Plan A – keep the family together
Plan A – keep the family together
Oregon family happy to be together in Garrison
By CHERYL ODDEN
Bump!
The bump, not audible, is an increase in the number of students attending school in Garrison.
While the number is likely to change over the next few weeks, Shelly Fuller, principal at Bob Callies School, reports nearly 40 new students (preschool-grade 6).
Two of the new students, Zelda, grade 2, and Azriel, grade 1, are daughters of Al and Monica Blasch. The family, formerly of Oregon, includes another daughter, three-year-old Gwen.
Monday evening, after Zelda and Azriel completed their first day of school, their parents shared the story of the family’s move from Lebanon, Oregon to Garrison.
This past June, Monica graduated from college with a degree in criminal justice. Thinking that her degree would pave the way for employment, she found it actually had an adverse effect on the family finances. While she was an undergraduate, student financial aid had been an important element for the family’s financial health. Even though Al was working at a distribution center for Target Corporation, day-to-day expenses, including the cost of health insurance, crept upward. The couple decided it was time to explore other options.
