'Hear ye, hear ye': Provincetown Town Crier Daniel Gómez Llata honored by peers
During the summer in Provincetown, Daniel Gómez Llata, 59, can be found in front of Town Hall at exactly noon. Ringing his bell three times, Llata shouts, “Hear ye, hear ye,” following up with the timing of tide, weather report and sometimes other town news.
From mid-June until late November, Llata, the official Provincetown town crier, dresses up in a blue costume, resembling a Pilgrim of the 1600s and makes his pronouncements.
All that declamation has paid off.
Last week, Llata was named the champion of the 2023 American Guild of Town Criers Virtual Championship. Mike Lieber from Sylvania, Ohio secured second place while the Murrysville Historical Preservation Society in Pennsylvania won the third place.
The annual competition had been a public event before the pandemic, but since 2020 the competition has been virtual. Participants from all across the country have to send in a video with a monologue, based on the theme and then judges select the winners from the submissions.
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This year’s theme was ‘Why a town crier?’ in which Llata focused on the impact a town crier has in modern times.
“Beyond being a mere messenger, a town crier serves to preserve the rich heritage of Provincetown as a bridge to our past and an ambassador of goodwill,” he said.
“I consider myself an ambassador of Provincetown,and I share the legends, the stories and the historical milestones that define our unique identity which makes Provincetown what we are today.”
Llata spends a fair amount time taking pictures with tourists. Adorning his Pilgrim costume is a gold medallion, which denotes his membership in the American Guild of Town Criers.
“Older tourists usually bring their children and grandchildren and want to continue the tradition of taking photos with the town crier, as they did years ago and they usually pass it along to the new generation,” said Llata to the Times on Monday, in a phone interview.
According to Llata, Provincetown is one of the few towns in the country to have a long continuous history of maintaining a town crier. Llata was given the position of the official town crier of Provincetown in 2020, employed by the Provincetown Chamber of Commerce.
Originally from Los Angeles, Llata moved to the Cape in 2006, worked as a postal carrier for the United States Postal Service in Provincetown for many years and also worked at the town harbormaster's office in Provincetown.
Now retired, Llata works as the town crier during peak season and spends winter in Southern California with his husband.
Rasheek Tabassum Mujib writes about health care and education. Reach her at rmujib@capecodonline.com.
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Makes you want to shout: Provincetown town crier wins guild title
