Maybe we should drop the "y" and start identifying this part of the state as Kern counties, because it really is two distinct places: The Kern of the Central Valley and the Kern of the Mojave Desert. 

Valley Kern is the earth: fruits and vegetables from the soil, oil from its deeper reserves. Desert Kern is the sky: aviation, space flight, and the power of the wind and sun. A mountain range divides them.

Contact The Californian’s Robert Price at 661-395-7399, rprice@bakersfield.com or on Twitter: @stubblebuzz. His column appears on Sundays, Wednesdays and Saturdays; the views expressed are his own.

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