1964 – 1974

Arriving late to school, dragging your feet when recess was over or being in the halls when you were not supposed to be was all it took.  He sat in the chair perfectly situated to see down either hallway of the “L” shaped school.  Dressed in his classic overalls, he waited patiently as he knew his chance was always just seconds away.

Frank Garish had numerous jobs through the years but I cannot imagine he enjoyed any of them as much as being the custodian and “hall monitor” at the Aspen Elementary School.  He must have made a deal with Tom Sardy, the owner of Sardy’s Hardware, that included an unlimited, lifetime supply of the thickest yard sticks he could get his hands on.  The average lifespan of these yard sticks could be measured in seconds once Frank pulled a new from the box.

Frank was loved by many in the community and even by most of his victims.  After moving onto the middle and high schools kids would often drop by the elementary school just to say “Hi” to Frank.  But as a student in residence he was a force to be reckoned with. 

My friends and I would often hide out in the music room of the “old” library until we were sure the coast was clear.  Liz Worden, my grandmother, and Francis Kettering, the music room librarians, were happy to see the students using the music room but little did they know we were just using it as a temporary “hide-out.”  Invariably Frank would for whatever reason, alter his lunch schedule on that day and sure enough we would be trapped.  As hard as we tried we could not outrun that “old guy” and the force of his yardstick.  We preferred being sent to the principal’s office, but if Frank found you first that was never a necessary option as he took care of the “message of the day!”

Few students back then survived four grades of school without meeting the wrong end of Frank’s yardsticks.  Daring students even tried to outmaneuver him by sheer numbers but that rarely phased Frank as he went after the slowest or weakest of the heard just like the lions of the Kalahari. 

The rules have changed over the years and today Frank’s form of justice would not be tolerated.  Back then it was all part of the Aspen Elementary School experience.