Dec 5, 2007

Highway signage gets traffic into gift shopBy Monica OroszDailyMail.com

Hurricane – Among the blue signs pointing travelers to the fast-food restaurants, gas stations, a motel and attractions at the Hurricane exit of Interstate 64 is a colorful and eye-catching sign that has nothing to do with filling up.

It cost Hager more than $3,000 — $1,200 for interstate signs and $2,000 for a three-year advertising contract. ..

The orange-colored sign points visitors to Pumpkin House Primitives, and it represents a big step for a Putnam County businesswoman whose last year has been marked with major life changes.

Patty Hager and her husband had operated Whispering Wisteria Home, which sold country and primitive-styled gift items along with furniture they made and painted, since 1994 in space connected to their home right off W.Va. 34.

When James Hager died of cancer in July 2006, Patty faced some upheaval in her life. James had been her business and life partner and they enjoyed their time traveling to buy items for the shop and building and painting furniture together. Her business was affected in the months after he died and she had to cut back hours and let go her only employee.

“Once I got through the grief and the depression, I said, ‘Patty, you need to do something,’ ” she said.

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