(The Center Square) – Last year, Kim Manchego and her daughter left jobs in Wyoming’s funeral industry to run a country store in the Pennsylvania town of Germania.
While revitalizing the space into the White Pine Café, Store & Lodge, the new owners found a hitch in their operations plans to provide fuel to the local ATV community. The property’s storage tank needed to be replaced.
Kim went to work looking for opportunities to fund a replacement, reaching out to elected officials and the Department of Community and Economic Development. Gov. Josh Shapiro said that it was this story that came across his desk and inspired him to take action.
The result? A $162,461 grant through the Marketing to Attract Tourists program to replace the fuel tank and get Germania’s only gas pump up and running again.
Shapiro headed to “God’s Country” Thursday to deliver on the success of state and local lawmakers to find a solution for the Manchegos – and to bolster the tourism industry in Potter County. The area is home to several state parks and the Northcentral ATV Trail.
“Today we are privileged to witness that the American dream is still alive and well,” said Manchego. The focus of enhancing and expanding tourism is the lifeline to success of White Pine and my fellow business owners.”
The trail system generated $13.1 million for Potter and Tioga Counties last year, according to a study from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Shapiro noted that outdoor recreation contributes $19 billion to the state’s economy and supports 168,000 jobs.
“This store sits at the heart of the Northcentral Regional ATV Trail, one of the Commonwealth’s premier outdoor recreation destinations — but without a working gas pump, folks couldn’t fuel up for the ride,” said Shapiro. “With this investment, we’re supporting a key local business and keeping the outdoor recreation economy growing here in Potter County.”
ATV riders were among those who rallied behind Manchego’s cause and celebrated the grant award. Brad Smith, Co-Founder, Potter County ATV/UTV Club, spoke about the impact federal fuel rebates have on funding both motorized and non-motorized trails in the state.
Smith also discussed the complex undertaking of collaborating with different organizations and government agencies to develop a trail system that would benefit riders, the community, and the economy.
“It’s about relationships and working together and, as the governor said, working across the aisle for the good of the commonwealth,” said Smith. “We hope this support will help this beloved fixture in the Germania community not only survive but thrive in the future years.”
