2006-05-04

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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

Officials bear down and finally make the catch

Large black bear shows up in Westlake Village and is cornered in Newbury Park

How does a 300-pound California black bear make it from Westlake Village all the way to Newbury Park without being spotted by the public? Easily, Ventura County Sheriff ‘s Department Capt. Ron Nelson said, when it makes use of the Conejo Valley’s extensive drainage system. The bear, which caused quite a stir when it was spotted April 27 near the […]

Gas prices driving us mad

One city decides to fight back

Summer nears and gas prices soar. While many drivers say they have no choice but to pay the high price at the pump, Calabasas officials have been working on ways to reduce the city’s use of gasoline. “I cannot honestly say that I drive less because of rising gas prices,” said Calabasas Mayor Pro Tem James Bozajian. “I have two […]

Two schools named Distinguished



Brookside and Red Oak elementary schools of the Oak Park Unified School District have once again been named California Distinguished Schools, an honor given each year to the state’s top public schools. The award program was established in 1985 to give recognition and publicity to schools that excel within the California educational system. “This is no small task,” said Tony […]

Botanical tour grows in popularity



NATURE’S STORY-Left, botanist Tom Hayduk discusses native plants with visitors during a recent garden tour at SOKA University. Below is a Western Wallflower, one of the nearly 650 plant species that can be found in the Santa Monica Mountains.

D’s and F’s: The new C’s and D’s?



Are too many local high school students getting D’s and F’s in class? Reports that a high percentage of Agoura and Calabasas high school students received substandard grades prompted the Las Virgenes Unified School District to study the potential problem and separate fact from fiction. Joe Nardo, assistant superintendent of education, presented a report to the school board recently that […]

Deputy recognized



BRAVERY-Lost Hills/ Malibu Sheriff’s Dep. Leobardo Truillo was honored for saving a fellow officer’s life. More than 400 attended L.A. City Councilman Dennis Zine’s annual “Z” awards luncheon at Woodland Hills Hilton.

Help the sheriff fight reckless driving



The Sheriff’s Teenage Traffic Offender Program (STTOP) wants you to be the eyes and ears of the community. If you witness a case of reckless driving, call STTOP at (818) 880-5420. To learn more, visit www.sttop.net.

Chamber of Commerce endorses Oak Park school bonds



The Agoura/Oak Park/Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce board of directors has endorsed a pair of proposed bond measures in the June election that would benefit Oak Park’s public schools. “Our chamber has a long tradition of supporting quality education in the many communities that the chamber serves, and good schools keep our property values high,” said Alex Soteras, government affairs […]

Oak Park woman leads San Fernando Valley Fair



The San Fernando Valley Fair is coming back in June, and fair organizers are pitching horse shoes this year-for the first time ever, the famed Budweiser Clydesdale draft horses will be visiting the fair. The eight-horse hitch will be harnessed and hitched to their red, white and gold beer wagon. At the fair, the horses’ handlers will give grooming demonstrations, […]

School district sets goals for coming yea



Las Virgenes Unified School District officials have set new goals to improve educational opportunities for students. The school board updates its goals every two to five years, Superintendent Sandra Smyser said. When she joined the district at the beginning of the school year, Smyser said she was instructed to view district goals with “fresh eyes.” There are more than 12,000 […]