimulate a robust recovery.

Fed officials are divided among those who think high unemployment and sluggish growth require more action and those who view the central bank's already-aggressive efforts as bordering dangerously on an invitation to inflation.

Some influential policymakers, including Vice Chair Janet Yellen, have suggested they would be inclined to take additional steps if growth fails to pick up.

Changes to the Fed's voting line-up for 2012 will remove three policymakers known to favor a hard line against inflation, with only one such "hawk," Richmond Fed President Jeffrey Lacker, suggesting support for further easing may strengthen in coming months.

The Fed's activist approach to pulling the economy out of recession and to buoying a tepid recovery stands in contrast to the European Central Bank, which has been more tentative. The ECB held rates steady until November before delivering two rate cuts as the euro zone began to slide toward economic contraction.

Moreover, ECB President Mario Draghi disappointed financial markets last week by downplaying prospects the central bank would launch an aggressive bond-buying program to ease strains in the region.

Recent data on the U.S. economy point to some improvement. The jobless rate tumbled 0.4 percentage point to 8.6 percent in November, factory activity has quickened and businesses are restocking depleted shelves.

Consumer spending also appears reasonably solid, although a softer-than-expected report on November retail sales on Tuesday offered a hint that it could be flagging.

The U.S. economy expanded at a 2.0 percent annual rate in the third quarter, a welcome acceleration from a sub-1 percent pace over the first half of the year. Forecasters hope growth will top a 3 percent rate in the current quarter.

However, analysts say the recovery's current strength is partly a snapback from the weakness that followed Japan's natural disasters and high oil prices early in the year.

They caution that a return to more-sluggish growth is likely, particularly with a recession brewing in Europe.

Many observers believe the Fed will take steps to stimulate growth in 2012, first through communications measures that drive home the expectation that interest rates will not rise for a long time, and then through more bond buying.

Yellen has said the Fed could reinforce its ultra-accommodative monetary stance by publishing policymakers' forecasts for the path of interest rates. Officials are also debating whether to adopt an explicit target for inflation.

The first step would reassure skittish markets that the Fed is not about to tighten policy any time soon. The latter would aim to dispel any doubts about the central bank's commitment to keeping inflation low.

Top officials have also remained open to adding bonds to the Fed's already bloated portfolio.

Some have said the central bank should resume purchases of mortgage-backed securities to help revive the depressed housing market; others would prefer to stick with purchases of U.S. government debt.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111213/bs_nm/us_usa_fed

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Parks Canada cash helps McLean Mill preserve old buildings

As steam rose from below the floorboards of McLean Mill sawmill, mixing with Saturday morning's cold foggy air, Nanaimo-Alberni MP James Lunney joked with the volunteer mill workers who were preparing to fire up the saw for a special demonstration.

So caught up in the history of the mill and an explanation of its operation as a tourist attraction, Lunney briefly forgot who he was representing?environment minister Peter Kent, also minister responsible for Parks Canada?when he spoke "on behalf of Health Canada".

After some quick laughter from the small shivering crowd gathered on the mill's deck, Lunney announced Parks Canada funding to the tune of $48,000 to help conserve the sawmill complex. The money comes from the National Historic Sites Cost-Sharing program.

Designated a national historic site in 1989, McLean Mill is a rare surviving example of an early to mid-20th century logging and lumber operation. Established in 1925 by Robert Bartlett McLean, the mill was a family-run business until 1965. As years went on, it expanded into an industrial complex including a steam-operated sawmill, wooden residences and administrative buildings, a rail line, and facilities for a steam-powered locomotive.

A team of volunteers keeps the mill operational throughout the summer as a tourist destination and on special weekends in the fall. They have added a steam donkey and heel boom demonstration as well as regular steam train trips.

"There's no community like Port Alberni to take this industrial heritage and show it to the world," Lunney said before helping head sawyer Keith Young fire up the twin saw blades?137 centimetres (54 inches) on the bottom and 122 cm (48 in.) on the top?to trim the bark off a log and create a square beam.

"From this side it's amazing to see," said Lunney. "I tell people this is living history."

The Parks Canada grant is matching funding, mill manager Neil Malbon explained. The City of Port Alberni put up $24,000 and the balance has been made up of in-kind donations of the timbers from the mill itself, as well as volunteer labour.

"We're really excited and pleased with the funding," Malbon said. "The funds will ensure the long-term preservation of the sawmill complex, and in doing so protect the initial investment by Parks Canada and partners."

Conservation work is in progress, although it has been stalled because of weather. "We're probably halfway or three-quarters of the way there," Malbon said. "We're basically shut down because of winter and the holiday."

The funding will be used to repair support posts, the boom shake float, sawmill decking, waste conveyor, planer and upgrade the electrical system. When some of the decking was replaced in the spring crews discovered some of the support posts that had been exposed to the elements have rotted, Malbon said.

Work will start up again at the end of January. Malbon has applied for another grant which would allow crews to continue replacing posts in the basement as well as replace the log haul.

Last year the mill received a $25,000 Heritage Legacy Fund grant, which was used to replace the floor in the Arnold McLean House, re-shake the locie shed, fix up the foundation, siding and window sill of Howard McLean's office, fix the foundation and tilting pantry in the cookhouse, and begin foundation work on the teacherage.

Conservation projects have to be done meticulously at the mill because it is designated a national historic site, Malbon explained. Each modification has to be documented, and use material from the same era if possible.

When the buildings were worked on in the summer, the biggest challenge was keeping that original integrity, Alberni Valley Museum collections curator Kirsten Smith said. the original builders "didn't always do it in the best way that could be done," but their methods had to be followed.

The list of conservation projects at the mill is "extensive and ongoing," she said. Some of the foundations that were replaced in the spring had originally been restored or stabilized in the mid-1990s, in anticipation of opening to the public.

"Some of the buildings are quite deteriorated. It's hard choices," she said.

But the work must be done, she added. "It's our heritage. We don't want to just tear (the mill) down and build something that looks like it. We want to maintain the integrity of the buildings."

editor@albernivalleynews.com

?

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Source: http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/135627853.html

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