With unemployement at 9%, it’s a recruiter’s market, right? Job hunter’s should assume to be in the begging position, right?

Dan Shapiro, Isaac Myers and Scott Haug are three of Google’s newest employees and Google is so happy to have them it put out a press release. All three are getting what you may call a sizeable hiring bonus and plenty of leverage to negotiate their own terms of employement.

How? The key is that they weren’t hired, they were bought.

Shapiro, Myers and Haug launched their three-man business called Sparkbuy less than a year ago and they just agreed to sell it to Google. Sparkbuy is an online comparison shopping site. Don’t worry about remembering the name. You’ll likely never hear it again. Google has already shut down the business it just bought. It’s the three guys, Shapiro, Haug and Myers, that are clearly what Google coveted. Such acquisitions are often referred to as “manquisitions”; buying a company just to raid the talent.

I have no knowledge that Shapiro, Haug or Myers started a company to ultimately get a plum job at one of the hottest companies in the world famous for its lavish employee perks. That’s a lot of work and risk to get a job. (Footnote: what we do know is that this is the second time Shapiro has started up a company and quickly flipped it to a larger company, as he did back in 2009 selling his company Ontella to Photobucket).

All of this makes me wonder about those statistics. You know? Three in ten startups fold within two years. 50% don’t make it more than five years. We hear those stats over and again and assume that it’s because succeeding in business is that hard and that risky. True enough. But how many people actually start-up a business with no intention of lasting more than a couple of years? Why do we assume everyone starts a business with the goal of lasting long enough to hand it down to our grandchildren?

Starting a business and building it into something viable enough to sell a few years later at a windfall is not failure.

Starting and running a business that showcases your talents and pays your mortgage long enough to get you by while you wait for somebody’s HR department to finally notice you and recruit you is not failure.

Starting and running a business that elevates you to an “A” list recruit in your field is not failure; Especially when it means your future boss has to buy your company and woo you with incentives, a big title and perks to get you stay on after the purchase.

Does your business plan have an alternate job hunting plan?

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Relief efforts in Northeast Alabama

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. Please use this information as a whole. Major changes have occurred during the last 24 hours. Major changes and vital information are marked in bold. Some items have been eliminated entirely. Therefore, it is necessary to use all the information.

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UPDATED AS OF 2:00 Friday, May 13

CAUTION: Workers across the area are continuing to restore service across roads and highways. Please watch for oncoming traffic and be aware of what’s going on in your surroundings.

Downed communications lines are still a problem in the area. Do not approach any downed line. If any line is obstructed and vehicles can’t get by, feel free to report it to Sand Mountain Electric Cooperative at 256-638-2153 or Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative at 256-638-2144. But, DO NOT APPROACH THEM AND DO NOT CUT THEM.

Do not pile debris on or anywhere near downed power or telephone lines. DO NOT push any debris over or pile any on downed lines.

DeKalb County EMA requests that any debris placed on roadside for collection should not be anywhere near power or telephone lines.

Many circuit communication lines are still working on the ground providing home and cell phone service. Please, DO NOT CUT THEM under any circumstance. If you cut them you may very well cut service for your neighbors.

The day of the disaster Farmers Telecommunications suffered loss of 33 of our 35 main lines. We had 35 miles of line destroyed or heavily damaged. We We had 1500 customers out of service. That number is down to less than 300.

As of today, Friday, there are 105 troubles in process of repair in Jackson County.

We want every Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative customer to know that we have been on the job, are on the job, and will be on the job until it is finished.

We are now beginning to go back and ride routes in neighborhoods to be sure NOBODY is left without service because we do know they are out of service.

Nobody will be left behind. If you are still out of service, please call 256-638-2144.

Here is a list of items people need to know.

If you wish to volunteer your time and efforts toward the cleanup please report to the parking lot at Orchard Lanes on Highway 75 north in Rainsville. If you need help cleaning up the debris please call 256-638-1421.

Major needs for the distribution center at Orchard Lanes in Rainsville is now chain saws and generators.

The Orchard Lanes Distribution Center location has changed hours of operation. Starting today, Friday, they will be open from 8 a.m. until 8.p.m.

The Red Cross will have trucks travelling throughout the affected areas. They will be assisting those in need as well as volunteer groups who have come to the area to help. Those trucks will be carrying food, water and snacks. If you need Red Cross assistance please call 256-845-0202. The Client Services Center has been brought together at a central location. From Rainsville they will be travelling in the field to the affected areas. You may call 256-638-1423 or Red Cross at 1-800-REDCROSS.

