Kern County Residents Looked Anxiously Southward

Lancaster may be 70 miles north of Los Angeles, but apparently that’s too close for comfort for some residents of Kern County.

Last Thursday and Friday, as riots rocked Los Angeles, the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce received three anxious phone calls, two from Tehachapi residents and one from Bakersfield.

The callers wanted to know if the high desert, where they often shop, had been swept up in the turmoil.

“They just wanted to see if it was safe to come down,” said Kate Geenan, a chamber employee. “I distinctly remember one older lady was concerned the rioting was spreading north. I assured her I’d been to the mall on Thursday and that everything was OK.”