2004-01-01

Read the Latest Acorn!

Click below to read the latest edition of The Acorn!

Enjoy the new online reading experience!

Subscribe to The Acorn

Acorn online content now offered free

'Paywall' removed

The new millennium has been a transformative time for newspaper publishing.

Changing reader habits and the advent of new technology have placed big demands on companies in the print news business.

The Acorn and its parent company, Times Media Group, understand that their biggest responsibility is not only the delivery of credible, relevant information in a timely fashion, but making sure residents have easy access to the publication when stories become available.

That’s why we’re super excited about the news being shared today.

Following a five-year stretch in which Acorn readers were given the option of purchasing online subscriptions to the paper, that so-called “paywall” is coming down.

“Mr. Publisher, tear down this wall,” the late President Ronald Reagan might have once said.

And so we did.

Starting immediately, all online content from our five Acorn publications will be available at no charge to the reader, meaning a paid subscription is no longer required to click and read articles. The weekly Acorn has always been delivered to your driveway at no cost—that more than 40-year tradition will continue—and from now on The Acorn on the internet will be free as well.

Why the change?

The Acorn is your community newspaper, and we want to make sure it stays that way. We believe it’s important that residents feel a connection to the stories we write and also learn about the businesses that advertise in their community. The absence of a paywall is the best way to ensure this free-flow of information remains.

We also invite readers to sign up for the new, easy-to-read Acorn newspaper e-edition delivered weekly to your e-mail. Viewed on mobile, desktop or laptop, the pages are super easy to navigate and, free, just like the print paper.

Local journalism is first gear in the engine that drives America’s free press, and a free press it shall be.

Archives

Bush was right



Now that the U.S. Army has captured Saddam Hussein and announced $18 billion in prime contracts to rebuild Iraq, everybody wants in. Germany, France and Canada’s new prime minister, Paul Martin, have expressed an interest in working with the U.S. Congratulations, George Bush, you were right to go after Saddam, and, as Alberta Premier Ralph Klein has said, Albertans are […]

Give them a chance



This past year saw rancorous debate develop over the proposal to build six Boys & Girls Clubs in the Conejo/Las Virgenes area. This month, the first of those 10,000-square-foot clubs opens on the campus of Los Cerritos Middle School in Thousand Oaks. This initial test will be crucial. The pros and cons of the clubs aren’t hard to follow. On […]

Education concerns addressed at forum



By Stephanie Bertholdo Acorn Staff Writer Officials from Las Virgenes Unified School District (LVUSD) and Oak Park Unified School District (OPUSD) recently attended an "Education Forum" hosted by state Assemblywoman Fran Pavley (D-Woodland Hills). State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell was the keynote speaker. The forum was held at Pierce College in Woodland Hills and included a panel of […]

Agoura Hills Planning Commission approves hotel construction



By Stephanie Bertholdo Acorn Staff Writer Construction of a 125-unit Hilton Homewood Suites Hotel in Agoura Hills has been approved by the Agoura Hills Planning Commission. The development is part of the Oak Creek residential and commercial subdivision located on the north side of Canwood Street, east of Kanan Road. The planning commission unanimously approved a conditional use permit (CUP) […]

Calabasas may promote monthly Walk to School days



By Michael Picarella Acorn Staff Writer Calabasas might have a Walk to School event every month following the opening of A.C. Stelle Middle School on Jan. 5. During a recent traffic and transportation commission meeting, city staffers suggested that the first Wednesday of each month could be a Walk to School Day. Officials hope to reduce the number of vehicles […]

Sign of things to come



Boys & Girls Club facility opening soon

Acorn Staff Writer

Boys & Girls Club facility opening soon By Lori Porter Acorn Staff Writer At least 50 percent of families in Conejo Valley/Las Virgenes live in two-income households, according to data gathered from the latest U.S. census. With both parents working, that means that about 20,000 area children go home to empty houses each day after school. They’re called latchkey children. […]

Planning Commission process explained



By Stephanie Bertholdo Acorn Staff Writer Misconceptions from some Agoura Hills residents regarding the public notification process of planning commission meetings prompted members to explain the procedures and legal responsibilities of various governmental bodies at the Dec. 18 meeting. Four people, three of whom were Agoura Hills residents, expressed concern that the public wasn’t notified in proper time to attend […]

Volunteers needed for local bird count



Volunteers needed for local bird count The Conejo Valley Audubon Society will host its annual Christmas Bird Count on Sun., Jan. 4. Described as a "very important" inventory of birds in the local area, it will form part of a national census that has been conducted by the National Audubon Society for a century. Volunteers of all skill levels are […]

Local woman’s miracle strengthens family, inspires poem



By Lori Porter Acorn Staff Writer Oak Park resident Marilyn Gourdeau more than anticipates the New Year. She looks at every new day with intense gratitude like a child opening his or her presents under the Christmas tree. Five years ago, Gourdeau was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called leiomyosarcoma. Leiomyosarcoma is a cancerous tumor of the smooth […]