Hello everyone, my name is Terry Carwile and I’m the Democratic candidate for Colorado House District 57. As you may know, reapportionment had a great impact on the boundaries of our district. It now encompasses Grand, Jackson, Routt, Moffat, Rio Blanco, and about the western half of Garfield counties.

I live in Craig and I’ve lived in Northwest Colorado for 28 years. My family moved to Colorado in 1962. Except for military service, I have been a resident of Colorado for 40 years. While on active duty in the Naval Reserve, I spent a one-year tour with the Naval Support Detachment at Chu Lai in South Vietnam and completed my active service aboard the aircraft carrier USS Bon Homme Richard. I was honorably discharged in 1972.

Since completion of my military service, I have been employed primarily in heavy construction. These days, I work at Trapper Mine here in Craig and I’ve been there since 1978. Although I’m an equipment operator, I have a pit foreman’s license and have been involved with supervision, planning, and safety with the company.

I’m a life member of the Veteran of Foreign Wars and the National Rifle Association. I enjoy hunting, cycling (I’ve done seven Ride The Rockies bike tours), and whitewater rafting. I’m also active with the Yampa River Basin Partnership and serve on the Museum of Northwest Colorado board of directors.

I have been emphasizing three issues during the course of my campaign: water, education, and growth. Our state needs a comprehensive drought and water use plan. The basic components of this plan are an evaluation of current supply capacity in relation to demand for this precious resource. Additionally, a powerful effort should be made to educate our citizens about the need to use water intelligently. It is also important to keep Western Slope water on the Western Slope.

Education is the vehicle that will carry us to future prosperity. I believe it is a key component of any plan to address future challenges and current problems. Management of the educational system should be carried out at the local level without undue centralized interference. Education should also reflect local values and culture and be relevant to the needs of the community.

Reports indicate that Colorado’s population will increase by a million people in the next 10 years. It is imperative that we plan for that now! The state should be in a position to facilitate local management of growth. It is not possible for a centralized plan to adequately address the needs of growth in every community. Poorly managed growth can have long-term negative consequences for a community.

Finally, I would urge everyone to get out and vote. We are in challenging times as a state and as a country. It is not possible for us to meet these challenges without the involvement of our citizens. A recent election in Dinosaur, Colo., was decided by a coin toss. Your vote counts!