On a surface level, nail-trimming is what Orcutt resident Tara Hoffmann—with a 31-year career in mobile foot care services for seniors and individuals with limited mobility—gets paid to do on a daily basis. For her, the reward of offering pedicures and other foot-based treatments in the comfort of a client’s home is knowing that her […]
Orcutt
Posted inEats
The Lemonade Boss doles out ice-cold drinks from a hot pink trailer
Inspiration for Leslie Verbryke’s side gig came to her the way a lot of today’s ideas strike: through TikTok. The Orcutt resident saw a content creator who had refurbished a horse trailer, turning it into a beverage stand. “She started selling lemonade out of it to pay for pharmacy school, so I kind of took […]
Posted inNews
County supervisors will include new Orcutt library in budget talks
If Orcutt residents want to borrow books, they can visit a branch of the Santa Maria Public Library in Old Town that sits on a leased plot measuring less than 5,000 square feet. However, community planning documents from nearly 30 years ago predicted population growth that would warrant a library more than three and a […]
Posted inFood & Drink
An Orcutt couple rolls ice cream for their hometown
With the proper technique, rolling ice cream isn’t difficult. For Lucy Genge, it’s fun and satisfying. Each order is custom-made. The ice cream shop owner pours a liquid ice cream base on top of a cold plate that sits at minus 22 degrees. Then, she presses the cream down with two scrapers, spreading it super […]
Posted inNews
Four candidates contend for two seats on the high school district board
Tackling overcrowded local high school classrooms is one major issue for those running to fill seats on the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District board. In 2024, the district’s bond measure aimed at building a new high school to address the issue didn’t receive enough votes to pass. Diana Perez, who’s running for the […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Lark + Sparrow creators soar to sports bar heights with Loon & Crown
Running out of mantel space to display all those Little League trophies you’ve held onto since childhood? Orcutt’s new sports bar has got you covered. “The walls are lined with trophies from our community,” Loon & Crown co-founder Micaela Buchanan told the Sun. “We built some shelves and ask our customers to bring in their […]
Posted inNews
County urges residents to prep for winter flood risks
Amid early October’s heat wave, excavation work at Mud Lake—one of Orcutt’s designated stormwater basins—remained ongoing, in preparation for a potentially much different forecast this winter. “We’re doing a massive earthwork project where we’re excavating the Mud Lake basin to improve its capacity,” Santa Barbara County Flood Control and Water Resources Director Matt Griffin said […]
Posted inNews
Laurie Tamura is the Santa Maria Valley Chamber’s Citizen of the Year
Chamber cheersNext year’s gala is scheduled for Aug. 27. To register or become a sponsor, visit santamaria.com. Submit nominations for the 2027 awards online at santamaria.com/connecting/annual-awards. For the more than four decades that Laurie Tamura has lived in the Santa Maria Valley, she’s donated her time to organizations like Scouting America, the Santa Maria Police […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Giavanni’s Pizza cultivates a comedy community with open mics and stand-up shows
Ezra Paco had no choice but to kick-start his comedy career from a less-than-ideal launch point: Zoom. “It was really awkward,” Paco told the Sun. “The Zoom rooms were really weird because, just like with all things during the pandemic, you were at the mercy of what was going on in each person’s room.” Kids […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Zoom over to Orcutt for this year’s chalk festival
Peering down on the sidewalk during this year’s Orcutt Chalk Festival might just inspire a glance up into the cosmos. Blast Out of This World on Sept. 26 in Old Town Orcutt from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. More than 75 students, professional artists, and beginners will transform their 6-by-6-foot concrete squares into colorful, detailed […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria boosts security deposit assistance for renters
Moving is stressful. It takes time, effort, and money. “Imagine finding a place and needing that $3,000 deposit, and you know that you can do the month-to-month, but you don’t have that initial $3,000 because you’re living paycheck to paycheck,” Santa Maria’s community programs manager, Rosie Rojo, told the Sun. “By the time you’re able […]
Posted inNews
Old Orcutt Kwik Stop takes care of gas, convenience needs, and auto repair
Clients drive all the way from Ventura to one trusted auto repair shop in Orcutt with bright red and yellow signage flagging the corner lot. The reason is superb customer service. Old Orcutt Kwik Stop owner Ghais “Gus” Sweed is always working. Sometimes 18 to 20 hours a day. He bought the well-established business last […]
