- An Orcutt intersection is getting increased attention from CHP in response to complaints about reckless driving and excessive speeding Officers are honing in on Rice Ranch Road and Graciosa Street—continuing from Orcutt Road This was in response to multiple complaints but officials say drivers shouldn’t stop obeying driving rules CHP has made a surprising number of stops for speed violations and running the stop signs at this intersection in Orcutt a concerned citizen came up to me and advised that he walks Rice Ranch a little bit before 7:00 and multiple times throughout the week he sees vehicles traveling at high speeds of over 70 plus miles per hour,” says Sean Kelly One driver was stopped two separate times on subsequent days for different offenses “Thursday morning we stopped one driver for driving through the stop sign probably close to about 30 or 30 plus miles per hour And then the following day we deployed again and we were actually doing speed enforcement that day on Rice Ranch And one of our officers stopped that same driver a second time,” says Sgt Officers say most of the violations they encountered at Rice Ranch Road and Graciosa Street were in excess of 60 miles per hour in this 45-mph zone “The first day that we deployed was Wednesday and I was a little surprised sitting at the stop sign how many people actually were violating the stop sign the rules and regulations of the road and driving through it 15 While an initial speeding violation comes with a fine repeated or severe violations can increase those fines and suspend or even revoke your driver's license “I know in the mornings it can seem like there's not a whole lot going on out here So I just want to reiterate that it is very important to stop completely at the stop signs,” says Sgt Drivers are advised to follow safe driving practices no matter what time it is Pedestrians are advised to look both ways when crossing the street CHP says they’ve seen more than enough to make this intersection a top concern from now on News Channel 3-12 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here Terms of Service Privacy Policy Community Guidelines FCC Public File EEO Public File Report FCC Applications Do Not Sell My Personal Information A major development could reshape part of Orcutt as Santa Maria city leaders and county officials consider the proposed annexation of land for the Richards Ranch project a 44-acre residential and commercial development plan The project site is located near the intersection of Union Valley Parkway and Highway 135 the development would bring 400 apartments The land is currently part of unincorporated Santa Barbara County, but the developer has applied to have it annexed into the City of Santa Maria. In November 2024, the Santa Maria City Council approved a resolution to submit an annexation application to the Santa Barbara County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) “The annexation application is under review by LAFCO currently,” said Dana Eady Planning Division Manager for the Community Development Department of Santa Maria “A hearing for review by LAFCO to either approve or deny the application will be held sometime in the future.” A study session with LAFCO is scheduled for Thursday at 511 East Lakeside Parkway in Santa Maria for informational purposes only allowing commissioners to ask questions about the proposal Pastor Greg Kintzi of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church which sits directly behind the proposed development site says the congregation has been learning about the project through regular meetings he’s hosted “I have mixed feelings about it,” Kintzi said It's been wonderful to have these open fields behind our church for so many years but it also offers some opportunities for us to reach out to neighbors and invite them to be a part of our ministry here at Gloria Dei.” He also sees potential in the mixed-use design “There’ll be some businesses that people can frequent There will be a pool that will be part of the apartment complex,” Kintzi said while also expressing concern about infrastructure “Union Valley Parkway is unique in terms of how it’s going to widen as they develop so there’ll be parts that will be getting wider while other parts remain small the developer will still need to go through additional permitting with the Santa Maria Planning Commission before construction can begin The Bulletin is proud to present its 2024-2025 Girls Basketball All Star Team The honored players were consistently on our daily top performers lists during the regular season The players were selected with input from coaches and were chosen from these six schools: Norwich Free Academy This year’s team is led by Norwich Free Academy senior Emily Orcutt Orcutt averaged 13 points and nine rebounds per game while playing against some of the top teams in the state NFA’s non-league schedule is traditionally the toughest amongst all the teams in the ECC Orcutt was an ECC Division I All-Star selection this season Norwich Free Academy: Wildcats guard averaged nine points Atchinson helped NFA capture the ECC Division I regular season title Plainfield: Panthers guard averaged 13.4 points Cross had a career-high 32 point game against Griswold Cross was an ECC Division 3 Honorable Mention selection this season More: Killingly eliminated by North Haven in Class MM opener Killingly: Killingly center capped a terrific career by averaging 11.4 points and 13.1 rebounds per game Headen helped Killingly qualify for the Class MM state tournament in each of the past four seasons including a state quarterfinal appearance during her freshman year in 2021-2022 Headen was an ECC Division 2 All-Star selection this season Ellis Tech: Golden Eagles center averaged 13.5 points and 4.8 blocks per game while helping Ellis Tech qualify for the Class S state tournament She helped Ellis Tech reach the CTC tournament finals during her freshman year in 2023 Lopez was an All-CTC First Team Selection this season Norwich Tech: The Warriors guard led the team in points (213) and steals (83) and was second in assists (52) while helping Norwich Tech qualify for the Class M state tournament Luurtsema was an All-CTC First Team Selection this season More: Griswold's Matheson reaches 1,000 career point milestone Griswold: The Wolverines guard led the team with 14 points and 4.2 assists per game while helping Griswold qualify for the Class M state tournament Matheson scored a career-high 44 points in Griswold’s season finale win over Putnam She scored her 1,000th career point during the Wolverines' Class M state tournament game against Watertown Matheson was an ECC Division 3 Honorable Mention selection this season Killingly: Killingly forward averaged 9.9 points and 9.7 points per game while helping Killingly qualify for the Class MM state tournament Spadola was an ECC Division 2 Honorable Mention selection this season Norwich Free Academy: Wildcats captain averaged five points