hi, welce to assignment 7. today on our program, every penny counts. new school now opened in afghanistan thanks to a penny collecti had a started in the bay area and debris and chemicals in san francisco bay, why we are responsible for it. also a look at the historic homes in the bay area that you can buy, rent or take a tour of, but let's begin with the high speed rail project in california. critics are trying to put the brakes on it heather ishimaru has more on a man in chae of theroject and the challenges he faces >> reporter: calornia voters prastd a $10 billn bond for high speed rail, but at a current price tag of $43 billion we'll need more than that bond. >> today, i am more confident

than ever that this proje can and will be built. >> the high speed rail authority ceo told san jose business leaders that funding is the single biggest obstacle but he expects the money will come from two main sources, private sector and the federal government. he says ere is momentum in washingtono provide about $1.5 billion a year over ten years and there is the idea for an infrastructureank. >> which is another possibily to make a development bank which has not yet taken off, but which would fund the project of this nature. >> and other thin to overcome are peninsula cities that are unhappy with the plan. >> how do you separate those trai from those cars going at 120 miles an hour? do you raise the train 30 to 40 feet in the air and create a scar down the commity?

no. >> and they will use caltrain right of way but it's too narrow instead of 60 feet instead of the 80. >> there are sections that are narrower and we are looking at options going partially into a tunnel to not have an impact on the property adjact. >> the most important pa is the high speed staff and board they hav to listen a little more. pay attention to what the communy is saying. >> van art says construction needs to start in 2012. >> a one of a kind procedure pioneered by a bay area surgeon is changing itself life of a boy from mexico born without ears. >> good to see you. >> reporter: these gold medals are valued possession, a victory of national competiti, medals he wants to give to his doctor.

>> he is like gold to me. >> h was born witht ears or ear canals but his middle ear bones are intact. >> somewhere in development when the ears developed and the ear canal starts to open it stops. >> typically requires sever surgeries to corre but a plastic surgeons have pioneered a way to perform multiple operations the same day, about ten hours in surgery, working together to create a new ear canal. >> so this will turn and rest of the ear will be here an the opening will be here. >> it's something they have dreamed of. >> it's a miracle for me. it's been 12 years, even with newly reconstructed either might bring him discomfort.

>> they say if i get bit by a mosqui my ear will swell up. i have been nervous but i am call becaus i'm in good hands with dr.eport son. >> early in the morning, first they begin construcon of the outer era and then they create an ear canal and eardrum while the doctor continues his sculpting of the ear. seven surgeries in one day. four weeks later, die is ready to have the packing remove, a chance to hear for the time. >> for him, it's a huge change, but what we'll see over the next several weeks that wi continue to prove and come up to a better level. >> he ha another favor to ask.

>> it's my otr operations. >> he plans to be back at christmastime for his left ear and he wi hear the roar of the crowat his gymnastics competition. >> two women have returned fro afghanistan after delivering on a promise. they used the pennies raised by children i this country to buila new school for girls. cheryl jennings s the remarkable story. >> these young afghan boys are at the opening ceremony of a brand-new high school for their sisterin a province in afghanistan. it's high in the mountns at an elevation of nearly 10,000 feet. these pictures are from roots of peace. this is the only high school for girls here. it was paid for with pennies raised by children from the san francisco bay area and around

the world. they joined the roots of peace children's pennies campaign co-hosted by two people from san rafael. >> i was approached by the first and only woman governor of afghanistan. >> she promised to build a school here. heidi and their dauger risked their lives to attend the school's dedicatio this fall. >> they know we are there. >> they were joined at dedition by her husband. he was there inspecting agricultural progra led by roots of peace. the students received brannew computers donated by a company in dubai. they also returned to the very first school buy by the roots of peace pennies campaign back in 2006. there, they delered more brand-new computs. >> we believe through education

and agriculture this country will be lied up. >> they dedicated a new comper lab, walt disnes daughter to largest private donations to remove land mines. >> kyl was the first to visit there when she saw children studying under a tendn the hot sun. she pmised to get a school built. the children are immeely grateful. >> cheryl jennings, "abc 7 news". up next, 7 on your side, how your wireless printer may be giving away secrets.

