pretty steady rate. we're told most bay area post offices are short staffed. the spokesperson for the region says until somebody figures out how to e-mail a sweater, they need people to deliver. they're known as the public face of the u.s. postal service. letter carriers who deliver mail to your doorstep each day. >> it's a nice job. it's a good job. it keeps you healthy. you're out in the fresh air. and the hourly rage is decent. >> reporter: and the post office is doing a mass recruitment. they need 500 letter carrier assistants. temporary positions that could lead to a full time job. >> we're looking for somebody who can, who is fit, is healthy, who can carey a work load of 70 pounds. some of the physical require. s that you will be on your feet.

>> reporter: the level of recruitment is turning heads, especially as the postal service has struggled to stay afloat. they've closed post offices and proposed cutting saturday deliveries as the digital age has cut into business. >> we still are looking for ways to cut costs, but while we are looking for ways to cut costs, we still need to survive. we still need to stay in business. and our letter carriers help us day in business. >> reporter: so the postal service is making its best pitch, hoping to recruit more than a few good carriers. >> this is a very nice company to work for. we've been around for 237 years. we've never laid a single employee off in the history. united states postal service. >> reporter: a pretty impressive statistic. you can find details on our

website, nbc bay area.com. the starting rate is $15 an hour for those jobs. but they could put people on track for a full time position. okay. thank you. we also have breaking news we're following now in san francisco. our nbc chopper is over the scene. rescue teams are out near the marina green. you see down below. about 45 minutes ago there was a report that a car drove into the water. there's an a car in the water. it's not clear if there are people trapped inside the car and if there are, how many people. the water is still high there. the high 50s is the water temperature. the coast guard is on scene. we'll follow this story throughout the newscast and give you updays as needed. a brush fire damaged at least three homes is now under

control. this fire broke out this afternoon at a popular park in roseville. that's just east of sacramento. and it spread to the open grassland. about 30 acres burned. roughly a quarter of that park. evacuated residents are returning to their homes now. the extent of the damage is unclear at this point. but no injuries have been reported. well, the 4th of july is coming early. not the actual holiday, but the concerns associated with the holiday. illegal fireworks have south bay firefighters patrolling neighborhoods and cracking down now. nbc bay area is in san jose with more on the stepped-up efforts. >> reporter: if you want to see what kind of damage fireworks can do, just take a look at the hillside behind me. i'm here at hillier avenue in san jose. and last week a fire here burned 3 acres. investigators now tell me that they believe fireworks caused this fire, which is one reason why firefighters are now out in

full force in san jose, patrolling the streets, hoping to curb fireworks use. wind driven flames devouring hillsides. investigators say fireworks are likely the culprit for this grass fire in san jose last week. which is one reason san jose firefighters are stepping up efforts to stop the use of fireworks which are illegal to use in san jose. >> they're stepping up additional riggs that will be patrolling the areas to see if we can thwart any fireworks shows that may begin. >> reporter: and if you're caught -- >> there's a $500 fine. we do confiscate the fireworks as well. and we write a citation and people are expected to appear in court. >> reporter: if someone reports hearing fireworks, fire engines not responding to more serious calls will check it out. >> it's common for us to go out looking for fireworks

investigation. we work in an area where we have a large interface population. we have houses that are built within areas of wild land. there's going to be a potential for high value property loss. >> reporter: this season they pose more of a danger because of the dryness. the factors combined with the fuel conditions make a high danger area. the weather may be out of our control, but the use of fireworks is not, which is why firefighters want you to leave this up to the pros and avoid back yard bottle rockets. now some people speculate that because the city of san jose canceled its fireworks exhibit, the professional one that they held downtown that hundreds of people attended, that now more

people are opting to make their own shows in their back yard. reporting live in san jose, nbc bay area news. caught on camera. two people robbed a bank in morgan hill this morning and surveillance cameras recorded the whole thing. they walked into the bank. jumped over-the-counter, held a gun to the bank teller and made off with an undisclosed amount of cash. a send suspect was waiting outside in the get away car. the two drove off in a stolen jeep and abandoned the car about a mile away. fortunately no one was hurt. an atm from a gas station. a surveillance camera captured the burglary at the 76. thieves used a truck as a battering ram to take down the wall and smash their way into the store. this happened early yesterday morning. the video shows at least two suspects loading the machine in the back of the truck.

