A bison head serves as a tie rack at The Alley in Corvallis. In just a few days, the space formerly occupied by law offices and a beauty salon was quickly transformed into a cozy, vintage men's clothing store.

CORVALLIS — On a soggy Wednesday afternoon, curious onlookers ducked into a new men’s consignment shop on Jefferson Avenue — the first one like it in Corvallis.

The Alley, Nancy Kneisel’s latest store in her Second Glance resale chain, marked its official opening Nov. 23.

The store is just around the corner from her main store, Second Glance, and across the intersection from the Annex, a trendy consignment store.

In just a few days, The Alley’s space, formerly occupied by law offices and a beauty salon, quickly was transformed into a cozy, vintage men’s store. It features crown molding, Venetian plaster, a fireplace, an antler chandelier, a flat-screen TV tuned to ESPN and a mounted bison head. Kneisel hovered around, tending to details, with a glass of Champagne. With a smile, she ushered in timid-looking men carrying armfuls of clothing for consignment.

“We needed this,” said Richard Arterbury, one of the first men to wander in on a Wednesday morning. “If you want to shop local as a man, you don’t have many choices. Sometimes you just want to change your shirt from what you wear every day but don’t want to pay $80 to do it.”

Shortly after Arterbury got a tour of the store from a bubbly Kneisel, The Alley got its first real customer — a man who brought in a few pairs of jeans to sell on consignment — and who left with a pair of brown slacks.

Kneisel’s goal here is the same as her first two stores — to provide her male customers with recycled but fashionable, up-to-date clothing at affordable prices. She doesn’t accept vintage items for consignment, and the clothes have to be in good condition — no rips or stains.

And at The Alley, Kneisel has tied in many eclectic decorative pieces she has collected over the years, such as an old fencing mask, vintage posters and an antique stained glass window from a men’s clothing shop in Glasgow, Scotland. She found the stained glass piece at a London flea market 17 years ago — now, it hangs above the entry to The Alley.

“I saw this sign and said, ‘I have to have that,’” Kneisel said. She and her husband carried it through Europe and on a plane back home. For years it sat in her husband’s workshop until Kneisel figured out exactly where it would fit.

The new store also features a drink cooler that eventually will hold wine, beer and whiskey behind the bar, Kneisel said. However, the drinking probably will be limited to promotional events.

Kneisel’s flare for ambiance and her brand of decor has been part of her business success in Corvallis for the past 27 years.

“There’s a saying in my family,” Kneisel said. “‘When in doubt, put up crown molding — it hides the hostess’ sins.’”

With holiday shopping season looming, The Alley plans to hit the ground running. On Dec. 3, Kneisel and her crew of young women employees had a Civil War watching party at The Alley — “with beer,” she added.

Would-be state librarian denies job

SALEM — A candidate’s unexpected rejection of the position of state librarian has the Oregon State Library Board of Trustees scrambling to find a leader.

Robert Hulshof-Schmidt was selected unanimously to by the board to the position in October after longtime state librarian Jim Scheppke announced his retirement. Hulshof-Schmidt’s resignation on Friday from his current position came after staffers hadn’t seen him at work for several weeks, the Salem Statesman Journal reported.

Officials have refused to specify why Hulshof-Schmidt resigned his current position and rejected the state librarian position.

A program manager for the state library will take over as interim state librarian on Jan. 1.

Firefighters find 2 bodies in burning RV

SALEM — Firefighters have found the bodies of two people inside a recreational vehicle parked at a Salem park.

Willamette Valley Fire and Rescue Authority firefighters found the RV burning early Saturday morning with flames as high as 10 feet.

The bodies have not yet been identified. The cause of the fire is undetermined.

— From wire reports