>> i think it can move. sure, it's just not easy. >> the bay area company where making coffee spans generation, why it may be traded for basell.2@

welcome back to assignment 7. chancesre you have a printer at home to use with your computer but is the printer giving away your secret michael finney on the new privacy concern. >> so if i go to google i can find this? >> rig. you can find all of it on google. >> i've done plenty of internet searches but i've never seen anything quite like this. it all starts with your printer scanner. here is best buy display, most of them are wi-fi enabled. it can leave your system open to snoops. >> you click to see if there is

anything there >> we are looking at a list of hue elector wi-fi enabled scanners. we click on one and then we click agn. if anything is on the scanner we get to see what it is. here a photograph. we are bluing it out. here a document, again we can read it but we're blurring it so you can't. computer security firm z-scaler figured this out. >> any xp scanner that is connected in the room could be wide open and any documenthey are pulling out there could be scanned by others. >> reporter: jay is ceo and president and he says companies like hp ship the printers with a default settings that makes it access easy. we asked hp about that and we're told on a secured network the likelihood of a web scan being a

security issue is extremely unlikely. proper secured home or business ntworks will keep documents private, and that is true. but he says not everyone as a secured network. >> it's hard to educate masses. you can try to put the burden on a layman, but it doesn't work. >> you caning on the intert and clic on everything that is on that list, it's kind of scary. >> she works for best buy's geek squad. it's her job to inform consumer the masses and protect them, too. >> i woul definitely, but that is huge thing, after looking at that i'll le the consumers know and rest of my team. there is new alarming report out theron the health of the san francisco bay and what is in the water. all sorts of chemicals. leigh glaser reports. >> water flows through diamd

canyon, down to 580 and 880 and here into the bay. >> this is where rain water from the creek watershed enters the bay. what is being done to enter the bacon tiansigh levels of pcp's and pesticides. >> there is legacy of pcb's but come to the level that make many fish unsafe to eat. >> storm drns and 15 industrial areas around the bay, waterways near richmond and san pablo were found to be heavily polluted. and t creek in san pab le, but they say the community has tried to help. >> stuff that u would see normally floating around the creek has been cleaned up. >> plastic bags are another

poller. neighbors living next to this creek reored the creek side with native plants. it will reduce the amount of contaminants downstream. >> as the water slows down, all the sediment that is carrying will be able to slow down and fall out in suspenon and gets trapped. so all the contaminants that are attached to it are also trapped. >> while water quality in the bay has improved, more needs to be don and they are looking for the public for help. leigh glaser, abc news. >> a change cod be coming along the waterfront at jack london square in oaklan, it involves coffee and basebal wayne freedman reports. >> it seems to be in perfe put you'll motion, plow row along third street in oakland, a place of import, export, traditions and history, but if you read the headlines these days, it may be a neighborhood in atlanta

signifies. >> i could not see a ballpark here. >> spoken like a man with 85 employees and legions of loyal customers. >> this is not bad. >> peerless coffee is a three generation coffee business. fill works in the same office next t their wife sonya and the kids work here too, from geoe and christina and it would please them the immigrant who founded the company back in 1924. >> peerless we wanted to be the best coffee. >> how do say peerless in yugoslavia. >> but it's fullf surprises. there is a museum, it's all about coffee and it's company

stocked with items, small and large. >> it's in mint 1922 condition. >> but the coffee museum, there is another one, an active working museum a few feet away. >> just like the rest of this neighborhood, its busy place. making coffee begins with big bags all around the world. there ar sacks and also barrels, this is no fol gergs or starbuck >> but in the coffee world we are small. >> but the flavor. >> superb. >> it's specialt stuff, chalked full of family secrets. did you know that coffee beans need to cool for two minutes and then sealed in bags. that is why coffee bags have litt pressure valves.

