Northeast
Wealthy Maine couple accused of killing trees to secure ocean view, poisoning public beach in the process
Two Maine millionaires are bickering in court over accusations that one poisoned the other’s trees to score the ultimate ocean view — and that in doing so, a lethal herbicide leached into their small community’s only public beach.
Lisa Gorman, wife of the late LL Bean president Leon Gorman, claims that her neighbor applied herbicide to her oak trees without consent in 2021, The Associated Press reported.
Neighbor Amelia Bond, former CEO of St. Louis Foundation, then offered to split the cost to remove the dying trees from the front of the Camden home in 2022, according to legal documents reviewed by the AP. This gave Bond an unobstructed view of Penobscot Bay, an idyllic harbor filled with lobster boats, yachts and schooners.
The destruction didn’t stop at the Gorman property. Herbicide Tebuthiuron spread next door to the town’s only public seaside beach, prompting a legal investigation. Residents were seen walking their dogs just 500 feet away from the soil where the herbicide, lethal to aquatic plants, was detected, according to the AP.
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The homes of Lisa Gorman, front, and Amelia and Arthur Bond are seen in Camden, Maine, on June 4. The Bonds, a wealthy and well-connected Missouri couple, poisoned their neighbor’s trees to secure a view of Camden Harbor, outraging residents in the seaside community. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Bond and her husband, Arthur Bond III, an architect and the nephew of former U.S. Sen. Kit Bond, have paid thousands to the state and $1.5 million to Gorman, the town’s planning and development director told the AP.
The couple, part-time transplants from Missouri, are also on the hook for further monitoring and remediation to the Laite Memorial Beach and its park, and Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey has agreed to investigate the incident further.
Many residents of Camden, made up of just 5,000 residents, don’t think the fines are adequate punishment, with some calling for harsher fines or even criminal prosecution.
“Anybody dumb enough to poison trees right next to the ocean should be prosecuted, as far as I’m concerned,” Paul Hodgson, a resident, told the AP.
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This undated image provided by Vinal Applebee shows the home of Lisa Gorman in the foreground, the poisoned oak trees behind her home and the home of the perpetrators behind the dead trees in Camden, Maine. (Vinal Applebee via AP)
The maximum fine that can be imposed by the Maine Board of Pesticide Control is $4,500, which the Gormans already paid. Rep. Vicki Doudera suggested that perhaps there should be a sliding scale for wealthier perpetrators.
“It makes me so livid,” Doudera told the AP. “This situation, the minute I heard about it, I thought, ‘Wow! These people are going to get a slap on the wrist.’ That’s just not right.”
An attorney for the Bond couple told the outlet their clients “continue to cooperate with the town of Camden, state of Maine and the Gormans” and “continue to take the allegations against them seriously.”
A cruise ship crosses Penobscot Bay off the coast of Camden, Maine, on June 4. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
The herbicide at the center of the skirmish, Tebuthiuron, was also used by an angry Alabama football fan to avenge his team’s loss by killing oak trees at rival Auburn in 2010.
That fan, Harvey Updyke, admitted to poisoning the trees and received jail time, the AP reported.
The substance is notoriously difficult to remove or remediate. It does not break down, so it continues to kill other plants after it is applied to one tree. Apart from removing the affected soil entirely, the only solution is to dilute the Tebuthiuron and wait two years for the substance to thin out enough to be safe for surrounding plants.
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Layers of fog drift over in Camden, Maine, on June 4. (Associated Press)
Lynn Harrington, a Camden resident, questioned whether the Bonds should show their faces around town, where they are members of the Camden Yacht Club. Another resident, Dwight Johnson, characterized the Bonds’ offer to split the cost of tree removal after causing their death as “underhanded.”
Most acknowledged that the fabulously wealthy part-time residents “from away” — the Mainer’s expression for out-of-towners — have enough money to comfortably shoulder fines and get away with their actions.
“They just pay the fine because they have plenty of money,” Hodgson said. “That’s the town we live in.”
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New Hampshire
Gilmanton Iron Works Man Accused Of Possessing Guns, Hundreds Of Grams Of Fentanyl In Hooksett, Manchester
Editor’s note: This post was derived from information provided by the Hooksett and Manchester police departments and does not constitute a conviction. This link explains how to request the removal of a name from New Hampshire Patch police reports.
Stark was arrested later by police during a motor vehicle stop in Manchester and charged with drug sale, possession, driving after revocation or suspension, and armed career criminal. He was then turned over to Hooksett police on that department’s charges, processed, declined bail, and was held at the Merrimack County Jail for future arraignment.
Decades Of Priors
Stark, according to superior court records, has more than two decades of criminal history, mostly in the Lakes Region.
In Laconia in December 2005, when he was a teen, Stark was accused of second-degree assault and felony theft. He pleaded guilty to both charges in August 2006. Stark was given work release in January 2007 and about 11 months later, was accused of violating probation. After being sentenced, he was accused of violating probation again in August 2008. A bail forfeiture hearing was held in December 2008, and a probation violation hearing was held in March 2009.
Stark was accused of controlled drug act in Laconia in December 2009, but the charge was nolle prossed in August 2010. In June 2010, he was accused of controlled drug act in Laconia, but the charge was nolle prossed in November 2010. Stark was charged with bail jumping in May 2010 and pleaded guilty a year later to the charge and received a two-to-four-year prison sentence with 113 days time served credit.
