Four Arrested in Apple Theft Incident

October 16, 2012

On Thursday, October 11, 2012, Londonderry Police arrested four individuals on Pillsbury Road. The arrests came after a call was received reporting patrons that were “attempting to load their car with apples.”

The police station received the call at about 5:30 PM Thursday evening. An officer responded to the scene, just seconds from the police station at Mack’s U-Pick 3, and quickly placed the four into custody.

Arrested were:

Tony Wong; age 57 Hang Wong; age 58
Wai Wong; age 27 Steven Wong; age 19

All four reside at the same address in Quincy, Massachusetts. They are all being charged with Theft by Deception, with an additional charge of Obstructing Government Administration for Wai Wong. The Wongs were released on personal recognizance bail and will be arraigned in Derry District Court on November 5, 2012.

Londonderry News Tweeted the incident via our breaking news feature. “Breaking News LPD headed to Mack’s U-Pick 3 for a Truck with Mass plates reported loading the back of the truck with apples. 5:28pm” Be sure to follow us for instant updates regarding around town happenings, traffic alerts, breaking news, and more! Click here for our Twitter page.

Though these arrests appear to be the first of the season, apple thefts in Londonderry are common and both police and property owners are taking action. Last year there were three notable situations, along with four arrests, regarding apple thefts. Read about them here:

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By Jacklynn Weeks | Posted in Around Town, Farm News, Outdoors | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (4)

More Apple Thefts Lead to More Arrests in Londonderry

October 11, 2011

There were two more incidents this weekend regarding stolen apples in Londonderry, this time at Mack’s U-Pick 2 on Adams Road and Elwood Orchards on Elwood Road. Though arrests were not made for both incidents, police were able to catch the two young men stealing from Elwood.

On Saturday, October 8, 2011, at 2:15 in the morning, police made a motor vehicle stop on West Road near the soccer fields. The officer “advised subjects had two backpacks full of apples and corn from Elwood Orchards,” states the police log. A point of contact at the orchard was notified and the property owner decided to press charges.

Arrested for the thefts were Alexander Brown, 23 of Litchfield, and Shane Gaudette, 25 of Manchester. Both were charged with Receiving Stolen Property and their bail was set at $1,500 personal recognizance. Brown and Gaudette will appear in Derry District Court on November 7, 2011.

There are little details provided about the second incident at the Mack’s U-Pick 2. Reportedly, at about 7:37 AM on Monday, October 10, a caller on Adams Road reported seeing a red truck with two males stealing apples.

The males are described as white with shaved heads, one being in his 50′s and the other in his 20′s. The caller was able to get a partial plate, but no one has yet to be arrested for the incident.

These incidents are the third and fourth related to stealing apples in Londonderry within the last two weeks. Read Visit Londonderry, Just Don’t Steal Our Apples, to learn about the other incidents.

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By Jacklynn Weeks | Posted in Around Town, Farm News, Fire & Police Logs | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Columbus Day Weather, Like Summer in October!

October 10, 2011

With sunny skies and temps in 70′s expected for today, what better way to spend last guaranteed day of nice Londonderry weather than at the orchards! Apples are practically falling from the trees at the four farms, that’s Mack’s, Merrill’s and Elwood and Sunnycrest, and pumpkins are ready to be carved or baked!

Minutes from surrounding cities, each Londonderry farm offers a variety of fresh produce.

No time to pick, but still want the fresh taste? All farms feature a farm stand, where corn, peaches, plums, pears, apples and so much more can be purchased.

If you’re looking to make a day of picking, and don’t mind getting lost with the family for a few hours, be sure to stop into Elwood Orchards. Their corn maze, one of the largest corn mazes in the area, is a spectacular event for the whole family. Open now during the day, and nights beginning the first weekend in October, the corn maze will keep you entertained with its twists, turns and blind alleys. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, either. Workers will be glad to come pull you out of the six acre maze if you just can’t find your own way out.

