From popular fast food chains to mom-and-pop kitchens, Fort Collins is a foodie haven with over 300 places to eat and cuisine for almost any palette. It seems like every month, another restaurant is closing its doors, and a new one is waiting to take its place. If you want to branch out from the Northern Colorado staples this fall, here are five restaurants that have opened within the past year worth trying out.

1. Agave Underground

Not to be confused with the beloved Blue Agave Grill located underneath the Museum of Art Fort Collins, Agave Underground is an authentic Mexican restaurant next to Foothills Mall that has developed a cult following since opening its doors in late 2023. They’ve become so well known for their margaritas and flavorful takes on classic dishes, you don’t hear about the gorgeous ambiance of the space that pays homage to Mexican culture. Agave Underground aims to bring Fort Collins a unique culinary experience that showcases exquisite and traditional upscale dishes from all over Mexico.

2. Sushi-Fi

Sushi-Fi is an all-you-can-eat sushi spot off East Harmony Road and South Lemay Avenue that took over the Nimo’s Sushibar space. They just opened in May and are already drawing rave reviews from sushi lovers and frequent customers. Sushi-Fi offers two tiers of all-you-can-eat sushi — either basic or premium — a la carte sushi options, rice bowls, Japanese appetizers and a large sake collection. Sushi-Fi is dedicated to freshness and quality. Each sushi roll is prepared in-house with ingredients imported from Japan.

3. Avery Eatery

Replacing Next Door Street Bar in Old Town, Avery Eatery opened its doors in January and is bringing gratitude, enthusiasm and sustainably sourced ingredients to the table. Avery is owned by the same people as Little on Mountain who are committed to sourcing local ingredients. They offer baked goods, coffee drinks and hot breakfast, along with lunch, in-between food, drinks and a full supper menu. They want to create a space that is for everyone and give back to the community — it’s a great restaurant with an even greater purpose.

4. Horsetooth Tavern

As the name implies, Horsetooth Tavern is tucked into Horsetooth Mountain Open Space near Horsetooth Falls and the Horsetooth Reservoir South Bay Campground. They offer a cozy, family-friendly American pub-type atmosphere with hearty comfort food and gorgeous views of the foothills from their patio. Previously known as the local favorite Canyon Grill, the restaurant reopened in mid-June as Horsetooth Tavern after being closed for a year, now under new management. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, and they have a full bar, live music and karaoke night every Wednesday 7-10 p.m. Horsetooth Tavern aims to marry mountain life with lake life and create a familiar place for tourists and locals alike.

5. Yellow Crunch

Yellow Crunch is NoCo’s first Colombian restaurant and opened in The Exchange in January, racking up five-star reviews since. Named after the crunchy yellow cornmeal that makes up a variety of foods like arepas rellenas and empanadas, Yellow Crunch is a family-owned store that strives to share dishes rich in Colombia’s culture. Their customer service, specialty cocktails, happy hour deals and vegetarian and gluten-free options have solidified them as a Fort Collins favorite, as they are already looking to expand their space to accommodate even more customers and create a more extensive menu in a bigger kitchen.

Reach Love Masia at life@collegian.com or on Twitter @CSUCollegian.

The on-campus coffee shop offers cozy seating and allows students the convenience of getting their caffeine fix. | Raphael Fernandez/ The Cougar

Between classes and extracurricular activities, it can be hard to take time out to go on dates in the city. While Houston has some pretty cool locations where people can go on dates, it’s not always feasible. 

Here are a few places to check out for a date on campus:

Student Center Game rooms

Tucked away on the ground floor of Student Center South, the game rooms offer a variety of activities to do on a date. 

The game room has bowling lanes, an arcade, billiards and table tennis for students to enjoy. The center has discounted rates for UH students and professors starting as low as $2.50 a person for bowling games. 

With a wide variety of activities, this can be an exciting date location. 

The game room has bowling lanes, an arcade, billiards and table tennis for students to enjoy. | Raphael Fernandez/ The Cougar

Cougar Grounds 

For coffee and pastry enthusiasts, Cougar Grounds on campus can make for a perfect date spot in between or after classes. 

