2013-09-12

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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

Volunteers invited to perform civic duty and help clean the creek




In the past, beer cans, plastic water bottles, cigarette butts, food wrappers—even oil drums and dead animals—have been dumped into Medea Creek in Agoura Hills. The 15th annual Heal the Bay Creek Cleanup on Sat., Sept. 21 will bring volunteers together to clear the mess out of the stream. The environmental group Heal the Bay needs volunteers to help with […]

Living on the edge

Studies show large carnivores face obstacles to survival


Despite the unrelenting urban sprawl, mountain lions, bobcats and coyotes remain an important part of the local ecology. But the growth in man’s footprint has made it increasingly difficult for the majestic cats and bold canines to survive. Because they are confined to small areas of natural habitat, mountain lions are vulnerable to deadly territorial fights and inbreeding. Some are […]

PROTECTING WILDLIFE

City curtailing the use of anticoagulants

A growing number of communities, including Calabasas, are trying to reduce the use of anticoagulants that threaten wildlife. The Calabasas Environmental Commission is proposing a resolution to discourage the sale and purchase of anticoagulant rodenticides, which are used to kill rats. The rodenticides are also detrimental to wildlife such as hawks and bobcats because the food they prey upon has […]

Erudite Westlake High grad turns into Ironman




When Sean Wilkoff was a student at Westlake High School in the late 1990s he was a lanky volleyball player and a scholar. Today the 29-year-old is an Ironman athlete and a financial economist for the Securities Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C. The Ironman competition is held in countries worldwide. Wilkoff chose to enter this year’s Ironman Canada at its […]

Equestrians saddle up to join new Lost Hills posse unit




As they patrol local beaches, shopping centers and neighborhoods from their unique vantage point, deputies and civilian volunteers with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse have an air of approachability. “ This is a softer side of policing. Horses are what we use as a tool to introduce kids to a different side of law enforcement,” Dep. Michael Selnick […]

At the Library



September is Library Card Sign-up Month at the Agoura Hills Library, 29901 Ladyface Court. Kids and teens who visit the library this month and show their library card or apply for a new card may choose a free book. Fall Storytime resumes at 11 a.m. Wed., Sept. 25 for children ages 1 through 4 years, with stories, music, fingerplays and […]

Contest accepting nature photos



The National Park Service is accepting entries from amateur photographers for the annual Spirit of the Mountains Photo Contest through Sept. 30. The annual competition features a variety of subjects captured throughout Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and adjacent venues. The categories are Plants, Animals, Scenic Shots and People in Parklands. The challenge category this year is Shadows and […]

Women’s club open to prospective members



The Westlake Village Junior Women’s Club will host a new member luncheon from 1 to 3 p.m. Sun., Sept. 15 at Malibu Family Wines, 32111 Mulholland Hwy., Malibu. The luncheon will give prospective new members the opportunity to learn more about becoming a member. The members of WVJWC serve the people living in the Conejo Valley and surrounding areas. The […]

Artist trains do-it-your-selfers



Fashion show to benefit Casa Pacifica



The Casa Pacifica Angels and hosts Susan and Ken Bauer will present the 12th annual Spotlight on Style Fashion Show on Sat., Oct. 5 at the Four Seasons Hotel, Two Dole Drive, Westlake Village. All proceeds will benefit Casa Pacifica’s therapeutic programs and services to vulnerable children and families in the area. Carin Holmenas Productions, in collaboration with Elizabeth Mason […]