He has spent more than 30 years at a series of small daily and weekly newspapers in Bonners Ferry, some of which he owned himself and some of which no longer exist. BlowbackĪfter a four-year stint in the Army, Mike Weland turned to journalism, eventually landing in Boundary County in the 1980s. “We’re nice to everybody,” he said, “even reporters.”īut Benjamin and his fans haven’t taken the same approach. He said it was simple North Idaho neighborliness to do so, and that to behave otherwise would be “mean and nasty.”Īnd as a fellow neighbor urged him to stop speaking with a journalist, Oakes objected. While it remains to be seen what exactly Benjamin and his followers will do on the land, Oakes, the neighbor, vowed to keep an open mind. Elsewhere, Benjamin has claimed he bought 40 cords of wood and 2,000 bags of cement and would be “hauling up buckets” of water from the Moyie River to “hand mix and pour cement” as part of a plan to build “stone cabins.” In one online video, Benjamin and a guest calling himself “Jimbob” discussed work underway to clear a “tremendous amount” of the land and to dig and pour foundations for buildings. Benjamin has also discussed his plans in livestreams. Several portable toilets, a U-Haul trailer, an enclosed hunting tent, an open party tent and stacks of lumber occupied the land. But the parcel looked like it was being prepared to host a larger group. Only one person was there Wednesday to meet Oakes and his fellow neighbors, and he declined a request to speak with a reporter. Last week, a group of neighbors joined that effort, appearing before the county’s Board of Commissioners to raise concerns about whether the group was violating zoning and other land-use laws.īut as those complaints work their way through the official process, the group appears to be moving forward with its plans for the property. Apparently regretting the sale, he said would “do everything” he could “to prevent” a negative result, he wrote. Terry Auten, who sold the land to Struggle Bear LLC, cited this post in an April letter to a county planning and zoning official that sought to raise a red flag about the “potential unpleasant outcome” of the group’s presence. In one social media post provided to Boundary County commissioners and shared with The Spokesman-Review, those promoting the project – and asking for minimum $400 contributions to fund it – invoked creating a “new Ruby-Ridge-style compound” and that it would be “the beautiful dream bear village Owen promised us.” In some videos, Benjamin describes it as a peaceful place to commune with nature, fish, learn to hunt, and otherwise form community and get back to the land.Įlsewhere, however, he has touted the parcel as a place where a paramilitary force will defend itself against the dark forces of modernity. In a series of videos posted online, Benjamin has described the property to his fans, who often use bear-related internet handles, as a real-life gathering place for what so far has been primarily an internet community.īut what he actually plans to do with the land – which has been referred to variously as Ursa Rio, the Bearteria Sanctuary and The Great Bear Trail – is unclear. Owen Benjamin’s 10-acre parcel of land had several vehicles and a wall tent present on Wednesday near Bonners Ferry, Idaho. Many are concerned about the combination of both factors. While Oakes certainly isn’t alone in his openness to the new arrivals – three other self-described neighbors were in his Wednesday welcome party – many in Boundary County are wary of the group preparing to build on the undeveloped land.įor some, those concerns have to do with the extremism of the man who leads that group: Owen Benjamin, a one-time comic who had a supporting part in the 2008 Playboy-related movie “The House Bunny” who is perhaps best-known for a brief engagement to actress Christina Ricci, his co-star in the 2009 romantic comedy “All’s Faire in Love” whose career tanked as his act became increasingly racist and anti-Semitic and who has since fashioned himself as the leader of an alt-right group of so-called “Unbearables” whose guiding principle appears to be allegiance to Benjamin.įor others who live nearby, the concern is primarily about large numbers of people flocking to the remote parcel. ![]() “I read that people up here were up in arms,” Oakes explained, “and I don’t think that’s the case.” GOOD GRIEF, IDAHO – Glen Oakes took a ride on his four-wheeler to the dead end of Earl Lane Road in northern Boundary County on Wednesday morning to do something many of his neighbors have been reluctant to do: Welcome the new occupants of a recently purchased 10-acre parcel along the Moyie River.
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