Sandra Martin is making sure the skies, water and land are protected in Falcon.Martin is the president of the Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 72 based at Meadow Lake Airport and was the primary sponsor of this summer’s “Wings over Falcon” event.Throughout the year, Martin is busy leading the chapter’s monthly meetings held every third Tuesday. “Our program topics range from aircraft building, how-to, hands-on workshops or informational programs,” she said. “And every June we visit various hangars around the airport to view the aircraft under construction or restoration.”Beginning in March, Martin said the chapter schedules about six Young Eagle Rallies to support the national Young Eagle Program. “At the local level, our chapter pilots donate their airplanes and time to provide a free demonstration flight in a private airplane to young people ages 8 through 17,” she said. “Our goal is to spark aviation interests in the minds of young people,” she said.Martin also advocates for one of Colorado’s most talked about issues – water. She is the current president of Protect Our Wells, a nonprofit, citizen-based organization billed as the “voice” of residents with private wells in the Denver Basin, which includes the Falcon area.”POW tries to review proposed developments, attending both the planning commission and board of county commissioner meetings when feasible,” she said. “In addition, we monitor legislative Web sites for items of impact to private well owners, and because we’re not members of the El Paso County Water Authority or the Arkansas Basin Roundtable, we do have representation at those meetings.”While covering aviation and water issues, Martin added another issue to her plate. She served as a committee member for the last four-plus years on the revision of the El Paso County Land Development Code, adopted by the El Paso County Board of Commissioners Oct. 12.Martin is a true lover of Colorado. She was born in 1948 in Ogden, Utah. When she was 5 years old, her family moved to Kansas City, Mo., to be closer to her grandfather and uncle. Martin met her husband, Richard, the summer of their sophomore year of high school. They dated for five years and married before Richard served a 19-month tour in Vietnam.”We’re still married and going on 39 wonderful years,” she said.In 1966, Martin graduated from Ruskin High School and then attended the University of Missouri at Kansas City where she studied to become a CPA. After she completed her freshman year, she became a part-time student and worked full time.”I read John Naisbitt’s book “MegaTrends” in 1980,” Martin said. “He predicted there would be huge growth in the information technology field. So, I went back to school.” In 1992, Martin earned a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems from Park University in Parkville, Mo. Three years later, she earned a master’s degree from Park in public administration, with an emphasis in international business.An advocate of life-long learning, Martin is currently a few credits away from earning her MBA in eLogistics from Colorado Technical University in Colorado Springs. She recently started her first year of law school online at The Witkin School of Law, offered through William Howard Taft University in Santa Ana, Calif.Martin’s love for Colorado began when she and Richard took camping and skiing vacations in Colorado before they were married. “We would schedule our ski trips around the Colorado Rockies hockey schedule,” she said.The Martins moved to Colorado Springs in 1996 and to Meadow Lake Estates in Falcon in 1997. Richard has held a private pilot’s license since 1971, and the couple has owned several airplanes. “Moving to Meadow Lake is perfect since we have taxi access from our home to the runway,” Martin said.She is still moved by the beauty of Colorado’s mountains. “One time while sitting in camp, my husband and I agreed that it must make your heart feel good to wake up each day and just see the mountains,” she said. “And you know what? After being here now, since 1996, it’s true!”A little more on Sandra MartinWhat did you just finish reading?“Decade of the Wolf: Returning the Wild to Yellowstone” by Douglas W. Smith & Gary FergusonWhere is your favorite vacation spot? Why?There are too many, the Western Slope of Colorado around the Ouray area, Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, the back country airstrips of Idaho, the Sand Dunes, Pismo Beach or South Padre Island – the majesty of our landscape and the sound of the ocean.What is your favorite memory?The first time I saw Yellowstone and the splendor of watching Old Faithful erupt with only my husband at my side to share it. It truly took my breath away. That’s the real beauty of going there “out of season” – no people.What do you like most about living in Falcon and/or Colorado?What I liked about living in Falcon will become a distant memory with the opening of the “world’s largest retailer of cheap underwear,” so let’s talk about living at Meadow Lake. There is a real sense of community around the airport. Neighbors are real friends who watch out for each other, help when asked and offer when they see a need. I love the mild winters and the endless skies and sunshine. My heart does feel better waking up and seeing the mountains.
