TRUSTEES' BID TO BUY ORCHARD REJECTED - LEOMINSTER DPW SAYS LAND MAY LACK ENOUGH WATER FOR PLANNED SUBDIVISION

January 25, 2000 - The owners of Sholan Farm turned down the Trustees of Reservations' offer to buy the 172-acre Pleasant Street apple orchard, the trustees' regional director said. >> More

PLANNING BOARD LIKELY TO OK WAL-MART PLAN

February 2, 2000 - Meanwhile, in other business last night, a vote on a proposed 162-lot subdivision at Sholan Farm on Pleasant Street was continued until March 21. >> More

STATE OFFICIALS WILL DISCUSS SHOLAN OPTIONS

April 25, 2000 - Robert S. Durand, the state secretary of environmental affairs, will join state Sen. Robert A. Antonioni, D-Leominster, at a public meeting next week to discuss how the state could help save the city's last apple orchard as open space. >> More

STATE PLEDGES HELP BUYING FARM - LEOMINSTER NEEDS TO REACH AGREEMENT WITH SHOLAN FARM OWNERS

May 3, 2000 - The state will help buy Sholan Farm if the city is able to negotiate a purchase and sale agreement with the owners, state Secretary of Environmental Affairs Robert A. Durand said last night. >> More

SHOLAN FARM VALUE UPPED - BOARD MULLS SUBDIVISION

June 21, 2000 - The 162-acre apple farm atop Pleasant Street that the city wants to buy was estimated to be worth $8 million by a representative of the owners last night. >> More

FATE OF SHOLAN FARM IS STILL UP IN THE AIR

July 10, 2000 - Typically, this would be the season for pruning the thousands of apple trees growing on Sholan Farm. >> More

EFFORTS TO SAVE APPLE FARM CONTINUE

August 1, 2000 - The grass-roots effort to save the city's last remaining apple orchard continues Thursday with a meeting at the No. 6 Schoolhouse. >> More

ORCHARD DEVELOPERS DELAY DISCUSSIONS

August 16, 2000 - The Planning Board last night put off a hearing on the proposed 161-lot subdivision at Sholan Farm until October. >> More

SHOLAN FARM GROUP WILL SEEK OUT MAYOR

September 8, 2000 - Newly elected officers of the Sholan Farm Preservation Committee plan to visit Mayor Dean J. Mazzarella to coordinate efforts to keep the city's last apple orchard intact. >> More

LEOMINSTER MAKES ORCHARD DEAL - PUBLIC, PRIVATE MONEY TO PAY FOR FARM

October 3, 2000 - After months of closed-door negotiations, Mayor Dean J. Mazzarella has a tentative deal for the city to buy Sholan Farm -- the city's last remaining apple orchard -- for $4.75 million. >> More

PRESERVATION MODEL - LEOMINSTER ORCHARD A LINK TO THE PAST

October 7, 2000 - The city of Leominster has formed a creative public-private partnership to preserve as open space the historic 179-acre Sholan Farm apple orchard. City, state and private funds have been raised to buy the 100-year-old farm. >> More

$250K COMMITTED FOR ORCHARD

October 9, 2000 - The head of the Leominster Land Trust said he expects to raise $500,000 to help buy Sholan Farm, the Pleasant Street apple orchard the city hopes to save. >> More

$2M PLEDGED FOR SHOLAN

October 17, 2000 - Already pledged state and private contributions could foot about $2 million of the $4.75 million tab to buy Sholan Farm, the city's last remaining apple orchard. >> More

COUNCILORS SCOLD MAYOR

October 18, 2000 - Mayor Dean J. Mazzarella said last night he wants everyone to be able to share in the glory -- and work -- of saving Sholan Farm, but he drew fire from some city councilors for keeping them ``out of the loop'' during his negotiations to buy the $4.75 million property. >> More

COUNCIL HELPS FUND ORCHARD PURCHASE

October 25, 2000 - With $475,000 in hand from the City Council, the city will press forward with the purchase of Sholan Farm, the 169-acre apple orchard atop Pleasant Street. >> More

RESERVATIONS GIVES $250,000 DONATION TO HELP CITY BUY FARM

November 8, 2000 - The Trustees of Reservations yesterday announced a donation of $250,000 to help buy Sholan Farm yesterday, the first outright donation for the effort from a private group. >> More

COUNCIL TO DEBATE ORCHARD FUNDS

November 26, 2000 - After months of closed-door negotiations and open-air politicking, the fight to save the city's last apple orchard is expected to take a major step toward completion tomorrow night. >> More

COUNCIL SPLIT OVER ORCHARD

November 28, 2000 - Councilors were at odds late last night over the purchase of the city's last apple orchard. >> More

DURAND SAYS STATE COMMITTED TO SHOLAN MONEY

November 29, 2000 - The state remains committed to paying one-third of the $4.75 million purchase price for Sholan Farm, state Secretary of Environmental Affairs Robert A. Durand said yesterday. >> More

COUNCIL BACKS $3.8M TO BUY FARM

December 5, 2000 - The City Council voted unanimously last night to appropriate the final $3.8 million needed to buy Sholan Farm. >> More

LEOMINSTER'S LAST ORCHARD WILL BE SAVED

December 12, 2000 - The birthplace of Johnny Appleseed still has its orchard. >> More