>> you have to have a way for the gases to leave the packaging otherwise we would have blown up bags everyere. >> and agast this busy backdrop, a looming dilemma, a possible trade for beans for. >> but i thi the tradition can move, sure, it's just not easy. >> when they built the company they did it generation at a time. livingroof in a coffee business, a family that works together stays togetr but here who knows. wayne freedman, "abc 7 news." >> still ahead, an architectural history lesson. >> and wear and tear, but i kind of like it. >> we'll take you inside some of bay area's historic homes.

>> another bay area is full of houses with past and several are for sale orent. here is dan ashley with histo you can live in. ♪ >> here we are and it is a grand fo zbler this is the mansion in the north berkeley hill real estate agent is showing us around. >> this is billiard room, gentlemen would share company. >> it was built in 1912 by a wealthy land develer, it was designed by john hudson thomas. >> it has unparalleled beauty and it's unique. >> it can be yours for $6.5 millio the msion was used for several decades as a young women's college. a lot of original details are still intact. signature woodwork, beautifully preserved but the house does

need serious work, there are three acres that was once a show place garden. >> somebody has the desire, this could be mo beautiful place to live. >> if you are looking for something with a lower price tag might consider renting a historic home in the presidio. this neighrhood was built in the early 1900s for doors. >> the house was vacant for 30 years now the presidio trucht is refuishing them for rentals. >> what the historic charaer, we do that, we need to make it suitable for modern use. >> that means new kitchen and lighting and wiring but everything else is the same. >> they came back to take a

look. they used to live here. >> i was surprised to see this. >> there are three homes and eight duplexes from rents to $5,000 to $10,000 a month. biggest hous is almost 4,000 square feet. they remember it was a lot to clean. >> its a wife killer but that didn't stop me because i lov the house. >> at this open house, some people are looking to rent, some want to step back in time a bit. >> it makes you feel good, presidio trust that restores these buildings and make them accessible. >> it's not quite easy to get a look at this home. alpine ranch is on more than 300 acres in san mateo county hills. >> the ranch house was built in 1870s and this was the original parlor and everything was

redwood on the property. >> it was built by a lawyer as a wedding gift for a young woman from the paige family but she rejected the proposal and never moved in. it became a cattle ranch and still filled of relics from the past. >> this is the old wedgewood stove that came with the house. >> there are steps worn down by 130 years of family. >> this is the wear and tear but i kind of like it. >> it's not easy to give up history like thi she had the ranch on the market but the time we got here to see it, she changed her mind. >> i just came up here and sat on the porch, listened to the trees and decided, thi is my great escape. >> dan ashley, "abc 7 news." >> drive to discover, a new device that not only poin you in the right direction but it tells you what you are poinng

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new consum technology is being pioneered in the bay area and augmented reality ca point you in the right direction but can tell you what you are pointing at. richard hart has the drive to discover. >> to bart a train platfo is a social platform. it has been consistently the first on social networks. >> we have been there 2008 and 2009. it's a small part fo what we do. >> no public agency and probably no company has computers with more data open to the public than bart making it an ideal candidate. >> the technology is augmented different from gps

devices, it adds a camera to what you are seeing. government offices, museums. >> so as i point my thumb, it notion where i am standing and using the compass it knows what direction you e looking at. >> point it at a building and how much floor space is available fohow much and dials the leasing company. >> lisa works for the compa behind it, a san francisco pioneer in augmented reality. a magaze comes to life and zombies come to life on your desk in an augmented videoame. today the real estate info is provided by rolfo, but much more open information like this is needed if augmented reality is to grow. the info has to come from so where is. you know about-face recognition, this is place recognition.

>> if you want more information on the stories on our program today, go to our website at www.abc7.com. look under the news links on the left side for assignment 7. that is all for this edition of assignment 7. i'm kristen sz thank you souch for joining us. we'll see you back here next time.2@