The Children’s Place in Fort Payne is providing showers and washers and dryers for those who need them and who were affected by the storm.

The Alabama State Baptist Convention and Red Cross have closed the fixed feeding station at Broadway Baptist Church in Rainsville. However, they still have ice and water. In addition, they have some 100′X20′ FEMA tarps available to residents of DeKalb and Jackson County from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. You may drive thru and pick up these items.

The American Red Cross and the Southern Baptist Convention have served over 100,000 meals in the affected areas.

Volunteers from the Red Cross have come from as far away as Puerto Rico, Guam, Alaska, California and across the continental United States to help with this disaster.

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If you haven’t already done so you need to register with the following organizations:

Red Cross at 256-845-0202

Salvation Army at 256-997-0858

The State has opened a phone number for diabetic supplies. Call 205-870-5172.

Additionally, FEMA has opened a disaster recovery center at the Bevil Center in Rainsville. The Bevil Center is located just off Highway 35 west in downtown Rainsville. Hours of operation are 7 a.m.-7 p.m. or you may call to register at 800-621-3362. The FEMA web site is www.disasterassistance.gov.

Anyone affected by the storm should visit the center to file for assistance.

Law enforcement officials ask sightseers to please stay away from the affected areas. You are only impeding the progress of those who are trying to clean up. Please stay out of their way.

A disaster food assistance program has been established at the Fyffe Church of God for the month of May for those who do not already qualify for food stamps. This program is designed to help people who might not ordinarily qualify for food assistance, but have lost income of have losses due to damage from the disaster. Food assistance benefits are used like cash to buy food. There are special food assistance rules for people affected by the disaster.

You will need to fill out an application to determine whether or not you qualify. Assistance will be rated on household members and income and resources. Certain requirements are needed to qualify. They will be at the Fyffe Church of God Thursday, May 12; Friday, May 13, and Saturday, May 14.

Go by Fyffe Church of God to fill out application and see if you qualify.

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Congressman Aderholt’s office has sent out the following press release:

DON’T PUT OFF CALLING FEMA TO REGISTER FOR DISASTER ASSISTANCE

BIRMINGHAM , Ala . – The thousands of Alabama residents affected by the tornadoes have a lot on their minds. But one vital thing needs to be on survivors’ recovery lists: Register for disaster assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Those affected should not put off applying for help because they have insurance. Many may have losses not covered by auto or homeowners’ policies.

The same goes for renters. There are FEMA grants to assist with temporary housing, personal property losses and serious disaster-related needs.

There are three easy ways to register..

· By phone , call 800-621-FEMA (3362) from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., local time. Operators are multilingual. For the speech or hearing impaired, the number is TTY 800-462-7585.

· By computer , go online to www.DisasterAssistance.gov .

· By smartphone or tablet , go to m.fema.gov.

Remember, it is critical FEMA has a good contact number.

Once registered, survivors may receive a disaster loan application from the U.S. Small Business Administration. Homeowners and renters must complete and return it to be referred to other FEMA programs. Applicants are not required to accept a loan.

Survivors may apply directly to the SBA before insurance claims are settled. Low-interest disaster loans are available to cover residential and business losses. For more information on the SBA program visit a disaster recovery center or call the SBA customer service number at 800-659-2955 .

Forty-two Alabama counties are now eligible for disaster assistance. They are: Autauga, Bibb, Blount, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Choctaw, Clarke, Colbert, Coosa, Cullman, DeKalb, Elmore, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Hale, Jackson, Jefferson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marengo, Marion, Marshall, Monroe, Morgan, Perry, Pickens, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Washington and Winston counties.

Once registered, stay in touch. FEMA’s helpline ( 800-621-3362) is a key source of information – from tracking the progress of applications to finding the closest disaster recovery center for one-on-one help.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call

800-462-7585.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for public transportation expenses, medical and dental expenses, and funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, applicants who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA loan officers to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

A curfew is still in effect for the affected areas. It runs from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m.

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______________________________________________________________ Alabama’s WIC Program reaches out to storm victims

As a result of devastating tornadoes that recently struck the state, women, infants and children who were not previously eligible for WIC may now meet income guidelines to qualify due to the loss of businesses and employment.

