Almost 60 years ago, Nick and Bev Ordon chose each other for better or for worse. Almost 40 years ago, they chose Falcon as their home and since then have been working to make it a better place.Nick Ordon was born in Utica, N.Y. and spent his childhood in the Adirondack Mountains, attending school in Woodgate and Clinton, N.Y. After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Ordon enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1942, and, as a member of the 10th fleet, was sent to the Atlantic to protect the east coast. He then became a pharmacist’s mate in the third amphibious force beach battalion in the Pacific, serving, among other places, in Iwo Jima and Okinawa.Bev Buckley was born in Ogden, Iowa, where she attended Ogden High School, and later the American Institute of Business in Des Moines, Iowa. In 1944, she began working in civil service at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.Buckley and her roommate transferred to Langley Field, Va. There, Buckley’s roommate introduced her to Ordon through a blind date. That was May 1, 1946, and, on Sept. 21 of that same year, they married in Savannah, Ga.Son Nick was born in 1947, and later that year, Nick Ordon Sr. was discharged from the Navy. The family then moved to Iowa, where Nick Sr. attended the University of Iowa. He eventually received a bachelors of science in a pre-dental program, while Bev Ordon supported the family working in the university printing office. “I achieved a PHT (Putty Hubby Through) degree,” she said.While at the University of Iowa, Nick Ordon signed up for the Air Force ROTC, called to active duty again in 1951 because of the Korean War. For 13 months, he was with the fourth fighter wing at Kempo Air Base in Korea. He then spent 20 more years as an armament and electronics officer in fighter interceptor squadrons. During that time, the family had increased by one, daughter Kimberly, and had traveled all over living in places like New York and Madrid, Spain.In 1963, Nick and Bev Ordon moved to the Colorado Springs area, and in 1967, they bought property on Garrett Road and built a home on a barren hill. In the first year, Nick planted 972 trees, bushes and plants, and today the landscape is lush, green and beautiful.Along with their newly planted trees, the Ordons established roots here and grew to love and care for the Falcon area. Nick Ordon finished his military career as the deputy chief of staff for operations at Air Defense Command in Colorado Springs, for which he was awarded a Legion of Merit medal in 1969. After retiring from the military, he taught science to middle and high school students in Calhan, and became principal of the newly established Calhan Middle School. He retired again in 1985, and served on the Falcon Fire Protection Board for 14 years.Both Ordons have served on the Falcon school board, and Bev Ordon spent many hours volunteering at Falcon schools. She also served as the chair of the Falcon/Peyton Comprehensive Plan from 1993 to 1996 and on the land-use advisory committee of the county planning department. The Ordons started the Girl Scout troops in Calhan and Falcon, and both were leaders for many years. “It’s a natural thing,” Bev Ordon said. “Maybe we got it from our parents. Community service was just what you did.”The Ordons were active for many years with the Falcon Property Owners, an organization established to preserve the quality of life in Falcon. The FPO incorporated in the early 1970s with a five-member board and about 60 members.When a large corporation made plans to build a sausage factory north of the present site of Meadowlake Airport, many residents were concerned about the drainage system because of high ground-water levels. The FPO was instrumental in halting the plans for the factory. The Ordons said the FPO often worked with (and sometimes against) the county planning department to stop growth that could have been detrimental to the area.The FPO also was instrumental in the “localization” of telephone exchanges 683 and 495, and successfully lobbied for Falcon residents to be allowed to use Falcon as a mailing address and in bringing a Peyton post office substation to Falcon.The Ordons are now officially retired. Health problems have somewhat curbed their activities, but they both exercise and work around the house and yard.”Nick’s big thing now is composting,” Bev Ordon said. They both laughed. “Yeah,” Nick Ordon said, “I’m in the compost phase of my life.”More on the OrdonsWhere are the kids now?Nick lives in Los Gatos, Calif., and is the CEO and president of a small software company. Kimberly, who was born in 1954 and was in the 8th grade when they moved to Falcon, is an environmental attorney in Woodinville, Wash.What do you think about Falcon incorporating?Bev: I don’t think we need to incorporate. People think if we care, we’ll incorporate. I’ve been caring for 38 years. Caring and incorporating are different things. Incorporation would have been nice years ago when we could have had planned development.What do you think about Falcon’s growth?We’re not anti-growth, but we’re anti-high-density growth. You have to plan for schools and highways.Any thoughts on the schools’ financial problems?Bev: I think the school is on the right track now if they could get the developers to do something significant. Fees should be $5,000 per house. They should go for anticipatory bonds, not the mil levy override.Any favorite places to travel?Bev’s 101-year-old mother lives in Texas. We visit her and visit the kids and take day trips to the mountains. We used to do what we called “third Thursdays:” We’d plan a day trip for the third Thursday of every month.Any hobbies?Bev: I’ve belonged to an antique study group since 1973. We study and learn about antiques and historical facts from the west. Out of 12 charter members, three are still active, and we have 13 members now. The group is called Questa Docet (Latin for “seeking teaches”).What do you like to read?Nick: nonfiction – military and war history books: I like to read about all the good stuff I did but didn’t know it was so great at the time.Bev: autobiographiesAny favorite movies?We have a new favorite move: March of the Penguins. It’s a great movie for kids and big people too.Bev Ordon on helping to keep Falcon’s identityAccording to a letter dated April 7, 1986, written by Beverly Ordon, the Falcon Post Office Committee chairman, to the main post office in Colorado Springs, Falcon had its own post office from the time the town was platted in 1888 until the building burned in 1942. Because the area was sparsely populated and the U.S. was involved in World War II, it was determined that postal services for Falcon would be provided through Peyton. Although growth in Falcon has been steady since the early 1970s, the town never regained its own postal identity. Accompanying the letter cited above were petitions signed by 453 residents of Falcon, requesting a Falcon post office.
