Happy Friday, Longmont! On this day in 1987, the thriller Fatal Attraction opened in U.S. theaters. It became a massive box-office hit, scored six Oscar nominations, popularized the term bunny-boiler, and terrified so many men that thousands of marriages were saved. Thank you, Glenn Close.

Today — Longmont reverses course on surveillance cameras, the Top Gun of Longmont, and a delay for the Longmont Recreation Center’s newest upgrade.

Let’s dive in.

Axon.

Ax off.

Longmont is delaying the deployment of 15 surveillance cameras from ALPR-provider Axon, amid heavy public scrutiny, according to a statement released yesterday by Longmont Public Safety’s Assistant City Manager Zach Ardis and Longmont Police Chief David Moore.

Few topics have received the caliber of attention — and attacks — that Automatic License Plate Reader technology has (although data centers provide provide stiff competition). Now, Longmont’s top brass believes the right move forward…is stepping back.

Let’s rewind:

Moving forward:

Amid the transition, LPS said it didn’t want to merely replace one system with another. It determined the time was ripe to “review our policies, procedures, auditing requirements, data-sharing practices, documentation requirements, and other safeguards,” according to the statement. LPS also noted…

“For these reasons, Longmont Public Safety has delayed deploying the 15 replacement Axon ALPR cameras while this review is completed and the legal environment continues to develop.”

The statement offered no timetable for a decision on implementation of Axon’s cameras.

“Maintaining community trust requires more than complying with applicable law,” LPS added.

Longmont Rec Center delays grand reopening of pool: The newest upgrade to the Longmont Recreation Center’s pool needs a few more weeks. LRC closed all its pools in early August to make way for a new water play feature (as pictured above) in its leisure pool. But, construction delays have forced the leisure pool’s closure to extend until October 10. It’s not all bad news though — the lap pool and hot tub reopened yesterday. Water fitness classes will resume Monday. Learn more here.

Senator Wallace, Longmont mayor to lobby for ranked choice voting: Ahead of November’s election, Senator Katie Wallace (Longmont’s representative in state senate) and Mayor Susie Hidalgo-Fahring are inviting locals to a town hall this Sunday to discuss ranked choice voting. Longmont voters will be asked to approve a ballot measure that would permanently implement RCV, which prompts voters to rank their favorite candidates, rather than selecting just one, for electing future mayors and city council members in the city. The town hall takes place at 11 a.m. at Bricks on Main on 471 Main St. Register for the town hall, and learn more info, here.

Slow start for September rainfall: During the first half of September (9/1-9/15), Longmont recorded just 1/10 of an inch of rainfall, according to the National Weather Service. Its historical average through the same timeframe — roughly 2/3 of an inch. Longmont typically records 1.02 inches throughout the whole month, so mother nature has some work to do. But, that could begin today (more on that below.) So far this year, Longmont has tallied 6.28 inches of precipitation. Its annual average is 15.67 inches.

Longmont pilot Matt Menza is a rookie in the National Championship Air Races, but he already looks like a seasoned veteran.

The NCAR is the gold standard for aircraft racing in the world. Races involve up to eight planes flying side by side, as low as 50 feet from the ground, at speeds up to 500 miles per hour as they navigate around a course marked by 50-foot-high pylons.

Menza, a former Navy Pilot, had his first race on Wednesday when he completed in a five-plane heat — the first of three qualifying races before the weekend’s championship races. He completed the six-lap race with a respectable 3rd place finish. But that wasn’t Matt’s most impressive accomplishment…

Flying high

Menza will race again at 12:20 p.m. today. The Silver Medal Race will be at 4:25 on Saturday, where Menza is most likely to end his run. The Gold Medal Race will be at 5:15 p.m. Sunday. Start times may change so be sure to check here for updates. Look for Menza in in the Jet Class category.

To follow along the races and Matt’s journey, you can watch the NCAR livestream here, or to view results, click here.

2nd Annual Longmont Cleanup Cup: The World Cup may be over but the Cleanup Cup is just about to begin. A product of local nonprofit, Sustainable Resilient Longmont, the cup is a four-week long competition between teams and individuals to do something simple, yet invaluable: Determine who can clear Longmont of the most trash. The Cleanup Cup begins with a Kick-Off Party & Picnic tomorrow and concludes with a Potluck Celebration on October 18. Every participant wins a prize, while one team walks away with the Cleanup Cup Trophy. Learn more here.

End of Art Week: The final weekend of Longmont Arts Week is here, but there’s still plenty left to do. The top events include Downtown Ink and the Wanderlust Art Fair. Downtown Ink is a printmaking and fine art fair where visitors can meet professional artists, see demonstrations on large presses, enjoy a kids print tent, T-shirt printing, and more. It takes place tomorrow from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. at 400 Martin St. The Wanderlust Art Fair will showcase dozens of painting, drawings, pictures and more at Tumbleweed Art Collective. Visitors can connect with dozens of professional artists, shop local art, go behind the scenes in Tumbleweed’s art studio, and witness the debut of Tumbleweed’s new Artist Alley, which also features a lounge with drinks provided by 300 Suns. It takes place tomorrow from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

E-Sports Tournament & Festival: The 2nd Annual LevelUp Longmont E-Sports Tournament & Festival returns tomorrow. After the smashing success of the inaugural event, Longmont is going even bigger. The free, all-day event is much more than a video game tournament. Even those not participating in competition can enjoy the festivities: food trucks, vendor booths, video and tabletop games, activities, a racing simulator, and much more. The main event is a live bracket-style tournament in the Stewart Auditorium featuring 16 different players aged 13 and up going head-to-head in the video game, StreetFighter 6. Learn more here.