ROSELLE PARK -- It came down to the addition of a single word for a tree lighting ceremony, but that word carried enough significance for borough Councilwoman Charlene Storey to resign. 
 
 Minutes after the council voted 4-2 Thursday night to change the name of the ceremony from A Tree Lighting to A Christmas Tree Lighting, the councilwoman-at-large, left the meeting. She later submitted her letter of resignation with the municipal clerk's office. 
 
 "I cannot in good conscience continue to be part of a council that is exclusionary or to work with a Mayor who is such," Storey said in her letter. 
 
 When reached today, Storey said she regretted having to resign, but said the change "cuts non-Christians out of the loop and favors one religion." 
 
 Storey, who was raised Catholic but is now a "non-believer" and has never hidden that fact, said the issue is a matter of principle. 
 
 Changing the ceremony, she said, "turned it from a non-religious event to a religious one." 
 
 Storey said Mayor Carl Hokanson had briefly mentioned the idea of making the change several days ago. However, Storey said the resolution for the change was not listed on the agenda and she was surprised when it was brought up at the meeting. 
 
 She said she had checked other municipalities and only found events, tree lightings or holiday tree lightings, and none that included the word Christmas. 
 
 Hokanson said each municipality can use what title it wants to use. New York, he said, calls it a Christmas Tree lighting and another city may not. 
 
 "It's not a street, it's not a building, it's a Christmas tree," he said. 
 
 "Everybody's entitled to his beliefs," said Hokanson, who praised Storey for her work on the council. The mayor said fourth-ward Councilman M. Gino Elmarassy also voted against the name change. A call to Elmarassy was not immediately returned. 
 
 Storey's resignation from the six-member council is effective Jan. 7, when the government re-organizes. 
 
 Storey took office in January 2013 and her ran until December 2017. 
 
 Tom Haydon may be reached at thaydon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Tom_HaydonSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook. ||||| Councilwoman-At-Large Charlene Storey issued a statement providing further details on her decision to resign her seat. That statement is included below. The councilwoman also addressed some additional questions in order to provide insight into a series of events and decisions that, in less than 24 hours, would have the second highest-ranking member of council and the only woman serving as an elected official call it a day over a single word. 
 
 By way of history, in Roselle Park the name change from ‘Christmas’ to ‘Annual’ occurred about two decades ago sometime in the mid-1990s in response to a court case involving Jersey City and a holiday display that contained religious symbols – a crèche (nativity scene) and a Hanukkiyah (menorah) – on municipal grounds. 
 
 Bringing things up-to-date, at the December 3rd municipal meeting, Council-At-Large Charlene Storey objected to having the ‘Annual Holiday Tree Lighting’ ceremony changed to the ‘Annual Christmas Lighting Ceremony’ after the name change was proposed by Mayor Carl Hokanson. The majority of council approved the change and Councilwoman Storey left the meeting soon after. This morning she submitted her resignation. 
 
 Speaking with the councilwoman she stated that Thursday night’s resolution came out of nowhere. She said, “I felt sandbagged. It was not on the agenda and when the mayor and I spoke about it a couple of days before, it was mentioned in passing, among other matters, and the impression was that this was going to be done next year. There were bigger things to be worrying about right now and this was something that could wait.” 
 
 As for the reason as to why it was done now by the mayor, the councilwoman stated she does not know the reason. Mayor Hokanson stated that, as mayor and master of ceremony, he wanted to change the name this year but that it was too late to change the date back to the first week in December, as had been the custom; so only the change of date would go into effect 2016 but the name change would be starting this year. There may have been confusion with the councilwoman believing that both would be done next year when they talked he always wanted it done now and even had suggested it when he was council-at-large. 
 
 The councilwoman stated that she was going to start looking into other towns and begin researching different aspects of the proposal. She would then, hopefully, be able to develop a dialogue with the mayor and council over the next year so as to have enough time to properly think the decision through. But once it was voted on, the councilwoman decided that removing herself from the dais was the best decision instead of staying and possibly saying something that would exacerbate matters. Regardless, that action removed her voice and the voice of those she represents by not commenting, contributing, or voting on other matters that concern the residents of Roselle Park for the remainder of a meeting that conducted the people’s business. 
 
 Then came her decision this morning and all that it would bring, from the personal (her exit from Roselle Park politics) to the philosophical (discussions among residents through social media and face-to-face about inclusiveness and political correctness). 
 
