2007-07-05

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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

Drug-free program targets special needs children



A new drug-free program is available for children with AD/ HD, OCD, dyslexia, tics and high-functioning autism at Brain Balance Achievement Center of Westlake Village, 650 Hampshire Road, Ste. 102. This is the first location in the western states to help families with this program. Developed over 15 years by New York neurologist Dr. Robert Melillo, Brain Balance deals with […]

Contest winner



Brett Watanabe, a 10thgrader at Newbury Park High School, won first prize of $150 in the First 5 Ventura County’s poster contest. Brett’s poster shows a baby tooth, with a diaper and a pacifier, held between an adult’s fingers. His poster will be used to educate the public and will be distributed throughout Ventura County.

Youth poster contest promotes dental health



Oak Park High School art students won top awards in the recent First 5 Ventura County “Healthy Teeth Begin at Birth” poster contest. Out of 220 entries from throughout Ventura County high schools, Oak Park students in every grade level were among the winners. Anna Lovejoy, an art teacher at the school, said students in her drawing and painting classes […]

Dancers take the stage at ‘Star 2007’



TINY DANCERS- Left, Westlake Village resident Somer Wilson runs the sound board for “Star 2007/Illusions,” the Agoura Hills Dance and Performing Arts Center’s show at the Countrywide Performing Arts Center in the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza last weekend. Below, ballerinas take a bow during the curtain call.

Free class on homeownership offered



Free classes on the advantages of homeownership will be presented by the Area Housing Authority of the county of Ventura. Seminars address tax advantages of home ownership, programs available for financing for a first-time buyer and raising and maintaining a high FICO score. Classes will be offered from 6 to 7 p.m. on Tues., July 10 in Simi Valley; Tues., […]

King Gillette Ranch offers a wide array of summer activities



Now that King Gillette Ranch at Mulholland Highway and Las Virgenes Road just south of Calabasas has become public parkland, officials have announced a summer activity schedule that includes hikes, nature programs and other events related to the outdoors. The events are hosted by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA). For the Gillette Ranch activities admission is free, but […]

Spirit awards go to local residents



Representatives of the Conejo Valley gathered to support the community and honor local leaders at the fifth annual Spirit of Community Awards Celebration presented June 8 by Amgen and the Thousand OaksWestlake Village Community Foundation at the Los Robles Greens Banquet Center in Thousand Oaks. Awards were presented during a two-hour dessert reception. The awards honored area educators, a local […]

Tips on creating an outdoor room



More than just a growing trend in home design, outdoor rooms are fast becoming a cost-effective and stylish way to expand a home’s living space while creating a warm environment for socializing and family fun. “By definition, an outdoor room is simply an outdoor area that homeowners can use for relaxing, cooking and entertaining,” said Katherine Whiteside, best-selling garden and […]

Santa Monica Mountains recreation brochure available



The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is featured in a new, 16-page, full-color brochure available from Western National Parks Association. Written by Michael Tennesen, “Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area” presents a tour through the parklands, introducing readers to the history of the area and the recreational opportunities offered. Photographs by Tom Gamache and others depict Peter Strauss Ranch, […]