The on-campus coffee shop offers cozy seating and allows students the convenience of getting their caffeine fix while also meeting someone, making it a travel-free and affordable date setting. 

Shasta’s Cone & More

There is almost no way to go wrong with a sweet treat on a date. Shasta’s Cone & More at the Student Center South offers ice cream, sundaes, milkshakes and coffee-based drinks for students to enjoy. 

An ice cream or milkshake from here, a walk to the Cullen fountains and someone that matches your vibe is a pocket-friendly way to go on a date during the school year. 

The Cullen Fountains 

The Cullen Family Plaza and Fountains can be a great place for a picnic date. While you would have to bring food and a picnic blanket, the green grass and the sound of the fountains set the scene for a cute location for a date. 

There are also multiple activities such as board games, watching a movie, listening or playing music, painting or reading that could be brought as an add-on to the date. 

The Den 

While the campus bar would be an unconventional location for a date, the Den offers a variety of food, drinks and a place to watch sporting events on the television screens.

The Den could be a good place for the first few dates, especially if both partners are sports enthusiasts. The setting is very relaxed, avoiding the first date pressure. 

Blaffer Art Museum 

Located on University grounds, Blaffer Art Museum offers a home to multiple exhibits throughout the school year. 

The exhibits at Blaffer are constantly changing ranging from within a week and to even five months. Admission is always free for UH students.  

Located on University grounds, Blaffer Art Museum offers a home to multiple exhibits throughout the school year.  | Raphael Fernandez/ The Cougar

news@thedailycougar.com

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“Date spots to check out on campus” was originally posted on The Cougar

University of Oregon’s Resident Assistants of first-year dormitories reflected on how they’ve grown, what they’ve learned since starting their positions and how they will carry the lessons they’ve learned with them going forward.

Ryan Campbell has worked as an RA since August of 2022. This year, he will be working in Yasui Hall, formerly known as the New Apartment-Style Residence Hall. He said his time as an RA has made him into a more empathetic person. 

“I feel I have become a lot more understanding and compassionate,” Campbell said. “I love the job, and the people [I met] doing it are some of [the] closest friends I have. It is amazing for people who love to form a deep bond with a close-knit team, and truly be able to develop as a leader for the future.” 

Johan Jaimes worked at both Barnhart Hall and Yasui Hall. Now that he has graduated, Jaimes works as an intern at FINN Partners in Portland, but said he had become more “sociable and understanding,” from his time as an RA.

“It’s a great networking opportunity. It’s also a good blend of team and solo-based work. The perks are also not too bad. I will say, like any job, that there are parts of the job that aren’t fun. Sometimes, rounds can be long and stressful,” Jaimes said. 

Violette Creel will be entering her second year as an RA in the New Residence Hall. She said she will be approaching this coming school year ready to take on a leadership position among her coworkers.

“I plan to take a more leading and guiding position on my RA team now that I have the experience and opportunity to aid incoming RAs,” Creel said. “Being a RA is not for the faint of heart, nor for individuals who do not care for the responsibilities it holds. You have to be prepared to put care into the position, as not doing so can actively harm the community you are in.”

Robert Wilson began his position as an RA in September of 2021. He has previously worked in Hamilton Hall and the New Residence Hall and will be returning to Hamilton again this fall. He said he is spending his summer focusing on his “personal life” to prepare for his incoming residents. 

“A large part of being an RA is being there for others, and that becomes much harder when you’re filled with stress,” Wilson said.

Wilson said that a piece of important advice he would give a new RA is to have confidence in your training and your abilities.  

“The biggest [piece of] advice I’d give to a new RA is that it’s normal to be nervous, but trust in your ability. You were hired for a reason, and it’s never about being perfect at the role, but instead having the heart to listen and work with others,” Wilson said. “It’s important to take care of yourself just as much as your residents.”

On the morning of August 6, approximately one dozen protesters gathered outside the Eugene Municipal Courthouse, demonstrating against the city’s policy of sweeping homeless camps.

The catalyst for the demonstration was the arraignment of three homeless activists who had been arrested for disrupting a July 22 Eugene City Council meeting. 

Jetty Etty, one of the activists who’s arraignment took place that day, is facing seven charges including obstructing government officials, disorderly conduct and criminal trespass.

