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Peters
Township Chamber of Commerce
3909
Washington Road
P.O. Box 991
McMurray, PA 15317
Phone:
724-941-6345 / Fax: 724-942-2345
www.peterstownshipchamber.com / E-Mail:
peterscc@cobweb.net
The
Peters Township Chamber has served our community for more than
50 years, advocating that Peters Township is not only a good
place in which to invest and do business, but also a great place
to live. With 430 members, the positive image of the Chamber
provides businesses with better visibility and credibility . .
.it does make a difference!
The
Peters Township Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors for 2008
President:
Linda E. Webster, Minuteman Press
Vice President: Michael W. Brant, Esq. Brant &
Associates, PC
Secretary: Barbara Myers-Ciccone, Vitullo Travel Agency
Treasurer: Kerry A. Burgan, Burgan Financial, LLC
Vincent Cassano,
AVP Brentwood Bank
Richard L. Dalzotto, South Hills Financial Group
Chery Daniel, The Washington Hospital
James R. Dolanch, Century 21 Frontier Realty
Allan Echko, Abrakadoodle
Francis W. Kittridge, French Towel & Uniform Co.
Sandra A. May, O'Neill Financial Services, Inc.
Kelli Newmaster, Vanadium Woods Village
Diane Page, Page Signs
Judith Ann Tapolci, Computer Comfort
Linda M. Vaira, Linda Vaira & Associates
Director
Emeritus: Dr. Howard F. Jack
Administrative Assistant: Anna M. Pikelis
Executive Director: Carol A. Foley
Upcoming
Chamber Events
Start off the New
Year right with some mixing & mingling! We’ll have an “After
Hours” Networking Mixer in January hosted by College Bound
Admissions Academy. Details TBA
CHAMBER
MEMBER SNAPSHOT:
A
Half-Century of Fixing Cars in Peters
 A
lot has changed in the auto business since Opeka Auto Repair
opened its doors in 1951. Perhaps the most striking difference
between then and now are the cars themselves. In the mid-20th
century, regular visits to a mechanic would have been considered
normal. Today, a breakdown is much more the exception than the
rule.
“When I started
driving, you were supposed to change your oil every 2,000 miles,”
says Dale Opeka, who runs the business his father started 57
years ago. “Then it was 3,000 miles. Today we see some cars
that can go 10,000 miles between oil changes with no problems.
Cars weren’t nearly as reliable or durable as today. We used
to see fenders rusting out every couple years. Now you might see
a rust blister after eight, nine, or 10 years.”
The improvement in
autos hasn’t stopped the Opeka’s business from thriving,
however. When John Opeka started his own auto-body repair
business in the rural Peters Township of the 1950s, it was based
on the 600-square foot two-car garage next to his house. The
business moved to its current Valleybrook Road location in 1960,
and has seen four expansions since then. Today, the business
occupies 16,000 square feet, with a state-of-the-art garage, and
some 20 employees dealing with both mechanical and auto body
repair.
“I thrive on
change,” says Dale, who
obtained a degree in mechanical engineering from the University
of Pittsburgh before joining his dad’s business.
A reputation for
skill and professionalism keeps Opeka’s customers coming back.
The mechanical repair side of the business is fully equipped to
deal with the problems presented by today’s high-tech
vehicles, and the collision-repair department offers a one stop
shop that helps cut through the paperwork and red tape of
dealing with insurance companies.
Opeka Auto Repair is
located at 440 Valley Brook Road. For more information, visit
www.opekaauto.com or call 724-941-6608.
 By
Diane Snyder, parent, member of PTCC
Character Counts is
a Peters Township School District program that promotes respect,
responsibility, and honesty among students and staff. However,
the program is concerned with more than just character education
in the schools. Character Counts involves a community awareness
committee (PTCC); a group of caring citizens who meet monthly to
strengthen and recognize the importance of character to our
families, neighborhoods, clubs, schools, government, and
businesses. This is achieved through a variety of activities
sponsored throughout the year, such as the Walk
for Awareness in October,
and the Character Counts
Recognition Awards. PTCC
is a collaboration of many community groups including the
Chamber of Commerce, Municipal Government, School District,
Rotary, Ministerium and PTAs.
So what do we mean
by character? What does it mean to promote respect,
responsibility, and honesty? Let me share a true story with you.
I was at Sarris Chocolate Factory a few weeks ago. A young boy*,
about seven or eight years old, was sitting in a booth eating
ice cream with his mother. A bus pulled up outside and one by
one, a group of senior citizens began to disembark. The boy
immediately got up from his seat, ran to the front door, and
held it open as each person approached the shop. It took well
over five minutes for everyone to enter, and the young man’s
ice cream melted in the meantime. Disregarding his melting ice
cream, he greeted each person as they entered the store, and the
people thanked him and commented on what a nice young man he
was. As I was leaving, I went over to the boy and also commented
on what a nice thing he had done. I asked what had prompted him
to get up and hold the door, and he replied, “They remind me
of my grandma. She has a hard time walking, and I always help
out my grandma. It’s just the right thing to do.” Yes,
this is character. And it does count!
(*a second grade
student at Bower Hill Elementary)
For more information
on PTCC, and how you can get involved, please contact Jennifer
Rose at ExecAssistant@peterstownship.com, or 724-941-4180. Any
questions, comments, or if you have a story of good citizenship
and strong character you would like to share, please contact
Diane Snyder at snyderdiane@juno.com. |