and two and a half assists per game She also averaged less than two turnovers per game as the team’s point guard Stringer helped NFA capture the ECC Division I regular season title Stringer played a big role in revitalizing the NFA program following a 3-19 season in 2021-2022 Stringer was an ECC Division I Honorable Mention selection this season Norwich Tech: The Warriors center led the team in rebounds (161) and blocked shots (32) and was second in points (208) while helping Norwich Tech qualify for the Class M state tournament Ulrich was an All-CTC First Team Selection this season Griswold: The Wolverines guard averaged 13.6 points and three steals per game while helping Griswold qualify for the Class M state tournament improvisational guitar music radiates inexplicability San Francisco-based artist rose to cult legend status as a member of the noisy experimental punk band Harry Pussy in the 1990s following Orcutt’s divorce with romantic and creative partner Adris Hoyos he moved to the Bay Area and shifted focus to filmmaking Orcutt returned to music towards the end of the 2000s rolling out dozens of confrontational instrumental solo records and collaborations at a steady clip in addition to running the groundbreaking label Palilalia Records a live coding program that yields glitchy electronic textures Across partnerships with the likes of Chris Corsano Orcutt has emphasized an ability to straddle provocation and surrealism — his output is typically aurally demanding while always evoking the beautiful chaos of flower petals blowing in spring wind There is a tasteful jamminess to all of Orcutt’s work that calls to mind what might happen if the Grateful Dead interpreted Steve Reich live after a day spent blasting no wave deep cuts Nowhere does this rickety energy beam brighter than on the latest Bill Orcutt Guitar Quartet release HausLive 4 a bootleg-style live recording issued by lovable Chicago oddball label Hausu Mountain The entirely electric guitar live lineup includes New York City-based free improv favorite and Editrix front person Wendy Eisenberg fellow New York City-based avant-garde composer Ava Mendoza and Georgia-based interpreter and Ahleuchatistas band leader Shane Parish the band performs with just four uniquely tuned strings on each instrument producing a sound that is scorched and alien from a simple sonic palette The performance on HausLive 4 was captured during an exhausted but frenetic appearance at the Chicago left-field performing arts space Constellation; each staticky note seems to emerge from a thick layer of rust Orcutt and his backing band smear cuts from the excellent 2022 record Music For Four Guitars into forms that are more ecstatic and sprawling than the already inventive original pieces Though it’s presented as a lowkey Bandcamp upload for the heads HausLive 4 offers a prime glimpse of Orcutt in his strange element but highly thoughtful Bill Orcutt Guitar Quartet about the arrangements and techniques that shape their live show; how an ensemble made up of four people simultaneously shredding remains listenable; and one legendary brandy and sausage soaked evening in Poland HausLive 4 by Bill Orcutt Guitar Quartet I’m curious if each of you could talk briefly about where you come from musically and what brought you together SHANE PARISH: I came from just playing guitar for a really long time and improvising with people and playing some prog rock and crossing paths with these folks at gigs over the years. Wendy and I did a duo album together, improvised guitar duets And then Ava and I played some gigs here and there “Can I send you some music?” And I said I want to include a score as a PDF download when I release the LP.” I listened to it I can do that.” The record came out a year and a half later I’d be interested in playing.” Bill was “I want you to put the band together.” I said well Ava that’s great.” And then Wendy was the first person I thought of because we had played together and they kill it so I thought that would be really exciting That’s how we all became the quartet I’m a big fan of all of your records and various projects But the ones I find myself coming back to the most are some of your more recent collaborations Made Out Of Sound with Chris Corsano is one I find myself listening to every few days What do you look for in a collaborator and what drew you to these collaborators ORCUTT: I don’t have that many in my life of Harry Pussy) because when I met Adris she didn’t play any instruments I wonder what they would sound like if they were playing an instrument?” I just wanted to play with Adris I didn’t consider any other drummers I got his email off somebody and emailed him If he had said no — which I think initially he had said I’m busy” — if I had never played with Chris I don’t know who my second choice would have been and I thought that this is somebody that I could vibe with and who I could play with I was just trying to make this music into a real thing that happened simultaneously I’ve never been in a band where it was all notated like that I think I was really nervous in the first rehearsal And then amazed because it was working and it all sounded better than what I imagined it might sound like I came to discover all the things that they could do and the ways that all the pieces fit together Ava and I played in a Rhys Chatham Guitar Trio thing in San Francisco and I knew her music really just from online sources I believe you’re all based between a number of different cities I’m curious how that impacts your process when you’re collaborating AVA MENDOZA: We just rehearse at soundcheck I think for our first tour we had one rehearsal and we all learned the music in advance and got together and had a couple hours of rehearsal and we did a long soundcheck rehearsal and that was it And other than that we just all learned the music from the original record and Shane’s transcriptions and did our homework and showed up WENDY EISENBERG: It felt really natural for me How we sat down that first time was how we ended up sitting down for all the touring that we’ve done MENDOZA: The one thing that was unnatural was after two or three gigs — Shane is our conductor and there are a couple things where you could count them in a couple different ways Should we count it in in four?” — got into music nerd territory “This is the worst possible outcome I could ever have imagined for this band I went through every nightmare scenario in my mind and never did I come upon this one four!'” That was what drove Bill crazy PARISH: We just decided to settle on the Ramones’ style four!” no matter what time signature There’s a few in six; there’s one in five; and the rest are in four I remember Shane’s solo became a soli “Everybody get out of my way!” It was like Miles Davis telling Monk to stop playing but it was more just kind of for some variety and the next night we recorded the live album what does your role as a bandleader entail MENDOZA: Bill