New Jersey
Ex-NJ GOP aide accused of staging slashing attack shows off horrific scars — and mystery man — in new snap
The unhinged ex-GOP aide who claimed she had been viciously attacked and labeled “Trump whore” — but who authorities say staged the assault and hired a fetish artist to carve her up — showed off her jaw-dropping scars in a new photo, along with a heavily-tattooed mystery man.
Natalie Greene, the Ocean City, NJ woman accused of faking a gruesome politically-driven assault while working for Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew, shared a glimpse into her life for the first time since the scandal broke nearly a year ago.
The 26-year-old updated her Facebook profile picture on the Fourth of July to a smiling selfie of herself and the new pal.
She wore a knitted tank top – exposing multiple thick, pink scars across her shoulder, chest and neck.
Her dark hair was slicked back into a low ponytail, and her manicured hand covered her mouth as she laughed.
A man wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap with tattoos up his neck and arm smiled next to her.
Greene, a Masarati-driving ex-Rutgers Law student, was charged with conspiracy to falsely report a violent attack and giving false statements to law enforcement after claiming she was repeatedly slashed by three masked gunmen in a local park because she worked for Van Drew, a pol who had switched from Democrat to Republican in 2020.
Authorities found Greene on the ground with her hands and ankles zip-tied on a trail at a nature preserve in Egg Harbor Township on the night of July 23, 2025. She had dozens of bloody surgical-like slashes across her back, shoulder, chest and face. The words “Trump whore” were written across her stomach in black marker.
But the attack was nothing but a hoax, according to the Department of Justice, which said Greene hired a Pennsylvania-based “scarification” fetish artist to cut her up. Detectives even discovered a reference photo that Greene showed the artist – and her cuts matched the image exactly, investigators said.
Greene was granted supervised release in January as she awaits trial.
Childhood campmate Kristin Haughton James — who was previously busted for cocaine possession and riding an unlicensed vehicle in the streets, a Camden court heard in January — welcomed her into her Florida home and has been acting as her custodian.
Before moving in with Haughton James, Greene had already cycled through two other guardians – including her mother – and had been ordered to attend inpatient treatment.
But the arraignment quickly descended into a nightmare, Haughton James revealed.
“I have never met chaos incarnate until I met this person,” she told NJ.com. “Lives for the drama – wants everything to be about her.
“She just feeds off attention.”
She claimed Greene left her home a wreck, tried to get her evicted and falsely told cops that she was dealing drugs and threatened her with a gun.
Haughton James said she kicked her out in March. It is unclear where Greene is currently living.
Haughton James, Greene and Greene’s attorney did not return messages seeking comment.
Pennsylvania
Indicators 2026: How walkable is Northeast Pennsylvania?
WILKES-BARRE — When people think about transportation in Northeastern Pennsylvania, their first thoughts are likely cars and buses.
While those are the most common modes of transportation in the region, an important question is gaining attention among planners, community leaders, and residents alike:
How easy is it to get around NEPA on foot?
A recent report by The Institute examined accessibility and walkability across the region. The findings reveal a region with some highly walkable downtowns and neighborhoods, but also many communities where residents remain heavily dependent on vehicles.
“Walkability refers to how easily people can reach everyday destinations such as stores, restaurants, schools, parks, and health care facilities by walking,” said Jill Avery-Stoss, President and CEO of The Institute, “Factors that influence walkability include street connectivity, proximity to destinations, access to transit, and the strength of the infrastructure network. Walkability supports the resilience, environment, health, and economy of communities.”
Using the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Walkability Index, The Institute confirmed that some of the region’s traditional downtown communities scored the highest.
• In Lackawanna County, communities including Scranton, Carbondale, Old Forge, Jessup, Blakely, Clarks Summit, and Moosic ranked among the county’s most walkable areas.
• In Luzerne County, strong scores were recorded in Wilkes-Barre, Pittston, Hazleton, Kingston, Forty Fort, Plymouth, Dallas, and Freeland.
• In Wayne County, the boroughs of Honesdale and Hawley emerged as the most walkable locations.
The broader regional picture, however, highlights a continuing dependence on automobiles.
“Most municipalities in Northeast Pennsylvania are categorized as car-dependent, particularly in more rural areas where destinations are spread farther apart, and transportation options are limited,” notes Avery-Stoss.
Data from America Walks, which combines EPA and Census Bureau information to evaluate walkable land use, shows that a majority of residents in all three counties live in areas rated as below-average for walkability.
Approximately 66.4% of Lackawanna County residents, 59.5% of Luzerne County residents, and 53.1% of Wayne County residents live in neighborhoods classified as below-average walkable.
Despite these challenges, Avery-Stoss said there are opportunities for improvement.
She said Northeastern Pennsylvania already benefits from an extensive network of trails and greenways, including the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail, the Luzerne County Levee Trail, and other rail-trail systems that support walking, biking, and recreation. Avery-Stoss said investments in sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, trail connections, traffic-calming measures, and transit-oriented development could further improve mobility and quality of life throughout the region.
“While walkability varies significantly from one community to another, many of the region’s most vibrant downtown areas demonstrate what is possible when homes, businesses, parks, and services are located within easy walking distance,” Avery-Stoss said. “As communities continue to invest in transportation and redevelopment projects, walkability is becoming an increasingly important part of how Northeastern Pennsylvania grows and connects its residents to their larger community.”
Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
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