Perhaps in Peters Township, we find more newcomers than in other, older neighborhoods, but if you reach across the fence and talk to that new neighbor, chances are he or she came from Shadyside or Aliquippa, as opposed to Napa Valley California. The net result of this is that we share a lot with our neighbors, but at the same time, we may not appreciate how truly special so many of us are.

You need look no further than the schools to see the greatness of Peters Township. Certainly our high school sports teams are all excellent, but when the girls’ tennis team won the state championship last year, they did it without a lot of fanfare: No boasting or bragging. And when teammate Alison Riske went on to the US Open last month, she was more concerned about the PTHS team she left behind than witnessing the tennis greats with whom she was sharing center court. It’s this kind of selflessness that makes Peters such a great place to call home and makes it all the more enjoyable for us at Peters Township Magazine that we can tell the stories of residents making a difference without tooting their own horns.

Excellence in the schools doesn’t stop with the students. The teachers are pretty darn impressive, as well. You need look no further than McMurray Elementary where the members of the No Tune Left Behind Band are bringing music with a message to the district. They recently released another of their popular anti-bullying videos, while still managing to provide entertainment at various school functions, including last month’s McMurray Kick-off. These teachers are doing more than merely educating our kids; they are teaching them how to get along in life.

Peters can be special in other ways, too. The Enoch Wright House was recently added to the National Register of Historic Places. It is the old to counter balance the new of Peters’ public library, which has undertaken a $1 million renovation project that will add conference rooms, additional space for books, classrooms and modern amenities to our local library.

It would be easy to call Peters Township residents “movers and shakers,” but few here want to be called anything at all. They are leading lives of quiet hopefulness. They work and play and live with the hope that this beautiful place we call home will continue to thrive and excel, to be the perfect place for generations to come.

And we are happy to shine a light on these wonderful people making a huge difference in our community.