a starbucks became a drive through today when a car crashed into the store. it happened just before 7:30 this morning just off 680. amazingly no one was hurt during that busy time. not even the driver was hurt. investigators say it looks like an accident but are looking into why the drover lost control. the storefront has to be rebuilt before the starbucks can reopen. activists and lawmakers are preparing for next week's supreme court decision on california's same sex marriage ban. the debate has been brewing for several years after california voters passed prop 8 back in 2008. but a ninth circuit court of appeals ruled it was unconstitutional. the supreme court must now issue a ruling on the ban. if they don't overturn it, same sex supporters plan to push for a balance olt measure allowing voters to overturn it. >> it's a huge sell toward equal rights. i want to make sure that the

justices get it right. so taking the time that they need in order to make sure that their opinions and dissenting opinions are spot on. >> the supreme court decision could come as early as monday. and we will be there in the nation's capitol. nbc bay area has a crew headed to washington in advance of this ruling. cheryl herd will be reporting from the capitol. we'll also have reports across the bay area. say good-bye to salvation army's red kettles, girl scout cookies and solicitors. they are getting banned because of complaints. a store representative says the only fair solution was a no solicitation policy which took effect back in april. the company says it supports the community through other programs, including giving grants to local schools and

charities. still ahead at 6:00, a legendary chef. >> i don't think of myself as a chef, really. >> tonight our exclusive interview, alice waters explains who she really is, and offers us a glimpses into the new shay pa lease. a final resting place for pets? the new land to pay tribute to special animals in san francisco. and i'm in the bay area weather center. summer is finally here. in case you didn't hear it happened last night. and sun see skies on this first day of summer. we're talking about rainen o the way. we'll let you know how much we could get and when those first drops will arrive in just a few minutes. look at them kids. [ sigh ]

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an update on our breaking news in san francisco, a car has driven into the bay at san francisco's marina green. the coast guard in full response mode. the police department and fire department are also there. our reporter is also there at the scene. what can you tell us? >> reporter: i can tell you there is a large crowd here. you can probably see the coast guard helicopter hovering above us. the coast guard is looking in the water. there are boats in the water, police department boats and fire department boats looking for this van. i just talked with a woman who said she saw the van jump the curb and go straight into the bay. it didn't seem like the driver slowed down at all. she thought there was one person in the van. at this point they are looking for the van and the possible

victim. the fire department says that some boaters did try to go to the aid of the driver and needed to be rescued themselves. so this is a very active scene, a very active search for a car in the water and possibly a driver. back to you. >> okay. it looks like the car, as you can see it over there, has drifted into the bay like further into the bay. you can see a lot of activity, 9 coast card boat, the san francisco police boat all surrounding this one area. is that where they think the car has been submerged? >> reporter: you can probably see more than i can. i am on the ground. so i'm not able to see beyond the break wall here outside the marina green, but i can see a very active search happening right now. >> okay, jean. jean's going to stay on the scene and keep us posted. but a van went into the water just after 5:00 today. drove into the bay at the marina green. lots of witnesses. a civilian boat even came to try

and rescue the drover of that van, but apparently needed to be rescued themselves. so a lot of activity. the coast guard in full response mode. san francisco police and the fire department also there at the scene. we'll be following this situation and keep you posted if there are any new developments. well, tonight, one of the most famous restaurants in america is reopening its doors. it has been closed for more than three months after a fire. there's a good chance you've heard about chez panisse. a nbc bay area exclusive interview with alice waters. >> my general manager, jennifer, called me up at about 5:00 in the morning. and she said just don't panic, but there's been a fire at the restaurant. and i think you should come over now. and when i got here, the street

was closed. and -- fire trucks and lots of the press, cameras and all. >> reporter: it was a story covered by not only every local media outlet but also the new york times and wall street journal. the fire on mash 8th, silenced one of the most influential restaurants in the country. but now, chez panisse is buzzing again, recovering from its second major fire in its 42 year history. >> a lot of people say you're the most significant and important chef in this country. how do you respond to that? >> i don't think of my, myself as a chef. really. i guess i, i really think of myself as a restauranture, an

activist, somebody who really cares about where food comes from. >> reporter: waters is a pioneer, chez panisse was organic and sustainable even before many of us knew what those terms meant. she launched the edible schoolyard concept. we all want to eat well, but it costs more to go to that high end, whole foods market. and sure, i can spend less on an expensive pair of shoes and eat better. >> all the more reason we need to feed all children in school. we need to feed them breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack at school for free. and i think in that process of learning about food that we'll make decisions that, that are

different than the decisions we're making now. we've been taught kind of by a fast food nation that food should be cheap and available and all 24/7. and that's not real food. >> reporter: it sounds strike for me to ask this question, but are you nervous about this month and the reopening of your heart and soul here? >> i'm notnervous. but i'm very emotional. and i'm very excited. >> reporter: how do the sound of the jackhammers flow into all that. >> well, what's so great is that all of our carpenter friends, it's like a whole family of people who've been connected to chez panisse since the beginning have come from their normal jobs to come and help us rebuild. and so they all kind of know