WIC, also known as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, serves women who are pregnant, breast-feeding, or had a baby in the past six months; infants; and children to age 5. WIC provides nutrition support in the form of food instruments that may be cashed at authorized grocery stores for specific food items such as milk, cheese, whole grain breads and cereals, fresh fruits and vegetables, infant foods, and infant formula if mothers are not breast-feeding. In addition, WIC provides nutrition information, breast-feeding support and supplies including breast pumps, and referrals to other health services.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires women, infants and children to meet income guidelines in order to qualify for WIC benefits. WIC is ready to assist individuals who meet the guidelines for participation in the program.

WIC requires proof of identification, residency in Alabama, and income when applying for benefits. USDA is allowing exceptions to the requirements for providing this documentation if the information was lost due to the storms.

The Alabama WIC Program has offices in all county health departments. Call your local health department or the toll-free number 1-888-WIC-HOPE (1-888-942-4673) for more information or to make an appointment.

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Distribution Center next to Orchard Lanes in Rainsville will now be open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., 7 days a week. Thanks.

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Advice for Dealing with Home Insurance Adjusters after Disaster Strikes

The recent tornados and storms have left many areas decimated, and now the rebuilding phase begins. The following is some advice from the BBB in dealing with home insurance adjusters. Contact your insurance adjuster immediately. Not only does this get the ball rolling on the claims process, but you might be eligible for loss-of-use benefits, which means you could be reimbursed for hotel costs, food, and other living expenses while your house is unlivable. Document the damage to your property and possessions thoroughly; take pictures or video if possible. Go from room to room and create a detailed account of your belongings. Make any minor repairs to limit further damage to the home. You may be liable for damage that occurs after a storm has passed, so make temporary repairs, such as boarding up broken windows or throwing a tarp over a leaky roof. Keep all your receipts spent on supplies and living expenses for future reimbursement. Do not make any permanent repairs until you get approval from your insurance company. Your insurer might not fully reimburse you for permanent repairs made without their authorization. If your house was destroyed by a major disaster, you may qualify for additional assistance when insurance doesn’t cover all of your losses. Check with the Federal Emergency Management Agency at www.fema.gov for more information.

For more advice you can trust on protecting your home and loved ones before and after natural disasters and other catastrophes, go to www.bbb.org .

# # #

Tips on Giving to Help Tornado Victims

The Better Business Bureau encourages both consumers and the business community to continue to give, but give wisely. As with every natural disaster, there are some people who will attempt to take advantage of American’s eagerness to assist victims. The BBB Wise Giving Alliance advises donors to be especially alert to these typical post-disaster situations: Phone solicitors may seek contributions allegedly on behalf of well-known relief charities without authorization from those organizations. Some of the calls may be cons trying to acquire credit card or other personal information. Ask the caller to send written information before making a donation decision. Online and phone text giving is increasingly popular, but requires donor alertness. Spam or e-mail messages asking for a contribution may be used in a “phishing” scam , where the messages link to a phony Web site that looks like the Web site of an established relief charity. This could be another ruse for obtaining credit card or other personal information. New charities spring up virtually overnight, promising aid to victims. These groups may have good intentions but lack the means and experience to deliver aid quickly to those in need.

If you or your business is asked to contribute to a helpful cause that will assist the families and victims of this catastrophe, find out the following: Is the charity properly registered with appropriate state government agencies? Is the charity providing information that describes exactly what it will do to address the needs of victims? Is the charity willing to provide written information about its finances and programs?

Potential donors can also visit the BBB Wise Giving Alliance at www.give.org to access detailed evaluative reports on many of the relief organizations providing assistance. The groups on this list have announced that they will be directly providing relief assistance for victims, or will be collecting funds for distribution to relief efforts. Please note that this list includes both charities that meet BBB standards and those that do not meet standards . Click on the respective report link to verify the charity’s current status.

Keep in mind that it is okay to take time to make up your mind about donating. If you are unable to contribute at this time, relief charities will welcome your donation next week and next month. In fact, organizations will be addressing a variety of relief activities in the months and even years to come, as the needs of the victims change. Rather than a one-time donation, you may want to consider how you might also offer assistance in the months to come. People who want to volunteer for work in disaster areas should note that the relief agencies are depending on volunteers who have disaster experience. However, these charities’ offices throughout the country may welcome local volunteers who can help with routine activities. As with all other disaster relief situations, most relief charities prefer financial contributions rather than donated goods. This enables them to purchase needed items near the disaster relief site(s) for easier distribution. For a full list of tips from the BBB for giving to disaster relief appeals, go to www.give.org/news/disaster_tips.asp .

