2021-07-23

Read the Latest Moorpark Acorn!

Click below to read the latest edition of The Moorpark Acorn!

Enjoy the new online reading experience!

Subscribe to The Moorpark 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

Political Cartoon

Sheriff’s race heats up: May be first time in 11 years a challenger on ballot

Ousted T.O. police chief to run for top law enforcement post


The 2022 Ventura County sheriff’s race just got a lot more interesting. While sitting sheriffs have generally run unopposed in the county, it appears Sheriff Bill Ayub will face an opponent from within his own ranks. It will be the first time since 2010 that more than one person has run for the seat. For weeks, rumors have been circulating […]

4-H members learn life lessons through shear hard work



Early morning wake-up calls. Twice-a-day feedings. Bonds that will never be forgotten. Though the Ventura County Fair is once again canceled this year due to COVID-19, that hasn’t stopped local 4-H members from working hard to raise their sheep. “They love these animals like you can’t believe, and if they didn’t love these animals, they wouldn’t take very good care […]

Safe Passage Youth Foundation named nonprofit of the year

Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin recently honored Safe Passage Youth Foundation as the 2021 California Nonprofit of the Year for the 44th Assembly District. Safe Passage is a partnership between the Thousand Oaks Police Department and Conejo Recreation and Park District, to mentor and provide safe and beneficial opportunities for at-risk children, five days a week. Since 2014, Safe Passage has provided […]

Warrant alleges Borderline owner stole from Rotary Club of Westlake Village



The music has stopped for OakHeart Country Music Festival. After a multi-year run as one of the area’s most popular summer fundraisers—earning thousands of dollars for the Rotary Club of Westlake Village’s charitable foundation—OakHeart’s future is in doubt, its co-founder accused of taking $43,000 for costs pertaining to the 2020 show and not returning the money after the concert had […]

Arts center’s summer youth camp brings ‘Moana’ to Moorpark



Sometimes the world seems against you. The journey may leave a scar. But scars can heal and reveal just where you are. With the majestic ocean and lush hillsides of Motunui painted in the background, socially distanced children in High Street Arts Center’s summer youth camp sing these lyrics from the song “I Am Moana” under a white tent in […]

County post-pandemic pet regret?

Nationwide trend isn’t reflected across Ventura County


Working from home and needing companionship, many people adopted animals during lockdown, but now as they return to their pre-pandemic lifestyle, more are returning their pets. Shelters across California filled with surrendered animals the past several months, with some locations reporting twice as many surrenders since restrictions have loosened, according to a July 8 Reuters article. Why? For some pet […]

What to do for lost or anxious pets


Experts say it’s not uncommon for pets to feel anxious or to get lost now that people are returning to work and leaving home more often. “Be aware of what your pet needs, and really watch them,” said Donna Gillesby, deputy director at Ventura County Animal Services. Like many people, Gillesby adopted a dog during the pandemic. Now that she […]

Once in a lifetime

Moorpark grad Penprase in Acorn caravan bound for Tokyo Olympics


Sports brings people together. The Olympics, the greatest spectacle of athletics, amplify humanity’s yearning for a better world. Three people with deep roots in the local community—Zach Penprase, Scott Blatt, and Eric Blum—will make their Olympic debuts this summer in Tokyo. “This is really what we all strive for. It’s a bucket list item to get here one day,” Blatt […]

She’s on a mission to ensure little swimmers have lifesaving skills



Kim O’Brine laughs as she guides 2½-year-old Wrenley Comer through the pool. It’s a sunny Friday afternoon in Camarillo, and O’Brine is teaching the toddler how to float and swim, encouraging her to imitate a starfish before reaching for a bright pink octopus a few feet away. O’Brine makes the lesson enjoyable and engaging, but she knows that the skills […]