BIG MONEY FOR EAST KERN


The East Kern Economic Alliance is celebrating a $900-thousand grant to diversity the regional economy. Richard Chapman at the Kern Economic Development Corporation says they’ve been studying the possibilities for 10 years, and hope businesses from western Kern County will join them for this month’s meeting in Bakersfield. “We want the West Kern folks to find out the wide array of innovation-related activities that are occurring in East Kern, and I think that’s the important thing…how East Kern and West Kern work together for future success.” The East Kern Alliance applied for the Defense Department grant to enhance the communities around China Lake and Edwards Air Force Base, and to mitigate the impact should those installations be closed.

Suzanne Grant