Face painting, a performance by the Falcon School of Dance, Native American drumming and dancing, refreshments and more were part of the grand opening of the High Prairie Library in Falcon in October.Located at 7035 Old Meridian Road, the library is the first Pikes Peak Library District facility east of Powers Boulevard.During the ceremonies, Dr. Susan Kirkpatrick, director of the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, said she was happy to be able to serve “this very growing part of the state.”Lynne Telford, president of the PPLD Board of Trustees; Paul Miller, executive director; and Marsha Looper, state representative; all spoke as well. Boy Scout Troop 149 raised the flag and led the crowd in the pledge of allegiance.Several different grants aided in funding the $3 million project. The Colorado Department of Local Affairs granted $500,000. The Colorado Department of Transportation’s Congestion Mitigation Air Quality granted $784,428 because a library in Falcon would reduce air pollution from traffic headed to the libraries in Colorado Springs.The High Prairie Library also includes green features, such as geothermal heating and cooling and multiple windows to maximize natural light. The library was constructed using timber from beetle-kill pine trees forested in Colorado.The High Prairie Library manager, Julianne Rist, said the grand opening was a huge success. Rist has been with the PPLD since 2003 and has aided in two other construction projects besides High Prairie. “This building has generated the most excitement in a community that I’ve ever seen,” Rist said. “It means that it’s in a place where it’s truly needed.”