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Storm Clean-up Schemes Cause Additional Heartache

Natural disasters can bring out the best in people, as strangers reach out to help others in need. Unfortunately, crises also bring out persons who choose to take advantage of the victims.

Some of the most common “after-disaster” scams involve home and yard repairs or clean-up. The Better Business Bureau offers the following tips to homeowners who suffer property damage in the wake of a natural disaster: Check with your insurance company about policy coverage and specific filing requirements. Save all receipts, including those for food, temporary lodging, or other expenses that may be covered under your policy. Although you may be anxious to get things back to normal, avoid letting your emotions get the better of you. Don’t be pressured into making an immediate decision with a long-term impact. Make temporary repairs if necessary. For major permanent repairs, take time to shop around for contractors, get at least three competitive bids, check out references (of at least a year-old) and contact your local BBB ( www.bbb.org ) for a report on the business. Be wary of door-to-door workers who claim to have left-over repair materials from a job “down the street” or who do not have a permanent place of business. Be leery if a worker shows up on your doorstep to announce that your home is unsafe. If you are concerned about possible structural damage in your home, have an engineer, architect or building official inspect it. Prepare a written contract agreement with anyone you hire. It should specify the work to be done, the materials to be used, and the price breakdown for both labor and materials. Review it carefully before signing. Any promises made orally should be written into the contract, including warranties on materials or labor. Never pay for all repairs in advance, and do not pay cash. Review all documentation before signing on the dotted line and before making any payment.

Disaster victims should never feel forced to make a hasty decision or to choose an unknown contractor. When in doubt, contact the Better Business Bureau.

# # #

Find a Contractor You Can Trust and Avoid Fraudulent Storm Chasers

If your home received damage when storms and tornados hit the area early this week; finding contractors for repairs you can trust is not always easy. Be aware that out of town storm chasers and other door-to-door salesmen often peddle dubious deals that can cost homeowners thousands of dollars and create serious headaches. The Better Business Bureau recommends doing your research to avoid getting ripped off by an untrustworthy contractor.

Wind damage from these violent storms has taken a toll on homes across Hamilton County and the surrounding area this week. The cost of repairs can be in tens of thousands of dollars. When you are spending that kind of money, it’s worth it to take your time and find contractors you can trust.

When looking for contractors you can trust, BBB recommends that homeowners:

1) Start Your Search with BBB. The local BBB web site, www.chattanooga.bbb.org has Reliability Reports on hundreds of contractors-good and bad-in this service area. Be aware that BBB Accredited contractors have pledged to uphold BBB’s Standards for Trust and are contractually obligated to resolve all complaints filed with the BBB.

2) Evaluate the Contractor Carefully. Verify the business meets all state and local requirements including being licensed, insured and bonded. Also ask the business for references from recent jobs. Confirm whether or not the contractor will be subcontracting the job or relying on his or her own employees.

3) Beware of Storm Chasers . In the wake of a storm, fly-by-night repair businesses will solicit work, often door to door, in unmarked trucks. They might require advance payment and make big promises that they will not deliver on.

4) Get at least three bids. Beware of lowball estimates that may potentially balloon over time or foreshadow shoddy work to come.

5) Recognize the red flags. Beware of any contractor that uses high pressure sales tactics or requires full payment upfront. BBB advises that one third advance payment for materials is standard operating practice. Also avoid contractors that require you to get the necessary permits.

6) Make sure everything is in writing. Make sure that the full scope of the work is explained in the contract including cleanup and disposal of waste. All verbal agreements need to be included in the written agreement. Pay close attention to the payment terms, estimated price of materials and labor and any warranties or guarantees.

For more advice on hiring professionals you can trust, visit us online at http://www.bbb.org/us/consumer-tips-home/ . You may also received BBB reports on businesses at 423-266-6144. The business telephone number is required to access this report.

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This article ( Mother’s Day flowers? Give the Gift of an Experience ) was originally developed by and is property of American Banking News . Checkout American Banking News for up-to-date banking news and peer to peer lending news.

