City of Bangor discusses Estevan Gomez monument options
BANGOR – The City of Bangor’s Commission on Cultural Development is focusing its attention on whether a monument of Estevan Gomez should be removed from city property.
In 1999, the monument was given to the city by Portuguese descendants from New Bedford, Massachusetts. Now, it’s been learned after Gomez left the Penobscot River, he took about 50 natives from what is now Rhode Island, intending to sell them into slavery.
The subcommittee dealing with this met on Wednesday and discussed what could be done with the monument, such as giving it to the Bangor Historical Society, replacing it with a different piece of artwork better representing the culture and history or totally removing it.
“Right now, all we have to decide on is what our recommendation regarding the monument should be to the council,” said Amy Roeder, a member of the subcommittee.
A professor at the University of Maine is focusing his course on this, and the subcommittee hopes the class will assist with the recommendation.
They discussed extending the Sept. 30 deadline for the recommendation, but they were told that may cause problems as a new city council will begin shortly after.
The next meeting is scheduled for Sept. 17.
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