each other in some way. >> reporter: will there be a meal for the carpenters? >> absolutely. for the carpenters ant firemen and all the city officials. it's just been exciting to, to, to feel the, the community effort in the rebuild. we're so grateful to everyone, really. >> reporter: if you weren't a restauranture or chef, what would you have been? >> a vegetable vendor. in my old age, i could see myself sitting there shelling fawva beans. >> reporter: chez panisse opens tonight, right about now. on monday, chez panisse reopens for the general public. we'll be posting this segment on

our website this evening. go to nbc bay area.com/the interview. i'm glad to see chez panisse back open. let's look at the forecast. it looks good for the beginning part. >> that's right. we have drastic changes coming. everybody's going okay, when's it going to happen. 88 in santa rosa, pretty warm in the south bay. 89 in gilroy. even budged up to 72 in san francisco and 74 in oakland. let's take you outside where we've caught some of the air traffic in san jose earlier. the good news about the weather, no airport delays. just some minor ones in chicago. a very rare look at the golden gate bridge absolutely fog free.

you don't usually see that at 6:19 in the evening. it will be clear here throughout the morning hours for the interior valleys, also for the bay. temperatures starting in the 40s and 50s. temperatures are going to climb and quickly. by 11:00, low 70s for the bay. just a little bit warmer here as we head throughout the first part of the weekend. then as we head throughout sunday, we have been previewing these odd things. you shouldn't see any rainfall in june, but it looks like our storm's going to line up here 10:00 sunday. then as we head through the morning hours, there's the core of the storm right there. the problem with this system is the fact that as it moves onshore it will start to weaken. i do think we'll get some rainfall, it's not going to be the largest storm in the past six months by any means. the totals look to be about a quarter to a half inch and maybe

about a trace to a tenth of an inch here expected for the south and east bay. we'll have more coming up on that forecast coming up in just a little bit. a top chef in hot water. the controversial comments that got a food network personality fired. why you may not have to put away youri isipad the next timeu fly.

a church in san francisco recently discovered some unused space in its basement. it's come up with a different plan. it's a somewhat fitting tribute to its namesake, st. francis. >> reporter: in san francisco's north beach, inside the nalsal

shrine of st. francis are many tributes to the saint and his famous love of animals. >> very often you'll see statues of st. francis, and he's holding birds or has animals at his feet. >> reporter: inside the shrine, the father has had many animals at his feet. last week the church was held with 500 animals for the annual blessing of the animals. >> mostly dogs and cats, a few and gor ra rabbits. >> reporter: in a newly discovered got owe, they are hoping to build a place to hold the ashes of dearly departed pets. >> it seemed like a natural fit, a place for people to put the ashes of their deceased animals. >> reporter: it will include glass covered rooms where people

can leave ashes and mow mentos. there are also plans for a memorial for service dogs. >> so as someone walks through and visits, it will be like an ongoing history of people that have been involved in the shrine, animals that have been involved in families' lives. >> reporter: one nearby business owner said some in the neighborhood are upset they weren't given more notice about the plan. both the health department and the city referred calls to each other. in the end, they're taking in pets of all sizes just as st. francis would have done. what an idea.

we have an update on our breaking news. our nbc chopper still over the scene in san francisco right along the marina green. a van has driven into the water, and it's believed to be the driver of that van is in the water. the coast guard is in full response mode. we have a full report next. and the feds are after him now. there are new charges against the nsa leaker. and the cuts have gone too far. i'm scott budman. new technology to bring familiar monsters back to life. coming up, inside picks ar head c quarters as they launch monsters university. for our families...

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we have an update on our breaking news in san francisco. crews are trying to recover a van and possibly the driver who went into the chilly bay just over an hour ago. >> reporter: this is still a very active search and rescue scene. i want to get out of the way so you can see what's happening here. the coast guard, the fire department and the police department are here searching. the search has been going on for over an hour. there are divers in the water. the police department is using sonar to try to locate this van that jumped the curb here at the marina green. if you can take a look into the parking lot, a large crowd has

gathered to watch all this unfold. and at the top of the fire truck ladder is a fireman who's looking as well. everybody has their eyes on the water. we do have a chopper overhead. so you can take a look overhead as well. it looks like they really have lost this van in the water for over an hour. i did talk to a witness who said the van just jumped the curb. it looked like there was a woman behind the wheel. it was a beige van. she could not tell if there was anyone else in the vehicle. and the van just plunged into the water and started drifting. people in a sailboat tried to jump in and aid the driver, but they themselves got into trouble and had to be rescued but are okay. you can hear the coast guard helicopter moving in to look from above as well. so right now we've got a van in the water, and from what witnesses say, one driver in the water still. and it's unknown how many people were in that van. and the search has been going on for over an hour.