Buena Park

Daniel Ackerman had just completed a grueling physical fitness test required for all Buena Park Police SWAT officers when he became disoriented and stared off into space. An on-site doctor noticed something was wrong and by 8:15 a.m. on Friday, Ackerman was in a squad car heading toward the hospital. The next morning, the 31-year-old was dead. The Irvine resident had no preexisting medical condition and appeared to be in his prime, according to his sister. "He's the healthiest person in the family," said Christie Thompson, 19. "He works out every day, he eats healthy.

Namastey India LOCATION 7232 Orangethorpe Ave., Buena Park, (714) 522-1111 PRICES Chaat, $2 to $3; stuffed breads, $3 to $4; veggie combo platter, $6; yogurt drinks, $2. DETAILS Open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Credit cards accepted. Sodas and yogurt drinks. Lot parking.

This is a lesson: Good food is hiding everywhere, and you might come across it when you least expect it. You just need to be open, willing and ready to seize the moment. Namastey India looks like any Indian grocery, on a mostly empty stretch of a semi-industrial Buena Park mega-street. Inside stacks of Indian snacks and spice mixes, phone cards for sale and, occupying about a third of the space, a little restaurant: a steam table, some signs handwritten in marker, a few tables and a water cooler for you to get your own water.

WHERE TO STAY Ramada Maingate, 1650 S. Harbor Blvd., Anaheim 92802; (714) 772-0440, http://www.ramadamaingate.com . Across the street from Disneyland, with 186 rooms, heated pool, free parking, Wi-Fi and continental breakfast. Most rooms usually $89-$169. Ayres Inn, 3737 W. Chapman Ave., Orange 92868; (714) 978-9168, http://www.ayresorange.com . Within two miles of Disneyland, Angel Stadium and the Honda Center. 129 rooms, pool and café. Rates $109-$119, breakfast and parking included.

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 2010: 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 the ElecTRONica dance party and a midnight showing of "World of Color," the nighttime water spectacular.

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.

Southern California theme parks last year had few new attractions but lots of discounts, bargains and two-for-one deals for recession-weary vacationers. But this summer get ready for a 3-D King Kong, 200-foot-tall animated waterspouts and a 45-foot tall Lego water slide. Buoyed by an improving economy, most major Southern California theme parks have made multimillion-dollar investments in new attractions opening this summer to help attendance numbers rebound from last year's slump.

A high-speed rail configuration that backers say could save up to $2 billion and greatly reduce demolition of homes and businesses across the heart of Southern California was revived Thursday by project officials. In the 6-1 vote at a meeting in San Jose, the California High-Speed Rail Authority agreed to revisit a plan, discarded in 2008, to share existing rail where feasible with commuter and freight services operating along a 34-mile route between Anaheim and downtown's Union Station.

Cedar Fair Entertainment Co., the amusement park owner whose properties include Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, on Tuesday called off its buyout deal with private equity firm Apollo Global Management after major shareholders objected. But Cedar Fair stock rose on speculation about other possible merger ideas. The Ohio company said it pulled out of the deal because the transaction lacked "the required level of investor support." The firm said it would take time to consider its "next steps."

An Orange County school bus driver convicted of molesting and taking pornographic photographs of young girls was sentenced Thursday to 151 years to life in prison, authorities said. Terry Lee Shields, 55, of Buena Park was convicted earlier this month on 15 felony counts, including kidnapping, forcible lewd acts on a minor child and using a minor for sex acts, according to the Orange County district attorney's office. Shields lured his victims -- ages 5, 7, and 11 -- by gaining the trust of their families and in one case by promising a trip to Disneyland, prosecutors said.