Belmont Patch's feature, "Meet Your Neighbors," is just that – discovering more about fellow residents who make this community a nice place to live. Who? Gabe Thompson of Belmont What? Rapper, poet and college student His story: Ordinarily, Gabe Thompson is extremely private about his personal feelings. Just 21 years old, the Belmont resident has had more than his share of heartache, soul-searching, periods of darkness and – these days – the buddings of joy. But it’s difficult for Gabe to talk about what he experiences deep down in his heart. In fact, the only time he’s able to freely express…

For the 18 months since Belmont Patch has been covering the various goings-on in town, we’ve come across a diverse and fascinating population. This community is quite lucky to be home to so many smart, hard-working and interesting residents who contribute to making the town an enjoyable place to live and work. To honor them, we created a series called “Meet Your Neighbor” so readers can learn more about the people they may very well pass on the street often or see in the grocery store but not know a thing about what they do or provide. All the individuals we profiled are town “treasures” but …

Belmont Patch's feature, "Meet Your Neighbors," is just that – discovering more about fellow residents or people who work in town and make this community a nice place to live. Who? Chris Conroy of Belmont What? Former accountant, current poet/writer Her story: One of the people Chris Conroy respects tremendously is a woman named Emma, a baby boomer who “has an undaunted spirit and is always willing to face new experiences with her best foot forward.” Whether it’s going to a single’s dance or having a guest to dinner whose table manners do not sit very well with her mother, Emma has a …

Belmont Patch's feature, "Meet Your Neighbors," is just that -- discovering more about fellow residents or people who work in town and make this community a nice place to live. Who? Stephen Conley of Belmont What? Pub owner, Belmont High School basketball coach, sponsor of community events His story: Stephen Conley has the perfect job. He makes people happy, is minutes from home so he can stop into work at any moment or leave to walk his dogs and – very important to this Belmont resident – can give back to the community that has provided him with so many friends and joyful times over the past…

Belmont Patch's feature, "Meet Your Neighbors," is just that – discovering more about fellow residents or people who work in town and make this community a nice place to live. Who? Ian Scully of Belmont What? Ski instructor and award-winning documentary filmmaker. His story:  Ian Scully wants to make sure awareness and memory of the skiing culture Austrians brought to the Americas continues for years to come. An Austrian-American ski instructor and filmmaker, Ian did not start out with the intent of creating a wide-sweeping documentary on the history of Austria’s impact on alpine skiing in …

How many of us have fantasized about becoming professional athletes but never even tried because we knew the odds were against us? Belmont-native John Feeley, however, actually followed his goal of playing professional soccer and succeeded because of hard work, athletic ability and especially what he said was extreme determination. As goalkeeper for several professional leagues from 1976 to 1982, Feeley said in his position one cannot ever slip up. “When you’re the goalkeeper, you’re the last person,” he said. “(The other players) can make mistakes but you have to correct them. It doesn’t …

Belmont Patch's feature, "Meet Your Neighbors," is just that – discovering more about fellow residents or people who work in town and make the community a nice place to live. Who? Dr. Eleonora Villegas-Reimers What? Winner of the Latino Excellence in Education award, Wheelock College professor, board member of the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. Her story: Ever since she was young, Eleonora Villegas-Reimers wanted to be a teacher. “I knew I wanted to work with children and believed if I wanted to help them, I needed to reach them early in their lives,” she told Belmont …

Belmont Patch's day feature, "Meet Your Neighbors," is just that -- discovering more about fellow residents or people who work in town and make this community a nice place to live. Who? Suzy Spivey of Belmont What? Dream coach, dance teacher and Belmont Media Center show host Her story: Suzy Spivey knows first-hand that conducting one’s life without true passion every day can lead to unhappiness. In fact, the Belmont resident recalls being extremely unsatisfied – and ultimately miserable – off and on during the 22 years she worked in corporate America. Originally from Alabama where she …

Belmont Patch's feature, "Meet Your Neighbors," is just that – discovering more about fellow residents or people who work in town and make the community a nice place to live. Who? John Curran of Belmont What? Founder and producer of The Sound of Erin His story: Although he’s lived in the United States for the majority of his life, John Curran maintains the pace, attitudes and loves of a true Irish man. Born in Waterville, County Kerry and raised in County Cork, Ireland, Jonn emigrated to this country in 1955 when he was just a teenager. “I celebrated my sixteenth birthday in America,” said …

Belmont Patch's feature, "Meet Your Neighbors," is just that – discovering more about fellow residents or people who work in town and make the community a nice place to live. Who? Monica Collins of Belmont What? Newspaper columnist, non-profit consultant, Belmont Media Center show host Her story: Monica Collins was a self-described “hardcore” city dweller for most of her adult life. “I never, ever – in a million years – thought I’d live in Belmont,” she said. “Now that I do, though, I can never, ever imagine living anywhere else.” So what brought her here in 2005? Love was the reason, …

