welcome to "assignment 7". i'm terry mcsweeney. today on our program -- >> we're not really particularly sure why it works. we know it does work. >> could plastic surgery bring relief to patients who suffer from migraines? plus, bay area woman who paid for driving lessons but never got the classes. 7 on your side looks into the problem. the inspiring story of a young lady who is now on her third start-up. her age, i may be her biggest advantage. we begin with a long awaited terminal project about to get underway. it begins with the demolition of the old terminal at mission and first. a temporary terminal just around the corner will open this summer. transportation reporter has more on the project. >> reporter: demolition of the 71-year-old transbay terminal is scheduled to begin late this

year. it's expected to take eight months to tear it down and then seven years to build the glittering new transbay terminal. in the meantime, a temporary terminal, a block and half away, will handle the 14,000 passengers a day. once some high-tech details are finished, it's set to open in august. the bus also be using surface streets, mostly folsom, instead of dedicated bus ramps. a bus only lane will be added on fulsome and parking control officers will be on the street at peak times to keep traffic flowing. >> during the time we did traffic modeling and our traffic model shows it's over 2 1/2 minutes longer to get to the bay bridge. it's really not a significant impact. >> reporter: right now two bus ramps still stand over one corner of the temporary terminal. once it opens, those ramps will be demolished and a quick three weeks, making room for the temporary terminal to expand. bus operator also start train not guilty july.

this transbay joint powers authority animation shows what the new terminal will look like, but gilbert rodriguez isn't impressed. he's been passing through here since 1958. will you be sad to see it go? >> why sure. i have known this building for many years. i know it upside down. every barn down stairs. >> bars? the first construction contract for the new terminal will go out for bid this summer. abc 7 news. >> global climate change could mean a grim future for one species. wayne freedman reports on new research. >> reporter: it takes a trained professional to get a normally fast moving lizard to pose for pictures on a rock. in this lab, elizabeth is one of them. is it going to move? >> depends on how fast he warms up. >> he's cold? >> yes. >> reporter: elizabeth performs

such lizard trucks because she knows the creatures. hi work looks at climate change and pour tends bad news. >> the model predicts extinction all over the world. >> reporter: 20% could become extent by 2080. it came through research and observation. they were interested in following up on research in mexico. when they went down there expect to go find many l had disappeared. >> the model showed that the site where is there had been the greatest change in temperature where the ones where they had gone extent. >> reporter: they're not the first species change. climate change. but because they survived so long, it's significant. a change of one degree alters behaviors and tips balances. >> the model shows that when the lizard is forced to go more than 4 1/2 hours a day, during the

months, thatat tends to cause a population to go extent. >> reporter: or to put it more simply, global warming is now hurting cold blooded creatures, too. >> i can't imagine that if you remove that many members of a given group of link then it wouldn't have an effect. >> wayne freedman, abc 7 news. >> some doctors are performing face lifts to pete migraines. health and science reporter carolyn johnson explains some patients report relief. but there are plenty of skeptics. >> reporter: for marry ann, playing outside carried the risk of trigger ago migraine with crippling pain. >> so bad that i was vomiting, had to go home and the light hurt my eyes. hi. >> reporter: after decades of seeing neurologists, she decided to turn to a plastic surgeon.

>> we're not really particularly sure why it works. we just know it does work. >> reporter: this doctor began by freezing so-called trigger points around her eyes and temple with botox to test the effect. she reported temporary relief, making her a candidate for the surgery. >> at that point, we decided the migraines were starting from the area between her eyes. >> reporter: the procedure he would ultimately perform uses techniques similar to an endoscopic browlift. the browlift created by the american society of plastic surgeons, involves severing muscles and raising the eyebrows. but instead of changing her look, the doctor says the migraine surgery is designed to relieve muscle pressure on nerves thought to trigger headaches. >> and if we amou amount of irritation to that nerve, we're thinking we can decrease the amount of migraines that the patient can have. >> reporter: just weeks after the surgery, she says her migraines became less frequent.

