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Get The Story Right
:To Admin--I put a lot of good information on here this morning--answered this question and more-- and it has been deleted, Why? {{unsigned|74.248.58.98|November 29, 2007 00:28}}
::It must have been a hiccup with your browser or Internet connection. The only changes made yesterday are still intact. --[[User:Admin|Admin]] 04:40, 29 November 2007 (CST)
== Get The Story Right ==
Administrator—I am interested in getting this story right. I have followed this story very carefully, and Much of this information was added to the discussion section last week but it has subsequently been deleted. I’ll try again. I do believe Bergosh's initial confession was made off the record, and I have changed the phrasing in the piece. I have supporting information for this change below.
You contend that you do not believe that Bergosh’s admission was given off the record, but Bergosh himself claims that the admission was. See this article http://www.inweekly.net/article.asp?artID=5842
“The Gannett-owned daily says Bergosh admitted posting as Godzilla and then called back denying it. It also quoted Escambia County School District Associate Superintendent Ronnie Arnold asserting that Bergosh told him he was Godzilla. Bergosh denies both accounts, claiming he told a PNJ reporter off the record that he was Godzilla. “
Even if you don’t believe the Bergosh version, in the interest of objectivity and impartiality, you ought to work this quote into the piece. That would be appropriate.
Also, to bolster this Bergosh version, a public record email exists that casts doubt on the Rabb/Arnold version of the story. It was sent out by Ronnie Arnold on October 3rd—mind the date, because it was after the Rabb/Bergosh interview but before the front page expose. According to Rabb/Arnold version of story, they both knew Bergosh was Godzilla on/by this 10/3 date ( Rabb from an interview on 10/2, Arnold from a luncheon in September) Bergosh answered Arnold’s email, maintaining his official on the record position that he was not Godzilla. Arnold’s initiating email is on the bottom, Bergosh’s response is on the top. This is a valid, public record email that can be easily verified, and I would encourage the administrator to look into it to verify it's veracity.
From: Jeff Bergosh Wednesday - October 3, 2007 4:56 PM
To: Arnold, Ronnie; School Board Members
CC: Dwelle, Jackie; English, Linda; Ross, Norm; Waters, Donna; West, Linda
Subject: Jeff Bergosh
To My Fellow Board Members,
I regret the fact that our Associate Superintendent for Public & Interagency Affairs felt he somehow had the duty to send you the below email regarding alleged posters on the Pensacola News Journal" Blog". Mr. Arnold and I met two weeks ago on this very subject and at that time he confronted me with his suspicion about posters on a blog. I denied these baseless allegations then, and put the issue to rest. I guess Mr. Arnold wanted or felt compelled to keep this non-story going by sending you what amounts to a continuation of a hunch or suspicion (below email). With a plethora of much more important issues to attend to, I find it quite amazing that Mr. Arnold would feel that this issue had reached the level that it warranted an "explanation" email. Let me assure you it does not.
I have asked some tough questions at meetings lately, and taken some positions opposite of what some in the district wanted--and therefore it seems as though I have made someone angry. I make no apologies for taking the positions I take on issues I feel passionate about, so I can handle it when folks want to take shots at me. I do not march lock-step with anyone, period. Anyone who knows me knows that. In this particular case, people want to perpetrate accusations and innuendos about me based upon entries someone has made on a blog. WOW--Must be a slow news day! I think the whole thing is quite childish and I certainly hope that the Associate Superintendent for Public & Interagency Affairs can find issues more important to the district to investigate beyond these trivial matters.
This issue comes to you now because yesterday I was approached by the PNJ Educational reporter, Sara Rabb. Mrs. Rabb and I had a frank discussion on many issues surrounding education in Escambia County. During the conversation, she asked if I was a certain poster on the PNJ blog. I denied it and I laughed because Mr. Ronnie Arnold had also recently accused me of being this blogger. Mrs. Rabb, not knowing that our Associate Superintendent for Public & Interagency Affairs had made the same accusation, may have misinterpreted my reaction. I thought the issue was ironic and humorous, due To Mr. Arnold and others suspecting I was some blog poster--- but my amusement was NOT an affirmation. I unequivocally denied this accusation to Mrs. Rabb, and I have spoken with her again to reiterate my position. I would most certainly hope that you, my fellow board members, would take this non-story for what it is, a big nothing.
Jeff Bergosh
Escambia County School Board District 1
DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS EMAIL--CONFIDENTIAL
>>> Ronnie Arnold 10/3/2007 12:55 PM >>>
Board Members:
I am currently in Tallahasse on legislative business. I received a troubling call today from Sara Rabb of the Pensacola News Journal. Sara indicated to me that the PNJ had suspicions about Mr. Bergosh being the blogger named "Godzilla." She further stated that a search of the IP address used by the blogger belonged to Mr. Bergosh.
She further stated that in her interview with Mr. Bergosh about this matter, he had indicated that I had questioned him about this a couple of weeks ago. I confirmed that fact.
While I have been typing this, I have received a call of a similar nature from Rick Outzen of the Indepengret thedent Weekly.
I would suspect that board members may be receiving calls on this issue as well and wanted to give you a "heads up."
Ronnie
Ronnie Arnold, Associate Superintendent
Public & Interagency Affairs
The School District of Escambia County
215 W. Garden St.
Pensacola, FL 32502
(850) 469-6135
(850) 469-6172 (fax)
rarnold2@escambia.k12.fl.us
Administrator—this email opens many questions.
1. If Rabb had an in the can on the record admission from Bergosh on 10/2, why would she be contacting Arnold a day after the confession with a “suspicion”
2. Why would Arnold not just confirm that he “knew” Bergosh was Godzilla, from the luncheon in September? Why this email?
3. When the story broke a day after this email, the suspicion turned into “Bergosh Confessed”? This email, when the date within the timeline is considered, really throws the PNJ angle into a different light.
The fact of the matter is that the PNJ was going to run The Godzilla story with or without Bergosh’s consent, and he never admitted being Godzilla to anyone, officially, until the October 8th radio interview.
