The Bangor Arts Commission unanimously recommended that the City Council consider a proposed Wabanaki Veterans Memorial and site at 200 Broad Street.

Steve Bridal, a landscape architect with Context by Design, presented the memorial concept on behalf of the project committee, describing a roughly 50-foot diameter design that would include seven standing stones oriented to the summer solstice and tied to Wabanaki cultural history. Bridal said the memorial is intended to recognize the contributions of Wabanaki peoples across multiple historical periods and that the committee has received state-level authorization for the memorial concept but will be responsible for fundraising the project’s costs.

Bridal described funding already in hand: a $10,000 planning grant from the Maine Arts Commission and a pledged $10,000 for site development work. He said the committee is not requesting city funding at this time and would proceed with site-specific fundraising only after the commission and the city identify and confirm a location. "We do request your favorable recommendation to the council that, we erect a memorial here," Bridal told the commission.

Commission members asked about site context and cultural fit after learning an earlier memorial proposal in the same area related to a Portuguese explorer. Bridal said the committee viewed the location positively and that local tribal representatives are involved in the design process. Commissioners also asked about public-safety design considerations, pathways, lighting and interpretive elements such as QR codes that could provide historical context.

Motion and vote: A commission member moved to approve the memorial recommendation and send it to City Council; the motion was seconded and passed. The commission recorded no dollar request of the city at this time and asked the project committee to keep commissioners updated as fundraising and design work progress.

Ending: Presenters left drawings and plans in the meeting packet and offered to return with additional details as the design is refined and site plans progress.

Quote: "Charles Shea is, currently a 101 years old, and he is 1 of the oldest survivors of World War 2 in Omaha Beach," Bridal said, offering background on the project’s origin.