Not all of the pending charges are related to the July 22 disruption.

Etty said that her choice to protest at the city council meeting was in response to the Union Pacific Railroad in conjunction with Eugene Police Department sweeping homeless camps in mid-July, an action that Jetty alleges displaced approximately 200 people.

After unhoused individuals had been removed, Etty said she then helped them up camp on a nearby piece of Bureau of Land Management land, which she said they were legally permitted to camp on for 14 days. Etty said the city served them with a 72 hour notice to vacate, but then returned 23 hours later and said everyone had 15 minutes to leave.

“I was pissed because they had taken all of these people’s things, and were just like targeting them. And so we went to city council,” she said.

Etty claims that security at the council meeting was in the back corner when they entered the council chamber, and one person even opened the door for them to enter the chamber.

“I think one of the reasons why they are pushing these charges so hard is because like ‘You stupid idiots just got caught in the back, not doing your job, not protecting city council. And we went past and you’re going to make it seem like we were violent, and like we went in in this crazy manner when we didn’t.’”

Nick Drake, another demonstrator who was putting up signs outside of the courthouse, said that the city isn’t doing enough to stem the issue of homelessness.

“The city really doesn’t have a solution other than criminalizing homelessness,” Drake said. “Even the CSS Hut sites would be a real solution, but only 260 of them at 60% occupancy, that’s less than 200 [people]. The point in time count was perhaps 3,000 unhoused people, so we’d need to have at least that many hut sites, and that’s not really housing either because they don’t have an address and they have limited access to electricity there.”

CSS, or Community Supported Shelters, are micro-homes built for unhoused people in sites designated by the city. Drake said he believes that while microsites are beneficial for the unhoused community, there are not enough of them nor do they provide an adequate substitute for permanent housing.

The 2024 Lane County Point in Time Count recorded 3,085 unhoused people in Lane County during the night of January 31, 2024.

Drake, who himself was homeless as a teen in Eugene during the 1990s, said he feels that the bar for new renters in Eugene is far too high.

“I was a homeless teen here in the ‘90s and could not get housing,” Drake said. “Arresting everyone and putting them in the court system is A: very expensive and B: not a solution.

I think if the people of Eugene knew what the police were up to against the poor people of our city, they would probably freak out.”

A recording of the July 22 council meeting disruption can be found on the city’s YouTube channel at the timestamp of 47:23.

Incumbent Rep. Ilhan Omar rallied at Thomas Edison High School in northeast Minneapolis Saturday afternoon alongside U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.). 

Omar and Smith focused their speeches on canceling student debt and providing free school lunches as well as on Omar’s reelection campaign. Sanders honed in on defeating former President Donald Trump this November, recognizing climate change and reducing economic inequality across the U.S. 

Before the rally, Omar sat down with The Minnesota Daily to discuss campaign updates for the 5th Congressional District primary election before the Aug. 13 primary election. 

The Minnesota Daily: What is one aspect of your 2024 campaign that you are most proud of? 

Omar: “We are proud of just the level of grassroots organizing that we are doing. We’re seeing hundreds and hundreds of people sign up to volunteer, hundreds and hundreds of people that are donating to our campaign. It’s been really exciting.”

Daily: What has been a significant challenge you have overcome during the 2024 congressional campaign?

Omar: “The challenge is always trying to figure out how to run a campaign while we are still working in D.C. on behalf of our constituents. When you have an opponent that is home and can physically campaign much more than you can.”

Daily: You and your primary opponent have very different views on the Israel-Palestine conflict. For voters concerned about that conflict, why should they vote for you?

Omar: “I lead with humanity. I want a world in which the humanity of Palestinians and Israelis is equally recognized. Where we are pushing for peace and justice and the dignity of everyone in the world. And my opponent does not.”

Daily: With President Biden’s health concerns and recent drop out of the election, how would you describe your confidence for Democrats winning this election in November?

Omar: “There is really (a) surge in enthusiasm. I am really excited about the ways in which people are engaging with the Harris campaign. We are seeing (a) huge surge in people registering to vote, different groups enthusiastically organizing themselves. I’ve been on many of those Zoom calls that have been organized around the country. We are also seeing the benefits of that enthusiasm. Because there is also a renewed energy with so many people willing to get out to the doors and have conversations.” 

