When you turn on the tap in a flat in Ungheni, behind the running water lie decades of pipes, pumps and networks kept up by people you rarely see. One of them is Nicolae Baltag, who turns 70 on Monday, 6 July.
Baltag is an Honorary Citizen of Ungheni — a distinction reserved for those who have left a lasting mark on the life of the town. In his case, that mark is measured in kilometres of network: he devoted his working life to building and maintaining the town’s water and sewer system at the municipal utility Apa-Canal.
On his birthday, Mayor Vitalie Vrabie addressed him, on behalf of City Hall and the town’s residents, with congratulations and thanks for his work.
Through the professionalism, perseverance and sense of responsibility you showed throughout your work at the municipal utility Apa-Canal, you contributed to the smooth running of a service essential to the residents of Ungheni. Vitalie Vrabie, Mayor of Ungheni
The service the mayor speaks of is no abstraction. Water and sewerage remain one of the most sensitive problems of the district’s towns and villages, and the network is still being extended today — from pipe crossings under the national road to works in the surrounding localities. The infrastructure built by people like Nicolae Baltag is the foundation of today’s works.
Happy birthday, Mr Nicolae Baltag!