The Journal of Community Health performed a small study (42 family sample size) that measured how united a family felt when gardening together. Gardens bring this pipe dream to life! Concerns about chemical involvement in nationally or internationally sourced produce have been around for years and the easiest way for you to get fresh, healthy ingredients is to grow it yourself! 2) Builds Family Bonds Imagine having access to fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables by simply walking outside. Here are the top 10 reasons to start your own garden! 1) Healthy Food at Your Backdoor Now everything you need to start your own garden is right down the street at your local Koopman Lumber store. Throughout thousands of years of human history, this has been passed down to modern home gardens. In fact, many experts believe that the invention of farming started the first real settlements. MTN News first reported on the acquisition and posting of Koopman’s emails last February.The planting and raising of food have been around for as long as people have been in communities together. “The PSC legal staff acquiesced to this majority rule approach (by commissioners) despite repeated findings that violations occurred.” “This was an abuse of authority that violated laws and written policies and perpetuated the intended harm,” the memo said. It said the conduct began in the fall of 2019 and escalated during 2020. Put a two-page memorandum summarizing the complaint says the PSC, “certain commissioners and staff, as well as the PSC legal team, engaged in a course of conduct that was often maliciously and intentionally targeted to knowingly cause harm” to Koopman and his family. Agency officials said the 16-page complaint is not yet a public record, because it must first be reviewed to see if it contains any information involving the personal privacy of employees. Koopman filed his claim with the state Monday. If the state denies any part of the claim, the person filing it can take the issue to state District Court, in a civil suit seeking damages. Under state law, if a claim for damages is against a state entity or actions by an employee, it must be filed first with the state Department of Administration. This week’s filing is the precursor to a possible lawsuit against the PSC and others named in the claim. Koopman said last year that he regarded the distribution of the emails a form of “political retaliation” and that he was considering legal action. Pinocci denied distributing them to Northwest Liberty News – although he has appeared on the website owner’s radio show, criticizing Koopman. In the past two years, Koopman has sometimes been publicly critical of fellow commissioners, particularly Johnson, over PSC certain decisions, travel expenses and other issues.Īfter the emails surfaced, another commissioner, Republican Randy Pinocci of Sun River, revealed that he had surreptitiously requested Koopman’s emails – a public document - because he was concerned about Koopman’s behavior. Koopman, a former state legislator from Bozeman, has been on the PSC since 2013. The five-member PSC regulates utilities in Montana its members are elected to four-year terms. PSC Chairman Brad Johnson, R-East Helena, told MTN News Wednesday he hadn’t seen or known of Koopman’s complaint, and said he had no immediate comment. The other emails contained critical comments that Koopman had made about fellow commissioners and some PSC employees.Īt the time, Koopman, a Republican representing the PSC’s southwest Montana district, told MTN News he considered the email distribution a “malicious act” meant to embarrass him. The website later took down those three emails. That website, Northwest Liberty News in Kalispell, posted the emails, including three that Koopman sent to his daughter or attorney, discussing personal affairs. The claim stems from a running conflict between Koopman and some of his fellow commissioners that came to a head a year ago, when someone in the office acquired three dozen Koopman office emails, without his knowledge, and gave them to conservative website.
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