MAIL CALL: As long as you have...

MAIL CALL: As long as you have your checkbook out, Ventura County librarians hope you’ll include a little something for them. The Board of Supervisors will be asked today to insert appeals for aid in property tax bills mailed in October (B1). . . . “Private donations are becoming more and more important for libraries across the state,” Fresno County Librarian John Kallenberg said. His system collected $100,000 in donations last year--including $4,000 in small change deposited in cans at the libraries.

FAMILY FIRM: That distinctive A. Levy signature sign will be coming down at three Bank of A. Levy branches (B1). . . . Even with the closures, A. Levy will remain Ventura County’s largest locally owned bank, with 17 offices. The bank was founded in 1882 by Achille Levy, a native of France who bought and sold crops in what became Port Hueneme. . . . Although publicly traded, Levy Bancorp is still controlled by descendants of Achille Levy: Grandson A. A. (Bud) Milligan serves on the bank’s board; great-grandson Marshall C. Milligan is the bank’s president.

REFORMER: As President Clinton drums up support for health-care reform (A1), Dr. Irving Kent Loh predicts that opponents will “focus on nit-picking, not the overall goal of health care for everyone.” An adviser to the White House health-care team, the Thousand Oaks cardiologist said the plan will preserve choice, promote preventive medicine--and save money. . . . Loh will answer questions at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Camarillo Health Care District’s office, 3939 E. Las Posas Road.

TAX HAVEN: Thousand Oaks isn’t the only place Amgen is expanding. The pharmaceutical giant is opening a $100-million manufacturing plant in Puerto Rico next year (Valley Business, Page 8). . . . The new budget bill cuts tax breaks for firms in Puerto Rico, but Amgen will still save 40% to 60% on income derived from the plant. . . . Amgen also has a research facility in Boulder, Colo., and a distribution center in Louisville, Ky.