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“Or they are for experiences for which you’ll have nothing to show afterwards, such as holidays,” she added.But she pointed out that a credit card is often the worst offender as the repayments are usually set so low that people may never pay them off in full, while the rates are typically the largest.Ms Pedersen-McKinnon recommended that the best way for someone to eliminate Aussie credit debt is to transfer the balance to another product which has a much lower or no interest rate for a starting period and attempt to remove the debt in that time.

She continued: “Don’t use the card for any new spending – this is how the banks recoup their apparent generosity. Fresh debt will attract a high interest rate from day one and until you’ve cleared your entire transferred balance.”

Moreover, it is not just personal loans and credit cards that are problematic as she noted that home loans can also cause issues.However, the writer stated that there are “massive” potential savings from early repayments.This advice comes after the Daily Telegraph’s John Rolfe advised consumers to organise themselves financially in order to save capital, as well as switching to a low-rate credit card.

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UK Price Comparison website Which4U – Compare Credit Cards, Savings Account, Fixed Rate Bonds, Bank Accounts, ISAs, Loans, Personal Loans, Insurance, TV & Broadband and Gas/Electric bills to find the best UK deals credit cards, savings account, personal loans

Low rate of interest

In the market, many companies and banks offer loan for the home improvement. Basically these loans are secured loan and you have to pledge any collateral against the loan amount. Borrower can avail the loan amount rages up to £70000 or more. The repayment of loan amount is also very longer. So it becomes very convenient because according to your monthly salary you can repay the installments. Banks offer these loans mainly for the purpose of remodeling or structural renovations of your home. Apart from this, you can use the home improvement loans for numerous purposes like adding new rooms, buying new furniture, decorating your garden, whitewashing the walls, constructing a swimming pool and many more purposes. Banks offer lower rate of interest on house improvement loans.

By unsecured way

If you do not have any collateral then also avail loans for your home improvement. When you need money for small repairs of your home then unsecured loan is the suitable choice. Without pledging any valuable asset, you can avail loan amount ranging up to £25000 but you have to return the installments of loan amount within 3-10years. Banks or lenders offer higher rate of interest on these loans.

Processing

By online facility you can access home improvement loan. On internet many websites are available. When you will login on these sites it will open a list of lenders or banks or companies who are ready to give loan at reasonable rates. You will also get all the important details and understand the pros and cons of the loan. Without any hassle you can compare the financing conditions, rate of interest and qualities of these lenders. According to your requirements you can choose the best option to improve your home.

According to many, Groupon is about to take over the world. The group discount service is the fastest-growing company in the history of the web, and recently secured $950m of investment to fuel its ongoing growth. But what’s in it for you? Well, the site relies on lots of people signing up for daily deals, increasing demand to justify huge reductions. Most deals are for more than 50% off, and UK hotel and spa deals pop up daily – a recent search found 60% savings on country hotels in Sussex, and four-day luxury breaks in Morocco down from £1,080 to £268. It’s also worth watching voucher code websites such as vouchercodes.co.uk and myvouchercodes.co.uk , for regular coupon offers – for example, 40% off Expedia deals, and 30% off Hotels.com bookings.

Also check out: netvouchercodes.co.uk , livingsocial.com Cheap flights

The darling of online travel junkies the world over, Kayak.co.uk remains the best flight comparison site in the business. The format is simple: enter your starting point, your destination and your travel dates, then let Kayak do the rest. The site trawls through just about every airline in the world, from obscure regional budget outfits to the big-gun national carriers, to find the cheapest option. The Kayak Buzz feature (Kayak Trends on the mobile app) is a nice touch – displaying the best fares found by fellow users to a range of popular destinations. Toggle this with its brilliant interactive map of cheap routes and you’ll find yourself on a £20 return flight to Billund (Denmark) in no time. OK, maybe you don’t fancy a weekend in Billund in mid-February, but you get the point.

Also check out: Fly.com , Skyscanner.net , momondo.com Hotel finders

Over the past few years, hundreds of travel apps have exploded on to the smartphone market. A number of hotel finders are particularly good fun – helping travellers find a last-minute cheap sleep. The Trivago app , which is free to download, is as easy to use as its excellent online site , allowing users to search for the cheapest bed within a variable radius of exactly where they are standing. Alternatively, you can plug in a few parameters – say, a three-star bed for under €60 within a half-hour walk – and it’ll spit out whatever it’s got. Once you’ve found your hotel, you can book through the app. The Hotels.com app (also free to download) is well worth a play, too, as it includes hostels alongside hotels, regularly yielding sub-£10 beds in some of the world’s most expensive cities.

