TORCH ROUTE HONORS FALLEN SLAIN DEPUTIES TO RECEIVE TRIBUTE.

Byline: Bhavna Mistry Staff Writer

STEVENSON RANCH - For the first time since its inception, the Sheriff Department's annual Memorial Run this weekend will be rerouted to pay special tribute to two Santa Clarita deputies slain in the line of duty.

As part of the 330-mile countywide run, deputies and civilian employees will stop for a moment of silence at the Stevenson Ranch memorial for Deputy Hagop ``Jake'' Kuredjian, and the widow of Deputy David March will carry the torch from the Temple City sheriff's station to the place where he was gunned down.

``We do the run every year,'' Deputy Mark Slater said. ``But this year, we'll be diverting off at Jake's memorial. This year it will have extra meaning.''

The 25th annual three-day run will start this morning at the Sherman Block Sheriff's Headquarters Building in Monterey Park, where Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca will pass the torch to the first group of runners.

The sheriff will join runners at the Temple station at approximately 11 a.m. for a memorial tribute to March. From there, Teresa March will carry the torch to Live Oak Avenue, west of Longden Avenue, where a short service will take place.

The torch will enter the Santa Clarita Valley about 7 p.m. Saturday at Calgrove Boulevard and The Old Road.

From there, the run will travel to Stevenson Ranch and stop at Poe Parkway and Stevenson Ranch Parkway, where at 7:30 p.m. department Chaplain Tony Miano will lead a moment of silence at Kuredjian's memorial.

``The department is supportive in allowing us to do this,'' said Deputy Donna Elliott, organizing the local event. ``It's important that we not forget those fallen officers.''

During the 28-mile, six-leg segment of the run, local deputies will be carrying a flag designed by deputy Mike Tunget in honor of Kuredjian. The flag is part of station memorial to the deputy.

The flag was also flown during the local team's participation in the 2002 Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay, a 120-mile relay that took place in April.

For this weekend's run, deputies will pass the torch as they run past each sheriff's station in an annual event honoring law enforcement officers who have been killed in the line of duty.

Locally, 30 to 35 deputies, Explorer scouts, station personnel and their families will participate in the run that will continue to the Santa Clarita Valley sheriff's station in Valencia and through Canyon Country.

In Agua Dulce, local runners will hand the torch over to deputies from the Antelope Valley station.

Running the last five-mile leg through Santa Clarita will be Detective Dennis Duarte, who is assigned to countywide task force and has lived in the Santa Clarita Valley for more than 10 years.

``I feel I owe it to anyone who works in the department who has been slain,'' Duarte said. ``It's my tiny way of giving something back for their sacrifice.''