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Kalamazoo Leaders To Consider Future of Park Fountain

WMUK public media
Fountain of the Pioneers in Bronson Park, Kalamazoo

Officials in a southwestern Michigan city could decide whether a monument featuring a European settler with a weapon in his hand towering over a Native American should be removed from a park.

The Kalamazoo Gazette reports that Kalamazoo city commissioners are to meet Monday night to consider plans for the Fountain of the Pioneers in Bronson Park.

Some residents say the piece is racist, while others argue that it's a work of art that can teach people about history.

City Manager Jim Ritsema has said the fountain near the city's downtown should be removed and a new plan developed for the park.

The newspaper reports that commissioners are to consider removing the monument and its two reflecting pools and seeking a new location for the fountain's artistic elements.

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