Also check out: Hotels Near Me app , LateRooms app , Tripadvisor app Comparison, Comparison, Comparison

In travel – as with just about every consumer market – comparison websites are a very big deal. Which isn’t to say they are particularly glamorous. But when it comes to the wholly annoying business of organising travel insurance and car hire, you’d be mad not to spend a little time jumping around the web. For car hire, Traveljungle.co.uk is reliably good, as is comparecarhire.co.uk . For the deeply exciting business of travel insurance, try travelsupermarket.com , comparethemarket.com (if you can banish images of meerkats from your mind) and squaremouth.co.uk . For packages (a complicated comparison field that has yet to really be cracked) look, again, at travelsupermarket.com , and dealchecker.co.uk . Then pour yourself a stiff, well-deserved drink.

Also check out: Insureandgo.com (for insurance), car-hire-centre.co.uk (for car hire) Guides

A small saving, but a very handy one, in weight as well as cash. The average paperback travel guide costs at least £10,but you rarely pay more than £3 for an app guide. Hundreds have flooded on to the market. Yelp , Spotted By Locals and Lonely Planet apps are all worth a look, displaying tips according to where you are standing. Remember, however, that unless these apps are used in free Wi-Fi zones, the charges can spiral quickly. New guides from Time Out are probably the best, and are usable without connecting to horrifically expensive 3G abroad – the hundreds of tips they contain are native to the app, requiring only your location (which your phone tracks for free). For food hunting, Urbanspoon is a lot of fun and lets you search for local restaurants according to price, and Toptable is a decent app for finding local restaurant offers in the UK.

Also check out: In Your Pocket city apps , Foodspotting Twitter Deals

Don’t be afraid of the Twittersphere. Many, quite understandably, can’t be bothered with it. It’s a very noisy place, with a lot of chaff disguising tiny grains of wheat. But it’s a common misconception that to get the good stuff you need to Tweet yourself. You don’t. Hundreds of travel companies use Twitter to broadcast their latest deals and competitions, from TravelZoo ‘s ever-handy top 20 deals of the week to Skyscanner ‘s frequently tempting deal of the day. You don’t need to be signed up to see them. Because we’re nice, we’ve rounded up some of the most reliable travel-deal Twitterers on @GuardianTravel’s Twitter deal list , where you’ll find deals (and occasional other bits and bobs) from 13 companies all in one place.

Also check out: @STATravelUKDeal , @UKTraveloffers , @Letsgo2holidays 5 more quick tips

– Free Wi-Fi finder app : Lists free Wi-Fi spots in more than 10,000 locations worldwide. – Skype app on your phone : Turns your phone into a free calls device – when in Wi-Fi zones. – Parkatmyhouse.co.uk : Park at houses near airports at less than half the price of official car parks. – Flycheapo.com : Easy-to-use directory of European budget flight routes. – SitOrSquat app : Finds free public toilets in thousands of destinations across the globe Budget travel Smartphones Mobile phones Apps Insurance Benji Lanyado guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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It was only 20 years ago that you’d drive down Octavia Boulevard and on all corners it was prostitutes everywhere, like the Tenderloin is now,” Pritchard said.

The self-proclaimed neighborhood activists were barely making rent. They began attending meetings between Caltrans and city officials, petitioning to get the Central Freeway taken down. The double-deck structure had crumbled in the October 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and laid fallow for two years. “The freeway was huge, it was immense, it was a monolith,” Behrens-Brigham said. The underpass “was all prostitutes and drug users. You really took your life into your hands to walk under there.”

Caltrans began to demolish the Central Freeway in 1992 and a battle rages over what to do with the 22 vacant parcels where the structure stood. On two neighboring parcels in particular, on Laguna Street between Fell and Oak streets, an experiment is taking place. Over the past 20 years, the spot where the freeway used to touch down remained a magnet for crime and homelessness. But, in January, the Hayes Valley Farm opened.

Volunteers cut the rusty chain-link fence, picked up vodka bottles and disposed of hypodermic needles that littered the vacant lot.

Though at least half the land is still filled with decades’ worth of lead-based oils, carbon monoxide and other toxins from vehicles driving on and off the freeway, the Hayes Valley Farm is abloom.

Farm co-director Jay Rosenberg said he never expected the farm to attract so many people to the 2.2-acre plot.

