The end of the affair: How to get rid of your Christmas tree

The tree recycling areas at Prairie Village parks are marked with these yellow signs.

It was an intense, thrilling relationship. But I fear that our time together with the Christmas season may be coming to an end.

And if you’re anything like us, the thought of having to look at that Christmas tree for much longer — prompting painful memories of the good times we had before it all came to an end — is too much to bear.

But there’s good news! Deffenbaugh, which manages waste removal for the majority of Prairie Village, will take Christmas trees put out on the curb during normally scheduled pick ups over the next few weeks.

Prairie Village residents who simply can’t wait to get rid of the things can also drop them off at designated areas at four city parks: Harmon, Meadowbrook, Porter and Franklin. The city will chip the trees in a machine, so they need to be free of all ornaments, lights, stands, etc…, as those would cause grave harm to the chipping machine.

If you don’t live in Prairie Village, you can drop off your tree at the county’s free tree recycling locations, Shawnee Mission Park Marina, 7900 Renner Road, the Heritage Park Marina, 16050 Pflumm Road, and the Kill Creek Marina, 11670 South Homestead Lane, which will be open 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. through the end of January.