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Tonya Strickland | Journalism Portfolio

Historic Camp Roberts swimming pool was filled with memories

Paso Robles resident Don Avery remembers plunging into the cool waters of Camp Roberts’ Olympic-sized swimming pool 65 years ago — memories that bobbed to the surface in recent weeks as the base continues to demolish its aged World War II-era facilities. It was the summer of 1950 when a 13-year-old Avery sunbathed by the pool while his father, the late Dutch Avery, took a dip with Don’s baby sister, Darlene. A black-and-white picture from Avery’s personal collection shows the family fun that day. Over the years, thousands of service members sunned on its pool deck, leapt off its diving boards and otherwise took respite there from the wilting North County heat during long summer training days.

Paso Robles historical society recovering 19th century negatives

Since August, Paso de Robles Area Historical Society volunteers have been revealing faces from the Central Coast’s affluent and minority families in a collection of 2,000 glass-plate negatives. They are the work of late photographer Richard “R.J.” Arnold.

Experts say the negatives — the largest collection of historical items the Paso Robles society has ever received — help weave an intricate tale of the county’s wealthy and cultured past through the faces of those who inhabited the area so long ago.

Paso Robles’ old Fox Theatre in search of a second act

PUBLISHED: Jan. 31, 2015 The story is linked here, but is unfortunately behind McClatchy’s paywall. Kerry Drennan remembers being a young boy in the 1950s, peering over a wooden railing from the balcony seats at Paso Robles’ Fox Theatre and seeing […]