A New Jersey councilwoman who quit over ‘Christmas’ tree has rescinded her

“I like Christmas trees and the happy spirit that usually pervades this season”, Charlene Storey, the councilwoman-at-large in Roselle Park, also clarified in a statement when she announced her resignation Friday.

“A Christmas tree is a Christmas tree”, he said of the name change, which he proposed.

According to NJ.com, Mayor Carl Hokanson reached out to Storey.

Storey was given the opportunity to head a new committee on diversity that will be created – and she has no plans to attend the actual tree lighting event.

Hue/amanaimagesRF/Getty Images/amana images RF The city’s “Annual Holiday Tree Lighting” ceremony will now be called the ‘Annual Christmas Tree Lighting’.

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. “For 64 years of my life, it was a Christmas tree”. On average, one of every 31 reported home Christmas tree fires resulted in a death, compared to an average of one death per 144 total reported home fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

The first family led the countdown as they flipped the switch to light up the tree at the Ellipse in President’s Park. This video illustrates the dramatic affects of fire when it ignites a maintained (wet) cut Christmas tree versus a dry tree. But he says, “It’s not a street, it’s not a building, it’s a Christmas tree”. After Roselle Park changed the name of its “The Tree Lighting” to ‘The Christmas Tree Lighting, ‘ Councilwoman At-Large Charlene Storey quit, saying the move endorsed one religion over others. “I disagree strongly. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody say that you can’t say ‘Merry Christmas.’ I think that if you’re using municipal funds, you have to be careful”.

Storey claimed that changing the name of the event “clearly disrespects them all and hijacks the tree lighting for one religion”.