ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, December 19, 1996 TAG: 9612190014
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: DUBLIN
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
It's when all the battery-powered animals starting making noises at once that things sound hectic at Celebration Station.
Carolyn Hager, who works in Pulaski County's General District Court office, started the downtown Dublin store more than a year ago to help people find ways to celebrate birthdays, office parties, marriages and other special occasions.
She stocks greeting cards, party items, balloons, candles, Christmas and National Football League ornaments, gift baskets, centerpieces, baby gifts, figurines, wreaths, wrappings, ribbons, music boxes, musical pull-toys, bird-houses, specialty fudge, and those touch-activated and sound-activated little toy animals that do everything from screeching to snoring.
"You don't want to wake all that stuff up at the same time, I'll tell you," said employee Eva Viers.
"We make gift packages, besides what we already have made up," Hager said. She chose her stock based on the kinds of items she would enjoy using herself for celebrations.
"Well, I took my habits and started from there," she said. "You get to see a lot of different kinds of people in here. Everybody has different interests."
Hager and her husband owned the building when it was occupied by Graffiti's restaurant. When that enterprise moved to larger quarters farther east on U.S. 11 last year, Hager's husband reminded her that she had always wanted to have a store and now she had the space for one.
"The next thing I knew, I was in Williamsburg," she said, stocking up on specialty items for the store.
However, she noted, "We still have people coming in wanting Graffiti's ice cream."
Since Hager spends most of her day in the court clerk's office in Pulaski, the store is run mostly by Viers, Betsy Tate, Bonnie Kemp and Terri Hager. Kemp had previously been clerk in the court office where Hager works. "Now, I'm her boss," Hager joked.
Among the store's specialty items is a line of "Angel Note" cards created by Tate and business partner Ann Collins of Lynchburg. The cards, with angel drawings by Richmond artist Ann Rohrer, are distributed in 18 states.
Celebration Station is also the distributor for Creations by Rene, specialty items of various kinds formerly sold in a store that has now closed.
Hager is pondering retirement these days, so she can spend more time at her store. She'd also like to spend more time with granddaughter Julia, born about nine months ago.
"I love working at the court. I've done it for 25 years," Hager said. "But I love this, too, and I love that new grandchild."
LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: PAUL DELLINGER/Staff. Eva Viers, Carolyn Hager (center)by CNBand Betsy Tate work at Celebration Station.