The Brief

Access to a storied surfing spot in Southern California has been almost entirely cut off after the roadway leading into the famed San Onofre Surf Beach was washed away during this month's powerful atmospheric storms.

"There is one way in and one way out to Surf Beach — where Old Man's is — and it's a dirt road that drops in from a bluff up above," said David Matuszak, author of the book, San Onofre: Memories of a Legendary Surfing Beach.

The recently destroyed path led to the dirt parking lot that sits directly on the sand of Old Man's. It wasn't uncommon to find cars lining up to wait for the iconic beach to open in the morning, or for a coveted parking spot on good surf days. The lot itself is as legendary as the break's world famous and mellow waves — the place for tailgates and barbecues for the tight-knit surfing community.

For Matuszak, Surf Beach has looked and felt the same ever since a friend took him there more than four decades ago.

"[The surf] was flat that day. We never got out of the truck, but I was just very impressed with the atmosphere — the dirt road, the flora, the fauna, everything was pretty much natural as you would see in the California coast a hundred years before," he said. "The primitive coastline of San Onofre was just very rare even in those days — and it's even more rare today."

The parking lot of Old Man's in San Onofre

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David Matuszak

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David Matuszak

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A snapshot of San Onofre

Along the miles-long stretch of coastlines that make up San Onofre are multiple surfing breaks, said Matuszak: Trestles, Church, The Point, Four Doors, and the like.

"And then of course Old Man's, which is where it all began back in the 1930s," he said.

That was when the earliest documented instance of surfing took place in San Onofre — in an area that would eventually become better known by its nickname.

"Old Man's is famous for being what we call a slow roller, almost like a Waikiki type of wave," Matuszak said.

A 'wild singles scene' grows up

Despite the moniker, the crowd it first drew were surfers in their teens and 20s. "It was sex, drug, and rock and roll," he said. "A wild singles scene."

After World War II, many of them returned to San Onofre to surf and start families. As this first generation of surfers began to age, the culture changed along with it. Matuszak said that's probably how the beach got the nickname, as these young guns matured into, well, old men.

"On any given day in the summer at San Onofre, you will see three generations of surfers in the same family out in the water," he said. "You'll see grandpa, you'll see dad, and you'll see a son or a daughter in the water. That sort of culture in surfing is rare."

"The other thing that is very unique about San Onofre is what we call the 'Aloha Spirit,'" Matuszak continued. "That same 1960s aloha, that brotherhood of surfing, a place where it's unusual for somebody to drop in on you on a wave."

When a new young surfer would show what Matuszak termed "bad manners" in the water, the old men at San Onofre would "educate them, shall we say" — just as it was done to him when he was new and young and didn't know better.

San Onofre State Beach

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Brian Baer

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California State Parks

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A disappearing beach

But like so many beaches up and down the state, San Onofre is at risk of disappearing from the effects of high tides, rising sea levels, and monster storms.

"We've lost 70 feet of coastline in the 40 some years that I've been at San Onofre," said Matsuzak, adding that an estimated 40 feet of it were lost in the last decade alone.

While erosion has been eating away at the beach for quite some time, what weakened the roadway to the parking lot was a broken drainage system that was installed in the bluffs above it. Earlier this month, the record-breaking rainfall finished the job.

"[It was] a very severe, high-level rainstorm with winds, and it was just a lot more than that particular area is accustomed to getting in a small amount of time," said Kevin Pearsall, state park superintendent for the Orange Coast District that oversees San Onofre.

"It kind of caught everything off guard," he said, "and a lot of the dynamics of infrastructure for parks, in particular vulnerable areas like San Onofre, are made for 100-year storms, not 100-year storms in two days."

What it takes to get there today

For now, Old Man's is still reachable, but requires diehards to park elsewhere and either walk or e-bike their boards to the water.

"A lot less people are surfing now, and some of us guys are getting a little older, you know, it gets a little more difficult to jump through all the hoops to get down there, but it's still worth it," said Craig Ephraim, a longtime San Clemente resident and a member of the San Onofre Surfing Club who's been surfing at the spot for decades.

What's next

Pearsall said the state's parks department is working with the stakeholders to repair the roadway and hopefully to fix it once and for all. That includes the Navy, because the beach is on military property and is being leased to the state.

"We don't have an exact timeline because it's all coming in agreement of who's doing what," said Pearsall, adding that he knows the local surfing community can't wait to regain access to Old Man's.

Ultimately, many surfers said there's a bigger issue at play.

"I think we're going to have to try to figure out how to save the beaches, and San Onofre will be one of them," said Scott Cuda, president of the San Onofre Surfing Club. "I would like to think that it would be a priority because it's a gem for the state and it means a lot to a lot of people."

Cuda has been surfing San Onofre for more than two decades. His father-in-law was an original member of the famous surf club, and helped install the volleyball courts at the beach. But the family connections don't stop there.

"It's where my kids have grown up. It's where my family hangs out. It's our special place. There's nothing down the coast like it," Cuda said.

Some government funding streams for L.A. County’s public health system are drying up, and officials are turning to private philanthropy to fill the gap.