We talked with Bill Elwood and asked a few questions on how they set up this mammoth maze.

How do you decide what the maze will look like?

“We plan the entire maze out on a sheet of graph paper. It’s a long winter in Londonderry, so we have lot’s of time to work in all the turns, and blind alleys.”

Do you plant the corn in the shape of a maze?

Bill Chuckled at this question. He did tell us how it is done but made us promise we would not tell anyone. “One thing I can say is the grid from the graph paper is transferred to the field so it matches the plan.”

What about the corn, do you feed it to the cows when you are done?

“We plant a variety of Corn for the maze that grows very tall and dense, it has worked great for us for since our first maze in 2005. After Halloween, we till the corn back into the ground to fertilize the maze for next year.”

Sunnycrest’s pick-your-own is open from 9 – 5 daily, and the farm stand is open from 9 – 6.

Mack’s Apples’ pick-your-own is open from 10 – 5 daily, and the farm stand is open from 9 – 6.

Merrill’s is open daily, sunrise to sunset!

Elwood Orchards is open from 8 – 6, “and you gotta be outta the field by 6!” said Wayland Elwood when asked about the farm’s hours.

Click here to learn more about these Londonderry farms!

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By Jacklynn Weeks | Posted in Around Town, Farm News | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Weekend Weather Looks Promising, Pick Londonderry!

October 7, 2011

Londonderry, New Hampshire holds onto its reputation as “Apple Town” as the picking season is in full swing. With four orchards to pick from, apples come in a variety of flavors, sizes and colors. From sweet to tart, indulge your taste buds in freshly picked apples this October!
Rain or shine, heat or chill, apple picking is open daily on all farms in Londonderry. With this upcoming three day weekend, farms are more than ready to welcome tourists from all over. With easy access off Interstate 93, Londonderry is just minutes from the Lakes Region, Boston and the Mass Line, the Seacoast, and Concord and Manchester, New Hampshire.

Londonderry’s Looking Beautiful this Weekend!

Saturday is expected to be sunny with highs around 78 degrees. With a 0% chance of rain and winds at 8 miles per hour, it’s promising to be a beautiful day.

Sunday’s forecast calls for sunny skies with a 0% chance of rain. Temperatures are expected to reach a whopping 83 degrees and light winds of 6 miles per hour are predicted.

Temperatures are expected to reach a beautiful 77 degrees on Monday. Skies will remain sunny and there will be a light breeze of 6 miles per hour. There’s also a 0% chance of rain.

What a fantastic way to spend Columbus Day! Not only is Londonderry your local destination for apples and pumpkins, each farm has their own unique tradition on how the fall should begin!

  • Mack’s Apples is the hot spot for several varieties of apples, with three & sometimes four huge orchards to pick at! Each location offers different kinds of apples, so be sure to pick the one with your favorite! The orchards also each have pumpkin fields galore!
  • Merrill Farm offers pick-your-own apples, farm fresh eggs, and other great fruits and veggies.
  • Sunnycrest Farm features friendly farm animals, pick your own fruits, flowers, and veggies, and fresh baked goods at their farm stand.
  • Elwood Orchard is a great place to pick apples, take a free hay ride, and get lost in a corn maze. With a variety of apples, the orchard also offers fresh picked fruits and veggies waiting at the farm stand. The corn maze happens to be the biggest in the region and is open at nights.

Did you know we have three formal walking trails too!

Kendall Pond 60 acres 2 miles of trail

Adams Pond, three miles of trail with two orchards, woodlands and a huge pond inside

Musquash Conservation Area 1000 acres now with over 15 miles of trail

Take a trip to Apple Town this weekend! You won’t be sorry!

Lost? Click each of the farm’s links below to learn more, as well as get detailed directions from wherever you come from!

Mack’s Apples

Sunnycrest Farm

Merrill’s Farm

Elwood Orchards

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By Jacklynn Weeks | Posted in Around Town, Farm News | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Visit Londonderry, Just Don’t Steal Our Apples!