has said no to two things I can remember He’s very easygoing as a bandleader and relaxed “Do we have to take two strings off our guitar?” I remember “I can play all of the parts with the D and the A string on there Do I need to take them off?” And Bill was That’s the only total stipulation of the band.” So I guess it wasn’t a no I had my full pedalboard with me when we met up and I had just come from touring in another band with Marc Ribot which I don’t usually do with this band and I can do more sonic stuff in between songs.” And Bill was I turned a delay pedal on during one of the songs — during a written part “I hated it.” And I actually did But I turned it on to see what he would do; he said “I hated it;” and then I never turned it on other than in the improv moments and the solo moments Could you talk a bit about the show at Constellation in Chicago that this release was captured at What made you decide to release something from that show in particular and was there anything about that night that felt particularly monumental we had a really early flight out of New York and then played two sets at Constellation I like having a lot of sleep and not flying in and playing two sets and it was sort of at the beginning of something There was an intensity to it that felt kind of like work when you’re playing and it’s actually work but the getting through the playing was the work ragged thing that gives you a perverse energy because you’re tired that I remember feeling it was Shane doing a solo set before the first set And then me doing a solo set before the second one There’s a lot of different ways of holding the audience and also holding the band I think I remember the first set feeling some level of discomfort because I knew I had to put strings on because I played between the two sets I was very in the moment in the set and then I remember being I have to completely do this thing that then bends my guitar back into itself and unbend it again.” I remember around the day of it being or longer.” And everyone in Chicago wants to talk to you in the green room so it wasn’t like you had a buffer of quiet before it or anything The only buffer of quiet you had was instantaneous or small And I forgot that Wendy and Shane were doing those opening sets The travel of the day has faded into the background except that we had a long day and got there kind of late and we were all tired But I remember that the second set that we played as a quartet had that transcendent coasting along on the raw energy feeling that you get when you’re really tired But it was the first one that was recorded EISENBERG: One of the things that I really love about playing this music is because we’re playing something that exists so there’s this authorship and disappearance that are you can view that in the same way as that process you’re really showing up for it — because if you don’t really show up for it you’re so dead that you actually have disappeared which means that you’ve shown up unwittingly It felt like the whole night was this intense haiku ORCUTT: I have the same memory of just being so insanely tired EISENBERG: And the drive back from New Hampshire is always longer than you think And we stopped by one of my old places that I lived in Western Mass PARISH: We got those pancakes the day after the show I don’t remember much from Chicago either I remember there was a lot of excitement though because we’d been playing and kicking ass When are you coming to Chicago?” And then we got a ticket to do it and it felt really good to go there and it was nice to see Constellation really buzzing like that PARISH: A lot of the touring we’ve done ORCUTT: I think that’s the tiredest I remember being playing a show I remember I was having trouble remembering where I was in the set Something wasn’t quite clicking for me EISENBERG: I was just sleeping before this and I can vouch Most of these pieces initially appeared on Music For Four Guitars This live recording is a lot more stretched out How do you manage to incorporate improvisation while staying true to established structures ORCUTT: I kind of just sat down and thought of all the different things we could do You could have solos over the main riff of a song; or you could have solo guitar unaccompanied; or you could have duos; or trios; or you could have collective improvisation with all four guitars going at once I just kind of mechanically wrote out all the variations that we could do with four guitars and then divided it up and distributed it throughout the set People are musical enough and smart enough to make it work Whatever I sketched out at the beginning was kind of what we ended up using throughout EISENBERG: It was all established at that first and only rehearsal MENDOZA: With a few things that we tweaked as we went along And maybe a couple other small things like that changed But we basically had the same form forever It’s just that the improvisation changes drastically every night PARISH: I was trying to think if there was some good vocabulary that was tossed around when you were talking about how to stretch different parts of the set “The big smoosh.” That’s the word that I have written down — the big smoosh that would happen when we get into the improv stuff I remember Ava came up with the detuning with the volume up We did that the first night and then we kept it You’re playing with it tuned up the entire night We rely on reader subscriptions to deliver articles like the one you’re reading Become a member and help support independent media that’s something I was curious about I feel like a lot of the actual tonalities on the record are pretty straightforward Are there any specific tunings or techniques you find yourselves gravitating towards are just doing my Bill stuff with the four strings and the two tunings that I use Everybody individually during the improvisation is putting their own spin on it and playing it their own way even when we’re improvising and totally free Lots of songs are with a capo in a different place but basically the first half of the set is the one tuning and the other half of the set is the other of the two tunings The capo moves around on almost every song Because I went to jazz school and they had this macho thing where you had to be able to transpose and make something sound convincing without that the first Bill tour was the first tour I did where I had to worry about having a capo Not in the sense that it’s that complicated to use a capo But there’s so many things aesthetically I’d been missing out on because of that macho thought I’m thinking about what things sound like high up that you have more access to with your physicality made me so much better of a country guitar player all of the vocabulary that I felt was the most expressive and sounded the best on the guitar was the stuff that was a Buck Owens thing that I’d transcribed years ago and would just come out It sounded better because there was some kind of