Top 5 most-read stories: Starbucks in Aspen to close; Armie Hammer restraining order tossed in Pitkin County Court
We’ve rounded up the top five most-read stories on Aspentimes.com from last week.
1.) Starbucks to shut down Aspen location over seven-figure debt
Something’s brewing at Starbucks in Aspen — but not for long.
The Starbucks in Aspen is among the eight coffee shops the company is shutting down Friday because of “issues of nonpayment” with franchisee Manhattan Capital, according to a spokesperson for the Seattle-based chain.
Starbucks and Manhattan Capital first reached a franchise-licence agreement in 2016. The agreement allowed Manhattan Capital to open a certain number of stores and allowed it use of Starbucks trademarks. In addition to the one-time franchise fee per location, Manhattan Capital was required to pay 7% of its stores’ monthly gross revenue and a 1% advertising fee to Starbucks.
— Rick Carroll
2.) Armie Hammer restraining order tossed in Pitkin County Court after parties fail to appear
The latest accusation of misconduct against embattled actor Armie Hammer resulted in a dismissal of a temporary restraining order after parties on both sides were no-shows for Wednesday’s scheduled hearing at Pitkin County Court.
After waiting nearly 15 minutes and calling out multiple times for the plaintiff, 26, and Hammer, 36 — both of whom were permitted to appear virtually via WebEx — Judge Ashley Andrews dismissed the case without prejudice. The court, however, could permit the plaintiff to file another civil protection order against Hammer in the future.
Judge Andrews said that because she did not see that Hammer had been served his summons to appear in court and the plaintiff was aware of the date and time of the hearing based on her last appearance in court, she would dismiss the temporary protection order.
— Josie Taris
3.) City reprimanded council candidate Guth over unapproved single-family home in 2020
City Council candidate Bill Guth was reprimanded by the city of Aspen in 2020 over an unauthorized conversion of a West End residential duplex into a single-family home, according to public records and a series of emails exchanged between Guth and city officials.
In both email and virtual interviews, he said he knowingly violated the duplex approvals but was carrying out the orders of the property owner, Ohio-based Garrett Gulch Equity Venture LLC.
Guth, who is a real-estate developer, broker, and investor, said he had no financial connections to the now-dissolved limited liability company. He described the person with the money behind Garrett Gulch as “very private.”
— Rick Carroll
4.) Worker sues over injuries from Aspen-area home explosion
Diego Gonzalez had been putting his handyman skills to use at a luxury-home construction site on the outskirts of Aspen for nearly a year.
He was on the jobsite at 7:30 a.m. on Feb. 3, 2022, ready to work on framing and carpentry as well as complete organizational tasks, like arranging tools. Gonzalez wasn’t at work too long — he noticed his truck had a flat tire, so he went to Aspen to have it fixed.
Back to work at 1:30 p.m., he was organizing tools in the upstairs kitchen area of the nearly finished two-level, 8,250-square-foot single-family home on 173 Slalom Path, one of the new subdivision’s three luxury homes under construction.
— Rick Carroll
5.) McBride family completes conservation of Lost Marbles Ranch with Aspen Valley Land Trust
A conservation easement donated by the McBride family to the Aspen Valley Land Trust completes a two-part effort to preserve the pristine and remote land, according to an announcement on Tuesday.
The bulk of the family’s nearly 2,000-acre Lost Marbles Ranch was protected in 2019 through a donated conservation easement to the land trust. The family’s donation of the second easement will “protect the remainder of the ranch,” the announcement said.
“Dedicating our land to its highest and best use — wildlife habitat — was an important and easy decision for our family,” said Pete McBride, son of John and Laurie McBride. “It is great to know the open space, agricultural legacy of this land will continue for generations to come — not just for its stewards and any livestock, but also the elk, bear, beaver, raptors, songbirds, and so many more.”
— Staff Report
