Home Care In Bow Mar, CO

The social media influencers lost hunting privileges in Nebraska and received monetary penalties after pleading guilty last October to conspiracy.

Josh and Sarah Bowmar, the bowhunting influencers who first landed in court in 2020, have received 3 years of probation along with tens of thousands of dollars in fines and restitution.

The two heard their sentence in the United States District Court of Nebraska today. According to a spokesperson for the court, the Bowmars lost their hunting privileges in the state during their probation. They will also jointly pay $13,000 in restitution and $25,000 each in fines. Their company, Bowmar Bowhunting, LLC, will also pay $25,000 in fines.

The sentence came after the most extensive poaching sting in the state’s history, which resulted in a slew of charges against multiple people.

Game officials originally leveled charges against the Ohio couple of hunting wild turkeys without a valid permit, illegally transporting game across state lines, illegal baiting of wildlife, and other crimes.

On Oct. 19, 2022, the Bowmars pled guilty to unlawfully, willfully, and knowingly conspiring with others to possess, transport, or sell wildlife in violation of the federal Lacey Act. They stated in court on behalf of themselves and their company, “I conspired to violate the Lacey Act and I should have known better.” The other charges were dropped.

Josh & Sarah Bowmar Plead Guilty to Conspiracy in Nebraska Poaching Case

After a years-long stagnation in the infamous case, Josh and Sarah Bowmar have pled guilty to conspiring to violate the Lacey Act. Read more…

Also in conjunction with the case, the co-owner and lead guide of the Bowmars’ Nebraska outfitter received a hefty sentence. Jacob Hueftle of Broken Bow, Nebraska’s Hidden Hills Outfitters received 30 months in federal prison, a 15-year ban from engaging in hunting/trapping and any other associated activities, and a $214,375 fine in 2020.

Prior to the Bowmars’ sentencing, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s sting operation had resulted in over $625,000 in fines and 53 years of revoked hunting and fishing privileges. Ninety-seven animals were found taken illegally, as of Hueftle’s case.

Someone in the town of Bow Mar has some explaining to do about this "no access to Sheridan" sign, because this road totally has access to Sheridan.

BOW MAR, Colo. — Street signs are supposed to be informative. They take some of the guess work out of driving.

When you see a speed limit sign, you do not have to guess the number, it is printed right there.

Continuous lane signs provide the peace of mind that you are not merging into someone else's lane.

Then there is the sign on West Berry Avenue, just west of Lowell Boulevard, that says something that you do not expect from a street sign.

"I see this sign that says it's 'Not a Through Street,' it doesn't go to Sheridan. And I'm like, 'wait a second? Sheridan comes to here,'" said Littleton resident Jared Ewy. "Is there some sort of Bow Mar space-time thing?"

The sign is in Littleton, just as West Berry Avenue enters Bow Mar, a town with a population of around 900.

"I'm sure these are all amazing people on the other side of that sign, but it's a lie. It's a total lie. You can get to Sheridan," said Ewy.

Ewy is right.

Keep driving straight past the sign, and without making any turns you end up intersecting Sheridan.

"They could probably get away with 'Not a Through Street' because maybe it wiggles enough that technically it's not a through street. But then they say there's 'No Access to Sheridan.' It goes right to Sheridan," said Ewy.

If we are going to dissect this, West Berry Avenue does not access Sheridan. That is because West Berry Avenue becomes Bow Mar Drive, which accesses Sheridan.

"Can a street sign lie?" asked Ewy. "I don't see any other reason other than to keep people from going through."

The sign has been up for years. There is a similar sign near Belleview Avenue and Perry Street that reads "No Access To Wadsworth."

That sign is accurate. Belleview Avenue intersects with Bow Mar Drive, which connects to Sheridan, but not Wadsworth.

"I'm thinking, wait? Can a city just lie? If so, maybe every city gets at least one lie, you know, Denver can put 'full' at its city limits," said Ewy.

The sign is located in the city of Littleton, but a spokeswoman for the city said the sign was not put up Littleton and that you can tell because of the post.

The "no access" sign is on a green-colored post, while city of Littleton signs are on silver-colored posts.

Next with Kyle Clark spoke with Bow Mar's Mayor Pro Tem, who was going to contact the Public Works Director to get us information about the sign. On Tuesday afternoon, a representative from the Bow Mar Clerk's Office said the Town Clerk would return our call. That has not yet happened.

The Littleton Public Works Director was out of the office on Tuesday and could not answer if the sign will come down since it is on Littleton city property.

A question still unanswered from Bow Mar or Littleton: was the sign ever accurate?

"You know, I could run over that. It would probably be illegal to run over any old street sign that's state or city property. But I thought since it's a lie, can you run over a lie and be legally immune?" said Ewy. "I think I kind of want it to stay there. I just want people to know it's a lie. I think it's kind of cool now. It is a navigational landmark that, now, is probably going to attract more traffic than spurn."

The tight-knit community of Bow Mar has just 900 residents and its own private lake.