>> i was having 12 to 15 a month. now if i have three. three or four is the most i've had. >> reporter: still, some experts are skeptical about the techn pointing out s pointing or strategies showed limited success. >> i think i've seen patients that had these procedures. in general terms, in the long-term, i don't think they make a difference. >> reporter: this neurologist directs the headache center at ucfs. he says many patients, particularly women, experience relief in middle age. mary ann is 63. >> they get worse until the 40s and 50s and get better because of menopause. >> reporter: still supporters point to this study published in which eight out of ten patients reported relief. >> i think it continues to evolve. what you'll find, i think, is that there is going to be more surgeries involved in these type

s of treatment modellities. >> reporter: at minimum, the early result has given her the time with her grandchildren she hasn't been able to enjoy? years. >> it was great. it was great to be down there without a migraine. >> reporter: carolyn johnson, abc 7 news. >> the procedure can range from about $3,000 to $10,000 and in most case, is not covered by insurance. up next, a progress report on a northern california soldier's mission in afghanistan. how he's helping afghan farmers. [ wind howling ] [ male announcer ] it balances you... [ water crashing ] [ male announcer ] ...it fills you with energy... and it gives you what you're looking for to live a more natural life, in a convenient two bar pack. this is nature valley... delicious granola bars made with 100% natural ingredients.

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hey bets, can i borrow a quarter? sure, still not dry? i'm trying to shrink them. i lost weight and now some clothes are too big. how did you do it? simple stuff. eating right and i switched to whole grain. whole grain... [ female announcer ] people who eat more whole grain nd to have a healthier body weight. multigrain cheerios has five whole grains and 110 calories per serving. multigrain cheerios. try new chocolate cheerios with a touch of delicious chocolate taste in every bite. we've been following a northern california guardsman and the progress of a team of soldiers in afghanistan working to build the agr i business. we checked in with john hanson to see how the work is going and how his family is doing. >> since we left, we've vaccinated 14,000 head of animals, goats, cow, sheep.

>> it's great. >> reporter: how is that playing with the hearts and minds of the afghan people where you're working? >> we covered that people here are at a low, low end of the poverty scale. we decided to do this because it was something we could do quickly and have a lot of our knowledge and background with the people we brought. >> reporter: they call is the debt care program where specialists are speaking afghan vets how to conduct large scale vaccination clinics to improve the health of livestock. >> the surviveability increases, the parasites will be reduced to very little, which means that animals will be able to survive the winter in numbers far greater than otherwise. it's a big thing for them. >> reporter: sometimes things get physical, dealing with frightened animals who try to get away from their handlers. hanson gets right in the middle of to here, helping to

wrestle a young steer to be inspected for health concerns and vaccinated. >> i really like the mission. >> reporter: 21-year-old specialist kathy is the only woman on the team here. >> i was nervous, but once we hit ground, i was ready to roll. >> reporter: she and the team see poverty that is so extreme that most farmers don't have ropes to tie their animals and many children don't have shoes. so a nonprofit called the spirit of america is raising money. >> some americans back home have taken it and have set aside now up to $10,000. we have 500 pairs coming in the next week or two. >> reporter: the california national guard agri business development team is helping with irrigation projects in villages so remote, they can only be quickly accessed by helicopter. the adt posted some of their activities on you tube. >> as a result of this effort,

the village of 100 people now have water for themselves, animals and their crops. >> reporter: the cal guard adt is providing tech national expertise and leadership skills. they're pushing the local government to get involved at the lowest levels so people here will have confidence their government will help them. >> none of that will be able to be implemented unless the people believe in their governments. >> reporter: meanwhile, back home, first sergeant hanson's family is moving ahead with their lives. they're seen here during a recent visit to abc 7. annette is providing emotional support to some of the wives of the adt, while their husbands are in afghanistan. 22-year-old keely is a college senior setth sitting over seas in cuba. 19-year-old travis is studying to be a geologist. he and a friend are recently hiking near uc irvine and made the self discovery of a body.

