ktvu's noelle walker is live in san francisco talking with people on the eve of this legal show down. >> reporter: the music started pumping a few minutes ago. look behind me, the crowd has started to gather for the rally that is officially getting underway at 6:30 p.m. there is a sense that tomorrow's hearing is a big moment in history. >> reporter: today gay marriage supporters are ready to paint the town red. >> we like splash color. >> reporter: there were signs to be made. >> i march for and i will leave it blank so people can write in. >> troops to gather. >> we have rallies in san francisco all the time but people don't recognize this rally or this moment means something. >> the march's facebook page had 1300 people pledging to rally tonight. >> it is growing by 50 every 30 minutes. >> my grandmother added herself. that is my favorite. >>> there eyes will be -- >> reporter: all eyes will be on the supreme court. she says rather than sweeping changes the court is likely to take baby steps. >> there is a wonderful dance that is happening between politics and law right now and loo

noelle walker is here tex plain why there is a fire risk there. >> reporter: one home in this fire was totally destroyed. two of them damaged. that destroyed home is between these two bigger homes. this one pretty heavily damaged. they've already started boarding it up. firefighters are battling slower response times and dwindling resources. today some on bethel island are sifting through a soggy mess. not from rain or floods. it's almost cruel punishment that on this floodplain where water is a constant threat, fire is a real danger too. >> this is the tragedy that happens. nobody can fight a ware. >> reporter: jodi could only watch as fire gutted her home and firefighters battled the flames from afar. the blaze started next door. >> i feel bad for my neighbors. >> reporter: a downed power line kept firefighters from being more aggressive. most city firefighters would hook into a hydrant. >> we don't have that luxury here. there's no working fire hydrants. >> reporter: the hydrants that exist are relics of a time when there was a working pump to feed them. there hadn't been for years.

noelle walker ktvu channel 2 news. >>> sacramento mayor kevin johnson is said to meet next week withba officials will keeping the kings in california and hopes to go to new york with names of 10,000 fans pledging to buy season tickets if the team stays in town and tonight the mayor is very close to reaching his goal. as of 9:30, 9262 fans made the pledge on the website herewebuy.org. on wednesday the nba is set to consider that proposal along with one from another investment group that wants to move the team to seattle. >>> president obama took a little break from his official business today to take in someg beat marquette to advance to the final 4 of the ncaa tournament. the president sat in the luxury box and also shook some hands with fellow fans. >>> meantime, both cal and stanford women played today, hoping to meet each other in the ncaa regional final coming up on monday. our joe fonzi has all the items coming up a little later in sportswrap. >>> there is word that former south african president nelson mandela is able to breathe without difficulty. he remains hospitalized tonig

noelle walker reports about what the project is all about and why some business owners are worried. >> reporter: the preparations have been under way for weeks in downtown hayward. through new lights, new cameras and now action. >> change is good. most change is for the better. >> reporter: traffic signs have been warning drivers of tonight's big change. turning left is not right. >> we expect a little bit of confusion. >> we're doing this because it's eight clock. >> so you knew it was coming? >> yeah. >> reporter: at 8:00 the city flipped a new light on a new downtown hayward loop. it turns three main arteries into one way streets it's also turning some seasoned drivers into novice navigators. >> do you know what's happening? >> no. >> do you know where you're going? >> sushi. >> this animation shows the downtown loop around mission, foothill and eighth street. the goal of the $80 million project is faster traffic. congestion is graded from a which is sailing through to f. >> which means you would stop for more than two cycles. and typically you would stop at some of these intersect

ktvu's noelle walker is live in san francisco talking with people on the eve of this legal show down. >> reporter: the music started pumping a few minutes ago. look behind me, the crowd has started to gather for the rally that is officially getting underway at 6:30 p.m. there is a sense that tomorrow's hearing is a big moment in history. >> reporter: today gay marriage supporters are ready to paint the town red. >> we like splash color. >> reporter: there were signs to be made. >> i march for and i will leave it blank so people can write in. >> troops to gather. >> we have rallies in san francisco all the time but people don't recognize this rally or this moment means something. >> the march's facebook page had 1300 people pledging to rally tonight. >> it is growing by 50 every 30 minutes. >> my grandmother added herself. that is my favorite. >>> there eyes will be -- >> reporter: all eyes will be on the supreme court. she says rather than sweeping changes the court is likely to take baby steps. >> there is a wonderful dance that is happening between politics and law right now and loo

