Volunteers Leticia Autry, left, and Vanessa Robles carry a bag of cement Jan. 14 as they join 21 Mercury Insurance employees, veterans and volunteers who installed new fencing at the site of the third phase of the veterans community created by Habitat for Humanity in Santa Clarita on Saturday. Dan Watson/The Signal
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Volunteer Sara Makeever levels fence posts on a lot overlooking Canyon Country as she joins 21 Mercury Insurance employees, veterans and volunteers who installed new fencing at the site of the third phase of the veterans community created by Habitat for Humanity in Santa Clarita on Saturday. Dan Watson/The Signal
United Sates Marine veteran Larry Martinez, future resident of Habitat for Heroes, mixes cement on a lot overlooking Canyon country as he joins 21 Mercury Insurance employees, veterans and volunteers who installed new fencing at the site of the third phase of the veterans community created by Habitat for Humanity in Santa Clarita on Saturday. Dan Watson/The Signal
Volunteers Leticia Autry, left, and Vanessa Robles carry a bag of cement Jan. 14 as they join 21 Mercury Insurance employees, veterans and volunteers who installed new fencing at the site of the third phase of the veterans community created by Habitat for Humanity in Santa Clarita on Saturday. Dan Watson/The Signal
Mercury Insurance employees and volunteers replace old fencing at the veterans community created by Habitat for Humanity in Santa Clarita on Saturday. Dan Watson/The Signal
Special needs hockey players compete in a hockey game for various players from different teams during the opening day of the sixth annual United Commercial Travelers (UTC) Winter Hockey festival. The three-day event is being held at Ice Station Valencia in Valencia for 150 special needs participants of all ages from 11 hockey programs from across the country. The event concludes on Sunday. Dan Watson/The Signal
Ian Hutchings, left, of the California Condors celebrates making a goal as he is congratualted by coach Rona Kalan during a hockey game for various players from different teams during the opening day of the sixth annual United Commercial Travelers (UTC) Winter Hockey festival. The three-day event is being held at Ice Station Valencia in Valencia for special needs participants of all ages from 11 hockey programs from all across the country. The evernt concludes on Sunday. Dan Watson/The Signal
Participants with special needs of all ages and sizes joined in a hockey match open to players from various teams during the opening day of the sixth annual United Commercial Travelers (UTC) Winter Hockey festival. The three-day event is being held at Ice Station Valencia in Valencia for special needs players of all ages from 11 hockey programs from across the country. The event concludes on Sunday. Dan Watson/The Signal
Valencia Snap Flyers goal-keeper Blaine Palmer watchs a shot go into the goal during a hockey game for various players from different teams during the opening day of the sixth annual United Commercial Travelers (UTC) Winter Hockey festival. The three day event is being held at Ice Station Valencia in Valencia for special needs players of all ages of 11 hockey programs from all over the country and concludes on Sunday. Dan Watson/The Signal
Joshua Lopez, 8, left, gets a sticker from local author Janet Squires, right, as Lopez moves from author to author in the children’s book section at the 4th Annual Celebration of of Local Authors held at the Old Town Newhall Library in Newhall on Saturday. Dan Watson/The Signal
An attendee, left, buys a book from local author Harriette Knight, one of 50 local authors on hand at the 4th Annual Celebration of of Local Authors held at the Old Town Newhall Library in Newhall on Saturday. Dan Watson/The Signal
Nathan Lopez, 6, examins one of the children’s books available from local authors in the children’s books section at the 4th Annual Celebration of of Local Authors held at the Old Town Newhall Library in Newhall on Saturday. Dan Watson/The Signal
Local author T.K. Leigh, center, describes how she creates a character for her books as she sits on a panel of romance novelists with Joy Eileen, left, and Emerald Lavere at the 4th Annual Celebration of of Local Authors held at the Old Town Newhall Library in Newhall on Saturday. Dan Watson/The Signal
Signal file photo
Robert Margiotta prepares to donate blood with Edith Fernandez’s assistance at the American Red Cross blood drive at Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Church in Santa Clarita on Sunday. Nikolas Samuels/The Signal
Edith Fernandez prepares the containers that the blood will be put in at the American Red Cross Blood Drive at Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Church in Santa Clarita on Sunday. Nikolas Samuels/The Signal
Officials assist a person who was injured in a two-vehicle collision involving a motorcycle on Golden Valley Road and Centre Pointe Parkway Sunday evening. Nikolas Samuels/The Signal
Officials investigate the scene of a two-vehicle collision involving a motorcycle on Golden Valley Road and Centre Pointe Parkway in Santa Clarita Sunday evening. Nikolas Samuels/The Signal
Officials prepare to transport an individual who was on a motorcycle when a two-vehicle collision occurred on Golden Valley Road and Centre Pointe Parkway in Santa Clarita Sunday evening. Nikolas Samuels/The Signal
First responders work on a man who was rolled over by a car on the Old Road in Castaic near Lake Hughes Road on Monday morning, Jan. 17, 2017. Katharine Lotze/Signal
First responders work on a man who was rolled over by a car on the Old Road in Castaic near Lake Hughes Road on Monday morning, Jan. 17, 2017. Katharine Lotze/Signal
Chinese exchange students Ruoxi (Cici) Jiang, left, and Zhifan (Mary) He, center, get aquainted with fellow student Mila Boyd, right, in Claudia Kirk’s combined 2nd and 3rd grade class at Castaic Elementary School. Tom Cruze/For the Signal
Chinese exchange student Zhifan (Mary) He, left, gets some help with an in-class exercise from students Mila Boyd, right, and Reese Watt, center, in Claudia Kirk’s combined 2nd and 3rd grade class at Castaic Elementary School. Tom Cruze/For the Signal
Chinese exchange student Yuhao (Lion) Peng, center, gets help during a reading exercise from fellow students Paige Hanks, left, Kaliyah Simpson, second from left, and Nicholas Gutierrez, right, in Claudia Kirk’s combined 2nd and 3rd grade class at Castaic Elementary School. Tom Cruze/For the Signal
Regan Lowry, 10, and Alecxis Jallorina, 11, laugh as they work on pointallism paintings of trees at the Highlands Elementary after school art program on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. Katharine Lotze/Signal
FILE PHOTO:
Declining enrollment means less average daily attendance funding for school districts. It’s a problem being felt across the Santa Clarita Valley, and in districts throughout the state of California.