September 30, 2011

With four orchards across town and 360 acres of trees for picking, many from across the region have come to Londonderry to pick apples during the past few weeks. Not all have paid for their pickings, however.

This past weekend, Londonderry Police caught what appears to be two different groups stealing apples straight from the trees on two different orchards. The first incident, which took place this past Sunday, September 25, 2011 at about 3:40 PM, occurred at Sunnycrest Farm on High Range Road.

Police received a call from a manager at Sunnycrest reporting a group of people in a purple caravan stealing “a bunch of apples”. The van was reportedly in the parking lot of the orchard getting ready to leave. Police responded quickly, but the van reportedly left before police arrived. They also reportedly left one of their own behind.

When police arrived, an unidentified woman that had been with the group reportedly paid for the apples that were taken from the orchard. The other subjects later returned to pick up the woman, were spoken to by police and were issued no trespass orders.

Also on September 25, at about 9:34 PM, a Londonderry Police officer spotted a blue minivan in the orchards across from Moose Hill. After requesting backup, the officer approached the vehicle. The officer discovered one woman near the car and there was reportedly another subject in the orchard still picking apples. It appeared the pair were filling “a bunch of boxes” and had already reportedly loaded about three bushels of apples into the van.

Two more officers arrived to assist and were able to find the subject still in the orchards. The emergency contact for Mack’s Apples was contacted and told police to press charges against the two subjects. Mei Fang Chen, age 43 of Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, was arrested and charged with Theft; All Other. Her accomplice, Jian Hua Liu, age 38 of Boston, Massachusetts, was also arrested and charged with Theft; All Other. Both were released on personal recognizance bail, but no court date information was provided.

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By Jacklynn Weeks | Posted in Around Town, Fire & Police Logs, Outdoors | Tagged , , , , | Comments (5)

Four Farms Still Have Fresh Veggies in Londonderry!

September 24, 2011

High humidity and unusual high temperatures this month have extended the lives of many a vegetable here in Londonderry! Tomatoes, corn, eggplant and more are still available at the farms across town, as are pick-your-own apples and pumpkins!

Mack’s is expecting to open this weekend with more variety of apples in the U-Pick orchards. Currently, McIntosh and Jonamac are ripe for picking, but Mack’s expects Cortland, Honeycrisp, and Gala will be ready this weekend. Their farm stand also has many already picked varieties of apples, as well as tomatoes, corn, peppers, and even pears! Stop by the farm stand anytime between 9 AM and 6 PM, or hit the orchards anytime between 10 AM and 5 PM.

Sunnycrest Farm also has pick-your-own apples like McIntosh, Red Gala and Cortland. Raspberries are still on the vine, so stop in and pick a bucket this weekend! Their farm stand is also alive with fresh fruits and veggies, as well as their famous cider donuts and other baked goodies. The fields and orchards are open for picking from 9 AM to 5 PM daily, and the farm stand is open from 9 AM to 6 PM.

Elwood Orchards offers a variety of u-pick apples, as well as shell beans and tomatoes. The farm stand sells fresh fruits and veggies. Elwood also boasts the area’s largest corn maze. Open now during the day, and nights starting in next week, the corn maze is a great way to spend a few hours with friends and family. This year’s maze is about eight acres! The farm is open from 8 AM until 6 PM.

Merrill Farm, located in north Londonderry on Mammoth Road, also offers a variety of apples, from mollies and ginger gold to paulared and graus. Fresh tree-ripened peaches, plums, corn and eggs are also found at this hidden farm stand. The farm is open Monday through Friday from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM, generally in a self-serve manner, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 AM to 4 PM.

Be sure to come stop by any one of these great farms and pick up a peck of fresh produce this weekend! For more information about these four farms, including directions and maps, click here!

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By Jacklynn Weeks | Posted in Around Town, Farm News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)