noelle walker reports about what the project is all about and why some business owners are worried. >> reporter: the preparations have been under way for weeks in downtown hayward. through new lights, new cameras and now action. >> change is good. most change is for the better. >> reporter: traffic signs have been warning drivers of tonight's big change. turning left is not right. >> we expect a little bit of confusion. >> we're doing this because it's eight clock. >> so you knew it was coming? >> yeah. >> reporter: at 8:00 the city flipped a new light on a new downtown hayward loop. it turns three main arteries into one way streets it's also turning some seasoned drivers into novice navigators. >> do you know what's happening? >> no. >> do you know where you're going? >> sushi. >> this animation shows the downtown loop around mission, foothill and eighth street. the goal of the $80 million project is faster traffic. congestion is graded from a which is sailing through to f. >> which means you would stop for more than two cycles. and typically you would stop at some of these intersect

. >>> and noelle walker joins us now. >> reporter: we've seen some picture taking and heard some oohsehearsal. tomorrow night it's show time. for most of us the bay bridge is transportation, engineering, utility. for artist leo villareal it's a canvas he's painting with the lights. >> i just wanted the bay bridge to shine in the nation's conscious one more time. >> reporter: practice sessions started in january, tonight the artist is hold up in a dark hotel room working on the finishing touches to turn thousands of lights into dancing art. >> if the tests are you know even a portion of what the real thing is going to be. it's going to be good. >> reporter: the installation extends over 1.8 miles of the western span. 25,000 white l.e.d. lights will transform into moving sculpture from dusk to 2:00 a.m. never repeating the same pattern. the artists inspiration comes from the birds, tides, clouds and traffic around the bay bridge. >> when you add the fourth mention -- dimension of the fog and even like tomorrow the rain, it's delightful because it adds to the display. >> reporter: perry'

. >>> and noelle walker joins us now. >> reporter: we've seen some picture taking and heard some oohs and aahs over this last dress rehearsal. tomorrow night it's show time. for most of us the bay bridge is transportation, engineering, utility. for artist leo villareal it's a canvas he's painting with the lights. >> i just wanted the bay bridge to shine in the nation's conscious one more time. >> reporter: practice sessions started in january, tonight the artist is hold up in a dark hotel room working on the finishing touches to turn thousands of lights into dancing art. >> if the tests are you know even a portion of what the real thing is going to be. it's going to be good. >> reporter: the installation extends over 1.8 miles of the western span. 25,000 white l.e.d. lights will transform into moving sculpture from dusk to 2:00 a.m. never repeating the same pattern. the artists inspiration comes from the birds, tides, clouds and traffic around the bay bridge. >> when you add the fourth mention -- dimension of the fog and even like tomorrow the rain, it's delightful because it adds to

noelle walker. >>> an amazing act of heroism on the railroad tracks in philadelphia. a man falls off the platform and ton the tracks. a good samaritan jumps down to help him. that good samaritan held the man's head and neck in stable condition until they arrived. at this point investigators are trying to figure out what caused the man to fall. he's now in the hospital in stable condition. >>> united airlines denies another delay of its 878 dream liner service. united had hoped to get the 787 on its new denver tokyo service. united was going to start service to japan this coming sunday but that was pushed back to may and now june 10. if the 787s are flying them. >>> the invitations are out to a select few on what is going to be a mayor announcement for facebook. some tech analysts are predicting the company plans to announce a new facebook phone using android software. the thorough communications commission is looking into the 15-year-old guidelines to determine if standards aimed at protecting people from cell phone radiation need to be updated. some scientists and co

