Nordstrom

Gustav "Gus" Baer, a retired executive and certified public accountant who had a second career as a pianist entertaining Nordstrom shoppers with his spirited renditions of Cole Porter, Duke Ellington and George Gershwin classics, died Oct. 9 of a neurodegenerative disorder at the Emeritus Pikesville senior-living facility. The longtime Baltimore County resident was 84. The son of a businessman and a concert pianist and music teacher, Mr. Baer was born in Baltimore and raised on Sequoia Avenue in the city's Ashburton neighborhood.

Nordstrom Rack will open its planned store in Columbia today at 9 a.m. The discount format of upscale department store Nordstrom Inc. celebrates the opening of a 41,000-square-foot space with "Rally at the Rack. " The retailer promises music, breakfast treats and gift card prizes. When the store opens, the first 1,000 shoppers to buy something will get a free tote bag. (While supplies last.) The Columbia store , in the former Room Store space, will be the fourth Rack in the state, joining others in Annapolis, Gaithersburg and Towson.

Nordstrom Inc., which built its reputation on how it interacts with customers face to face, is gearing up for a not-too-distant future in which its salespeople will interact with shoppers through two-way television screens.The Seattle-based department store chain told shareholders at its annual meeting yesterday that it would launch a series of direct marketing efforts over the next several years, including a full-scale catalog operation and possible participation in televised shopping programs.

Gustav "Gus" Baer, a retired executive and certified public accountant who had a second career as a pianist entertaining Nordstrom shoppers with his spirited renditions of Cole Porter, Duke Ellington and George Gershwin classics, died Oct. 9 of a neurodegenerative disorder at the Emeritus Pikesville senior-living facility. The longtime Baltimore County resident was 84. The son of a businessman and a concert pianist and music teacher, Mr. Baer was born in Baltimore and raised on Sequoia Avenue in the city's Ashburton neighborhood.

Woodward & Lothrop Inc., embroiled in a public squabble over Annapolis Mall's proposed expansion to open a Nordstrom department store, fired another shot yesterday in its battle to block the plans.Woodies, which says it's fighting a new 260,000-square-foot Nordstrom and some 45 smaller stores for environmental and technical reasons, appealed the mall's grading permit, temporarily delaying work.The mall, a mile from Woodies' Parole store, had expected to start grading within two weeks, said Rodney Haynes, vice president of development for the mall's manager.

Woodward & Lothrop Inc.'s challenge to a proposed expansion of Annapolis Mall has already delayed construction long enough that it is unlikely Nordstrom will be able to meet its planned opening date of August 1993, a top Nordstrom executive in Seattle said yesterday."

A man walked out of the Nordstrom store in the Annapolis Mall Wednesday evening without paying for a leather jacket worth nearly $400 and escaped in a late-model red Mazda RX7, county police said yesterday.Police said a store employee saw the man take the jacket from a display rack shortly before 7:30 p.m., put it on, walk out of the store and get into the car, which was driven by another man.The employee followed the shoplifter and got the tag number of the car. Police also have a photo of the man from a videotape in the store.

Nordstrom Co. has cut 70 employees from the permanent work force at its new Towson Town Center store -- a move it described as a normal weeding-out of workers whose performance did not meet its standards, a company spokeswoman said yesterday.The terminated employees, representing just over 10 percent of the 657 hired for the store's opening in September, were notified they were being let go the week after Christmas, said Kathy Valentine, spokeswoman for the chain's regional office.Another 50 or so employees who were hired as holiday temporaries also left the payroll, she said.

A gurgling fountain surrounded by palm trees adorns th atrium in front of the new Nordstrom department store in Towson Town Center mall.Cafe-style tables are grouped about the fountain and the palms, and a waiter in formal attire moves quietly from table to table, taking orders, tidying up.Patrons sip espresso, nibble at pastry.From a distant skylight, sunlight splashes the area.Ivory-colored columns line the walls.All told, I beheld a scene of genteel splendor."Hmm," I said as I approached the store with a friend.