A new privately funded foundation launched Thursday to strengthen public health services after $50 million in federal, state and local funding cuts to the county’s Department of Public Health since early last year.

“It is really a hard day for our community when we have to ask for private donations to fund a public good, but unfortunately, we've lost too much money to not take this important step,” said Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.

In February, the county’s Public Health Department closed seven clinics, with six remaining open. About half of the patients seen in those clinics are uninsured, according to county officials. The department also cut hundreds of staff positions.

Ferrer is on the board of the new foundation, The Fund for Advancing Public Health LA, which held its first meeting Thursday.

She said the fund will help the county maintain its basic public health infrastructure, including disease prevention, health promotion, environmental health, and emergency response efforts.

Other board members include several health insurance executives, as well as actors Sean Penn and Danny Trejo. Board member Saree Kayne of the R&S Kayne Foundation pledged $150,000 to the fund Thursday. Kayne said she hopes the donation encourages others to give.

The foundation aims to raise $2 million this year.

More cuts expected

L.A. County Supervisor Holly Mitchell said it’s crucial to have an alternative funding stream to protect services for the county's most vulnerable residents.

“We are saving public health,” Mitchell said. “This fund represents a new approach, one that brings together government philanthropy in the private sector to invest in community-based solutions, protect vulnerable populations, and strengthen our public health infrastructure.”

Officials say more public health cuts are coming, through the federal budget law known as the "Big Beautiful Bill," which slashes funding for Medi-Cal.

The county Department of Public Health anticipates losing up to $300 million in revenue over the next three years because of the federal budget bill and other potential funding freezes. Federal funding accounts for almost 50% of the public health budget, according to county officials.

Mitchell also led an effort to put a half-percent county sales tax increase to fund public health on the June ballot.

If approved by voters, that proposal, known as Measure ER, is expected to raise about $1 billion a year for county safety net health services, including about $100 million for the public health department.

Board members

The Fund for Advancing Public Health LA announced its founding board of directors, which includes:

• Dr. Barbara Ferrer, LA County Department of Public Health director
• Debbie I. Chang, Blue Shield of California Foundation CEO
• Sean Penn, actor and co-founder of Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE)
• Martha Santana-Chin, LA Care Health Plan CEO
• Saree Kayne, R&S Kayne Foundation CEO
• Danny Trejo, actor and restaurateur
• Jarrett Barrios, an executive at the American Red Cross
• Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith, Charles R. Drew University College of Medicine Dean
• Kristin McCowan, an executive at the Los Angeles Dodgers

The Rose Bowl in Pasadena may be a centenarian, but it’s holding up pretty well as it continues to host events on its way to a starring role in the LA28 Olympics.

But before it can host the soccer final, it needs fixes, especially to the infrastructure serving the bathrooms and drinking fountains. Fears of a toilet backup while in the world’s spotlight led Rep. Laura Friedman to seek federal funds for upgrades. On Thursday she announced she secured just over $1 million.

“Two years from now, athletes around the world are going to compete for gold right where we are standing. This is not the time to find out whether or not these pipes are up to the task,” Friedman said.

The planned work, she added, will lead to improved water flow capacity and water drainage, eliminating the risk of backups and emergency maintenance.

The funds came from the House of Representatives Interior and Environment subcommittee. The fixes, an official said, will be completed by the LA28 Olympics.

The funds, however, are a drop in the bucket when it comes to what’s needed to make needed improvements to the Pasadena venue.

Officials, including (left to right) Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation President Dedan Brozino, Deputy Fire Chief of the City of Pasadena Tim Sell, Congresswoman Laura Friedman, and Rose Bowl Stadium CEO Jens Weiden announced infrastructure funding for the 103-year old Rose Bowl.

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Adolfo Guzman-Lopez/LAist

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“Over the  next 20 years there's about $200 million that we need to put in and that's everything from updating light fixtures to updating gas, water, wastewater lines, etc.,” said Dedan Brozino,  president of the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation, the nonprofit that supports the Rose Bowl stadium's preservation and enhancement.

Getting venues ready will be expensive

The money is a much-needed win at a time when elected officials in city, county, state and federal offices have been struggling to find the funds to get L.A.-area venues ready for the global Olympic stage in two years.

The entrance to a men's bathroom at the Rose Bowl.

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Adolfo Guzman-Lopez/LAist

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A $360 million proposal to spruce up asphalt in parking lots around Exposition Park won’t be done in time for the Olympics, as originally planned. Meanwhile, just up the street, there’s concern that a $2.6 billion expansion of the L.A. Convention Center, which is hosting Olympic wrestling, fencing and judo in 2028 won’t be ready for the Olympics.

Additionally, to save money, LA28 organizers moved Olympic diving to the Rose Bowl complex last year because it has two Olympic-sized pools, while the Exposition Park complex doesn't and would need expensive upgrades.

Topline:

About the chick: The chick hatched March 14. The zoo opened its Cape vulture enclosure in February 2025 after years of planning to encourage the birds to roost and nest, welcoming a new breeding pair that year. When it grows to be an adult, it’ll have a wingspan of 8 1/2 feet.

