Permit now required to slide down pumpkin-covered hill

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CHAGRIN FALLS - A decades-long tradition of sliding down a pumpkin-covered hill could be coming to an end.

Each year after Halloween, Chagrin Falls High School students smash and dump pumpkins along Grove Hill and then slide down the slippery hill. Last year more than 2,000 pumpkins were collected for the event, and four people were treated for injuries they suffered sliding down the hill.

Now officials in this Cleveland suburb have decided that those who want to slide down the hill will need a permit, which requires a sponsor, proof of liability insurance and payment of off-duty police officers to provide security. They also will need Village Council's permission to close the street.

"Problems have developed over the years," Mayor Lydia Champlin said. "Injuries have increased."

Officials said the event ties up safety forces for hours, and the village has to clean up the mess.

Police Chief James Brosius said those who try to hold the event without a permit could be cited.

So far, no one has applied for a permit.