Belmont Patch's feature, "Meet Your Neighbors," is just that – discovering more about fellow residents or people who work in town and make the community a nice place to live. Who? Paul Green of Belmont What? BHS student working for the town’s future His story: Paul Green was relieved when the school department received enough funds to maintain a level-service budget for fiscal year 2012 but believes the situation is still tenuous. “The difficulties we faced should not be overlooked,” said the Belmont High School student who will be starting his senior year in September. “The solution to …

Now that he’s no longer a member of the School Committee, John Bowe feels more freedom to express his opinions on any number of topics pertaining to Belmont. He took his responsibilities serving the school district quite seriously, including being its appointee to the Capital Budget and Warrant committees for two years each during his tenure from 2003-2009. However, with a demanding job and raising two children with his wife, Dot, Bowe decided not to run for a seat on the committee again.  “I'm pretty much completely busy now, and I have no idea how I handled being on School Committee (and …

Belmont Patch's Friday feature, "Meet Your Neighbors," is just that – discovering more about fellow residents or people who work in town and make the community a nice place to live. Who? Angelique Bradford, Belmont and Haverford College, Haverford, Penn. What? Weavers Way Community Programs in Philadelphia. Her story: Summer for college students is a time for relaxing, reflection on the past academic year and getting a part-time job before heading back to school in the fall. But for Belmont resident Angelique Bradford, this summer will assist in creating a program geared to social justice and…

Belmont Patch's Friday feature, "Meet Your Neighbors," is just that – discovering more about fellow residents or people who work in town and make the community a nice place to live. Who? Pascha Griffiths of Belmont What? Founder of Possibilities Factory and Beloved Quilts Her story: Pascha Griffiths is profoundly spiritual but it’s rare that she hears God’s voice. Yet she did – clear as a bell – a few years ago when she was pregnant with her second son and looking for guidance on how to keep up with her community service endeavors. “I was in my kitchen, cleaning it and eating Tortilla chips…

Belmont Patch's new Sunday feature, "Meet Your Neighbors," is just that – discovering more about fellow residents or people who work in town and make the community a nice place to live. Who? Ilyse Robbins of Washington Street What? Actress, teacher, director and choreographer Her story: Ilyse Robbins has the good fortune of enjoying a full career in the theater and raising a family at the same time. The Belmont resident and mother of two decided when she was just a child that she wanted a career in the dramatic arts. She began tap dancing when she was four years old, was in her first play in …

Belmont Patch's new Sunday feature, "Meet Your Neighbors," is just that – discovering more about fellow residents or people who work in town and make the community a nice place to live. Who? Bernice Liuson Sim of Belmont What? Actress and playwright Her story: Bernice Liuson Sim finds that the power of theatre helps people connect to issues in ways they might not through other mediums. Books tell facts and true stories; movies show actual people in genuine environments, taking action in realistic situations. “But watching someone on stage – where you can see the sweat and facial expressions …

Belmont Patch's new Sunday feature, "Meet Your Neighbors," is just that; discovering more about fellow residents or people who work in town and make Belmont a nice place to live. Who? Sharon Nahill of Waverley Square. What? Potter and sculptor. Her story: Ever since she can remember, Sharon Nahill has been interested in biology and art. Growing up in Massachusetts, she was fascinated by flora and fauna in natural settings and started making pottery when she was eight years old. Nahill also began arduously studying classical dance in childhood that she remained committed to, and performed, …

Belmont Patch's new Sunday feature, "Meet Your Neighbors," is just that -- discovering more about fellow residents or people who work in town and make Belmont a nice place to live. Who? Jay Fedigan of Carleton Road. What? Award-winning producer/director. His story: It seemed a foregone conclusion that Jay Fedigan would devote his career to making documentaries. He grew up watching movies on a black-and-white television with his mother. That led to a life-long love of films and a passionate interest in the issues they portrayed. “At heart, I’m a researcher and like to learn everything I can …

Julie DeStefano has advice for anyone with a passion for filmmaking. “Go for it, but know it’s a long course ahead,” said the program director for the Belmont Media Center. “You may run into obstacles along the way but, when that happens, keep pushing and don’t give up.” DeStefano knows first-hand about the merits of hard work, perseverance and patience. She spent a year and-a-half putting together a 13-minute movie titled 'The Time is Now' telling the story of an aspiring writer who becomes unsure of the course of her future after receiving a proposal of marriage from her long-time boyfriend…

Belmont Patch's new Sunday feature, "Meet Your Neighbors," is just that -- discovering more about fellow residents or people who work in town and make Belmont a nice place to live. Who? Paul Carey who lives on Scott Street. What? The government and community producer for Belmont Media Center. His story: When Paul Carey attends a public meeting in Belmont, he’s paying more attention to faces and voices than what is actually being discussed. “I’m focused on getting clear pictures and sound for the people who are watching at home,” said the government and community producer for Belmont Media …