Trenton Residents Call New Mural at Cheeks Bar Offensive, Too Risque

Neighbors are complaining about a new mural depicting the silhouettes of two partially nude women bending over on the outside of .

The mural, which went up Friday, covers nearly the entire west side of the exterior of the building.

Some neighbors are saying the mural is inappropriate—even "darn close" to pornography—and should be painted over.

Trenton residents living in the area surrounding on Toledo Street and Julie Drive pass the building on a regular basis. According to one parent, school buses pass the west side of the bar in order to drop off children who live in the area.

Linda Horner, 47, passes the mural nearly every day and said the mural reminds her of something you might see outside of a strip club.

"They are not promoting a bar," Horner said. "There are no strip clubs in Trenton, and we don't want it to look like we have one in our neighborhood."

Jennifer Wheeler, 40, who also lives in the area, said she heard about the mural from her 9-year-old son, Alex, who saw it on the bus home from school.

"He said to me 'Mama did you see the picture on the side of Cheeks? It's naked ladies,'" Wheeler said. "For a 9-year-old to look at a painting on a wall and assume that it's something inappropriate and tell me about it ... you know it's bad."

Horner has a 9-year-old daughter and believes the mural is "darn close" to pornography.

The mayor's office received three complaints on Monday from residents who are unhappy with the mural.

Trenton Mayor Gerald Brown said he contacted the owner of the bar, David Cesarz, and told him the mural is a "public relations nightmare."

Brown said he has not heard back from Cesarz about what he plans to do with the mural.

Cesarz could not be reached for comment.

Brown said the city attorney, Wallace Long, will be taking a look at the mural Wednesday to see if it breaks any laws and if legal action is needed.

Trenton resident Diana Russell, 53, finds the mural to be "risque" and doesn't want her young nieces and nephews to see it. She also worries the mural could continue to get "worse" and be even more offensive.

"I just wonder what else they will put up there," Russell said.

The three women said they want the mural to be painted over and prefer to not have anything painted on the side of the building.

"We're busy people and nothing irritates me that badly," Wheeler said. "This is worth fighting over."

Cheeks was also the scene of an on Sunday.

Update: Cheeks manager Riley Miles said he would cover up the mural.