BROOKVILLE, Pa. (EYT) — Gov. Tom Wolf made a stop at BWP Bats in Brookville Saturday on the final day of a four-day, 14-county tour in northern Pennsylvania.
(Photos by Kyle Yates. To view more of Kyle’s work, visit Facebook.com/YatesPhoto)
Wolf and his wife, First Lady Frances, saw the baseball bat manufacturing process up close and in person during a tour of the BWP Bats facility.
They were joined by several local and state officials including Pa. State Representative Cris Dush, Jefferson County Commissioners Herb Bullers, Jack Matson, and Jeffrey Pisarcik, and Jefferson County Economic Development Director Brad Lashinsky.
As part of the 14-county tour, Gov. Wolf visited local businesses, schools, hospitals, historical landmarks while meeting with area residents.
Saturday, Gov. Wolf and the First Lady also visited the Elk Country Visitors Center in Elk County, and the Harmony Grange Fair in Clearfield County.
Friday, Wolf finished the third day of his tour in Marienville after visiting Bradford and Mt. Jewett in McKean County and Warren in Warren County.
“As I have traveled the state visiting communities and listening to people working in manufacturing, schools, healthcare and tourism, it is clear that we’re working together to create jobs and improve communities,” Governor Wolf said. “It is important for the state to hear from communities in every part of the Commonwealth to learn how we can support them and see the progress being made in economic development, education and workforce training.”
The tour was originally scheduled for a stop in Tionesta to tour the Market Village, but with it being mostly shut down after Labor Day, the decision was made to come to Marienville.
Forest County Commissioner Bob Snyder was busy late Thursday and Friday taking are the necessary details and coordinating security.
“It’s awesome to have the Governor come to the county,” Snyder said. “Gov. Wolf was invited by a veteran to come here.”
Snyder, a former Forest County sheriff said two members of the Governor’s security detail were former county law enforcement officers, one a state police officer, another a former county probation officer.
Members of the Forest County School District, led by Superintendent Amanda Hetrick, welcomed the Wolfs to Marienville.
“We wanted to make sure he knows how much we appreciate the battle he’s fighting for public education because without, Pennsylvania fails,” Hetrick said. “Our children need educated so they can go on and receive further schooling so they can excel in life. “I believe we are key element of that.”
The governor’s first stop Friday was Bradford, where he and the First Lady, Frances, visited Zippo Manufacturing, the family-owned business celebrating 85 years as an iconic brand in Pennsylvania.
The Zippo lighter has been featured in more than 2,000 movies, stage plays and television shows over the years, and its famous Zippo “click” sound has been sampled on songs.
The lighters themselves have been featured on album covers, tattooed on rockers’ skin, and wielded in Rolling Stone photo shoots.
While at Zippo, the Wolfs saw the manufacturing process, talked with employees – some of whom have worked at the factory for many years – and learned about how the factory has helped the town of Bradford grow and thrive over the years.
Following Zippo, the tour stopped at Kinzua Bridge State Park in Mt. Jewett, where the governor and First Lady joined Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn.
They met with staff of the PA Wilds Conservation Shop, managed through a public-private partnership that is increasing economic opportunities for small local producers and area artisans.
After discussing the importance of Pennsylvania’s state parks for the tourism industry in rural communities, the governor visited the Kinzua Bridge skywalk, a 600-foot pedestrian walkway overlooking the Kinzua Gorge.
The skywalk, constructed after the Kinzua Viaduct and once known as the longest and tallest railroad structure, was partially destroyed by a tornado in 2003.
Gov. Wolf also visited Whirley-DriveWorks in Warren where he and the First Lady talked with employees and toured the family-owned business.
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