This Colorado town may be tiny – it’s just one square mile and has about 900 residents – but it's got a friendly, rural feel that is one of many reasons why the residents who move there tend to stay put.

Bow Mar is about 12 miles southwest of Denver and consists of single-family homes on acre-lots, a private lake — and lots of open space (and the views that come with it) in between.

Many of Bow Mar's residents are second- or third-generation families (95 percent of whom own their homes) who are known for respecting each other (even if they don't always agree), according to Bow Mar's "Community Plan," drafted in November 2015.

And Bow Mar residents are well-educated, with 80 percent of those over age 25 having a bachelor's degree or higher. The median household income in Bow Mar is about $170,000, the plan says.

Pause and you might be able to figure out how it got its name

Credit: Allison Sylte, KUSA

Bow Mar has a history that involves pioneer farmers, Baby Boomer-era development and even the guy who founded King Soopers.

Let’s start with the name: It came by combining the monikers of two nearby lakes, Bowles Lake and Marston Lake (get it?). Those were named after Joseph Bowles and John Marston, two farmers who put this area straddling the Arapahoe and Jefferson County borders on the map.

But you can trace its origins as a neighborhood to Lloyd King – who owned King Soopers. He and a Denver realtor bought the 575-acre subdivision that would become Bow Mar with the dream that it would be a luxury neighborhood that would also govern itself.

And, this is what happened – that is, after the parcel land was sold to another land developer a couple of years later.

Credit: Allison Sylte, KUSA

Bow Mar was incorporated as a town in 1958, and as new homes were built, many were modeled after Frank Lloyd Wright’s prairie-style architecture.

None of them were more than a story tall.

The close-knit residents who live in Bow Mar now get the opportunity to enjoy their own private beach, as well as participate in a yacht club, ice skate, and use the neighborhood’s tennis courts.

Clean energy

Bow Mar is among several Colorado communities and towns trying to take a cleaner approach to energy usage. Boulder-based Clean Energy Collective in fall 2014 began supplying the South Suburban Park and Recreation District with solar panels to offset the high-demand needs of the area's irrigations systems — needs particularly fueled by golf courses, playgrounds and ball fields in Bow Mar and surrounding communities.

Credit: Allison Sylte, KUSA

Food

The town itself does not have much in the way of eating, but there are a few spots in nearby Littleton that residents can enjoy.

One such place is Walter's 303 Pizzeria & Publik House (5194 S. Lowell Blvd.), which serves up handmade pizza, craft beer, calzones and wings. Just up the road is JP Nori Sushi & Asian Cuisine (5302 S. Federal Cir.), a share-the-menu type place with Thai food, sushi and bento.

Resident can also catch a live show at The Toad Tavern (5302 S. Federal Cir.), a popular mini-concert hall where local and national bands play everything from indie rock to country.

Credit: Allison Sylte, KUSA

So you want to live in Bow Mar …

Convinced yet? Bow Mar homes are private and classy, and for those reasons tend to be on the expensive side: The median sales price is $932,500, according to real estate website Trulia.com.

This contemporary Bow Mar farmhouse, designed by Boulder's Surround Architecture, opens to the outdoors at every turn. Take a tour.

The Local newsletter is your free, daily guide to life in Colorado. For locals, by locals. Sign up today!

protected by reCAPTCHA

-

It’s easy to think of “design” as the trimmings: a gussied-up wallpaper, a gilded chandelier, the perfect modern tile. But this handsome home in the town of Bow Mar, dreamed up by architects Dale Hubbard and Kim Cattau of Boulder’s Surround Architecture, proves that one cornerstone of great design is a smart, easy-to-love layout.

The architects worked with the high-energy family of five who lives here to create a foolproof floor plan that accommodates modern family life in its many forms, from social gatherings to outdoor play and the all-important down time. Indoors, a gathering wing with an open kitchen and great room connects (by way of a sliding barn door) to a kids’ common area and the home’s sleeping quarters—which means adults and kids can easily enjoy togetherness or breathing room as needed. At the center of the home’s U-shaped layout, a central outdoor courtyard offers open-air living and dining spaces where the family can relish sunny Colorado days, year-round.

5280 Home April/May 2018

More From The Issue

“There are three distinct zones [in the courtyard]; three rooms without walls,” Cattau says. On one side, an outdoor kitchen with a built-in grill is just paces from a covered dining area. Next to that, a lounge area, lit by festive lights, “allows you to feel like you’re halfway inside and halfway outside,” she says. And just beyond, in the center of the courtyard, is a fire pit surrounded by Adirondack chairs—positioned so tired feet can be propped up by the low stone ledge.

The architects point to two design moves that make the home tick: First, the exterior spaces are immediately adjacent to (and visible from) the indoor gathering spaces. “People will still go out and enjoy the outdoor spaces even if it’s not perfect weather,” Hubbard says. Second, a series of large glass doors creates what Cattau calls a “psychological connection” between indoors and out. “Bi-fold openings and sliding doors allow you to physically remove a wall,” she says—unlike conventional doors that swing open and then close behind you.

