ERASING THE PAST: A new tattoo removal...

ERASING THE PAST: A new tattoo removal clinic at the Port Hueneme Boys & Girls Club drew about 35 young people who wanted to erase the ink-stained mistakes of their youth (B1). . . . Brenda, a 16-year-old Oxnard girl who had a pattern of black dots on her hands and face, came to the clinic with her parents. . . . “People stare at your hands, stare at your face,” she said. “All your friends have them, you hang with them, you’re small and you want to be like them.”

HISTORICAL ROOTS: Ever wondered what the story is behind Two Trees, that well-known landmark on a Ventura hillside? You can read all about how the trees were once five trees and before that 13 trees in a new county booklet of 164 historical landmarks. . . . Seems the trees were victims of Halloween pranks in 1940 and 1956, the booklet says. But the perpetrators are unnamed. Said Sandra Sanders, project coordinator: “I just hope they’re remorseful.” The booklet cost $7. Call 654-3964.

PEWS & REVIEWS: The new Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center opens with a gala event tonight in the former United Methodist Church (B1). The building has been renovated, but designers kept the 71-year-old wooden pews, which have been padded with new upholstery. . . . United Pastor Frank Witman said most wooden pews are contoured for comfort. But when the congregation built its new church in 1987, church members selected padded pews instead of solid wooden benches to save money. . . . Are they more comfortable than traditional wooden pews? “I hope to shout they are,” he said.

SOLVING MYSTERIES: Philip Taylor Kramer, the former Iron Butterfly bass player who disappeared on his way home to Thousand Oaks, will be the subject of an “Unsolved Mysteries” segment Nov. 17. . . . Tim Rogan, a series producer, said Kramer’s personal effects have never turned up. “The indications are that he’s out there somewhere, but maybe just confused,” Rogan said. “We’re hoping we can get some good leads.”