North Report

On this Newsbreak, North Port's Communications Intern Erica Schmitt sits down with EMS Division Chief Brian Gorski to talk about a regional initiative called Stay Vigililant. In partnership with area fire departments and organizations, this program focuses on water safety and preventing pediatric drownings. Listen in and learn how you can make a difference!

Have you ever wondered how to apply to put on a concert or event at a City facility? This week’s Newsbreak is all about special events! Special Events Coordinator Scott Jalwan and Recreation Manager Shelby Mendelson give us all the details regarding events put on by the City itself or outside organizations. They also chat about Freedom Festival, our all-hands-on-deck event to celebrate Independence Day on July 4. This is a bitesize podcast of just about 8 minutes, so tune in and check it out!

From interacting with our kids to making sure those living without a home have support. On this latest edition of the North Port Newsbreak, North Port Police Department Public Information Officer Josh Taylor sits down with Community Policing Officer John Contorno to talk about everything the Community Policing Unit is doing to connect with our community.

It's never too early to prepare for hurricane season, which starts June 1! In this Newsbreak, Emergency Manager Mike Ryan breaks down some ways to prepare, stay in the know and make a plan for your family. Check it out!

Deskside Chats is back! After a bit of a hiatus, I’m back to chatting with North Port employees and learning their stories. This week, I talked with Emergency Management Coordinator Stacy Aloisio. Stacy’s story started in Aurora, Illinois, of Wayne’s World fame. Excellent. Listen in to hear about her time in Las Vegas doing search and rescue, her time working in the emergency operations center for rocket launches in Brevard county, and her stint as a wedding DJ. Yes you heard that right. A wedding DJ. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

The North Port Police Department and the City of North Port is dedicated to protecting our local environment. Listen in and get to know NPPD’s Conservation Officer Dominick Caravella.North Port Police PIO Josh Taylor asks about responsibilities of the position and what areas NPPD are focusing on to protect.

In this Newsbreak, Communications Manager/PIO Jason Bartolone talks with Laura Ansel about Warm Mineral Springs Park re-opening, and what its future looks like. If you're curious, this bitesize podcast will catch you up. Take a listen!

On this week's Newsbreak, North Port Police Public Information Officer Josh Taylor talks with Sergeant Scott Guzman about Operation Wreckless. Listen in to learn about the importance of being safe on the road, and what we can do to accomplish it.

Meet Josh Wichers, a 5th generation Floridian and Utilities’ new Field Operations Manager. Through some interesting twists and unexpected turns, Josh found his way to North Port and brings his industrial mechanical experience to our city. We’ll talk about some new technology that is being utilized in Utilities to help reduce costs, increase efficiency and even predict trends.

It is National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week as this comes out. The profession of a 9-1-1 Public Safety Telecommunicator, also known as dispatcher, is not an easy one. It is however fulfilling. The North Port Police Department is working diligently to make sure there is quality service on the other end of the line. In this Newsbreak episode, we sit down with Senior Public Safety Telecommunicator Marilyn Neugebauer to talk about these highly important positions and how you can take part.

The City of North Port currently has two Arborists on staff and we had the chance to sit and speak with them. The City takes our Tree City USA title very seriously and holds a robust tree ordinance that has been crafted to protect our tree canopy. Tune in and listen! You do not want to miss this episode.

Public input is paramount during North Port's budget season. Listen in as Communications Manager Jason Bartolone chats with City Manager Jerome Fletcher about budget, vision, input opportunities and more.

Devon Poulos and Jane DeClercq from the North Port Aquatic Center are back to talk swim lessons during the North Port Newsbreak. Hear stories about how these lessons have helped both children and adults, and all the options to get involved. It's a long of fun to chat with these two -- we hope you enjoy!

Devon Poulos and Jane DeClercq from the North Port Aquatic Center stopped by to share information about the Monda swim program, and setting up 2nd graders for swimming success. LIsten in to learn about the program, as well as learn a bit about swimming lessons at NPAC. We hope you enjoy!

The Deskside Chat this week is with Jenn Sadonis from our Grants team. Jenn is a busy bee with four kids who have four vastly different schedules. When she gets a few seconds, she enjoys unwinding while crafting or watching medical dramas. Oh, and did you know her ancestors started the very first bank in Arcadia? Check out the interview with Madison and Jenn. We hope you enjoy it!

Michael White. Where do we start? From karaoke to cooking to computers, Michael has lots of fun stories to tell. Did you know he was a top ranker in the world for karaoke in the past and competed in Tokyo, Japan? Madison and Michael laugh a lot in this interview, and we hope you enjoy as much as we did.

We're starting a special series within the North Port Newsbreak podcast. Each month, we'll sit down with Parks expert Laura Ansel, and deep dive into a different local park. This month, we're chatting about the recently renovated Kirk Park. One of the oldest parks in the City, we learn about its history and what's available there.For info on all local parks, visit www.NorthPortFL.gov/MyLocalParks.

Madison sits down with IT's Donnie Heeter, who is a high school swim team captain and a jiu jitsu hobbyist. We chat about his winding road to the IT path and the odd jobs that brought him here. We hope you enjoy!