MARS - Denise and Jim Hager said goodbye to a family friend recently.

A 90-foot, 170-year-old white ash that stood beside their front porch had provided Jim a tire swing while growing up at 809 Hazel Ave., the house he and his wife own today.

"It was right next to our front porch, where we sit all the time," Denise said. "That will be different now - there's no shade there anymore."

On Aug. 11, two days before the Hagers were leaving for vacation, a large portion of the tree fell on power lines about 7 a.m., cutting the block's power for about four hours.

After investigating the dying tree, State Farm Insurance Co. sent a letter saying the tree had to be removed or the company could not insure the house from tree damage. The situation was covered before part of the tree fell, but after evaluation, the insurance coverage changed.

The Hagers

are sad to see the tree go, but admit it was necessary.

"It had to be done. I was scared to go to sleep at night, because if the tree had fallen into the house it would have gone right on our bedroom," Denise said.

The Hagers returned from vacation and began the costly process of cutting down the tree. One company estimated the cost at $6,500, although that was not what it ended up costing.

The tree was completely removed Sept. 18. A tenant with the Hagers counted more than 160 rings in the trunk, putting the tree's age at about 170 years.

"It took Mother Nature years to accomplish and man and machine needed less than four hours" to destroy it, said Sam Barill, a friend of the Hagers.

Even after the section fell on Aug. 11, the tree still stood 85 feet and had six trunks. When only one trunk remained, Denise said, some of the area squirrels that had called the tree home ran around the remains.

All that remains now is the stump.

"We can't remove the stump, because the roots run all under the yard," Denise said.