There was a lot of crime, a lot of prostitution, a lot of drug use and distribution,” Rosenberg said. “Many people considered this a black spot in their memories and forgot about the vacant lot.”

The farm met its August goals six months early, attracting more than 7,000 volunteers. Rosenberg said he was only hoping for 20 volunteers a week, but upward of 150 people a week have been showing up. FARM ISN’T PERMANENT

The farm, an agriculture project, is funded by a $50,000 grant from the Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development – and it’s not meant to be permanent.

The city and the Redevelopment Agency, which each own one parcel of the farm, confirmed eventual plans to develop condominiums on the plots any time between three and 18 years from now.

“It’s an interim use, until the housing market turns around,” said Rich Hillis, deputy director of economic development for the mayor’s office. “It’s been difficult to find financing to build new housing.

“We’re activating many of the underutilized parcels but we fully expect to build between 700 and 900 total housing units on the parcels,” Hillis added.

Project planners say they are ready to move the farm when they have to do so. The goal of the farm, they said, is to inspire people to grow their own food, rather than just grow food on the site. Classes and materials provided to the community are helping the idea of community gardens catch on, they said.

“We intend to be a neighborhood partner, so when the mayor says, ‘It’s condo time, you have to leave,’ we’ll go wherever he says to go next,” Rosenberg said. “We want to be able to do this over and over again in vacant lots all over the city, and that’s not going to happen if we chain ourselves to the trees and say, ‘Don’t build here.’

“But if we can actually prove that this is better for the world than another condo, it’s perhaps possible that somebody may decide not to do that,” he added.

On Sept. 19, the farm’s “university” was launched, offering classes such as Soils 102: Introduction to Worms and Methods, and 101: Permaculture Design Basics. The goal, farm directors said, is to create a model for urban sustainability – exactly what Mayor Gavin Newsom said he had in mind when he issued an executive order in July 2009 for healthful and sustainable food for San Francisco.

“Sustainable food systems ensure nutritious food for all people, shorten the distance between food consumers and producers, protect workers’ health and welfare, minimize environmental impacts and strengthen connections between urban and rural communities,” Newsom wrote.

Aimee Hill, 31, is a volunteer at the farm and a high school science teacher at the Urban School in San Francisco. She teaches many of the soils classes at the Hayes Valley Farm.

“We’re teaching classes on microbiology,” she said. “We’re building soils with food scraps, newspaper and worms.” PROBLEMS PERSIST

On any given day, the farm is buzzing with people. They’re planting herbs in the greenhouse, rotating compost pits and watering fava beans.

“The problem is at night,” Rosenberg said. “For 20 years, since the earthquake, people have come here to sleep, to do drugs, to solicit prostitution.”

Rosenberg pointed to the killing of more than 200,000 bees overnight last July 19-20 as an example of the ongoing problems.

“Someone or a group of people jumped the fence and sprayed some sort of household bug spray on the hives,” he said. “When we got here in the morning, there were literally thousands of bees piled up right outside the door.”

In response, Rosenberg and the team at the farm have launched a neighborhood watch program. The morning after the bees were killed, the Department of Public Works, along with a public safety team, patched holes in the fence line.

“We’re getting spotlights that are motion activated so that if someone breaks in at night, the lights will go on, and anyone who sees the farm out their windows light up will know to look,” he said, and call the police at Northern Station. “When that’s in place, I’ll feel comfortable putting bees in here again.” ANTI-FREEWAY LEGACY

Behrens-Brigham and Pritchard said the freeway revolts of the 1950s paved the way for the Hayes Valley Farm.

In 1959, the Board of Supervisors gave in to pressure from neighborhood activists and voted to cancel seven of 10 freeways planned to dissect the city. The most fiercely opposed freeway would have extended through the Panhandle and tunneled under Golden Gate Park, then turning onto Park Presidio and finally across the Golden Gate Bridge.

“We looked at the history of freeways in San Francisco, and thought if people back then could stop a freeway running through the Panhandle through Golden Gate Park, we could certainly get this one taken down,” Behrens-Brigham said.

What would go in its place, though, was a question that always gnawed at her. Back in 1992 she told the San Francisco Independent that she thought reclaiming the landscape from cars was possible: “We would like to put community gardens and a sculpture garden on the land in the interim.” What she didn’t know was that her humble dream of neighborhood transformation would be a decades-long project.

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