SEPTEMBER 2013


9


followed in pursuit of Early and his men, who were left without Gen. Robert E. Lee and his soldiers. With Brig. Gen. George Crook’s army by his side, Wright led 10,500 men after Early. Wright caught up with Early at Snickers Ferry and the two sides collided near Cool Springs, leaving approximately 800 casualties. The


Springs


university’s Cool project,


nicknamed “Shenandoah Science, Dr.


now on


the Shenandoah,” is overseen by the Dean of the College of Arts and Calvin in


constant run


Allen. He says he is communication


with everyone involved in the project, insuring that current activities


smoothly and


future activities are planned in accordance with the easement and the university’s education mission.


is carried out by Gene Lewis, the Cool Springs


Onsite management property


steward and manager, and T. Grant Lewis, the Cool Springs program director. Allen plans to incorporate the property into


student including working life programs, the outdoor


leadership. The school says it’s also closely


with the


Clarke County communities around Cool Springs, including the


Holly Cross Abbey and


the Shenandoah Retreat, and Clarke County and regional historical groups. The residents of the Retreat have the same access as others and received the code to the locked gates when the project began with SU.


The Land Shenandoah


directors remains about the


Corporation board situation


as


Retreat of


positive well:


“[We have] enjoyed proactive and positive communications with Shenandoah University,” said a member of the Retreat’s board. Just like anytime you get a new neighbor in your neighborhood, there is a ‘get- to-know-you’ period, and we reserve concerns for our


community. We are pleased to find that the university and the Retreat have mutual interests in


fostering a long-term


relationship.” T. Grant Lewis says the university tries to be a good neighbor. They are aware of the noise that they create; they try to keep in contact with the residents around them, and will enforce the 15mph speed limit in the Retreat. They also are only using one road, Parker Lane off of Route 7, for access into Cool Springs.


There are two structures at


Cool Springs: the Clubhouse, which is the only historical building on the property, and one small pavilion. There are a few gravel parking lots, a walking path, and 195 acres of open land and river. Allen, Lewis, and Lewis told Observer improvements some interpretive historical


the


include signs


describing


significance, but there are no plans for construction except for a few outbuildings like rest rooms and a covered weather shelter. Lewis and Lewis also mention that they personally don’t want to see anything built there.


Cool Springs is now open to students and the public from dawn until dusk every day, with like


star


exceptions for events gazing.


at Shenandoah


said Dr. Allen, referring to the citizens that walk and bike on the main campus in Winchester. “The overall goal is to get the property back to what it was in the 1860s,” said Dr. Allen. Specifically, there will be no golf course. Cool Springs will be managed as a nature reserve. Lewis and Lewis refer to


the Cool Springs property as a “wonderful gift,” hoping that the students and community will “connect to the land,” referring


to recent trends C


in which young people have little or no contact with nature and, as a result, have little appreciation for it.


M Y Y CM


For Grant Lewis, the long term future of the landscape is what’s most important. He says it will take collaboration and


MY CY CY CMY CMY K community support to


take care of Cool Springs in perpetuity. “Why don’t we get together to protect this place?” he said. The


SU already community enjoying is the Cool


Springs land. Recently the Class of 2017 ventured there for a program; and the university’s resident assistants and resident directors had


retreat there. While


Everyone University


stresses that while the public is welcome, Cool Springs is not a park—it is a natural area of historical significance. “It’s not a free-for-all,” said T. Grant Lewis, commenting on student access to the land. Cool Spring’s


rules and


regulations are posted on signs placed about the property. No hunting, firearms, or metal detectors are permitted. Lewis and Lewis are putting their trust in SU students and the public to respect the Cool Springs property and adjacent neighborhoods. “Cool Springs will have the same openness as our campus,”


Allen,


an outdoor Lewis, and


Lewis all play different roles in determining the future of Cool Springs, each shares a sense of passion about making it work for the community and the resources protected by the easement. They admit to learning as they go, and say


that concerns is not


addressing a


public one-time


thing—it will be part of the ongoing management of Cool Springs.


Ultimately, say Lewis and Lewis, they hope that


the


students of Shenandoah University and the communities around Cool Springs will “take ownership for this place,” and help the land rehabilitate itself, in a community effort to pay it forward for the generations to come.


K


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CM MY


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