Dear Editor:
Recently, I was blessed to partake in some momentous evenings in Union City’s history. Seeing our first female Captain being promoted was very special, and hearing scholars in education praise our school system on a job well done was the icing on the cake for me. I am very proud to be apart of Union City as it continues to flourish under our great mayor’s watch. Brian P. Stack had a vision for Union City when he was a little boy that most people thought could never happen in such a small city with limited resources. As most fled away to neighboring towns, Brian began his quest to bring this vision to the city he loves dearly. His vision of a city that was excelling in education and public safety so much that everyone would be proud to talk about.
While most people in the city at the time used excuses to justify the poor test scores or dangerous streets, Brian kept pushing forward being the loudest advocate for all kids in Union City. Finally, when the time came and Brian was given the opportunity to become mayor, he put his vision and beliefs in full effect. He worked harder and longer hours day in and day out to make the changes that all residents are now very thankful for. I was fortunate enough to be part of the first generation of students who benefited from his very hard work. I attended schools that were very advanced in technology and had an administration in place that shared in his beliefs that failure was not an option for us. When I graduated college, I knew very well I wanted to be an educator in the same city I grew up in, to be apart of this new wave our mayor has created. What I didn’t know was that the new wave would also come with many perks, such as working in a district that has opened 7 new schools in 12 years under Brian’s watch and has plans to open up additional in the near future. A school district that was excelling so well, it catches the attention of distinguished authors and professors from the top schools in the country. Union City is mentioned in many books as having the best secrets and recipe for a successful urban school system. I am proud of my city more than ever for it recent accomplishments and praise our mayor for a job well done. He has been innovative in our school system like no other and was the first mayor to promote a female officer to the rank of captain. This serves as a sound example and motivating force to the youth and females of our hard working community. Folks need to maintain hope and be encouraged to push themselves to new limits, everything is possible and we must all reach for the moon. I look forward to seeing our mayor continue making Union City the brightest light in Hudson County.
Respectfully,
Waleed Miqbel