DENVER – El maíz está en su punto en la Granja Agrícola de Sun Valley, las coles están maduras y de un verde oscuro, pero la atracción estelar en el “stand” son los pimientos picantes usados en muchas recetas africanas y asiáticas.

Este es el primer año en que los vecinos de Sun Valley pueden compartir en la cosecha de col, frijol, zanahoria, pepinos y otros cultivos. Brien Darby, de los Jardines Botánicos de Denver (Denver Botanic Gardens), dice que la pequeña granja de un acre simplemente no está permitiendo cultivos saludables con una densidad mucho mayor de nutrientes que los alimentos que crecen a campo abierto.

“Realmente se trata más de empoderamiento, y de permitir que se cultiven alimentos en una comunidad donde tal vez antes estaba prohibido. Y queremos asegurarnos de que la gente sepa que éste es un espacio en el que puede cultivar comida que sea étnicamente importante para ella.”

Sun Valley, en el suroeste cerca del distrito de negocios de Denver, es la parte censada más pobre de Colorado. También es una de las más diversas, a la que muchas familias de migrantes y de refugiados llaman “hogar”. La granja urbana es parte de un esfuerzo mayor de re-desarrollo que hace la Autoridad de la Vivienda de Denver (“Denver Housing Authority”), creando más unidades habitacionales de ingresos mixtos, una muy necesaria mejora del complejo habitacional público de 60 años, y una zona comercial.

Darby dice que la granja está abierta para todos los residentes y muchos se han ensuciado las manos en la tierra sembrando para cosechar. Los planes de re-desarrollo también incluyen hacer comidas saludables y accesibles durante todo el año, estableciendo una tienda de abarrotes operada por los vecinos.

“Pero también están haciendo todo el trabajo posible de creación y capacitación. Así que una meta a largo plazo en la Granja Agrícola de Sun Valley es que su manejo pueda pasarse a alguien del barrio.”

Los miembros de la comunidad pueden inscribirse en clases para granjeros principiantes en la Extensión de Jardines Botánicos de la Universidad Estatal de Colorado. Darby dice que la granja será su salón de clases, donde los residentes podrán cultivar alimentos que rara vez se ofrecen en los supermercados, mientras afinan sus destrezas.


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Cities and towns across Massachusetts hope to increase young voter turnout in local elections by lowering the voting age to sixteen or seventeen. Somerville, Northampton, Southborough and Concord are just a few of the municipalities which have attempted but failed to secure state approval.

State Sen. Becky Rausch, D-Norfolk, said allowing young people to vote on local matters helps ensure they'll keep voting throughout their lives.

"That voting power fosters a real sense of civic duty and does in fact encourage higher turnout rates among young adults," she said.

Opponents contend teenagers lack the ability or motivation to fully understand what's at stake in an election. But Rausch points to Takoma Park, Maryland, where the turnout rate for sixteen and seventeen-year olds exceeded that of any other age group for the first election in which they were allowed to vote.

Rausch is sponsoring legislation to allow Massachusetts' municipalities to lower their voting age for local elections without approval from the state legislature but it's been tabled for the session. She says it's just one of a few issues where home rule gets in the way of local autonomy. Still, she said young people are already engaged in local issues, often related to their schools, and many students hold jobs and pay local taxes.

"And they are active members of every community I represent, and they are both contributors to and beneficiaries of community and local government services," she continued.

Rausch added the effort is part of civics education, which was solidified as a centerpiece of K-12 education in Massachusetts in 2018, and which received a significant funding boost from the state legislature this past year.


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Minnesota is closing in on the 35th anniversary of a volunteer program for clearing litter and debris along highways and rest areas.

With spring in full bloom, officials call on residents to maintain this service.

In the early 1990s, Minnesota launched its Adopt a Highway initiative.

Last year, roughly two thousand church groups, community organizations, business teams, and individuals filled up more than 42,000 bags of trash.

The Department of Transportation's Spokesperson Anne Meyer said about 900 sections of state roadways are available for adoption this year.

By pitching in, she said volunteers allow MN DOT staff to focus on other needs.

"Filling potholes, fixing fences," said Meyer, "really keeping roadways safe."

She added that the program also saves taxpayers money.

People considering volunteering can adopt a roadway section or rest area for two years and clean it at least twice a year. There's also an option for a one-time clearing of garbage near a state highway.

The agency provides training, resources, and safety vests. The state observes the program's 35th anniversary next year.

Meyer encouraged drivers to use caution if they approach an area with volunteer crews at work.

"A lot of our volunteers do go out and pick up trash on the weekends," said Meyer. "So, that's a time to really be alert out there for those volunteers - to slow down, to give them space, to do their job safely. "

Meyer said areas outside Minneapolis and St. Paul tend to have more opportunities for highway adoption.

More details are on the department's website, including a list of local coordinators around the state.




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Concerns about potential voter intimidation have spurred several states to consider banning firearms at polling sites but so far, New Hampshire is not among them.

Only a dozen states and Washington, D.C., prohibit both open and concealed-carry weapons at voting locations.

Emma Brown, executive director of the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, said most of the bans were enacted after the 2020 election, when unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud took hold.

"The risk of gun violence at the polls is heightened," Brown contended. "Which means that legislation at the state level is even more critical than it ever has been."

Brown argued America's elections are free and fair, and prohibiting guns at polling sites and government locations is constitutional. Opponents countered the bans unfairly disarm law-abiding gun owners.

Recent surveys reveal election workers have faced increased threats and harassment since the 2020 election with one in three reporting some form of abuse. And nearly half of election workers said they are concerned for their colleagues' safety.

Brown pointed out armed intimidation tactics disproportionately target people of color and add to the growing exodus of election workers.

"This is a threat that we can't ignore," Brown stressed. "These attacks have also served as a deterrent to Black and brown election workers, who've historically been a really key part of ensuring that our democracy endures on Election Day."

As state legislatures consider banning guns at voting sites, legislation in Congress known as the "Vote Without Fear Act" would place a nationwide ban on weapons within 100 feet of a federal election facility, with exceptions for on-duty law enforcement and security personnel. It has been languishing in a House committee for a year.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.