travis received long distance counseling from his dad in afghanistan. dad can't be home right now to nurture his own family, but they're helping afghan farmers improve the future for their families. >> every village we've been into, they know who the adt is, now when we return or our converts return, we know we're there for good. >> abc 7 news. >> when "assignment 7" continues, a bay area woman who paid for driving lessons but never learned how to drive. 7 on your side looks into several other complaints about the school she went to. and north bay home looking for a new owner. the unique selling point that sets it apart in the market. fiber one chewy bar. how'd you do that? do what? it tastes too good to be fiber. you ma it taste like chocolate. it has 35%

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only vietnamese, it's not so easy. >> i pick up the vietnamese paper and heard of the driving school before. >> reporter: this ad in a vietnamese newspaper caught her eye. it could teach her in vietnamese. it's also a reasonable price. $450 for all lessons until she receives her license. >> i trusted the way the advertisement was presented in this page and he school myself. eagle driving school promised to teach me for three days a week, each day for two hours. >> reporter: she said eagle school owner arrived at her home to give her her first lesson. she paid him $250 up front. however, she says the lesson lasted just half an hour. no one showed up for her next lesson. she called to find out what was

going on. >> my eagle driving school instructor told me over the phone that he will not teach me anymore and reimbu money my mony back. >> reporter: however, she says the owner didn't come through with the refund. that's when she and her husband got ahold of 7 on your side and we contacted eagle driving school. the owner, tran, said there was a misunderstanding about the scheduling of lessons. he said he offered a partial refund right after the cancellation on march 10 and the couple refused to take the money. he even faxed 7 on your side a copy of the western union money order he says he provided. however, we checked with western union. it said the money order was not purchased until march 15. five days after the couple contacted 7 on your side and four days after they sued tran in small claims court. >> right now we have an investigation unit looking at

the driving school to see what kind of violations there are that they have incurred. >> reporter: the department of motor vehicles says they have received other complaints. >> currently the department of motor vehicles is investigating eagle driving school and if there are any victims out there that feel they didn't get their money's worth are encouraged to call the department of motor vehicles so we can add you to our database of complainants. >> reporter: the company is licensed by the state. however, it has an f rating with the better business bureau. we found several similar complaints posted on-line, saying eagle took students' fees and left them stranded. the couple were about to go to court when tran finally did mail them the partial refund of $176. she went ahead and cashed it, but just wishes she could drive. the dmv has advice for choosing a driving school. check the state license. check the bond. then check with your friend. >> i think word of mouth is

probably the ba business cousemt a business could have. if they're a good company, they're getting good reviews. >> if you would like to learn more how to check out a good driving school, i posted a link at abc 7 news.com. >> a one of a kind home is for sale in the north bay. it's not the home that's the main attraction. it's what's behind the home. eric thomas takes us on a tour of the real estate with its own railroad. >> reporter: for sale, four bedroom, 2 1/2 bath home in fairfax, detached two car garage on nearly two acres of land with its own babbling brook. as for amenities, how about its own railroad? >> particularly as a young child, it was a big out to go come out to my aunt and uncle's house and ride the train. >> reporter: in 1961, mary's uncle, a scottish engineer, began to build a miniature steam engine and train in the backyard

of his home. he fabricated all the parts himself, laid the track, and invited the neighborhood kids over to enjoy what he called the raccoon railw gulch railway. >> his life of trains. all of his vacations were around trains. visiting big train, going to europe and riding the trains. he loved having the neighborhood kids come over and ride the train and, in fact, he even built a special car for a neighborhood dog. >> reporter: but adams is 93 years old, frail and lives in a nursing home. his wife is 99. they had to stop running the railroad several years ago and the trains are in serious need of repair before they work again. after the couple was cheated out of $80,000 by a hired home care giver, the family decided to put the property up for sale, asking price, $995,000. >> it is a very unique property. it's got a gorgeous setting and

the train is ready to go and the train goes all the way around the property, through a tunnel. so it's got great features. >> i've already had a number of calls from railroad enthusiasts and organizations that want to come and use the property and see the property and even if they don't buy it, come over and maintain the railroad for a potential buyer. >> reporter: eric thomas, abc 7 news. >> adams was known for years as the train man of fairfax and allowed kids and neighbors to use the railroad for birthday parties and neighborhood gatherings. adams bought the property in the 50s and began laying the track before he built the house. up next, a young entrepreneur behind a silicon valley start-up. her age may be her biggest advantage. and a 15-ton piece of artwork grabbing lots of attention in san francisco. [ male announcer ] using frontline plus shows your pet you care... by unleashing a complete killing force against...

