Getting Real - Cliff Ponte

Liz Legault Interim Deputy Superintendent of Fall River Public Schools

On this episode of Getting Real with Cliff Ponte, Cliff sits down with Fall River Public Schools Interim Deputy Superintendent Liz Legault for a wide-ranging conversation about education, leadership, accountability, and the future of the city’s schools. Legault shares her journey from growing up in a family of educators to becoming a physical education teacher, principal, district administrator, and superintendent before coming to Fall River. She talks candidly about the challenges she encountered when joining the district, the importance of putting strong systems in place, holding people accountable, supporting teachers and students, and her belief that Fall River can become a model urban school district. She also shares the lessons she has learned throughout her career—from making difficult personnel decisions to working collaboratively with school committees, unions, families, and the community. One lesson comes from an unexpected place: the golf course. Legault compares leadership to setting yourself up for the next shot: “It doesn’t matter where your drive goes. It matters that second shot.” For Legault, leadership isn’t about where you start—it’s about making the next decision count and continually positioning people and organizations for success. It’s a candid look at the person helping lead Fall River Public Schools, her philosophy on education, and her vision for what the district can become. Listen to Getting Real with Cliff Ponte wherever you get your podcasts, and if you enjoy the conversation, subscribe and share this episode with someone who cares about the future of Fall River.

Kevin Aguiar, Fall River School Committee Vice Chair

On this episode of Getting Real with Cliff Ponte, Cliff sits down with Kevin Aguiar, Vice Chair of the Fall River School Committee, for a candid conversation about public service, education, and local government. Kevin discusses his path into politics, the importance of accountability within the school department, recent changes in district leadership, and the challenges surrounding school transportation and funding. He also reflects on the realities of serving in elected office, working through political disagreements, and why persistence continues to shape his approach to public service.

JT Hoar, Chief of Police

In this episode of Getting Real with Cliff Ponte, Cliff sits down with Fall River Chief of Police JT Hoar for a candid conversation about his career in law enforcement and the responsibility that comes with leading a city police department. Chief Hoar reflects on his path through the Fall River Police Department, from his early days as a patrolman and the real-world experiences that shaped his approach to policing, to his current role serving as Acting Chief of Police. The conversation also explores the challenges facing the department today, including the resources and funding needed to protect residents, support officers, and keep Fall River safe. Chief Hoar shares his perspective on leadership, accountability, and what it means to carry responsibility at the highest level of a public safety organization. It’s a wide-ranging look at policing, public service, and the decisions that impact both the officers on the street and the community they serve.

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Mike Silvia from Fall River Reporter Part 2

In this week’s episode, we sit down with Mike Silvia of Fall River Reporter for part two of a two-part conversation. Listen to part 1 https://cliffpontepodcast.com/episodes/mike-silvia-from-fall-river-reporter-part-1 Mike joined us for nearly two hours to discuss a wide range of topics affecting Fall River, from what it’s like covering the city day to day to conversations surrounding the police chief, outstanding warrants, local government, public safety, and much more. This is just the first half of our conversation, with even more to come in part two. Learn more about Mike and follow his reporting at FallRiverReporter.com.

Mike Silvia from Fall River Reporter Part 1

In this week’s episode, we sit down with Mike Silvia of Fall River Reporter for part one of a two-part conversation. Mike joined us for nearly two hours to discuss a wide range of topics affecting Fall River, from what it’s like covering the city day to day to conversations surrounding the police chief, outstanding warrants, local government, public safety, and much more. This is just the first half of our conversation, with even more to come in part two. Learn more about Mike and follow his reporting at FallRiverReporter.com.

State Representative Carole Fiola

What does a State Representative actually do—and how does the work happening on Beacon Hill make its way back home to Fall River? In this episode, Cliff sits down with State Representative Carole Fiola for a candid conversation about public service, politics, and what it really takes to represent a community. Fiola pulls back the curtain on a job most people only see from the outside, explaining the relationships, negotiations, committee work, constituent calls, and persistence required to move legislation forward and bring resources back to the district. But this conversation is about more than the mechanics of state government. It’s also about Fall River. Fiola discusses her deep connection to the city, the importance of making sure Fall River has a strong voice in Boston, and why being present in the community is such an important part of representing it. She shares how conversations with residents can influence legislation, why building credibility at the State House takes years, and how projects that appear simple from the outside can require years of work behind the scenes. Cliff and Carole also get into the changing nature of politics itself—from the decline of local journalism to the impact of social media and the increasingly personal criticism directed at elected officials. If you’ve ever wondered what your State Representative actually does, how Fall River competes for attention and resources in Boston, or what motivates someone to stay in public service, this episode offers a rare look behind the curtain.

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The Bobby Couto Show

Cliff Ponte welcomes Bobby Couto to discuss how Bobby built The Bobby Couto Show from a self-help outlet into a major Fall River platform that expanded into political interviews, his refusal to do “gotcha” content, and why he took heat for interviewing figures like Paul Coogan. They break down why good people avoid running for office, Cliff’s lesson about being respected rather than liked, and Bobby’s view that local media and city politics are shaped by agendas, influence, and control—highlighting the WSAR incident where Bobby was pulled from an on-air appearance after criticism of the station resurfaced. 00:00 Welcome 01:48 Meet Bobby Couto 02:23 Self Help Origins 03:50 Politics Enters Show 05:56 No Gotcha Interviews 07:43 Respected Not Liked 12:06 Why Good People Avoid Office 15:52 WSAR Radio Deal 20:22 Banned From Airwaves 23:59 Media Control Claims 26:04 Influence and Priorities 28:52 Bad Decisions Fallout 29:36 Chief Appointment Politics 31:37 Disagree Without Hate 34:38 Mayor Race Reflections 36:45 Nepotism And Influence 37:46 Fixing City Infrastructure 39:12 Council Dynamics Mentorship 43:05 Why Voters Stay Home 46:05 Money Talks In Politics 48:09 Human Experience And Purpose 53:22 Closing Thanks And Charity

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Marcel Riley from Mae's Playground

Marcel Riley never expected to lead a citywide movement. He is a Fall River maintenance worker and father trying to create a sensory space for his autistic daughter. But after his fiancée was diagnosed with cancer—and the community rallied around his family—Marcel saw an opportunity to return that support. In this episode, Marcel shares how a backyard sensory board, a petition and an outpouring of community support grew into Mae’s Playground: an inclusive sensory playground planned for Abbott Court. He discusses the families driving the project, the thoughtful features being designed for children of all abilities, and what Fall River’s response has taught him about advocacy, generosity and the power of showing up for your neighbors. Resources Mentioned Mae's Playground Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism Noah’s Place Playground

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Will Flanagan

Former Fall River Mayor Will Flanagan joins Cliff Ponte for the debut episode of the podcast—and the conversation goes far beyond politics. Will reflects on his unexpected rise to the mayor’s office, the recall election that abruptly ended his administration, and whether he would ever run again. He also shares the remarkable story of surviving a near-fatal stabbing, the difficult road back, and how the experience reshaped his priorities. The conversation also explores Fall River’s economic challenges, the changing political landscape, entrepreneurship, and why Will believes artificial intelligence will transform nearly every part of modern life.

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Season 1 Trailer

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