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10 signs you’re a Craig local

A deer strolls across a Craig street.
File photo

We asked Craig Daily Press Facebook followers to fill in the blank: You don’t really become a Craig local until ______.

And people had a lot to say. The post racked up nearly 60 comments, from obvious to obscure ways you might know you’re a local here in Craig, Colorado.

In this small city of only about 10,000 people, there are plenty of locals. And here are some signs you might be one of them.

10. Until you hit a deer or elk. —Tim Baldwin
Watching out for wildlife is a fact of life in rural Moffat County, which is home to many wild animals, large and small, including a resident deer population. Be careful driving out there.

9. You know the Ocean Pearl was the Truck Stop and Murdoch’s was Kmart and the best steak dinner was Signal Hill. —Tammy Patton
When one business closes, another often opens in the same place. And if you’re new to town, it can be hard to keep track of all the establishments that have moved around. Others spots, like the location of the former Signal Hill Inn, remain vacant for years. Here’s to hoping whatever opens in that building next offers up a steak half as good as Signal Hill did.

8. Until you know which building is the old high school, and which is the “new” high school. —Nellie Mack Lake

Vallarta’s Mexican Restaurant, inside Centennial Mall at 1111 W. Victory Way, is known for its fajitas and its Cadillac, Vallarta and agave margaritas.

Here’s a cheat sheet on this one if you’re not a local: The “new” Moffat County High School is what’s on Finley Lane and West Ninth Street. The “old” high school was located on East Ninth Street and Yampa Avenue, and is now the location of a new Craig Middle School, completed in 2009.

7. Until going out to eat is deciding if you want Mexican food or Village Inn. —Zach Hansen
These two choices aren’t as limiting as they sound — as Craig offers multiple Mexican food options (including Vallarta’s, Fiesta Jalisco, La Cabana and Los Jilbertos), and the Village Inn offers an expansive menu of other non-Mexican cuisine.

6. Your yard becomes a bed and breakfast for deer and you actually miss them when they stop showing up. —Cristen Jantz
We’re not sure where all the deer went. Could it be that all the locals hit them with their cars? (See #1)

5. You go to school while the power’s out and there’s a blizzard. —Jessica Johnson

Here in Northwest Colorado, it’s rare to cancel school only because of a snowstorm. And Moffat County schools have notably remained in session despite -63 degree temperatures during one winter.

One of these is not like the others. A member of the Craig Kiwanis club quintette in 1955 dresses in drag as part of the all-male community play.

4. You hang out at a bar and a parent, cousin and ex-husband are all there too. —Andrea Rahe
Welcome to life in a small town. We’re guessing you probably run into them while you’re getting Mexican food or eating at the Village Inn too.

3. You go to City Market for some milk but spend almost an hour in there because you’re talking to all sorts of people you know. —Ricky Washburn
After the closure of Safeway in 2013, you’re even more likely to run into people you know during a trip to City Market. Avoid the after-school, after-work rush if you’re not feeling chatty.

2. You get all the inside jokes during the Kiwanis play. —Rick Ridenour
Often a sell-out, the annual Kiwanis play has gone on for 71 years and running, and is a fun production put on by members of the Kiwanis Club of Craig. Local tip: If a hairy man in lipstick gives you a kiss as you walk in the door, don’t punch him — it’s all part of the show.

1. You know to pay attention to the one ways during hunting season … LOL —Joanna Tuttle Hatten
When you’re a local in a town this size, there’s nothing confusing about a couple of one-way streets. But when thousands of hunters pass through town each fall, you pay a little closer attention for the sake of all the confused drivers still catching their bearings.


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