Buena Park

The days when parents could drop kids off at Disneyland for the day, leaving it up to Mickey and Goofy to watch over the youngsters, are over. Walt Disney Co. has unveiled a new admission policy requiring that children entering any of its U.S.-based theme parks be accompanied by a visitor at least 14 years old. In years past, parents living near theme parks would often use them as day-care facilities during summer vacation and spring break....

He was a smooth-talking swindler who operated Orange County's most notorious and lucrative strip club, the Mustang Topless Theater. Born James Stockwell, he rebranded himself Jimmy Casino and lived the extravagant lifestyle of a character from an Elmore Leonard novel. Expensive cowboy couture. Luxury cars. Enemies who wanted him dead. After years of staying a step ahead of the law and the people whom he owed money, Casino, 48, was ambushed at his Buena Park condo Jan. 2, 1987.

Homeowners in Buena Park will now have a chance to make improvements to single-family homes with the assistance of low-interest loans available through the city. Just over 100 of the one-time-only loans for up to $20,000 each are available to qualified homeowners in the city on a first-come, first-served basis. And up to $30,000 is available to those residents hoping to build room additions to relieve overcrowding in their homes.

There's magic afoot in Orange County that has nothing to do with a giant mouse or a legendary berry farm and everything to do with George Esquivel and his band of craftsmen who, for more than a decade, have been hand-cobbling high-end shoes for a who's who of the well-heeled, including rock stars, NBA players, politicians and Hollywood heavyweights of every stripe. In a nondescript building off I-5 in Buena Park, pieces of white leather destined to become booties for singer Janelle Monae are being meticulously hand-stitched at one table.

Knott's Soak City ; Buena Park; adjacent to Knott's Berry Farm, one of three water parks operated by parent company Knott's Berry Farm. Knott's Soak City ; Chula Vista. Casitas Water Adventure ; Ojai; offers a lazy river and a water-gushing jungle gym. Legoland Water Park ; Carlsbad; opened in May. Raging Waters ; San Dimas; the state's largest water park. Six Flag s Hurricane Harbor ; Valencia; adjacent to Six Flag's Magic Mountain. Splash Canyon Waterpark ; Temecula; slated to open in summer 2011.

Thrill seekers will have to wait a little longer for a big new ride as Knott's Berry Farm unveiled plans for a trio of family attractions in 2013 aimed at bridging the gap in the Buena Park theme park's collection of kiddie and extreme rides. > Photos: A trio of family rides coming to Knott's in 2013 Knott's plans to add a wild mouse coaster, a flying scooter and a classic scrambler ride in summer 2013 to the Boardwalk section of the park, reusing a man-made lake left over from a water ride removed to make room for the new additions.

Tony Adams Jr. was a shoe manufacturer with a problem. His family-owned business, Cypress Footwear Inc., was getting kicked around in the highly competitive footwear market. It expanded from sandals into walking shoes a few years ago and that helped a bit, but the family still found it tough to go head-to-head against foreign competitors. He needed a new line.

Development director

Opening statements were set to begin Wednesday in the trial of a 20-year-old man accused of killing a Buena Park father and son while driving drunk in 2010. Rafael Lopez of Anaheim faces felony murder charges in the Dec. 18, 2010, crash , the Orange County district attorney's office said. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 30 years to life in state prison. Lopez was 18 when he allegedly ran a red light on Buena Park's Crescent Avenue and crashed into a Buick driven by Steven Uselton, 44, prosecutors said.

The days when parents could drop kids off at Disneyland for the day, leaving it up to Mickey and Goofy to watch over the youngsters, are over. Walt Disney Co. has unveiled a new admission policy requiring that children entering any of its U.S.-based theme parks be accompanied by a visitor at least 14 years old. In years past, parents living near theme parks would often use them as day-care facilities during summer vacation and spring break....

Denise Mullins went to pick up her son from the Speech and Language Development Center in Buena Park, where he was newly enrolled, and was moved by what she saw. Several kids walked toward Mullins' son, who uses a wheelchair, and yelled, "Hi, Giovanni!" The non-verbal 11-year-old responded by signing "Hi. " "I said, 'You know, that's the setting I want my son in,' " Mullins said. "It was a really good moment to see your kid be part of a social network. " Before attending the Buena Park center, Giovanni needed some prompting to respond to others, his mother said.

Shortly after Christmas, the same question arises every year: What are we going to do on New Year's Eve? Here's what some California amusement and theme parks have planned for the last night of 2012: Disneyland in Anaheim will stay open until 2 a.m. with live bands, DJs and midnight fireworks. Across the way, Disney California Adventure will remain open until 1 a.m. with live bands, the Mad T Party dance party and a midnight showing of the "World of Color" nighttime water spectacular.

Thrill seekers will have to wait a little longer for a big new ride as Knott's Berry Farm unveiled plans for a trio of family attractions in 2013 aimed at bridging the gap in the Buena Park theme park's collection of kiddie and extreme rides. > Photos: A trio of family rides coming to Knott's in 2013 Knott's plans to add a wild mouse coaster, a flying scooter and a classic scrambler ride in summer 2013 to the Boardwalk section of the park, reusing a man-made lake left over from a water ride removed to make room for the new additions.

Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park sat out the theme park arms race last summer, when Disney's California Adventure and Universal Studios unveiled new multimillion-dollar attractions to entice visitors. But Knott's showed Thursday that it is still in the chase for new visitors, announcing the addition next summer of two rides and the reintroduction of an attraction that has been in storage for four years. The focus of the new attractions is family entertainment, not extreme thrills, Knott's spokeswoman Jennifer Blazey said.

Ted Dougherty is an unassuming Glendale paralegal and classical musician with an overt dark side that reaches its monstrous zenith every October. Dougherty stumbled upon his twisted passion in 1987 during a visit to Knott's Scary Farm, which ultimately led to a fan website dedicated to the seasonal theme park event, an annual job as an undead werewolf and now a new book, "Knott's Halloween Haunt: A Picture History. " > Photos: The history of Halloween Haunt at Knott's Berry Farm The authorized but unofficial pictorial compendium traces the history of the "Scariest Place on Earth" and its expansion over the past four decades at Knott's Berry Farm into the "Granddaddy of Halloween Events.

You can make reservations for an exclusive restaurant. And come this Halloween season you'll be able to make reservations for an exclusive scare. Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park — the theme park that 40 years ago introduced visitors to the now hugely popular Halloween mazes teeming with ghouls and monsters — will offer a premium maze for small groups apart from the crowds. Access to the exclusive maze, starting Sept. 21, will come with an extra charge. It will cost $60 for a group of up to six people, on top of admission to the park, which runs from $36 to $60 per person.