The debate over turning Columbus Day into Indigenous Peoples’ Day has people riled up on both sides, prompting calls for more civility.  The mayor and council discussed the idea of changing Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day or adding the second recognition to the first, at their April 24 meeting. The discussion came in response to about 14 emails sent to the council requesting the change to the municipal calendar, similar to action taken by cities and states across the country in recent years.

Over the last week, the debate in the borough has gotten a lot larger. And uglier. “We’re a little town, comparatively speaking, and there’s no reason we can’t communicate without throwing insults at one another,” said resident Rebecca Coll, who on Tuesday pulled back a petition she had started. “I hope we can continue to talk about it in the future, once the emotions have died down a little, and we can have a discussion and listen to each other’s points of view.”