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Gerrish, Russell get their say at recall hearing; ZOOM format kept it civil

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Selectboard Chair Charles Russell Jr and town resident Karen Gerrish on Zoom meeting on Saturday.

Editor's note: Voting hours on Oct. 28 for the recall of Selectmen Chair Charles Russell Jr. are 6 a.m.-8 p.m. An earlier version of this story had the wrong hours.

LEBANON, Maine - A public hearing to discuss the upcoming recall vote of Lebanon Selectmen Chairman Charles Russell Jr. was held on Saturday, and considering it was the first-ever public hearing for the removal of a sitting selectman and the first-ever town meeting held on Zoom, it went pretty smoothly.

While less than 25 folks tuned in for the meeting by phone or computer, by noon today more than 500 had watched on the town's YouTube channel.

Attorney Richard Spencer of the law firm Drummond/Woodsum moderated the two-hour meeting, which stayed remarkably civil given the emotional toll the recall effort has taken on all of the principals and townspeople.

As the petitioner for the recall, former state representative and town selectperson Karen Gerrish went first, accusing Russell of trying to mitigate fines for property code violations on his own property and continual harassment, including sexual harassment of Selectperson Corinna Cole. Gerrish also argued that Russell routinely sought to move his own agenda forward rather than his constituents, including when he went to a Milton Selectboard meeting and voiced his disapproval of replacing the New Bridge Road bridge that connects West Lebanon and Milton, N.H.

"He ignores the will of the people," Gerrish said. "He has to stop buttering his bread in this town."

Gerrish also urged residents to go to her legislative Facebook page to see the particulars of her case against Russell. Click here to go to page.

During his time Russell said Gerrish's statement were all false accusations.

"They're all lies, misrepresentations of the truth and exaggeration," said Russell, who added that Gerrish's pursuit of his recall was all part of a personal vendetta. He accused her of hatching the plan to recall him with a handful of friends, including her boyfriend, who recently lost a service contract with the town, according to Russell.

Several ZOOM attendees also got to comment on the recall, with an equal amount of recall and nonrecall supporters chiming in.

To watch the Recall Public Hearing click here.

Meanwhile, the Recall Election has been moved again due to a technicality. It is now scheduled for Oct. 28. Voting will be held at the Lebanon Elementary School on Upper Guinea Road. Polls will be open from 6 a.m.-8 p.m.

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