It's the end of the line for the rope swing.
Within a week, the popular Sophomore Summer pastime will be merely a memory of times gone by when the tree and the rope that hangs from it will be cut down by the town of Hanover due to noise complaints and safety concerns.
While Hanover Town Manager Julia Griffin said she did not know the exact date for the tree cutting, she said her decision was final and would be promptly implemented.
Nick Giaccone, Chief of the Hanover Police Department, said the tree would be chopped down within the week.
Griffin cited endless complaints from neighbors and issues of safety as the two reasons that led to her decision.
She said that because the rope swing is used during the late night and early morning hours, "people just can't get a decent night's sleep due to the partying," she said.
Alerted by local residents calling the town officers three or four times during the night, Griffin said the rope swing tradition was not fair to neighbors -- especially in the middle of the night.
"There is always parking along the road, even at night, and you can hear squealing tires. You always hear people walking and talking," said Stacy Ross, whose in-laws own a home next to the path leading down to the rope swing.
As a certified lifeguard, Ross has reservations about rivers and rope swings. "People don't always know the depth or water conditions," she said.
The rope swing in fact has been the cause of numerous accidents, including severe rope burn and broken bones. The shorter trailing rope is one of the major sources of injuries, as it can wrap around people's feet and drag them upside-down when they try to let go of the rope, said Angelina Stelmach '02.
Griffin said the danger of swinging on the rope after dark was another determining influence for her decision to remove the tree. At night, students often cannot see when objects, such as logs, are in the water.
"I had an acquaintance who fell on something in the water and broke his ankle," Dave Gordon '00 said. "People go do down there when they are drunk; people go down there when they are high," he noted as another cause of injuries.
Although he acknowledged the dangers, Gordon felt the responsibility of safety was ultimately up to the people who decide to use the rope swing. He echoed the sentiments of many students interviewed by The Dartmouth yesterday in saying he would miss the refreshing warm-weather pastime.
According to Griffin, the town of Hanover tried several times last summer to cut down just the rope, but each time, it was replaced soon after with another one.
"We feel our only option is to take down the tree itself," concluded Griffin.
Due to the complexity of the tree's root system along the river bank, either a town crew will remove the tree, or an outside tree company will be hired for the operation.
To alert people of the upcoming change, a wooden, red-lettered sign was recently posted by the rope swing that read: "Attention swimmers, this nice tree is going to be cut down because a few of you have been disruptive to the peace and quiet of the neighborhood."
The board, signed "X," was later seen cracked in half and floating down the river.
Kate Knowles '02 was upset to hear that the rope swing would no longer be part of the Sophomore Summer tradition. "I went off it for the first time a week ago, and I was looking forward to doing it more," she said. "I can't believe they are cutting it down. That's really sad."