Daily: Your husband, Tim Mynett, business dealings have gained a lot of media attention these past few months, has this negatively affected your campaign? 

Omar: “The smears and the lies and this idea of hateful campaigning is something that I know that my constituents reject. I know that my opponents previously have tried to generate headlines so that they can use it in attack ads. But the reality is anybody in business has their challenges. I do not think that it is dignified. I don’t think it is a dignified thing for Don Samuels to be weaponizing it.”

Daily: Is there anything else you’d like to share with us? 

“I am running against someone who was in office in elected office for 12 years and has not made a single difference, who’s now running on making a difference when he failed to do that in a 13-body seat and to assume that he would be successful in the midst of 534 colleagues is absurd and everybody should see through that. I am really excited for the opportunity to continue to garner the support of the people that I represent.”

This interview has been edited for grammar, clarity and length.

Jose Gonzalez-Campelo/The Cougar

As freshman Cougars, students will have many new experiences, including supporting their new team.

Here a few tips to make gearing up for the first game day a breeze:

What to bring

UH stadiums enforce a clear bag policy. Clear bags may not exceed 12” x 6” x 12”. Non-clear bags are acceptable, but be sure they are no larger than 4.5” x 6.5”.

Portable chargers should be at the top of the gameday essentials list. There will be lots to see, do and record, and no one would want to miss a selfie with Shasta and Sasha because of a powerless phone.

What to wear

Game day is the perfect time to express individuality. Experiment with style, DIY, have fun with it and most importantly, wear red.

Weather can be tricky so it’s important to have options. Above all, make sure to prioritize comfort. Gamedays can be long and if all is going well, students will be on their feet for most of the game.

Typically, students wear UH shirts, white skirts, and cowboy boots,or sneakers. If all else fails, a favorite jersey and shorts will never do wrong.

Games to watch

Houston will open football season against UNLV at TDECU Stadium on Aug. 31. Expect tons of excitement from current students, alumni and Cougar fans alike. Arrive early as there is sure to be tailgating going on outside the stadium doors hours before kickoff.

Another big football game is on Sept. 14 against crosstown rival, Rice. Last season in a double-overtime thriller, the Owls claimed the Bayou Bucket for the first time since 2010. The Cougars look to get revenge and bring the hardware back to its rightful place at UH.

How to attend

Every student is allotted one free ticket to each regular season home game. The ticket can be claimed online at 10 a.m. the Monday before game day.

To bring a friend along, student guest tickets can be purchased at the box office on the day of the game.

Things to know

Student section tickets are general admission, so students should arrive early to be closer to the action.

Even for those who are not avid sports fans, games offer a way to engage with the UH community.

Be loud, be proud and cheer on the Cougars as they embark on their second year in the Big 12.

sports@thedailycougar.com

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“Ultimate game day survival guide” was originally posted on The Cougar

Following an intense spring semester, the Associated Students of Colorado State University are looking forward to another busy fall. With several new student programs, initiatives and resources in the works, CSU’s student government is seeking to build off what insiders hope is positive momentum.

However, the organization continues to be plagued by middling campus engagement, as evidenced by an 11% student voter turnout in the previous election. Dwindling membership numbers exacerbated by departing senators, supreme court justices and executive cabinet members also continue to affect ASCSU’s campus standing.

Annually, ASCSU collects over $1.5 million from student fees in order to fund campus events, including RailJam and the Community Roundtable; community resources such as bisemesterly blood donation drives; and campus transportation initiatives as well as consistent funding allocated for registered student organizations. 

President Nick DeSalvo spoke on the role ASCSU plays in ensuring students have access to public transportation, housing and academic research resources, pledging to continue improving student life on a policy level through the Colorado General Assembly. DeSalvo also stressed the importance of new students getting involved in campus organizations.

“The resources are there if you want to get involved,” DeSalvo said. “There’s nothing worse than going to classes and then going back to the dorm or back home and not sharing in the full campus experience when it’s right in front of you.”