noelle walker. >>> an amazing act of heroism on the railroad tracks in philadelphia.a man falls off the platform and ton the tracks. a good samaritan jumps down to help him. that good samaritan held the man's head and neck in stable condition until they arrived. at this point investigators are trying to figure out what caused the man to fall. he's now in the hospital in stable condition. >>> united airlines denies another delay of its 878 dream liner service. united had hoped to get the 787 on its new denver tokyo service. united was going to start service to japan this coming sunday but that was pushed back to may and now june 10. if the 787s are flying them. >>> the invitations are out to a select few on what is going to be a mayor announcement for facebook. some tech analysts are predicting the company plans to announce a new facebook phone using android software. the thorough communications commission is looking into the 15-year-old guidelines to determine if standards aimed at protecting people from cell phone radiation need to be updated. some scientists and con

noelle walker is here tex plain why there is a fire risk there. >> reporter: one home in this fire was totally destroyed. two of them damaged. that destroyed home is between these two bigger homes. this one pretty heavily damaged. they've already started boarding it up. firefighters are battling slower response times and dwindling resources. today some on bethel island are sifting through a soggy mess. not from rain or floods. it's almost cruel punishment that on this floodplain where water is a constant threat, fire is a real danger too. >> this is the tragedy that happens. nobody can fight a ware. >> reporter: jodi could only watch as fire gutted her home and firefighters battled the flames from afar. the blaze started next door. >> i feel bad for my neighbors. >> reporter: a downed power line kept firefighters from being more aggressive. most city firefighters would hook into a hydrant. >> we don't have that luxury here. there's no working fire hydrants. >> reporter: the hydrants that exist are relics of a time when there was a working pump to feed them. there hadn't been for years.

ktvu's noelle walker is live where the supreme court court, all eyes on the supreme court. >> reporter: we have seen a few people here with signs and flags. they are starting to set up for a huge rally and march to city hall. supreme court is taking up the debate tomorrow and this is not a black and white issue. there are a number of ways the court can go. >> reporter: 20,000 same-sex couples in california said i do. and then in november california voters said we don't. proposition 8's ban on same-sex marriage set up tomorrow's supreme court show down. >> we will get guidance from the highest court. >> reporter: she says there is a rainbow of options the court can decide. the justices could uphold the ban which would leave the issue up to individual states to decide. the court could invalidate all bans on same-sex marriage. it is unlikely. it is what the supreme court did in 1967 when it struck down virginia's ban on interracial marriage and extended it to every state. >> it is likely the supreme court will not uphold all the bans or strike all the bans down but do something in the mid

ktvu noelle walker is live in the city with two reason for a change in the architect original plan fortall buildings here in san francisco but none will be taller for the one that will be built across the street. look over the sky in san francisco, what you see is not a bird or plane, it's a crane and another. changing the city skyline, none more so than the crane that will go to work here. >> one, two, three. >> reporter: there was a ceremonial ground baking today -- ground breaking today. it will be tallest of west mississippi city. >> i thought at the beginning, the only the glass one will do. >> reporter: the transbay tower will sit right next to where construction crews building a new transbay terminal. bus system that's run through the temporary terminal site will transfer to the new one. caltrain will stop there too. the question is, if they build it will high speed rail come too? what if high speed rail does not happen? >> you know, i usually don't think about what if things fail. i always think about what can we do sure they succeed. >> reporter: today developers closed $199 m

noelle walker ktvu channel 2 news. >>> happening now, the maiden voyage of the first cruise ship to makeeport has just left port in the last ten minutes. right there you can see a live picture of the princess cruise ílines grand princess heading out to sea. it was expected to leave port for hawai'i around 4:00 this afternoon, but a coast guard inspection kept the ship in port until:00 this evening. princess cruises are not say why the ship was delayed in port, but said they expected it to take off around 10:00 this angeand that it did. today's maiden voyage of the "grand princess" meant long lines and big business. coming up, the complaints that some people had as the ship pulled into his homeport today. >>> a painful anniversary for the friends and family of the sierra lamar. you will south bay teenager was seen one year-ago today. a man is charged with her's murder, but her body has not been found. cara liu reports on how the search effort continues to this day. >> reporter: friends and family marked the first anniversary of the sierra lamar's disappearance. >> a year-ago today most im

ktvu's noelle walker is live where the supreme court court, all eyes on the supreme court. >> reporter: we have seen a few people here with signs and flags. they are starting to set up for a huge rally and march to city hall. supreme court is taking up the debate tomorrow and this is not a black and white issue. there are a number of ways the court can go. >> reporter: 20,000 same-sex couples in california said i do. and then in november california voters said we don't. proposition 8's ban on same-sex marriage set up tomorrow's supreme court show down. >> we will get guidance from the highest court. >> reporter: she says there is a rainbow of options the court can decide. the justices could upholdthe ban which would leave the issue up to individual states to decide. the court could invalidate all bans on same-sex marriage. it is unlikely. it is what the supreme court did in 1967 when it struck down virginia's ban on interracial marriage and extended it to every state. >> it is likely the supreme court will not uphold all the bans or strike all the bans down but do something in the midd

