WEEK OF MAY 15, 2025
VOLUME 80 | ISSUE 30
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Federal order a threat to in-state tuition Executive order aimed at ‘sanctuary city’ policies BY JASON GONZALES CHALKBEAT
Fresh produce will again be offered this year at Healthy Farmers Markets in Thornton FILE PHOTO
Thornton thumbs up for Healthy Farmers Markets Cuts threaten summer market program BY MONTE WHALEY MWHALEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
The City of Thornton looks ready to give more than $19,000 to provide staffing to keep at least five Healthy Farmers Markets running in the city through 2025. The $19,443 in funding will not come from the current 2025 budget but will be held in reserve from the contract services fund, according to a city staff report to council members. The long-term viability of the Health Farmers Markets is not clear as Adams County is conducting a market analysis of ways to keep the markets operating. The markets began in 2018 to provide fresh produce at an affordable cost, the city staff report states. But at a study session this week, enough council members said they would support keeping the markets viable for now
because of their popularity with Thornton residents. “Last year, it was wildly successful,” Council member Justin Martinez said. “I talked to people at the events and people were so grateful.” “It seems like a solid decision, and I think about the people who have used the markets since 2018,” Martinez said. “I feel it’s my duty to help them out.” Besides fresh food, the markets also offer community health resources. Patrons can register for food benefits, COVID-19 tests, harm reduction supplies, bus vouchers, vaccinations, blood pressure checks, nutrition education and produce vouchers for those with financial hardships, according to the staff report. The American Heart Association, Adams County Health Department and Human Services, and the City of Thornton are part of a Steering Committee that runs the markets. The challenges facing the program include local farmers who are cutting back on production because of federal funding cuts. There is also no funding to hire staff
VOICES: PAGE 8 | CULTURE: PAGE 10 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17
to run the markets this year. There is $194,306 in Adams County American Rescue Plan Act – ARPA – funding for produce vouchers through 2026. However, there is no funding that could replace the ARPA dollars, once they runs out, according to the staff report. City council members were told the markets could continue this year with five partial day markets hosted at various Adams County locations but there would be pre-packaged fresh food boxes available for patrons on Thursday. Most council members appeared supportive of contributing $19,443 to pay for three staff to keep five-partial day markets in Thornton. Marketgoers could then get prepackaged fresh food boxes on Thursday. Council members said the county should try to get more cities involved in hosting the markets and do more outreach for volunteers. “Deeper outreach would soften that cost for us,” said councilmember Chris Russell. “This is a really crucial and beneficial program, and we need to dig deeper for more resources to keep it going.”
Undocumented students in Colorado have gone on to be teachers, nurses and business owners thanks to a program that allows them to pay in-state tuition at public universities. Now the future of that program and ones like it in 23 other states are in doubt after President Donald Trump signed an executive order that seeks to punish states and cities with so-called sanctuary policies. The order, signed April 28, also specifically calls out programs that provide in-state tuition for undocumented students who graduated from high school in that state or who meet other residency requirements. Allowing in-state students who are not citizens to pay less tuition than out-of-state students who are citizens represents discrimination, according to the order, which says that the attorney general, in cooperation with the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, “shall identify and take appropriate action to stop the enforcement of state and local laws, regulations, policies, and practices favoring aliens over any groups of American citizens that are unlawful.” Advocates for immigrant students say that without in-state tuition, many undocumented students will struggle to afford college. They don’t qualify for any federal financial aid and face other barriers to college. “This is absolutely essential for immigrant students,” said Raquel Lane-Arellano, communications manager for the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, which fought to pass Colorado’s in-state tuition law in 2013. “It’s not these students’ fault that our immigration system is so broken. They deserve the opportunity, just like all of their peers, to access higher levels of education.” SEE TUITION, P7
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