About the enclosure: The L.A. Zoo said it spent years developing the vulture habitat, which was designed to mimic the vultures’ natural environment in South Africa and nearby countries. Dominick Dorsa II, the zoo’s director of animal care, said in a statement the successful hatching is “a testament to the design and construction” of the habitat.

How to see the chick: You can’t for the time being. Zoo officials are keeping it away from visitors until the chick matures, though you can still see adult Cape vultures at the zoo’s enclosure.

Though visitors will have to wait until the chick matures to see it in the enclosure, you can still take in the impressive eight and a half foot wingspan of the adult Cape vultures.

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Courtesy Jamie Pham/L.A. Zoo

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What zoo officials are saying: “Welcoming a Cape vulture chick is a thrilling moment for our team and a beacon of hope for African vultures,” the L.A. Zoo’s curator of birds Rose Legato said in a statement. “Vultures are one of nature's most misunderstood marvels, and I cannot wait for our guests to eventually watch this chick grow and learn just how vital they are to our ecosystems.”

About the species: Cape vultures are listed as a vulnerable species due to human activities and encroachment. According to the L.A. Zoo, African vultures are more closely related to eagles and hawks than vultures native to the Americas, like the zoo's California condors that hatched last year.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

What should have been a celebration for formerly incarcerated youth completing a reentry program at the Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory (BHAC) last week instead ended with seven students and two staff members detained by the Los Angeles Police Department, according to witnesses. 

Now, nearly a week later, BHAC staff and city officials are demanding answers from the LAPD, with some accusing officers of racial profiling. 

According to the LAPD, officers observed a large group gathered on the corner of Cesar E. Chavez Avenue and Mott Street around 4:16 p.m. on March 26. Authorities then requested backup for what they described as “a large group surrounding officers,” LAPD Public Information Officer Tony Im said. 

The group, classified by police as an “aggressive gang group,” consisted of seven 18-year-old students from the BHAC’s Bridge Academy Movement (BAM) program and two BHAC staff members.

The BAM program pays formerly incarcerated youth to complete 200-250 hours in media and visual arts training to prepare them for creative careers. That day, students were set to showcase their work at the BAM program graduation for families and community members. 

Rene Weber, a teaching artist at the BHAC, had been with the students setting up for the ceremony minutes before the incident occurred. 

According to Weber, the students had gone to coffee across the street at Milpa Kitchen as they often did, when staff were alerted that they were being detained. 

Weber said he arrived to find students and a staff member pressed against the wall in handcuffs. 

Video from the scene, taken by a staff member at the BHAC, shows multiple officers surrounding the group. At one point, an officer orders a person to “get on the wall” and displays a stun gun.  

“No, none of that, these are kids right here,” the staff member replies.

Another staff member, Teotl Veliz, recorded a large police response.  

“I counted 12 cop cars, that’s at least 25 cops, and they had a helicopter,” Veliz said. “It was just so comedic, tragically comedic, that it was on their graduation day too.”

Officers established a perimeter with yellow tape along the side of Ashley’s Beauty Salon as local business owners and witnesses gathered around the students. 

“I was just incredibly disappointed in LAPD… because it became so apparent to everybody, all at the same time, that it was racial profiling and nothing else,” Veliz said.

Weber said officers gave shifting explanations for the stop at the scene, including blocking the sidewalk and possible underage vaping. After Weber told the officers that all of the students were 18, they said they would investigate whether the group had any gang affiliation. 

Police have not responded to questions about what led officers to believe that the group was gang-affiliated. 

Weber recalled pleading with the officers to let the group go and explaining to them that they worked across the street. Community members and local business owners also stepped in to vouch for the students. 

“Our job is to help them gain a new perspective on life,” Weber said. “They’re coming out of juvenile detention and they’re turning their lives around. We can do our part in keeping them off the streets and keeping them doing better but what does it mean if they’re going to be profiled and treated exactly the same way?” 

In total, seven 18-year-old students and two staff members were detained. BHAC staff said one student and one staff member were taken to Hollenbeck Community Police Station and released less than two hours later after advocacy from community members and Councilmember Ysabel Jurado.

The incident ultimately resulted in an infraction for smoking a cannabis e-vape on a public sidewalk, according to a photo of the infraction shared with the Beat. LAPD did not provide details about the people taken to Hollenbeck Station or the infraction. 

The graduation ceremony was cancelled that night and is expected to be rescheduled in April. 

“Graduation should be a moment of pride and possibility — not fear,” Jurado said in a statement. “I’m seeking answers about what occurred, and this underscores the need for stronger relationships between law enforcement and community organizations so moments like these are protected, not disrupted.”

Carmelita Ramirez‑Sanchez, the conservatory’s executive director, said she was grateful to the community and Jurado for advocating for the students’ release. Jurado met her at Hollenbeck Station within 20 minutes of being alerted to the incident, she said. 

“They had store owners, señoras, barbers, that ran out and were trying to explain to the police who our kids were,” Ramirez‑Sanchez said. 

Still, she said the incident tarnished what should have been a joyous celebration.

“I imagine that what this does is derail this entire idea that you can be an active participant in your own restorative growth,” she said.