Cole defends Facebook comments

Jason Cole

LEBANON - Assistant Rescue Chief and Selectman Jason Cole had no comment on Monday regarding why he “Liked” a Facebook post by a Rescue Department volunteer who said Budget Committee member Chris Gilpatrick Sr. “will be eating his words when the self-funded and self-less volunteers have to come and rescue him sometime...” after Gilpatrick accused Cole of stalling on presenting Rescue’s budget to selectmen and the Budget Committee.

Cole did, however, defend the volunteer, saying, “(They) did it as a resident (of the town), and as a resident, (they have) the freedom to do that.”

The posts were recorded on The Lebanon Voice Facebook page last Thursday.

In the posts Cole also asserts that “I am not being investigated.”

Lebanon Selectmen Chairman Bob Frizzell confirmed on March 25 that an investigation into grievances filed by several former Lebanon Rescue Department volunteers was nearing its conclusion and that a decision would be rendered soon on any actions that might be taken in the wake of the probe. (See

story below.)

Lebanon state Representatives Bill Noon and Joshua Plante have both requested copies of the grievances to see whether, if a case does exist, any decision should be made at the state or local level.

“The town deserves to have a decision on anything that went wrong,” Plante said on Monday.

In October of last year, Cole, in reaction to another Facebook confrontation with Gilpatrick, acknowledged that such posts are detrimental to the town and its governance. “Both myself and Chris (Gilpatrick Sr.) are elected officials and we owe it to the town to keep it civil and enhance what the people of Lebanon expect.”

At that time he added, personally, that “my commitment is to not react quickly to negative posts on Facebook.”

Gilpatrick could not be reached for comment.