RIDING IN HIGH STYLE LOCAL LIMOS CHAUFFEUR CELEBS, STUDENTS.

Byline: Amy Raisin Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - The New Year's confetti has been swept up and high school winter formals are still a few weeks off, so Jay Bowman spent Thursday polishing two limousines to a mirror shine.

A driver and manager for Dyer Livery Limousines and Sedans, Bowman has seen and heard just about everything, from rambunctious kids to business professionals letting loose for birthdays, bachelor parties or famed awards shows such as the Oscars and Emmys.

``The kids can be pretty bad because they want to see what they can get away with,'' Bowman said. ``But with the adults, there's alcohol in the car. It can get pretty crazy once the bottles come out. There's even been a whipped cream fight back here.''

While trips to the airport are the company's bread and butter - Dyer's three limos and one Town Car average about two trips to LAX daily - bookings for New Year's Eve, prom night and concerts go quickly.

For New Year's Eve, customers had reserved all four Dyer cars by October. But that didn't stop last-minute fun-seekers from trying to get one of the luxury automobiles.

``On New Year's Eve morning, I had 16 calls,'' said Bowman, 34. ``I've already got things lined up for December.''

Grand occasions such as the Academy Awards and the Emmys are big business for limousine companies and with the large concentration of movie- and TV-industry people living in the Santa Clarita Valley, Dyer's four drivers are well-versed in the art of whisking customers away in style.

Dyer Livery, however, was not immune to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. The cancellation of the post-Sept. 11 Emmys awards silenced phones that would otherwise have rung incessantly.

In between the standard busy times, Dyer has welcomed business from local junior high schools in recent years. As a reward for successful book drives or candy sales, schools like Sierra Vista and Arroyo Seco have rewarded their top sellers with limo rides around town.

From teen-age celebrations to wedding parties, Bowman has the routine down: lavender and purple napkins and balloons for women's birthdays, red and tan for bachelor parties.

One of his more somber calls to duty, though, came last September when Bowman lost a good friend, slain sheriff's Deputy Hagop ``Jake'' Kuredjian. After learning of the shootout in Stevenson Ranch that claimed the deputy's life, Bowman offered limousine service for Kuredjian's family.

``We got some extra cars that day, to help out his family and friends,'' Bowman said. ``After the (church) service, we pulled up to the mortuary and waited. We waited for hundreds and hundreds of officers and cars to come into the cemetery. Then we drove the family up to the graveside.''

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Jay Bowman of Dyer Livery Limousines and Sedans cleans out one of the limos to get ready for its next trip.

(2 -- color) Among the sprucing up Jay Bowman does before a new party rents a limo is to make sure there are plenty of clean champagne glasses.

David R. Crane/Staff Photographer