Vice President Braxton Dietz said maintaining existing programs and events as well as introducing new initiatives, such as the newly approved Temporarily Disabled Student Transportation Program, will allow ASCSU to continue providing resources for students and build a larger campus presence.

Following the successful return of the Grill the Buffs tailgating event last October, the executive branch intends to expand the event for the upcoming Rocky Mountain Showdown, serving as a valuable promotional opportunity for the organization at large.

“Students are going to see fall semester start off with a bang with Grill the Buffs,” Dietz said. “Students can expect a lot of large-scale national attention on not only that event but events around campus throughout the weekend.”

Dietz added that new event planning will focus more on quality rather than quantity, evidenced by a marginal reshuffling in executive department responsibilities that will allow for fresh input in the planning process. 

“We’re really trying to make sure that people know that they can come to ASCSU but also that we’re actively engaging students to distribute (these resources) in less of a passive way.” -Jorja Whyte, ASCSU director of basic needs

Chief of Staff Jakye Nunley emphasized his commitment to including new students in ASCSU processes, expressing interest in making executive cabinet meetings more visible and accessible to outside students. Nunley also helped create the Students of The Oval Caucus in the spring in order to inform outside students of ASCSU opportunities and ease them into an organization previously characterized as hostile.

“For a student who wants to know how to get involved in ASCSU or be a part of any process that we have, Students of The Oval will be a phenomenal program to get you to jump in,” Nunley said.

Nunley will also be implementing additional office hour requirements for cabinet members, ideally giving interested students additional opportunities to interact with ASCSU officials directly.

Jorja Whyte, director of the newly renamed department of basic needs, plans to expand the scope of her department to promote further campus outreach, with numerous new initiatives geared toward improving student health and wellness in the works. The department also intends to continue expanding former Vice President Alex Silverhart’s health and wellness vending machine program, which will distribute reproductive health care products across campus.

Among the new initiatives are updates to the pocket pantry food donation sites across campus. The initiative, which will require senate approval, will expand the pantry to include hygiene products as well as culturally responsive and allergy-sensitive food items. 

Whyte also intends to maintain existing relationships with Rams Against Hunger and the CSU Health Network; promote additional involvement opportunities with a formalized ASCSU internship program; and further account for student health and wellness by continuing to provide naloxone, commonly referred to as Narcan, and fentanyl testing strips at no cost to students.

“We’re really trying to make sure that people know that they can come to ASCSU but also that we’re actively engaging students to distribute (these resources) in less of a passive way,” Whyte said.

ASCSU senate does not convene the first week of classes, meaning several of the aforementioned proposed programs will require approval the second week of classes at the earliest.

Reach Sam Hutton at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @Sam_Hut14.

In the vibrant and cultural landscape of Salt Lake City, many people are yearning for new and local artists in the area. I had the privilege to speak with two up-and-coming college bands, The Johns and Door City.  

The Johns

The Johns is an alternative-pop band with members Jeff (John), Tony (Big John) and Shayn (Lil John). The inspiration to start and create the band came as mostly an outlet for Jeff. He said he was writing songs and had no idea what to do with them.

This led him to the idea of creating a band to share his music with the world.

“I didn’t have this big plan, it was pretty much passion-based,” Jeff said. Things began to shift once Tony and Shayn joined the band. 

“I think he’s gonna stay, I think he likes us,” Jeff said jokingly about their drummer Tony. The boys explained to me how they got their start — more specifically how they recruited Tony as their drummer.

Tony had met Jeff and Shayn a few months back at one of their first performances. Tony explained that he DM’d them on Instagram saying if they ever needed a drummer to just message him. The Johns, struggling to keep a drummer afloat messaged Tony, only to see his message months later.

“We were brought to each other,” Jeff said as they all laughed. Once again, the invisible string theory has been proven to bring us our friends, lovers and bandmates.

“We started taking it more seriously and things started getting crazier” Shayn said on the success and start of their band. Rooted in each of the boys’ passion to play and share their music, their main goal is to just be in a band. Without giving into society’s pressure, the boys are here for the good times, good music and good vibes.

The Johns describe their chemistry and music “as a language” that only they can understand. 

