CAR WARS: Location is everything. . ....

CAR WARS: Location is everything. . . . That’s the rallying cry not just for real estate salespeople but for Ventura County car dealers concerned about freeway access and visibility (B1). Automobile dealers in Ventura jockey to improve business at the city’s auto center, while some Thousand Oaks Auto Mall dealers say they aren’t too thrilled with an electronic sign that’s been up there for about a year. “It’s bigger, nicer and better presented than the old sign,” said Greg Southard of Westoaks Chrysler-Dodge. “But it’s hard to judge whether it’s made a difference.”

ROLLER COASTER: Squelching rumors of a takeover, Bristol-Myers Squibb has denied that it wants to buy out Thousand Oaks-based Amgen Inc., the biggest biotechnology firm in the world (D2). . . . Translation: Just a day after the takeover rumors pushed Amgen shares to a two-year high, the stock took a bit of a tumble. . . . Amgen topped the list of most active issues traded on Nasdaq.

GOOD DELIVERY: Stacia Crane of Simi Valley is one of 12 U.S. Postal Service employees honored in Washington for doing good works in their communities. . . . Crane, consumer affairs manager for the agency’s Van Nuys district--which includes Ventura County--is founder of the Sunset Equestrian Team, a nonprofit group that offers disadvantaged children a chance to work with horses. . . . Crane also helps in the effort to fulfill the wishes of children who mail in “Dear Santa” letters each Christmas.

FOR MY NEXT NUMBER: Forty-four students from 11 schools in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties will spend Saturday morning crunching numbers at the annual MATHCOUNTS contest at Ventura’s Anacapa Middle School. . . . A simple question might be posed going into the event: If each competitor eats two apples for lunch, what’s the total number of apples that will be eaten? . . . Saturday’s math whizzes are way beyond that, though. The spelling-bee-style contest features tough questions on probability and statistics.