resonant absence thing that was occuring Being in “Bill mind” for these tours and for this music made the solo approach Because I’ve been working on country vocabulary and then slept and then did whatever else I needed to do and then went back to it And without the two strings it sounded fucking great when I’d have to reintegrate it for my solo-solo life outside of Bill tuning there’s something missing — and it was the missing two strings future other musical life vocabulary around the things that I learned was super fertile because there was this way of using my brain that was kind of a Bill impression at first ORCUTT: Let the record show that I helped Wendy by showing them how to not be macho I had to play a memorial service after this tour in France we just did I was playing it with the two strings missing and then when I got home to practice it some more and I was going into totally different fingerings and I liked what I did so much better when I was missing those strings It forced me up the neck in this different way to different voicings and it started getting me thinking differently about solo arrangements and not having option paralysis There’s something about the straightforwardness of I was practicing adapting Louvin Brothers songs when I was in Bill tuning just at the hotel room by myself And it just sounds better without the two strings Not only does it expand your brain in the same way that you’re saying but there’s something mystical that occurs when you can’t do everything you want PARISH: I think that’s why Django Reinhardt was so good at doing what he was doing EISENBERG: But when you’re back to the six who invited them and what are they doing here can I get rid of them and also have them back at the same time?” MENDOZA: I have one solo over a guitar riff I don’t do an unaccompanied solo anywhere in this set it feels really natural to do the three strings thing Because you’re popping out above the other players and often you’re using the three strings more than anything else anyway But it is really cool to get into everything you can do with open strings in a kind of altered tuning with a capo on trying to play any kind of modes that I would normally use But also I could just [makes chaotic guitar shredding noise with mouth] roll with what feels best on the instrument as Bill designed it you mentioned trying out a pedal that didn’t work I know this is kind of a GuitarPlayer.com type question but is there any gear that impacts your process MENDOZA: Bill’s Telecaster seems to impact his process Playing with the quartet and in other settings I’ll have a boost or something if I need to get louder easily I don’t like to alter the tone of the guitar I feel like it inhibits me coming through the strings if it also has to go through a pedal The only pedal I would use is just one that makes it louder EISENBERG: My rig for it is just a volume pedal and this pedal called the Longsword which is such a name to have just looking at you as you shred EISENBERG: When you’re playing in an ensemble that’s all one instrument trying to find the differentiation points of sound and how orchestration works is really important And the way that I have the Longsword — yeah I’ll say it again: the Longsword — configured for this thing a hyper-trebly guitar player because I’m immature and I like a screechy The way that it’s configured there doubles up on that I’m trying to make the trebly-ness of my sound sort of like a flute or high woodwind section of this quartet which is probably because I responded to the “What parts do you want to play?” question a little later than everyone else The way that I’m thinking about my role in the thing is on the more soprano end of the choir that is our band I hadn’t used a lot of pedals since the pandemic And then Bill went and bought me this Blues Driver “Get that compressor out of here.” I really like the Blues Driver sound I also really like the way my SG sounded on the recent tour MENDOZA: [Reveals half of a pedal board on camera] Every tour except this last one I use an overdrive and a distortion to make my clean tone sound more present And the distortion is only on for the solos revealing many more pedals] That was really fun for me to do get my reverse delay on and go into more sonic land Bill’s writing is fully formed with clean toned guitars The way that I write and I hear things is more coming out of a Hendrix place this riff has to be played with lots of fuzz it doesn’t sound like the right riff It sounds stupid if you play it clean tone I’ll write things that change a lot timbrely and that have to have a certain effect on It’s been really nice to get into Bill’s world where it’s kind of “This sound and that’s all that it needs.” There’s a definite hectic quality to the record but for being the output of four people shredding at the same time I feel like we become one unit when we’re playing the “song” song parts They stand up and they’re really tuneful and I think that playing them down is enough And maybe there’s aspects of Glenn Branca and noisy But there’s also aspects that are really country and bluesy and classic this group of players does a great job with it because there’s some room to personalize your part it might get kind of wanky or over-personalized or too showy But that’s not an issue with these folks It’s not like we’re literally playing it exactly how Bill played it on the first record There’s room to do your own thing on it EISENBERG: I think a lot about how Ava would use a whammy bar on this one riff and how much that does to it There are things like that where you can bring some level of sensitivity to interpretation into it Things can’t be hectic if they’re just genuinely good songs Maybe we’ll bring a hectic energy because we’re so tired but probably the songs themselves won’t be over your head They’re just communicating honestly how this person plays guitar; and how these people play this person playing guitar; and how they play themselves playing this person playing guitar So the throughline of it is really easy to understand narratively it’s just the material makes its own sense and it doesn’t really have to teach you that much to understand how it sounds There’s no distortion that occurs to you because you’re trying to hear through something that might be a little less well configured “Here’s this thing.” And if you’re hectic it might be the energy we’re bringing or it might be the way it feels to be confronted with something that makes you feel hectic What drew you to putting the record out with Hausu Mountain and he was always supportive and had interesting things to say The recording existed and I thought the idea of having a live cassette was kind of cool It has kind of a tasteful jam band energy that I appreciate PARISH: I’ve been listening to the podcast Analyze Phish It’s a comedy podcast where Scott Auckerman from Comedy Bang Bang hates Phish who died in 2015 and was a writer for Parks And Rec And he’s