Door City

Connor, Ben, Sam and Carson are all members of the up-and-coming band, Door City. “It was like the Avengers assembling,”  Carson said about the completion of the band.

The band was first created by Ben and Connor, both students at the University of Utah. Conner went on to say how he met Carson through a summer job and Sam through an app called Vampr, which he described as “a dating app for bands.”

Similar to The Johns, each of the boys from Door City has a driven passion to write, create and perform their music. They all rely on music as their outlet to express their feelings, thoughts and creativity. Their favorite thing especially is the storytelling the boys do individually and as a band. 

When asked about what song they would want new listeners to listen to, the response from the band was “God Complex.” The song was written together as a band with Carson’s addicting vocals and sings the story of a terrible landlord. The song itself is quite catchy and follows a similar chord progression to Declan Mckenna’s “Brazil,” which the boys said they are a huge fan of. 

“It’s a mess of individual recordings that we send to each other,” Sam said, regarding their music creation process. Ideas are sent back and forth to one another until they can meet again and take the time to progress further on songs together.

With many artists and bands putting the pieces and work together when creating music, the process is different for everyone.

“Me and Connor have differences within this,” Carson said when asked if the band creates their lyrics first or the production. “For me, the lyrics are the next thing, I prefer to figure out a melody before.”

Despite creative differences, Door City still composes their music with each of their unique and different perspectives.  

Mark in the Music World

Each band draws inspiration from several different artists. The Johns enjoy Nirvana and Radiohead while Door City loves The Beatles and the Wallows. Even with their influences, both of these bands make their unique and individual mark in the music world.

Check out The Johns’ latest single “Red Tears” and Door City’s “God Complex.”

The post Exploring The Musical Movements On Campus first appeared on The Daily Utah Chronicle.

The city of Eugene has opened its new City Hall site to the public after a year of construction and held its grand opening ceremony on July 18. While many public meetings have already taken place in the City Hall Council Chamber, several offices and services will now become accessible to visitors throughout the building.

The site, which was purchased last year, was formerly the headquarters of the Eugene Water and Electric Board. The city finalized the guaranteed maximum price at the end of December 2023 and broke ground in January 2024, conducting a remodeling of the building.

“Everything aligned and the price was right,” City of Eugene Facilities Director Jeff Perry said. “It made great sense to move to the location, but it’s been a long process to get there and this finally all made sense to everyone, so we’re very excited about that.”

Perry said the 103,000-square-foot facility will contain a lobby space and a council chamber that are open during public council meetings, as well as many offices. About 1,000 square feet of the building will be leased to EWEB which will provide in-person services for customers. 

City Council meetings were previously held at Lane Community College’s downtown location. Many office spaces throughout the new building will be dedicated to city services, which allow visitors to meet with professionals to discuss information on subjects such as job applications, financial business and more. 

Eugene City Councilor Alan Zelenka said the building is still unfinished despite the scheduled grand opening date. Due to ongoing construction, only the first floor and council chamber will be accessible to visitors, and the second and third floors will be off-limits to the public until further notice. 

“[The council chamber is] very airy and light, [it] looks out at our river and I think people really appreciate it,” Zelenka said. “The staff did such an excellent job of building it out and taking into consideration everybody’s concerns and needs, making it a very appealing place for a city council chamber.”

The city had an $8 million budget for planning and remodeling the new City Hall. According to Perry, around $5 million was intended for improvements to the building and about $3 million was dedicated to maintenance improvements such as preservation, ADA and seismic upgrades.

Renovations made to enhance the functionality of the building involved remodeling the council chamber, upgrading the HVAC digital controls system and repairing the roof and cooling systems. 

Other changes in the remodeling process included replacing and repurposing the carpets, reconstructing the walls and making many aesthetic improvements. Perry said that these renovations were made to bring City Hall more up-to-date and to make the building warm and welcoming. 

“We have modern access to our computers, touch screens to vote and a request to speak [in the council chamber],” Zelenka said. “Before, we would do it all on paper. Now, it’s all modernized with great equipment that’ll make the experience of being at a city council [meeting] a lot better, visually and audibly.”

