WEEK OF AUGUST 29, 2024
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Olde Town Shindig contest winner completes sprawling mural
Arvada City Council upholds ban on concealed carry firearms at city hall
VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 9
New mural on side of Nutrition Therapy Institute building depicts food cycle
Contentious meeting ends with 4-3 decision by council not to opt out of Colorado Senate Bill 131 BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
entire mural commission from the Olde Town Arvada Business Improvement District. “The funny thing is, I had a whole different idea ready to go that morning, and I woke up that morning and completely changed my concept,” Lopez said. “I just really wanted to paint this flower. And it worked out! Just following your intuition leads you to these amazing things.”
After a lengthy public comment period, two failed motions and quite a bit of deliberation on the dais, Arvada’s City Council decided not to opt out of Colorado Senate Bill 131 — meaning that concealed carry permit holders are barred from bringing firearms into Arvada City Hall. The vote was prompted by SB24131, which prohibits carrying firearms in “sensitive spaces” such as local government facilities, going into effect on July 1. Members of the city team drafted an opt-out ordinance that — if passed — would have allowed Arvada to continue to allow concealed carry inside city hall. About 40 community members attended the Aug. 19 city council meeting, with the majority speaking out against opting out of the legislation. City Attorney Rachel Morris said that an internal staff survey saw city team members split on whether to opt-out or not. After a long period of discussion by the councilmembers, Councilmember Lisa Feret made the motion to reject the opt-out ordinance, which passed by a 4-3 vote. Councilmembers
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Artist Bobby MaGee Lopez with his mural in Olde Town Arvada. BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
For two weeks, Bobby MaGee Lopez waited for nightfall to paint an enormous, stunning mural on the side of one of Olde Town Arvada’s historic buildings. Under the moonlight, he worked for hours until the large brick wall was brought to life with animals, insects and flowers. Now, visitors to the historic district can see his work on the side
of the Nutrition Therapy Institute building, whose mission of running a holistic nutrition institute is reflected in the mural’s depiction of a food cycle. Lopez, a resident of Denver and Miami, Florida, was chosen from 25 entrants in last year’s Olde Town Shindig mural contest, where he painted a wildflower he came across in Crested Butte — a snap decision, according to Lopez, that earned him the grand prize of an
VOICES: 14 | LIFE: 16 | CALENDAR: 19 | SPORTS: 22
PHOTO BY RYLEE DUNN
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