Ten Commandments Park vandalized, again

The Ten Commandment park on U.S. Highway 2 was vandalized last week. The park is a collection of over 20 large billboards setup in a horseshoe shape with quotes from the Bible's Ten Commandments and America's founding fathers.

Ten of the vinyl posters were slashed in a jagged line across the length of the posters at a height over six feet. Drawn in neon pink and black spray paint on six of the billboards were the peace sign, the words "poopy" and "upface" and other markings that obscure the posters. The words "praise Allah" were written on a board in the parking lot.

It will cost $10,000-$15,000 to replace the signs, said Philip Klevmoen, owner of the property and website gods10.com.

A poster on the side of the building that reads "choose life" and shows a baby in adult hands was slashed multiple times. A mustache was painted on a poster of Thomas Jefferson.

Klevmoen will offer a $500 reward to the person who can identify the individual who vandalized his signs.

"I wish I knew who it was and I'll spend two days with him," he said. "I would like to talk to him."

This is not the first time the park saw vandalism. It happened a month ago as well. Klevmoen says that it had to be the same person because the handwriting and paint color are the same. The signs were not slashed the first time.

He contacted the Flathead County Sheriff's Department but has not heard back for either incident. He does not want to press charges.

A billboard with spot lights closest to the road was untouched. Video surveillance is on each corner of the building. It showed a person at 2-4 a.m. on the property but no lights were on, Klevmoen said.

The property has hard ground and no footprints or markings were left, he said.

Klevmoen said he saw a male person with long blonde hair walking down a dirt road toward the southeast behind the property and yelling Sunday afternoon, and did not think anything of it at the time.

He has had people throw things and act "viciously" in the past.

"I don't want to ridicule anyone," Klevmoen said. "I'm not here to hurt people, but to help people."