City Hall is located along the Willamette River and the Ruth Bascom Bike Path, which leads to the Eugene Downtown Riverfront Park. Perry said there will be a lot of amenities nearby due to its location close to Downtown Eugene, Fifth Street Public Market and the park.

“I think it’s going to be convenient access for folks and you’re right on the bike path there,” Perry said. “Overall, it’s just a nice space and I think it’ll be a good experience for folks coming to visit City Hall.”

The City of Fort Collins will be completing the city’s largest asphalt art installation at the intersection of Canyon Avenue, West Magnolia Street and South Sherwood Street in conjunction with FC Moves and local artist Jess Bean.

The mural, which will be installed Aug. 14-18, also serves to enhance community safety by aiming to slow traffic speeds, shorten pedestrian crossing distances and protect vulnerable pedestrians from vehicles, according to a press release from the City of Fort Collins.

“The idea is that not only are we painting an infrastructure, but we’re also bringing art to the people,” said Anna Kelso, City of Fort Collins active modes specialist. “It’s street beautification, and it’s placemaking so that when our streets look like people belong there, then people drive like they expect to see people on the street. It’s a totally different psychology for how we experience, like, our general environment, but it also changes how people behave behind the wheel.”

The project has been in motion since 2020, Kelso said, inspired by a city repair project in Portland, Oregon. Fort Collins was one of the recipients of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Asphalt Art Initiative grant, a philanthropic fund that gives 25 cities in North America the money to install public artwork that both prioritizes public beautification and enhances road safety.

“The magic of this is we’re coupling it with what they call tactical urbanism,” Kelso said. “We can make safer streets on a shorter time frame with less money than, like, this intersection … where we plan to redesign it with poured concrete. … The design has a natural effect where (it) pinches down traffic, therefore slowing traffic speeds and shortening the distance that pedestrians are crossing the streets.”

The design of the asphalt installation is by local artist Jess Bean and will emphasize bright colors and vibrancy with a design inspired by archival research around the street names.

“Canyon (Avenue) is named because it was a passthrough for trucks coming down from the canyon,” Bean said. “And that is why we’re doing, like, wavy lines — to kind of represent, like, movement or water flow. And then we have Magnolia (Street), but then I was thinking, (and) I was looking into (it and found) that magnolias are not native plants to Fort Collins or Colorado in general.”

Bean said the design is also inspired by the actions of Native Americans who resisted the suppression of American government officials like Frank Sherwood, Sherwood Street’s namesake.

“If you research what Indian agents did, they basically placated local natives and just tried to keep them happy without actually giving them anything at all,” Bean said. “So to kind of reclaim the streets, I went the other route and used a feather that represents Chief Friday, who was a local Arapaho chief here that went to Washington D.C. a couple times to fight for Arapaho rights.”

Eventually, Friday took his tribe to safety up the river in Wyoming. Bean plans to represent this in her art by having magnolia leaves push out the native feathers.

Bean said public murals are statistically proven to increase public morale by up to 40% and can deter crime by up to 90% because of public visibility.

“It slows people down,” Bean said. “Like I said earlier, you know, people just engage with it, slow down and kind of take in the neighborhood a little more. But yeah, I really want to have the locals come out and have a good time and feel like they own a piece of this mural as well. And it’s not it’s not just mine — it’s everybody’s.”

Part of the mural’s goal is to make art more accessible to the people of Fort Collins, both through the creation of the mural and the beautification efforts.

“There’s an effort to bring this institution to the people,” Kelso said. “Because, like, historically, … not everyone feels welcome to come to museums. And so locally here in Fort Collins, the city is very dedicated to our (diversity, equity and inclusion) mission, and part of that is making art more accessible to the people, and so that’s where public art comes in.”

The city is seeking volunteers to help install the mural. No prior public art experience is required.

“I want to see everybody come out and come together, meet new people and be able to tell stories about it,” Bean said. “And tell generations in the future, ‘Yes, I worked on that; I worked on this huge piece, and it was so cool.’ I want to see people that have thoughts about expanding their art careers and feeling safe to expand their art career after working on this.”

Reach Allie Seibel at entertainment@collegian.com or on Twitter @allie_seibel_.