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‘Truth or Friction’
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Our 166th Year
Saint comes marching in Lynn Kirst chosen to portray Saint Barbara By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Reina del Mar Parlor No. 126 of Native Daughters of the Golden West has selected member Lynn Kirst to portray Saint Barbara, the city’s patron saint, during Old Spanish Days. On Thursday, Ms. Kirst was introduced to the public at Casa de la Guerra. ReinA del Mar Parlor has chosen one of its members to represent Saint Barbara ever since 1926. The parlor was founded 121 years ago in 1901. The announcement of Saint Barbara coincided with commemoration of the founding of the Santa Barbara Presidio 240 years ago in 1782. Ms. Kirst is a fourth-generation Californian and resident of Montecito who graduated from Bishop Garcia Diego High School in Santa Barbara. She then earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in the History of Art from the University of Southern California. While completing her undergraduate degree, Ms. Kirst participated in the USC study abroad program, where she spent a semester living in Madrid, Spain, and studying at the Prado Museum. Ms. Kirst also completed the 2-year graduate program in historic preservation at the USC School of Architecture. Ms. Kirst has been a member of Reina del Mar Parlor since 2009 and has supported its projects. She is a sustaining member of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art Women’s Board. Ms. Kirst serves on the Legacy Council of the Sacramento-based California Rangeland Trust and on the advisory boards of both Hearts Therapeutic Equestrian Center in Santa Barbara and the Santa Ynez Valley Therapeutic Riding Program. Additionally, she is a member of the SYV WIGS of People Helping People. She is a former member of the board of directors of the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation, Community Arts Music Association (CAMA), and the Executive Committee of the Sierra Club’s Santa Barbara Group. Ms. Kirst has also served on committees for numerous organizations, including the Santa Barbara Historical Museum and the Wildling Museum in Solvang. She is a member of the Santa Barbara Corral of Westerners International and serves on the Design Committee at Birnam Wood Golf Club. A lifelong equestrian, Ms. Kirst is a charter member of The Fillies, a women’s riding group founded in 1994, and was named Filly of the Year in 2007. “Being selected as the 2022 Saint Barbara was a huge surprise. My parents were married at Mission Santa Barbara in 1947, and local history has always meant a great deal to me. On a poignant personal note, my presentation as Saint Barbara not only coincides with the 240th birthday of Santa Barbara, but also with the anniversary of my late husband’s death seven years ago. As a survivor of both the Thomas Fire in 2017 and the Montecito debris flow in 2018, I could never have imagined then that as a widow facing those disasters alone, my life would be as blessed as it is now with this great honor,” said Ms. Kirst in a press release. Ms. Kirst worked in museum fundraising and has held senior Please see SAINT on A3
NEWS-PRESS STAFF-WRITER
A hybrid model of both review and auditor/monitor-focused civilian oversight of the Santa Barbara Police Department is needed, a Community Formation Commission told the Santa Barbara City Council during a lengthy meeting Friday. After more than a year of research and work, the commission formally requested the city establish a civilian oversight board as well as an independent police monitor position. Of the board, the commission said: “This oversight mechanism will ensure that the SBPD is responsive to the concerns and needs of all members of the Santa Barbara community while promoting transparency and accountability and increasing public trust between the community and the SBPD.” The commission recommended the board be made up of seven at-large members and encouraged young adults who have experienced homelessness or arrests to apply.
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The board would be tasked with reviewing and recommending revisions to police policies and procedures and provide opportunities for community input and education on policing practices. Additionally, the commission recommended the independent police monitor review handling of complaints and trends in police while also engaging with the public and recommending improvements to police practices. For this position, the commission suggested a variety of different levels. The position could be a full-time executive position which would have an annual maximum total of about $307,500. It could be a full-time management level position with an annual maximum total of about $225,300. Or it could be a contracted position with an estimated annual maximum total of about $148,300. The commission also suggested commission members receive stipends of $50 for each regular and special meeting Please see POLICE on A4
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS
Jordan Killebrew speaks during a Santa Barbara City Council hearing on police oversight in Santa Barbara on Friday.
FRITZ OLENBERGER / OLD SPANISH DAYS
Lynn Kirst, shown below with Fiesta La Presidente Maria Cabrera, has been chosen to represent Saint Barbara during Old Spanish Days.
Wrongful death lawsuit filed against Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
On January 12 at approximately 2 a.m., Jonathan Paul Thomas, 45, died in custody at the Santa Barbara County Main Jail. The family of Mr. Thomas has now filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Santa Barbara County and the Sheriff’s Office. Mr. Thomas died less than an hour after he was booked at the Main Jail. The lawsuit alleges that Mr. Thomas hung himself while in custody and also that “prior to being taken into custody, he had called 911 to say he was coming down from methamphetamines and he was going to kill himself,” reported KEYT. “Rather than take him to a hospital, defendants took him to jail, where they stuffed him
in a one-person cell and left him to hang himself on a sheet,” according to the lawsuit. Raquel Zick, spokesperson for Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, said that the Sheriff’s Office cannot comment on pending litigation. The Sheriff’s Office told KEYT that Mr. Thomas was inside the safety cell, where deputies removed his clothing and placed him face down on the floor.Ms. Zick said that deputies left after removing Thomas’ handcuffs and then noticed that he was not moving just minutes later. The Sheriff’s Office says custody officers began lifesaving measures and requested emergency medical response, but Mr. Thomas was declared dead in his cell. email: kzehnder@newspress.com
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