T.O. Acorn celebrates 10th anniversary
By Nancy Needham nancy@theacorn.com

The Thousand Oaks Acorn- part of a weekly newspaper chain that covers community news from Calabasas to Camarillo- celebrates its 10th anniversary this month.

Creating a community newspaper for Thousand Oaks was a natural progression for Acorn owners Lisa and Jim Rule, who live in Newbury Park. Their family owned, community focused Agoura Hills-based newspaper, The Acorn, was well known throughout the region, and people in Thousand Oaks started inquiring about another paper for their city.

"Our neighbors and friends kept asking us, 'Why don't you bring the Acorn out here?'" said Jim Rule.

So in May 1998 they did.

Steve Holt became editor. He knows the community because he also lives in Thousand Oaks. He says the people of T.O., Newbury Park and Westlake Village have a vested interest in what's going on with their city government, public schools, parks and police.

"When something is decided in city hall or in the school board, it directly affects the quality of life for local residents," Holt said.

The Thousand Oaks Acorn is delivered on their driveways every Thursday.

"Some people think the only important things happen in Washington, D.C., and Sacramento, but we know better," Holt said.

The Thousand Oaks Acorn covers Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks and the T.O. portion of Westlake Village. The city of Westlake Village in L.A. County is covered by its sister publication, The Acorn.

The T.O. paper's circulation is now 40,466.

"We started the Thousand Oaks Acorn because people said they needed it. It helps to tighten up the feeling of community to have a local paper," said Jim Rule.

Each week readers look over the front page, then turn to the Sheriff's Blotter to find out what might be going wrong in one of the safest cities in America. The Datebook section keeps track of familyoriented events throughout the region. Readers can also work a crossword, look at the Pet of the Week and kick back with local sports.

"The paper is prospering. People seem to love it," Rule said. "Adding the Thousand Oaks Acorn was absolutely the right move."

The original Acorn has served Agoura Hills, Oak Park and adjacent areas for 34 years. The paper began in 1974 as the Agoura Shopper News at the Get-Lucky Shop at Whizin's Market. Agoura Valley Chamber of Commerce President Vance Moran typed up a newsletter to promote his store. Two years later, Moran's friend Bill Poremba took it over and turned it into a weekly newspaper.

In 1989 the paper was purchased by Baker Communications, which brought in a publisher by the name of Jim Rule.

He and wife Lisa purchased The Acorn on April 3, 1996- and remember the day well because it's also their wedding anniversary.

In addition to The Acorn and the Thousand Oaks Acorn, the Rules have added the Moorpark Acorn, the Simi Valley Acorn and the Camarillo Acorn.

Each publication has a team of reporters whose first rule of thumb is to make their stories accurate.

"Since we live in the city we cover, we not only answer to our readers, we answer to our neighbors," Holt said.