It WAS so pretty!  That beautiful pine scent wafting throughout your home, dazzling lights, sparkling, meaningful ornament adorning it . . . . . now that same tree is crisp to the touch and shedding like a Labrador Retriever in July.  So what do you do with our Christmas tree once the holidasy are over?

First and foremost . . . DON’T keep it up too long!  Even the most religiously-watered trees will dry up and become a fire hazard by January.  As pretty as it may be, it is just not safe to keep that much kindling in your home.

Cranford and Westfield residents, do NOT put your tree on the curb. The Department of Public Works will not pick it up.  And after the next freezing rain storm, that tree will become affixed to the street and take up a parking space for the next six weeks.

The good news is, you can drop your tree off at the Cranford  Conservation Center,  (located off Orange Avenue on Birchwood Avenue), and the Westfield Conservation Center (1300 Lamberts Mill Road, South of entrance to Tamaques Park ) . Didn’t purchase a permit this year?  No worries!  Residents do not need a permit to use the conservation center to get rid of their trees. Just be sure that all ornaments and tinsel are removed, and that your tree is NOT placed in a bag of any kind.

It that solution doesn’t work for you, try calling your waste management company.  Many of them offer tree pick up for a nominal fee.

And once that’s taken care of, you can turn your attention to vacuuming up those pine needles.  For the next 11 months.