. >>> noelle walker is live with more on how chez panisse helped transform a neighborhood. >> reporter: the restaurant is a major part of this restaurant. >> you never know who you're going to see. >> reporter: even presidents. >> i saw clinton walk in there. >> reporter: a fire here this morning claimed the iconic restaurants front porch. one of the neighborhood's key ingredients. >> an institution, it's been here so long and it represents a lot to the gourmet ghetto. >> reporter: the affectionally named gourmet ghetto is a place where people stop slow down to smell the roses. >> it used to be about politics and forces and now it's all about food. >> reporter: the original pete's coffee, chez panisse and the cheese platter. >> we hope that if it gets busy, we'll be ready. >> reporter: if pizza is the gourmet food, then chez painesse is a farm to table because they leave big tips. one of the tasty benefits having this sidewalk office in the gourmet ghetto. >> reporter: now it's going to take some time to make repairs to the lower level of chez panisse. but waters took to tweeter and sa

. >>> noelle walker is live with more on how chez panisse helped transform a neighborhood. >> reporter: the restaurant is a major part of this restaurant. >> you never know who you're going to see. >> reporter: even presidents. >> i saw clinton walk in there. >> reporter: a fire here this morning claimed the iconic restaurants front porch. one of the neighborhood's key ingredients. >> an institution, it's been here so long and it represents a lot to the gourmet ghetto. >> reporter: the affectionally named gourmet ghetto is a place where people stop slow down to smell the roses. >> it used to be about politics and forces and now it's all about food. >> reporter: the original pete's coffee, chez panisse and the cheese platter. >> we hope that if it gets busy, we'll be ready. >> reporter: if pizza is the gourmet food, then chez painesse is a farm to table because they leave big tips. one of the tasty benefits having this sidewalk office in the gourmet ghetto. >> reporter: now it's going to take some time to make repairs to the lower level of chez panisse. but waters took to tweeter and sa

ktvu's noelle walker live at say with the three things working against fire crews efforts. >> reporter: i was standing here in this very spot yesterday. you'd have seen three homes behind me. take a look behind me, now they're boarding up the windows of this home that was heavily damaged. the home owner says this didn't have to happen. to see there was once a home here requires some imagination. >> everything else is gone. >> reporter: at 2:30 a.m. the island should have been dark and quiet. it was neither. >> our neighbor comes running to our house and she's frantic. >> reporter: the garza family was in the process of moving out of the single story home. >> came out here and everything was in flames. >> reporter: garza always worried about flooding, never fire. the flames didn't stop at her home. >> we're yelling to say hey, the roof is on fire. >> reporter: firefighter history a lot working against them. fire station closures meant the closest truck was 5 miles away. there are no working hydrants on the island. and this morning a downed power line kept firefighters from getting close

ktvu noelle walker is live in the city with two reason for a change in the architect original plan for lot of tall buildings here in san francisco but none will be taller for the one that will be built across the street. look over the sky in san francisco, what you see is not a bird or plane, it's a crane and another. changing the city skyline, none more so than the crane that will go to work here. >> one, two, three. >> reporter: there was a ceremonial ground baking today -- ground breaking today. it will be tallest of west mississippi city. >> i thought at the beginning, the only the glass one will do. >> reporter: the transbay tower will sit right next to where construction crews building a new transbay terminal. bus system that's run through the temporary terminal site will transfer to the new one. caltrain will stop there too. the question is, if they build it will high speed rail come too? what if high speed rail does not happen? >> you know, i usually don't think about what if things fail. i always think about what can we do sure they succeed. >> reporter: today developers close