trying to get Auckerman to like Phish He plays him cuts and they talk about it and it’s hilarious It’s so good and it’s so fucking funny but I think it speaks to both sides of it and it’s just funny but when I want that spiritual energy the Bill Orcutt Guitar Quartet stuff is typically the first thing I go to And the second is whatever Hausu Mountain just put out That was an immediate selling point for me EISENBERG: I do think that this band works psychotically well as a live thing There’s something to the sound of us that’s really ecstatic This stuff allows for a level of joy and communion in the sound that other people get out of jam bands I know how satisfying the live set we have is when I’m there to play it I’ve always thought of you as being an artist who favors pretty noisy between the albums Jump On It and How To Rescue Things you’ve put out some of the most gentle work I’ve heard from you How have you been balancing the more acoustic and subdued stuff while also promoting the Quartet It’s what I put on as I’m starting to read emails it’s an intentional choice because I feel like I need to hear that But my default setting is really more like ECM than SST I feel like there’s a definite singular otherworldly quality to your music at large I really would not be able to place a genre on your overarching discography I’m curious if there are any artists you turn to for inspiration with the Quartet in particular ORCUTT: The origin of Music For Four Guitars was my friend Larry [Manotta] can you write music for it?” I was like but you have to play with four strings.” And he was “I won’t do that.” But it got me thinking about this idea of writing for four guitars I heard the Dublin Guitar Quartet playing Philip Glass and I was I can do that.” That was something that I could understand I couldn’t be a member of the Dublin Guitar Quartet But when I heard them playing Philip Glass string quartets on the guitar I suddenly understood that was a form I could steal and use for this project I definitely have thought about 20th century minimalism as a genre when listening to this project in addition to all of the rockier stuff we’ve talked about I feel like this record is sort of a celebration of you being a cool live project and the warm interpersonal dynamics really shine through the music Are there any favorite memories you four have shared over the course of playing live together PARISH: I thought that the show that we did in Lisbon was particularly memorable we were in this amphitheater at the Jazz em Agosto festival EISENBERG: That was one of the only shows I’ve ever worn shorts for We had to emerge from a bunker before taking the stage PARISH: I saved our life pretty early on in the band I’ve sort of been the driver when we’re in a motor vehicle and I think we were going to record our Tiny Desk Concert right after we played Roulette [Intermedium] And this car just zoomed right into the lane That’s one memory of the road that was PARISH: Remember that storm in the Midwest on the way to Minneapolis I saved our life another time through my prowess driving into danger It started raining and visibility went to zero and everybody was massaging Shane’s shoulders and encouraging him with thoughtful words “Avoid the storm by doing some route around it.” And I was what are you talking about?” And as we were approaching EISENBERG: I remember the hotel we stayed at in San Francisco was kind of rock n’ roll beach shack themed the one that we stayed at in Chicago after the show that this record was recorded at was also kind of rock n’ roll themed There is at once something kind of reassuring and jarring about playing a show and then going to see archival evidence that people have PARISH: We ate a really big dinner in Poland one time and they served us so many good Polish foods Because they brought me a meal and then I saw that they had brought sausage out for you all I need another meal right now.” I mean I didn’t say it like that because I’m very courteous where they keep bringing out plates of deliciousness before and after the show They want to gossip with you and tell you about their love lives other than the absolutely heroic amount of quince flavored brandy they gave us was that we were playing against a wall of names it was just a list of everything that was on someone’s iTunes that they turned into a wallpaper HausLive 4 is out now via Hausu Mountain. Purchase it here The most important stories and least important memes Visit the archives… CA 93401PHONE/805/546-8208 • FAX/805/546-8641 This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Niskayuna - Cheryl Jane Orcutt (nee Therriault) left this life on August 16 2024 after bravely facing Glioblastoma for over a year She was surrounded by her devoted husband and two adoring children.  NY to the late Norma (nee Candee) and Lionel Therriault She held her grandparents close and spent many happy summers with her mother and siblings on Crooked Lake at the Methodist Farm eating Kay’s pizza and narrowly avoiding mischief Cheryl graduated from Mercy High School in 1972 and began work at the Albany branch of the AAA Cheryl met and fell in love with her soulmate Together they settled in Niskayuna and raised their children Her unconditional love and true moral compass guided them throughout their lives together Cheryl was an exceptional Grandmother who never missed an opportunity to engage in her grandsons’ lives and had endless creative “projects” up her sleeve.  Her thoughtful attention to detail paired with her outstanding organizational skills were put to great use in her career as executive administrative assistant at several area businesses and later Integra Solutions of Schenectady She was a valued member of any team with which she worked Cheryl will be remembered for her selflessness She and David loved entertaining and spending time with their many dear friends and her ability to host beautiful gatherings large and small was a passion that brought many people together in joy and celebration.  