Fader

Fader's Tobacconist, the century-old cigar and pipe emporium that the Fader family sold in February, will move its downtown flagship store early next year to a former Cadillac dealership on South Calvert Street.Fader's building at 107 E. Baltimore St., home to the tobacco products supplier since 1972, will be razed sometime next year to make way for construction of a 34-story skyscraper set to include a suites hotel, office space, restaurants and a parking garage.Fader's expects to close a $265,000 deal to buy the 7,500-square-foot building at 12 S. Calvert from Williams, Jackson and Ewing within the next 10 days, said Michael J. Goeller, Fader's new owner and president.

Fader's, the century-old cigar and pipe emporium that has counted H. L. Mencken and Tom Selleck among its clients, has been sold to a Pennsylvania cigar distributor, Ira B. "Bill" Fader Jr., president, said yesterday.Fader, whose grandfather started the business in downtown Baltimore in 1891, sold the six-store chain to a corporation headed by Lancaster businessman and Baltimore native Michael J. Goeller for an undisclosed amount. Goeller distributes cigars to 80 mini-markets, country clubs and restaurants in central Pennsylvania through Lancaster Venture Corp.

Judge John F. Fader II's benign, fatherly appearance doesn't fool anybody once he starts lecturing troubled families in his Baltimore County courtroom.The Circuit Court judge tells a divorced couple fighting over visitation with their teen-age sons: "We can't have two armed camps at their weddings."He tells a belligerent man in leg chains who owes $13,000 in child support: "There are murderers, there are pedophiles, and there are people who don't pay child support."As the Maryland Court of Appeals considers establishing family courts in Maryland's largest counties, Fader has carved a niche for himself as an authority on family law -- divorce, custody, child support, domestic violence.

Bruce A. Kaufman, "the dean of family law" who was recently elected chairman of the American Bar Association's family law section, died Friday at Johns Hopkins Hospital of cancer. He was 50."He was one of the leading lights in family law, a great lawyer, but, better than that, he was a great person," said Judge Robert M. Bell, chief judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals, who knew Kaufman for many years.Kaufman of Chevy Chase was a Baltimore native who graduated from the University of Maryland Law School in 1972.

The parent company of the Heritage Automotive Group, already one of Maryland's largest new-car retailers, announced yesterday that it has acquired two Saturn dealerships in the Baltimore area, the rights to a third in Annapolis and has taken on a new partner to help finance future expansion.Steven B. Fader, president and chief executive of Summa Holdings, Ltd., said the company's Heritage unit acquired Saturn of Glen Burnie and Saturn of Ellicott City from Griffith Auto Investments.Fader declined to disclose the purchase price.

Seventy years after a Water Street factory closed and ended A. Fader & Son's cigar-making days, one of the Baltimore tobacconist's premium cigars is back.The cigar, called "La Flor de Iraba," returned this week with its colorful label and "AF" logo to A. Fader & Son's six stores."I wanted to do this for a long time," Ira B. "Bill" Fader, the grandson of the company's founder, said at his East Baltimore Street shop. "I thought we should have a cigar that has our name on it. I finally took the bull by the horns and did it."

Moving to put a bitter family feud to rest, the descendants of millionaire developer Ralph DeChiaro yesterday received a judge's blessing on a settlement that would end a lawsuit pitting sister against sister.Although the issues in the suit were not resolved -- Baltimore County Circuit Judge John F. Fader II said he will name the lawyer Monday who will oversee the family trust funds -- yesterday's hearing moved the case close to a resolution."We are, right now, on the 3-yard line," Thomas N. Biddison Jr., a lawyer in the case, said after the hearing.

Death is broadcast in red-and-black lettering on a sandwich sign in front of Churchill's LTD, a tobacconist at Towson Town Center: "LOST OUR LEASE EVERYTHING MUST GO SAVE UP TO 50%"About a half-hour's commute to Baltimore Street downtown, new vistas are celebrated at Fader's old-fashioned smoke shop: "GRAND OPENING . . . 'NO WORK' SMOKEPLACE LOUNGE"Nothing but simple storefront signs. But therein lies a tale of two tobacconists. As anti-smoking forces converge from all sides, from the White House to the medical community, some tobacco retailers such as Churchill's are going up in smoke.

A Baltimore County circuit judge has expanded the circumstances under which the county Board of Appeals must deliberate in public.Judge John F. Fader II ruled last week that under the state open meetings law, development plan approval cases are a natural extension of the zoning process.The law states that in cases dealing with zoning or "any other zoning matters," administrative bodies must deliberate and announce decisions in a public meeting that is properly advertised.In October 1993, another county circuit judge ordered the appeals board to hold public deliberations in zoning decisions.

Another sold-out cigar dinner, the third in three years, was history. The man who organized the dinners, Ira B. "Bill" Fader Jr., sat in the office above his Baltimore Street tobacco shop and savored the highlights of the previous evening. He also savored a cigar, a Por Larranaga Delicados..He told of how a collection of well-turned-out gentlemen and a sprinkling of well-dressed ladies had gathered in the turn-of-the-century splendor of the Engineering Society in downtown Baltimore to feast on seared beef tenderloin, sip cognac and port, and puff on hand-rolled cigars.