CHP officer Todd Cookston embraces the wife of a crash victim near Lake Hughes Road in Castaic. (Jeff Zimmerman/For The Signal)
CHP officer Todd Cookston poses for a photo with Fonzie the dog. (CHP Newhall)
A paramedic from Fire Station 107 assesses a woman arrested for allegedly stabbing her ex-boyfriend Monday night. (Austin Dave/The Signal)
Santa Clarita resident Jeffrey Martin speaks about having more youth on the City Council during public comments at City Council meeting on Tuesday. Dan Watson/The Signal
Santa Clarita Mayor Camron Smyth takes comment cards during public comments at the City Council meeting on in Jan. 2017. Dan Watson/The Signal
(Twitter: @SEBLASD)
An American Medical Response ambulance lies on its side at the intersection of McBean Parkway and Valencia Boulevard on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017.
Fabian Castillo, 2, of Newhall scoot on his skateboard at Central Park in Saugus on Wednesday. Castillo received his skateboard when he turned one-year-old and he and his dad come to Central Park once a week, to practice. Dan Watson/The Signal
Paramedics prepare a crash victim for transport via helicopter. (Twitter: NewsSourceLA)
FILE PHOTO: Canyon Country resident Brandon Castelli, 24, does his daily,15 mile ride on his mountain bike along Via Princessa in Santa Clarita on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. Dan Watson/The Signal
Silas Stringer accepts his trophy from Oak Hills Elementary School principal Luis Gamarra at the Oak Hills Elementary School’s STEM Expo on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. Katharine Lotze/Signal
Dani Clewis, 8, smiles as she walks off stage with her third-place trophy at the Oak Hills Elementary School’s STEM Expo on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. Katharine Lotze/Signal
Trophy winner Solomon Graham shows his trophy to classmates at the Oak Hills Elementary School’s STEM Expo on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. Katharine Lotze/Signal
Oak Hills Elementary students eagerly await the announcement of awards at the Oak Hills Elementary School’s STEM Expo on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. Katharine Lotze/Signal
Rinzy Song, 9, demonstrates her STEM Expo project at the Oak Hills Elementary School’s STEM Expo on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. Katharine Lotze/Signal
Sam Rogers, 11, left, and Sean Deme, 11, right, watch as a classmate demonstrates a project about how lungs work at the Oak Hills Elementary School’s STEM Expo on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. Katharine Lotze/Signal
Wind buffets the umbrella of Carla Nathan as she drops off Jordan Nathan, 4, at Congregation Beth Shalom preschool in Santa Clarita on Friday. Dan Watson/The Signal
Workers use chainsaws to pare down a large tree that fell across McBean Parkway near Orchard Village Road, and blocked traffic on westbound McBean on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. Katharine Lotze/Signal
Left to right: CalArts students Jacqueline Cook, Lily Edward Christie, and Annie Daniel chant “No Trump, no KKK, no facist USA” as they use a yoga mat for shelter from the rain as they gathered in a field on campus during a walkout in response to President Trump’s inauguration on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. Katharine Lotze/Signal
CalArts students, staff, and alumni, as well as a few community members walkout of the school and into a field on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 in response to the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Katharine Lotze/Signal
CalArts students gather on a field on campus during a walkout on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 in response to the inauguration of President Donald Trump. They chanted “No Trump, no KKK, no facist USA,” and “The people united, will never be divided.” Katharine Lotze/Signal
Katharine Lotze
Katharine Lotze is a photojournalist and columnist at the Signal, and can be found photographing daily life in Santa Clarita, or writing personal essays about her own daily life.