son Benjamin Orcutt (Leah Wechsler) of Baldwinsville daughter Leigh Orcutt Augustine (Chadwick) of Niskayuna grandsons Asa and Forrest Augustine of Niskayuna A private celebration of her life will be held at a later date Donations made in her honor to a charity of your choice are welcomed This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Military families were honored on Wednesday at Joe Nightingale Elementary in Orcutt celebrated the 230 military-connected students in the Orcutt Union School District "There's a lot of veterans that work [here] and have kids in the Orcutt and Santa Maria school district community," Cody Smith a member of the Nevada Army National Guard "It's a really strong community for the active duty and those that have served in the past as veterans." watched as their father spoke to a class of kids at the event “I think it's a bit hard being in the military going through a whole bunch of sacrifices with family and stuff Protecting people and making them save their lives and my dad getting recognized for the work he's done," said Tyce Katie Smith— the mother of Korra and Tyce— told KSBY that Cody's service in the National Guard has been worthwhile "It was hard for them not to see their dad around as much but they've learned to appreciate that time they have with him and also to appreciate what he's done," she said Orcutt Union School District's elementary schools were recently awarded a Purple Star designation because of the systems in place to support its local military families "The challenges that come with being a military kid moving around and moving from school to school and so our partnership with the Orcutt school district and their efforts to identify themselves as Purple Star schools was a great opportunity for us to just come show and participate in this recognition today,” said Colonel Mark A Shoemaker with Vandenberg Space Force Base “It’s important to honor the sacrifice and all the different struggles our kids do and also understand all the different benefits they receive as a military child,” said another person from Vandenberg you learn to make friends a lot faster and become more extroverted and those skills can lead to a lot more success in life.” People in Orcutt will soon have another place to shop for groceries Grocery Outlet is planning to open its newest location at 1620 E The store offers discounted prices on overstocked goods from name-brand and private-label suppliers Hiring is underway. To apply, click here or email your resume to orcutt@groceryoutlet.com A Chevron gas station and Starbucks are also under construction in the same area and a new stoplight has been added at Clark Avenue and Sunny Hills Road People in Orcutt may soon return to a familiar bakery on Broadway Cups and Crumbs is set to officially re-open next week following a nearly 1.5-year-long closure The bakery and coffee shop shut down in October of 2023 after its co-owner, who was also a financial advisor in town, was accused of stealing millions of dollars from her clients KSBY is told a lot of work has been done remodeling the back of the business and that the menu will remain the same with plans to eventually add new items and possibly stay open later The new owners also reportedly own Hapy Bistro in Pismo Beach and Old Town Market in Orcutt Cups and Crumbs will be open seven days a week Work to pave a portion of Clark Avenue in Orcutt will get underway Monday The work will take place along the road from Highway 101 to Stillwell Road beginning April 14 and continuing through May 2.Drivers may experience some delays The first phase of the project from April 14 through 18 will close the eastbound lanes of Clark Avenue Flaggers will be in the westbound lanes directing traffic During the second phase of work from April 28 through May 2 the westbound lanes will be closed and flaggers will be on the eastbound side of the road The County reports the developer of Orcutt Gateway Retail Center is paying for the project The area is where a Grocery Outlet is set to open May 15 A Chevron gas station and Starbucks will also reportedly be going in a new traffic light at Clark Avenue and Sunny Hills Road will be activated The road leads into the Sunny Hills Mobile Home Community One Central Coast resident spent Friday evening celebrating a special milestone birthday Orcutt resident Francis Simonsen recently turned 101 years old and her family commemorated it with a lively birthday party at Giavanni's Pizza in Santa Maria Simonsen has spent her 101 years traveling the world and becoming a mother Her husband of 66 years helped to build Hummel Village Simonsen tells KSBY that she was grateful to see most of her family gathered together on Friday "I love them and I don't get to see them all very often but that's part of the course and I am enjoying this moment with them." Simonsen says she enjoys spending her time playing bingo at Hummel Village and eating at her favorite restaurant I have to— I have no choice," Simonsen joked In May 2024, Orcutt Academy unveiled its brand-new gym. Many programs have since had the chance to use it and finally feel at home Few sounds rival a swish on the basketball court the presence of a home crowd at their new multi-use gym is pretty close “It's a feeling of comfort," junior boys basketball player Isaiah Soto stated "We have more students showing up and this time it actually feels like home.” “It's a good feeling of not having to go to another school and like travel all over there just to have our own practice,” junior girls basketball player Elizabeth Johnson added the basketball programs had to travel 2.3 miles away to Lakeview Junior High for practice and games “Having to be offsite at a junior high is kind of embarrassing for them as high school students and telling other kids come to our game at the junior high,” Girls Basketball Head Coach Theresa Kendrick explained The soccer programs also dealt with the same issue before this season having to constantly travel all over Santa Maria to find fields to practice on Senior girls soccer player Stephanie Garcia Silva said it was difficult "having to pack all our girls in a van It's just nice to be able to have a home field for the sake of school spirit.” Thanks to a large maintenance push at the district level their home field was ready by the start of the season in November “Being able to use our home field and have it be our permanent field is incredibly gratifying and I'm grateful to have it there," she said The multi-purpose gym will also host volleyball games and it has a stage for the theater department's use You look around and you see all these fans come to support you and you're in this brand new gym and it just kind of feels like a dream,” Kendrick said "Having our first home game here and able to get a victory with the first game in this building was a cool cool moment for me having been here for so long," Boys Basketball Head Coach Ryan Smalley said Smalley has been at Orcutt Academy for the last ten years The $12.5 million facility and adjacent parking lot were funded primarily by Measure G a bond measure approved by school district voters in 2016 Santa Barbara County Public Works will begin repaving Clark Avenue in Orcutt The project will run through May 2 officials warn to expect traffic delays eastbound lanes will close from April 14–18 with flaggers managing two-way traffic on the westbound lanes westbound lanes will be closed and flaggers will help manage two-way traffic on eastbound lanes The repaving is funded by the developer of Orcutt Gateway Retail Center A new traffic signal at Clark Avenue and Sunny Hills Road is also coming next month "Inconceivable I," a painting by Peg Orcutt media release: Madison based artist Peg Orcutt will present a solo retrospective exhibition "Finding My Bearings," at Common Wealth Gallery from March 17 to 28 The show will feature a collection of large-scale landscape