TWO-HUNDRED-FIFTY children gathered at the Howard County Center for the Arts in Ellicott City last weekend to decorate ceramic tiles that will be installed in the Nordstrom store slated to open next September at The Mall in Columbia.Nordstrom and the Columbia Foundation co-produced the event benefit children's charities.Each participant, working under the direction of sculptor and ceramicist Charles Bigger, paid $35 to paint two 4-inch-square tiles with images related to a sea-life theme.

On Monday, 19-year-old Rodney Vest Pridget stopped by the Northeast Baltimore group home where he once lived. He watched TV with old friends and told them he was heading to the Towson Town Center mall. Hours later, Pridget was found dead of gunshot wounds on a sidewalk outside a service entrance to Nordstrom as crowds of people inside shopped for Christmas presents. People who knew Pridget struggled to understand what had happened to him. Baltimore County Police released few details about the shooting beyond the victim's name, emphasizing that the mall is safe and they do not believe that Pridget's death was a case of random violence.

As shoppers made last-minute stops before Christmas at the Towson Town Center Monday night, a body lay under a sheet outside Nordstrom. A man was fatally shot about 6:22 p.m. on a parking lot sidewalk outside a service entrance to the department store, Baltimore County police said. Police said Monday night they had no suspects, and did not release the identity of the victim, described only as a black man. With six days until Christmas, shoppers appeared unaware of the incident.

Baltimore County police have identified the victim of the fatal shooting Monday night at Towson Town Center. Rodney Vest Pridget, 19, who lives in the Baltimore area, was found dead of gunshot wounds about 6:22 p.m. near a service entrance to Nordstrom at the mall, investigators said Tuesday morning. Detectives do not believe the shooting was a random act, but officials said they were not providing additional details at this time due to the continuing investigation. Detectives are investigating a number of leads, including video footage recovered from the mall, police said.

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Amanda Ritchey is an artist who followed her passion in life. She confesses that since her aunts were speech pathologists and her mother was a social worker, Amanda had always thought she would follow in their professional footsteps. But when she graduated from Towson University, she didn't know exactly what she wanted to do in graduate school, so she decided to take a job behind the makeup counter at Nordstrom in Towson.It was a life-altering decision. “It was during that time at Nordstrom that I found I had a gift for makeup and sales.

At this writing, it is positively chilly - 91 degrees. But warmer temperatures are on the way. After all, it is summer! Well, this summer Melinda Cianos' dream came true. When one embarks on a big undertaking, it's always nice to have the love and support of family, friends and neighbors. Melinda certainly had it, and her achievement of a bachelor's degree in education - at age 45 - is the result! "People talk about a village, and that is exactly what Rodgers Forge is," she said.

Richard J. Taylor, a department store maintenance worker and college student, died early Sunday after apparently falling asleep at the wheel of his car and striking a tree near the intersection of Interstate 95 and the Baltimore Beltway.The Carney resident was 20.He had worked at the Nordstrom store in Towson since 1993. He started in men's furnishings and transferred to maintenance, where his responsibilities included lighting, air conditioning and working on special events.Damon Derossi, director of maintenance at Nordstrom and a close friend, said Mr. Taylor "was very friendly with all those he came in contact with.

The telephone number for the Junior League of Baltimore was incorrect in Sylvia Badger's column yesterday. The correct number is 243-0772.The Sun regrets the errors.What do 100,000 pairs of shoes, 18,000 butlered hors d'oeuvres, 11 bars, two fashion shows and three bands have in common? They are just a few of the highlights at the Nordstrom opening at Towson Town Center Sept. 9, which will benefit the Junior League of Baltimore's community projects.Kathy Valentine, sales promotion director of Nordstrom, is handling the arrangements for the gala and led a group of people on a tour of the store Monday.

She's been dubbed the queen of hip-hop, soul and R&B, but Mary J. Blige has also established herself as a style maven over the years. Wednesday, she will make an appearance at Nordstrom in Towson Town Center to promote the new line of her Melodies by MJB sunglasses. Fans of Blige will also have the opportunity to have their photograph taken with the songstress if they purchase the sunglasses, which range from $165 to $225. It will come as no surprise to those who have followed the career of the nine-time Grammy Award-winner, that she would launch an eyewear line.