Though the layout is designed to multitask, the home’s interior finishes are beautifully focused. “The couple used a great word that we love to hear as architects and designers, and that’s contrast,” Hubbard says. “This theme brings a devout simplicity to the home.” Dark doors, windows, and floors pop against crisp white walls (painted Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace). Black steel tension rods help define airy vaulted ceilings. These finishes, neither too traditional nor too stark, set the stage for the homeowners’ collection of neutral, casual furnishings (from Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn, and similar sources) chosen for their ability to stand up to everyday life.

The beauty of these design decisions is that the family and their friends don’t have to think about them: Kids and adults can simply float between indoors and out, enjoying plenty of room to gather, rest, or roam. Which perfectly sums up Colorado design—and family life at a mile high.

Listen to this article

BOW MAR — This tiny town of serene lakes and gently curving streets stands to bring in up to $2.4 million a year in sales tax revenues — boosting its municipal income by a factor of five — if a proposal to annex Southwest Plaza mall moves ahead.

Bow Mar Mayor Rick Pilgrim presented the figures to the Board of Trustees last week, as elected officials in the town of fewer than 1,000 residents get set to crunch the numbers on a controversial public-private partnership plan with mall owner General Growth Properties.

The agreement, which also involves Jefferson County, calls for Bow Mar to annex the 1.3 million-square-foot mall, and also the nearby Target store, and then collect half of a new sales tax — likely set at 3 percent — that would be imposed at the shopping center.

The other half of the proceeds from the new tax would go to a business improvement district dedicated to making infrastructure improvements at the mall, which is located at the northwest corner of South Wadsworth Boulevard and West Bowles Avenue in unincorporated Jefferson County.

Gregory Sims, senior general manager of Southwest Plaza mall, said the 31-year-old shopping center needs a source of revenue like the one being proposed in order to remain competitive in a challenging retail environment.

He noted that Southwest Plaza is the only regional mall in Colorado not located in a city or town.

“It gives us an opportunity to keep the property relevant into the future,” Sims said at a recent open house about the proposal. “It’s a chance to keep the property fresh and ahead of the curve.”

The mall is already undergoing an $80 million renovation that is slated to conclude in the fall of 2015, but Sims said that effort won’t address future needs like maintaining landscaping and updating amenities in and around the center.

“We need to keep the property fresh and ahead of the curve,” he said.

Aside from the obvious benefits of additional monies for a town with deteriorating roads and a lack of sidewalks, Pilgrim said, a revitalized Southwest Plaza mall stands to benefit not only Bow Mar but the entire quadrant of the metro area.

“If it helps the mall, it helps the whole southwest region,” he said.

But the mayor cautioned that much research must still be done on exactly what Chicago-based General Growth Properties, which owns 120 regional malls in the United States, is proposing with its annexation request and what costs it might place on Bow Mar.

The idea has so far been met with skepticism by many Bow Mar residents, who at public meetings last month questioned the long-term benefits to the town of annexation and worried about what would happen if the mall closed.

They also wondered who would be responsible for maintaining the stretch of Bowles Avenue that would connect Bow Mar with the mall more than 2 miles away — in what is known as a “flagpole” annexation.

Some want to make sure that no new residents, especially those located along Bowles in unincorporated Jefferson County, are allowed to come into the town through the annexation process. Pilgrim reassured those attending last week’s meeting that there would be “no deal” if neighborhoods abutting the annexation area decide to exercise their right to join the town.

“We are not compelled to do anything,” Pilgrim said of the proposal.

A new sales tax would have to be approved by the town’s voters — Bow Mar currently has no commercial properties — something the mall’s ownership is hoping to see make it onto the ballot this November. The annexation process would lag behind the sales tax vote by a month or so.

During last week’s meeting, it was made clear to the Board of Trustees that the agreement as written would have Jeffco continuing to do maintenance along Bowles. There was also talk about making sure the mall continues to cover the cost of law enforcement protection.

But John Ansted, a resident of south Jefferson County for 37 years, expressed skepticism about the deal. He said he is against “corporatism,” which he claimed would result from the proposed financial arrangement between a local government and a mall owner.

Another long-term Jeffco resident who attended the open house, David Everett, said while Bow Mar and General Growth Properties would benefit from the deal, the shopper would be left holding the bag.

“If you raise the sales tax, how is that going to encourage people to shop here?” he asked. “I’m not in favor of supporting private business.”

Jim Gunning, mayor of Lone Tree, said his city’s annexation a few years ago of Park Meadows mall, also a General Growth property, has been positive for everyone involved.

The fact that the mall’s portion of sales tax revenue goes to a business improvement district rather than the mall owner, he said, ensures that “the money stays here — it doesn’t go back to their corporate headquarters.”

“It helped to maintain our sales tax revenues but also surrounding property values,” Gunning said of the annexation. “If the mall becomes stale, then the property values go stale, too.”

John Aguilar: 303-954-1695, [email protected] or twitter.com/abuvthefold