DEPUTIES AMONG THOSE LOST COMMUNITY REMEMBERS ITS FRIENDS.

Byline: Patricia Farrell Aidem Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - A spate of crashes on the land, the water and in the air claimed dozens of lives this year in the Santa Clarita Valley, a community that also lost some longtime friends to natural causes.

Perhaps most tragic was the death of sheriff's Deputy David March, a Saugus resident who was working in Irwindale when he was gunned down by a motorist during a traffic stop. An undocumented Mexican immigrant who authorities believe fled to his native land has been charged in the death of the 33-year-old deputy who left behind a wife and stepdaughter.

Illness claimed the lives of Robert Lathrop and Michael Kotch, volunteers who helped shape the city. Both were honored as calm voices who more often than not represented the opposition.

Lathrop, who died in January, was a retired mechanical engineer who battled Los Angeles County on behalf of Santa Clarita's crowded school system, helped with the city's formation drive and served a stint on the county grand jury.

Kotch of Castaic also was an engineer, one who designed aerospace communication systems. He was a former president of the Santa Clarita Organization for Planning the Environment and had served on local water boards. Kotch, who died in August, also was active in the cityhood drive.

Toward the end of 2002, the community lost two beloved educators. James Foster, retired longtime superintendent of the Saugus Union School District, died last week, as did Rick Knutson, a well-liked assistant principal at Arroyo Seco Junior High School.

And Dale Basey, a popular Hart High School psychology teacher and longtime director of the Associated Student Body, died in August of a heart attack.

Crashes claimed the lives of too many.

Steve Coulombe of Agua Dulce, Chuck Wiseman of Castaic, Kenneth Lane of La Canada Flintridge and Nelson Roy Brinkmam of Phelan died in a January boat crash on Castaic Lake. The four were testing Coulombe's high-speed craft when it flipped, prompting a days-long rescue operation.

In October, William Perry, a well-known Agua Dulce attorney died along with Encino residents George and Rosalie Willard when their small plane crashed on takeoff near the Agua Dulce Air Park.

And all year long, Santa Clarita Valley sheriff's deputies reported about a dozen fatal crashes on city streets with more deaths reported by the California Highway Patrol on local freeways.

In January, Saugus High students Robert Smith and Sheldon Bell died when their car slammed into a wall along Bouquet Canyon Road in a high-speed crash. In July, Donovan Calhoun, 24, a former Valencia High School football star crashed and died on The Old Road in Newhall and earlier this month another Valencia student, Kiel Kudroff, who played on the soccer team, died when his car plowed into a light post on McBean Parkway.

The local business world lost Joel Goldman, vice president and general manager of Valencia Nissan and Volkswagen of Valencia, earlier this month. And Larry Wood, a longtime maintenance supervisor for the Daily News, died of cancer in March.

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Photo:

(color) Denise Poorman, a longtime friend of Terri March, holds a photo of slain Deputy David March, who was among the local residents who passed away in 2002.

David R. Crane/Staff Photographer