 In addressing the criticism from residents that this was a case of political correctness gone too far, the councilwoman responded that it is easier for some to be dismissive of other’s beliefs than to treat beliefs that are not their own just as seriously. She said that for those who do not celebrate Christmas, this is not about being PC but about being inclusive. She remarked, “If the town wanted to display different religious symbols in Michael Mauri Park that would be nice. It would be inclusive.” 
 
 She speaks highly of Mayor Hokanson, saying, “I think Carl is going to be one of the best mayors, if not the best mayor, Roselle Park has ever had. He is on his way to creating change that needs to happen. This was just an unfortunate severe split.” 
 
 Adding to a point that Mayor Hokanson has made numerous times with regards to welcoming Roselle Park’s diversity which has grown over the years, Charlene would like to see that diversity reflect itself in government. She commented, “I would like to see more diversity on council. I would like to see more women in our local government. People are waiting in the wings. We need those who have lived here all their lives who know Roselle Park inside and out but we also need this who chose to come to Roselle Park. We need both because new ideas are important for moving forward but knowing where we have been is also necessary.” 
 
 The councilwoman mentioned that if there was a diverse council currently, such a proposal to change the name would not have passed or even been brought up. If residents feel that their beliefs are not being take into account to feel inclusive, such things might prevent them from getting involved in other aspects of the community, which might include running for elected office. She explicitly stated that she does not believe that the decision to change the name of the event was made with any malice, just that it was not thought through with a broad view. 
 
 Even though she is leaving government in an official capacity, Mrs. Komar-Storey plans to stay involved. She said, “You can represent people in different ways and, in some ways, you are free to speak more openly as a resident than you are as an elected official.” 
 
 Thinking beyond what some would call this exclamation point in her service to Roselle Park, when asked what was one highlight of her time on council, Councilwoman Storey paused a a moment and said, “You know, I wasn’t planning to go at this point so I have to think about it. I would say it was the work on the library lawn. I think that’s a good thing not just for the library but the town. When developers came through it was not a positive for Roselle Park. Now, I hope the renovations will have a broader positive impact on Roselle Park’s future.” 
 
 So now as a new day begins, a conversation has started not only between members of council but between residents that apparently needed to be had. Hopefully, the conversation among neighbors and friends can go beyond platitudes that are the equivalent of putting one’s foot down and instead continue with open ears on both sides of this issue. In the end, it comes down to perspective with those in favor of the name change want their beliefs taken into consideration and are starting to feel marginalized while those who feel marginalized want their beliefs taken into consideration. 
 
 Below is the statement released by Councilwoman-At-Large Charlene Storey. It should be noted that in her reference to the Knights of Columbus, neither Councilmen Ryan Kelly nor Richard Templeton are members of that organization. ||||| ROSELLE PARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) — A New Jersey city council member has rescinded her resignation after she said she was stepping down following a city council decision to add the word “Christmas” to the name of its tree-lighting ceremony. 
 
 Earlier this week, the Roselle Park City Council voted 4 to 2 to change the name of their “Tree Lighting Ceremony” to “Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.” 
 
 Councilwoman Charlene Storey, a Democrat, left the meeting and later sent in a letter of resignation, WCBS 880’s Stephanie Colombini reported. 
 
 Storey, who was raised Catholic but describes herself as a non-believer, said she made the decision because she did not want to be a part of a city council that excluded other religions. 
 
 “I cannot in good conscience continue to be part of a council that is exclusionary or to work with a mayor who is such,” Storey said in her resignation letter. 
 
 She also sited the separation of church and state plus an increasingly diverse community. 
 
 “It’s been the holiday tree for 20 years,” she told CBS2’s Brian Conybeare. “I think that if you are using municipal funds, you have to be careful to be representing as large a part of the population as possible.” 
 
 But on Saturday, Storey rescinded her resignation and agreed to chair a new diversity committee, Conybeare reported. 
 
 “We’ll get different backgrounds from different people, different ethnic groups to sit down and come to us with questions, problems, answers, solutions,” said Roselle Park Mayor Carl Hokanson. 
 
 Hokanson praised Storey for her work on the council. He said everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, but also noted that each town can use whatever title it wants to use for the ceremony. 
 
 “People are offended because we use the word ‘Christmas,'” he said. “Well I feel offended when you tell me ‘holiday.'” 
 
 “I disagree strongly,” Storey said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody say, ‘You can’t say merry Christmas.'” 
 
 Some residents, though, say it’s all a little crazy. 
 
 “It looks exactly like a Christmas tree, but you can call it whatever you want,” said resident Hailey Ortis. “Yeah, it’s completely silly.” 
 
