Elleda Wilson: In One Ear: Thrift shop treat

Elleda Wilson, The Daily Astorian, Ore.
·1 min read

Sep. 23—Nancy Johnson found a real gem at a Vancouver, Washington, Goodwill store: A chef jacket, hand-painted in 2008 by well-known Astoria artist Ronni Harris. She posted the photos shown on the "You Know You're From Astoria" Facebook page.

"I couldn't walk away," Nancy recalled, when she spotted the jacket. "People find a ton of treasures in these places. A lot of people go there just to save what's been thrown away."

Although she now lives in Battle Ground, Washington, Nancy was brought up in Hammond, so she quickly recognized the Astoria Trolley in the artwork. It wasn't until later that she realized who the artist was.

Ronni herself chimed in on one of the posts, explaining that the jacket was specially designed for "Sammie who owned Gourmet Gallery and Gifts in the Red Building." How the jacket arrived at the Goodwill is unknown.

"I'll probably hold onto it for a while till I make a decision," Nancy told the Ear. She figures finding the jacket is a bit of a cautionary tale. "It's kind of a warning," she noted. "Watch what you throw away." (In One Ear, 9/22/2017)