and skyscape oil paintings drawing inspiration from both the natural beauty surrounding the artist's west Madison residence and her imagination Orcutt sees this retrospective as an opportunity to reconnect with long-time supporters and engage new audiences “With 'Finding My Bearings,' I hope to invite the community to reflect on the splendor of Wisconsin’s natural landscapes and to imagine their own magical spaces.” An opening reception will be held on March 21st Common Wealth Gallery is located at 100 S Baldwin St The gallery is open daily from 12:00 to 6:00 PM please send an email with the following information to calendar@isthmus.com Here's the information we need to include your event in our calendar: * event date; RSVP/ticket deadline if there is one email or website we can publish (REQUIRED) Optional info:* bios/press releases for posting with the online listing community members came together to support their local library and stock up on some good reads The Friends of the Orcutt Library hosted its Winter Book Sale at the Orcutt Branch Library on Saturday Organizers say profits will go toward buying more books an Orcutt resident visiting the Winter Book Sale told KSBY about the types of books she and her daughter gravitated toward Sometimes I'll get some for myself as well," White said And she loves to put the returns down the chute and come in and sit down and play with the toys and look at the books." The organization typically holds a book sale every season The Spring Book Sale is set to be held on May 3 More information on upcoming events at the library can be found on the Friends of Orcutt Library's website DUNKIRK — The last win of the year for the Dunkirk Marauders in 2024 featured a stellar performance on the mound from Greg Orcutt to pitch his team into the Section VI championship game The first win for Dunkirk in 2025 felt like deja vu Tasked with stepping into the spotlight as Dunkirk’s ace this season Orcutt looked as dominant as ever Friday in the season opener Orcutt was nearly unhittable on the mound and Dunkirk’s offense poured it on late to earn a 10-0 mercy rule victory over the visiting Eden Raiders in a nonleague game at Al Stuhlmiller Field “I think it started last year with his performance against Depew,” Dunkirk head coach Frank Jagoda said “He came in (this year) looking to be the leader of the staff … We’re pretty happy with what we’ve got.” Orcutt said after the performance a year ago that it felt good to silence the Depew fans who were berating him throughout the game He muzzled the Eden offense in similar fashion on Friday If you feel like you can go out there and dominate “You just can’t be scared of the person in the box.” It took until the fourth inning for Eden (0-2) to even put a ball in play the exit velocity off the only two balls in play might not have even surpassed Orcutt’s fastball A one-out blooper to shallow right field was Eden’s lone hit off Orcutt and the inning ended on a slow groundball to second base though it never felt like the result was in question Orcutt was in such control that it just felt like a matter of time until it was broken open “He held us in there until our bats could make adjustments to what they were doing on the mound,” Jagoda said “We started getting some timely hits That’s exactly what happened in the fourth inning as the Marauders (1-0) poured on six runs to turn a 3-0 ballgame into a 9-0 advantage then Josh Lemanski drove in the sixth Dunkirk run of the evening with his third hit of the game Anthony Cosme blasted an RBI double to the right-center field gap for an 8-0 Dunkirk lead Gabe Valentine drove in the ninth run of the game with a line drive off a diving shortstop The Marauders left the bases loaded to end the inning Orcutt was lifted with a sizable lead after four dominant innings He struck out 11 of the 16 total batters he faced “People just think I’m a basketball player,” Orcutt joked coming off his first-team all-star selection as the school’s leading scorer on the hardwood “It feels like a message that we’re ready Orcutt mixed his slider in with his fastball He said his fastball was “blowing by” Eden’s batters and the result was a dominant showing from Dunkirk’s go-to starter He was around the plate the whole time,” Jagoda said “They were pretty marginal pitches that could’ve gone either way.” Lemanski threw the fifth inning for Dunkirk and managed to put up a zero to pair nicely with his 3-for-3 day at the plate The Marauders loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the fifth inning before Anthony Piede drove in the 10th run of the game with a groundball on the infield that brought Lemanski home We worked hard to get to this point,” Jagoda said with a rivalry showdown with Fredonia looming Thursday in Dunkirk “We’re looking forward to next week playing some good baseball,” Jagoda said “It’s always good to get the first win of the season FREDONIA — Danielle Palisin tossed a three-hitter with eight strikeouts and did not walk a batter as Fredonia .. Fredonia put together a four-run fifth inning and beat Salamanca 8-3 through a driving .. BUSTI — Fredonia’s Sydnee Hoffman shot a 24 over five holes but Southwestern beat the Hillbillies 35-20 in .. Copyright © 2025 Ogden Newspapers of New York | https://www.observertoday.com | PO Box 391 An early morning collision on Highway 101 near Santa Maria resulted in the death of one person a single-car rollover crash on Highway 101 just north of SR-166 blocked off the road's southbound lanes authorities say 20-year-old Orcutt resident Dylan River Lossing was traveling on the highway at an unknown speed and failed to stop as he approached the halted traffic Lossing reportedly struck another vehicle that was stopped injuring a man who police identify as a 30-year-old Santa Maria resident That man was taken to Marian Regional Medical Center and died of his injuries later Sunday morning Authorities have yet to release the victim's name Officials say Lossing was determined to be under the influence; he was reportedly arrested for a felony DUI and will be charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text — A dispute between an Orcutt resident and the owners of Del Cielo Mobile Estates took another turn Friday morning during an auction held at the park's clubhouse resulted in the property being sold to an unknown woman He also claimed he has been barred from the property by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office "The sheriff told me I’m not allowed back into the property and that I could be subject to arrest," Carreras said According to Carreras, the sale stemmed from alleged unpaid rent and fees3 Harmony Communities claimed Carreras failed to pay rent for October The company also stated that Carreras had not applied for residency at Space 21 maintains he provided the payments and only withheld applying for residency because he had not yet moved into the property He said the checks for the disputed payments