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hey bets, can i borrow a quarter? sure, still not dry? i'm trying to shrink them. i lost weight and now some clothes are too big. how did you do it? simple stuff. eating right and i switched to whole grain. whole grain... [ female announcer ] people who eat more whole grain nd to have a healthier body weight. multigrain cheerios has five whole grains and 110 calories per serving. multigrain cheerios. try new chocolate cheerios with a touch of delicious chocolate taste in every bite. san francisco is a site of a huge sculpture celebrating the

city's sister city relationship with shanghai. arts and entertainment reporter don sanchez reports. >> reporter: it is massive, it stands three stories high, and weighs 15-tons. yes, 35,000 p yes, 35,000 pounds of copper and brass. the sculpture is called three heads, six arms. this man was inspired by broken fragments of buddhist statues that he found in tibet. >> and gave him lots of inspiration and then he start to understand the cultural and the people's spiritual life in tibet. he said the mass the sculpture has, he like to create supernatural power and bring good wish to san francisco. >> reporter: he's considered one of the most influential and provocative contemporary artists working today. the artwork was presented as part of the shanghai-san francisco sister city 30th anniversary. >> we wanted to do something

bold. we were looking for something that would be impactful. we knew size would be important. but fundamentally, we want to do identify an artist that had a powerful idea. >> reporter: then transporting it was an exercise in logistics. >> getting something this monumental in size across the ocean on time for this event was a feat. >> reporter: because it recreates fragments of statues on a grand scale, it's a work that the mayor hopes will cree controversy, especially about its size. in a city known for its difficulty in getting projects approved, the mayor says he, quote, broke the rules because it's just temporary. >> when you can do it temporarily, you can get them up. it's when it's permanent that is more difficult. >> reporter: it is impresssive in scope and size. the sculpture will be here through the end of 2011. don sanchez, abc 7 news. >> a high school senior who is already a stand out among her peers is reaching new heights. abc 7's money scope reporter david introduces to us a young

lady launching her third start-up. >> reporter: diane's enthusiasm draws plenty of attention at the floor on this tech show. she ising about he explaining ar on-line business. >> it's very overwhelming to manage and edit all of those data from all the different social portals. it takes up a lot of time. we've aggregated them into one place. you drag and drop. >> reporter: this is her third start-up. the first was a t-shirt business. the second, a market research firm. by the way, diane is a senior in high school in cupertino. >> that's kind of the idea that you go in there and you act like every other professional. >> reporter: she manages to get in six hours of sleep daily, plus homework and cramming for advanced placement exams. where do you get your start-up capital?

>> from a investor. our father. >> reporter: dad invested $100,000, but not until he asked tough questions of diane and her brother, the co-founder. they are convinced the economy is ripe for start-ups again. >> i think that we are here at the perfect time, investors are getting more brave. getting more courageous. >> reporter: this investor, who runs the web 2.0 conference, doesn't think her being 18 is a problem. >> the maker of facebook was young. >> reporter: the venture isn't turning a profit yet. diane is convinced it will. both diane and steven say failure is not an option. they know there is competition. but they're hoping they do succeed and eventually will sell off the company. in san francisco, abc abc abc 7y scope. >> if you want more information on the stories on our program today, go to our web site, abc 7 news.com, look under the news

links on the left side for "assignment 7". th of "ass edition of "assignment 7". i'm terry mcsweeney. thank you for joining us. next at 5:00, the bomb squad is called out to interstate 580 in oakland following a shootout between a suspect and chp officers. officers. >> join us for abc-7 news ♪ welcome to ultimate rewards from chase. no blackouts, no restrictions on airfare and hotels, no limits to what you can get with ultimate rewards.

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