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JUNE 15, 2016
Bids come in too low for Eve’s Garden By Kathy Steele
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
Auctioneer Marty Higgenbotham called a halt to the public auction of real estate at Eve’s Garden when it became clear the bids were too low. But, Higgenbotham and owner Evie Lynn say they will keep working to sell the property for the best price they can get. “It was too soon, too quick,” said Lynn of the auction’s scheduled date of June 10. Potential buyers didn’t have enough time to review the site’s commercial potential and make an offer, she said. Higgenbotham Auctioneers International handled the auction of real estate, plants and inventory at Eve’s Garden, 5602 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. After 33 years, Lynn is relocating her business to about 55 acres in Groveland in
KATHY STEELE/STAFF PHOTOS
See EVE’S, page 11A
Auctioneer Marty Higgenbotham, left, and Evie Lynn, owner of Eve’s Garden, confer on price of a bonsai plant during public auction of real estate, plants and other inventory.
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Tiny dog’s Walk-Ins Welcome barking saves family Get all your from fire 18920 N. Dale Mabry Hwy Ste 101 Lutz, FL (Corner of Sunlake & Dale Mabry)
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Sadly, Peanut, the dog, doesn’t survive By Diane Kortus
dkortus@lakerlutznews.com
Peanut, a tiny black Chihuahua, saved the lives of three generations of a Lutz family on June 3, when his insistent barking awakened family members at 3 a.m., alerting them to a fire in the rear of their home. Peanut’s barking from her crate awakened Jeff DeRolf and his 26-year-old daughter, Maria, who together started down the stairs to see why the dog was barking. “When I was about halfway down the stairs, I heard my mother scream at the top of her lungs,” said Maria.“Our French doors leading to our back patio were engulfed in flames.”
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Seven-year-old Michelle DeRolf holds Peanut.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE DEROLF FAMILY
The DeRolf family has lived in Lutz for over 30 years. Front row: Margarita Ruiz and Michelle DeRolf. Other members of the DeRolf family, in the back row, from left, are son Jeff Jr., mother Carmen, daughter Mariah, father Jeff and daughter Maria.
Those screams woke up the rest of the family — Maria’s 22-year-old brother, Jeff, her 7-year-old daughter, Michelle, and a friend of Jeff’s who was spending the night. They all were able to get to the front of the house and get out safely. Sadly, Peanut did not survive. “My dad and brother started back into the house to get Peanut, but by then the SUZANNE BEAUCHAINE/STAFF PHOTO smoke was thick and was Fire ravaged the DeRolf’s family home in Lutz. Persistent pouring out of the house,” barking by the family’s dog, Peanut, alerted the family to Maria said.“My brother actual- the fire. Peanut perished from smoke inhalation. ly had to hold my dad back to stop him from going back in.” just the clothes on their backs. Peanut, just 6 pounds and still a puppy “We were able to retrieve my grandfaat a year-and-a-half, was technically her ther’s ashes and a few pieces of clothing, daughter’s dog, Maria said.“But, everyone but that was all,” Maria said. loved Peanut. Her barking saved all of our That means everything else was gone — lives — she is our hero.” See FIRE, page 11A The family escaped from the house with
Famous Tate aiming for fall opening By Kathy Steele
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
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A new Famous Tate could be open as soon as fall. Site preparation for the 13,700-squarefoot appliance store is underway off U.S. 41 in Lutz.The store will sit on an outparcel in front of the Walmart Supercenter, and will be Pasco County’s third Famous Tate. Famous Tate of New Tampa Inc., purchased the 1.5-acre vacant lot in March 2015. Owner John Horst said at the time that he wanted his company to be “a player” in the growth coming to the area. “We have a lot of customer base,” said Claude Ward, the company’s general manager. But, growth in the area also will bring more traffic, he said. “As traffic becomes a hardship, people only drive so far, so we have to be more centrally located for our customers.” Bulldozers recently cleared the land.The next step will be building permits to begin the store’s construction. It tentatively is set for a fall opening, said Ward. Famous Tate was founded in 1954. Its Pasco locations are 5419 Village Market in Wesley Chapel, and 8010 Grand Blvd., in Port Richey.
KATHY STEELE/STAFF PHOTO
A new Famous Tate off U.S. 41, in front of Walmart Supercenter, is expected to open by fall. It will be Pasco County’s third Famous Tate appliance store.
The store will have company, as developers are starting to buy more of the outparcels surrounding the Walmart location. The discount store and the County Line shopping plaza are located in a pie-shaped swath of land between U.S. 41 and North Dale Mabry Highway, with entrances off both roadways. New Port Richey Hospital Inc., a subsidiary of HCA Holdings Inc., recently
bought a 1.6-acre vacant lot, across from Famous Tate. Plans are to build a health care facility, according to a press release from The Land Sharks LLC, which brokered the sale. Another outparcel is slated for a StorKwik Self Storage. Mark Cooney of The Land Sharks also anticipates a restaurant and automobile store are potential new tenants on other outparcels.