were returned to him on Thursday because they stopped sending me rent statements for Space 21," Carreras said I found the three checks they claimed they didn’t receive in an envelope on my back door." Carreras provided News Channel with evidence of the returned cashier’s checks and money orders along with letters from Harmony Communities stating the payments were not accepted due to his lack of a rental or storage agreement The sale price of the mobile home and the identity of the buyer remain unknown had planned to attend the auction but were denied entry "They locked us out of the clubhouse," said Sue DeWeese "The clubhouse is supposed to be accessible to residents at all times This auction should have been conducted transparently." DeWeese criticized the decision to conduct what she described as a "private" auction4 and said law enforcement was unnecessarily called to the scene "They called the sheriff on us and referred to us as a mob," DeWeese said Harmony Communities declined to comment on the dispute or provide details about the auction In previous communications with News Channel the company stated it was "following California Civil Code 798 to the T." Harmony also questioned Carreras’ claim of ownership and the legitimacy of his renovation expenses The dispute between Carreras and Harmony is part of a broader conflict between the company and Del Cielo residents Harmony announced plans to transition the senior-only community which has served residents aged 55 and older for more than 60 years The move sparked backlash from residents and prompted the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors to enact a temporary moratorium on such conversions Harmony has since filed a lawsuit against the county over the moratorium who has lived in Del Cielo for several years said he intends to fight the auction and remain in the community "I’ve never been through anything like this," Carreras said I don’t know how I’m going to recover financially." Carreras said his next step is to take the matter to court Pamela Barilone bought her home at Del Cielo Mobile Estates in Orcutt five years ago to enjoy life in a senior community “We've got a quilting day and we have potlucks and so we have a lot of like-mindedness As the president of the mobile home residents' association she says many others feel the same way about their quiet community But a recent notice mailed to residents from the property’s new owners The company announced plans to open the community to all ages residents are concerned about preserving the quiet atmosphere and the already limited parking The concerns were discussed at the residents’ association’s meeting last week where Santa Barbara County Supervisor Bob Nelson was also in attendance "I'm trying to help them work with the new owner to find a peaceful solution to the conflict," Nelson said He says he understands why people are upset "If they would have been told that it's gonna be an all-age park they probably would never have purchased a mobile home there in the first place," Nelson said He also noted the park's lack of nearby schools and playgrounds “It's going to be a struggle for a young family to kind of figure out their space and keeping their kids safe living there," Nelson added “We believe a single mother with two kids should have the same affordable housing opportunities as people over the age of 55 We believe our community is well suited to accommodate struggling families and this change will help open housing opportunities for all Nelson agrees there is a need for affordable housing "We're working really hard in our county to try to create additional housing for them.. but it's not at the sake of of eliminating senior housing and that's what's going to happen here," Nelson said “Current residents will benefit from a substantial increase in property value upon resale due to access to a much larger pool of buyers," Ubaldi responded will consider the concerns of the more than 250 people living at the park before making any final decisions “I think that there's a lot of good things that Harmony can bring I just want to work together," Barilone said Add your event. - Old Orcutt’s spring activities are just around the corner and this year they’re getting more interactive with the public As they leave some recent challenges behind them Old Town Orcutt is taking a deep breath as the warmer seasons begin to approach Orcutt stores are preparing for the annual "shop hop" on Saturday April 12th and long-time favorite restaurant Cups & Crumbs has announced its grand re-opening.  “It was something that our community was missing desperately So we are excited and amped up for their grand reopening which will be next week,” says Brittney Vanderlei president of Old Orcutt Merchants Association naughty oak brewing company has unveiled its latest mural with an interactive contest starting Tuesday She does all of our signage and our paintings that we've done inside so she had an idea to just go giant with our squirrel mascot,” says Emily Kitts co-owner of Naughty Oak Brewing Company and current chair of Orcutt Chamber of Commerce.  Hidden within the new mural are 29 images that represent unique features of the central coast and anyone who finds all of them will be entered into a drawing.  “We've got a little checklist for everybody to find them and tell us where they see them pick up a sheet and you can find all the items They get to take home a $100 gift card as well as some merchandise.  “Despite a lot of growth that we've seen in Orcutt I say we're still a very tight knit community And that shows through the offerings that we provide just through our business association or our local merchants association offering to our community and then in turn getting it back from our community,” says Vanderlei.  The Old Town Orcutt Revitalization Association is also planning for its farmer’s market starting in June which will have a different theme each month Community leaders say they are excited the town is experiencing this revitalization It was an ideal day to get out and enjoy the events the Central Coast had to offer One of those was the All Ford Car Show in Orcutt hosted by the Santa Maria Model A Ford Club — which was celebrating 22 years of raising money for students in Allan Hancock College's industrial technology program and I like to look at Mustangs," said Wayne Kenitz "And this is the biggest collection of Mustangs [I've] ever seen Club organizers said the long-running event has raised more than $100,000 for scholarships benefitting industrial technology students “This event is a great opportunity to come together and give back to our community and we look forward to hosting it every year,” said Jay McCord a Model A Ford Club member and car show chairman “Many of the students that received past scholarships now have successful careers in their industry.” You can learn more on the club's website Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.