 There are already lights on the tree in Michael Mauri park, but when they’re lit on Dec. 11, Storey said she won’t be there. She will however chair that diversity committee to try an determine exactly what the ceremony will be called next year. 
 
 (TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.) ||||| ROSELLE PARK -- The Roselle Park councilwoman who resigned Thursday after the council voted to change the name of the borough's "Tree Lighting" to a "Christmas Tree Lighting" is now rescinding her resignation. 
 
 Minutes after the council voted 4-2 Thursday night to change the name, Councilwoman-at-Large Charlene Storey walked out of the meeting. She later submitted her letter of resignation to the municipal clerk's office. 
 
 "I cannot in good conscience continue to be part of a council that is exclusionary or to work with a Mayor who is such," Storey said, adding that the change "cuts non-Christians out of the loop and favors one religion." 
 
 Storey, who was raised Catholic but is now a "non-believer" and has never hidden that fact, said the issue was a matter of principle. Changing the ceremony, she said, "turned it from a non-religious event to a religious one." 
 
 The story of the dispute and Storey's resignation went viral, with more than 1,200 comments on NJ.com and TV media descending on the borough today. 
 
 "I can't believe that people are going this crazy over this," Mayor Carl Hokanson, who proposed the renaming, said Saturday. "There are more important things going on in this world." 
 
 He said he's received dozens of calls and emails, most of them in support of the renaming of the Dec. 11 event. 
 
 Hokansan said he had no intentions of being exclusionary, but that "a Christmas tree is a Christmas tree." 
 
 "Just like the Easter Bunny is the Easter Bunny and not the Holiday Bunny," he said. "It was never my intent to insult anyone's beliefs or religion." 
 
 Hokanson said he reached out to Storey after she left the meeting and today the pair got together in his office. 
 
 The outcome of that meeting was Storey rescinding her resignation - though the event will continue to be called a "Christmas Tree Lighting" - and the creation of a new committee on diversity that she will head, Hokanson said. 
 
 "She is a very good councilwoman who is very good at what she does for the borough," Hokanson said. 
 
 However, Storey said she still disagrees with the renaming and will not attend the event. 
 
 Hokanson said growing up in Roselle Park the event was always called a "Christmas Tree Lighting." Now, in his first year as mayor and master of ceremonies of the event, he wanted to change it back. 
 
 He said "Christmas" was removed from the name years ago after a lawsuit over Jersey City's holiday display. 
 
 "If it had always been called a 'Christmas' tree lighting, I probably would never have said anything, but the adding it back bothered me," Storey said Saturday. 
 
 She said she hopes that as part of the new committee she can set up an application process so religious and non-religious groups can submit proposals for additions to the event and display. 
 
 "I think next year will be much more inclusive," she said. "The new committee will help the borough identify and better deal with diversity and all of its issues, and hopefully head off such disagreements." 
 
 Hokanson and Storey are both Democrats and campaigned together last year when Hokanson won his bid for mayor and Storey was reelected to council. 
 
 Storey and Hokanson said the drama was caused by a misunderstanding between them before the council meeting that led to each feeling blindsided by what happened next. 
 
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 Jessica Remo may be reached at jremo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessicaRemoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
– A city councilwoman quit her job on Thursday over the word "Christmas"—then made an apparent deal to return to work, the Star-Ledger reports. Charlene Storey, a councilwoman in Roselle Park, NJ, resigned after council voted 4-2 to change the name of its tree-lighting ceremony from "A Tree Lighting" to "A Christmas Tree Lighting." She promptly issued a resignation letter saying she "cannot in good conscience continue to be part of a council that is exclusionary or to work with a Mayor who is such." A non-believer and former Catholic, Storey later said the new name "cuts non-Christians out of the loop and favors one religion." She also opposed calling it a "Christmas" event after the word was stricken about 20 years go following a court case over the city's holiday display, the Roselle Park News reports. In a statement, Storey adds that council members who supported the name change are "male, white, Catholic and members of the Knights of Columbus, a religious organization that every year posts a large sign urging, 'Keep Christ in Christmas.'" Mayor Carl Hokanson, who says he didn't intend to exclude anyone, tells the Star-Ledger that "a Christmas tree is a Christmas tree. Just like the Easter Bunny is the Easter Bunny and not the Holiday Bunny." Yet Storey and Hokanson, Democrats who supported each other's campaigns, met on Saturday and seemed to iron things out. Storey rescinded her resignation and returned to work with plans to lead a new committee on diversity, CBS New York reports. "I think next year will be much more inclusive," she says.