More Bloggers on Albany Patch: Welcome!

Last week, you met the . Since then, we've added some new local voices to the mix. Here's a bit about them (in their own words):

Michele Feltman Strider is a writer, actor, promotions professional; author of the novella "" and a devoted practitioner of the Yummish Faith. The Yummish Faith is a small, but growing movement. "Maybe you have noticed Yummish people in your community – holding hands, eating ice cream cones, petting fluffy dogs, stopping to smell the roses... or the cinnabons," she writes. "Join us to find your own path to the YUM." .

Neil Ramos is an Albany resident with a passion for human-powered wheeled transportation. His two young children are quickly becoming rolling enthusiasts as well. Neil was born in Los Angeles and reached Albany by way of Santa Cruz and San Francisco. .

Dror Matalon is the CEO of ThisHood, a new web site that aims to help you connect to your neighborhood. He moved with his family to Albany in 1993. In 1994 he started his first company, DNAI, which was a Berkeley based ISP. "Back then we had to explain to people what the Internet was, and I donated a few free accounts to the Albany schools and helped them get started in using Email and the Web," he wrote in his Patch profile. Eventually, he got involved in SchoolCARE and started the AlbanySchools mailing list. In January of 2011, he started ThisHood combining his two passions: high tech and community. .

Stacey Simon is a writer and editor whose communications portfolio includes weekly and daily newspapers; in-house communications positions in the hospital, energy, solar, construction and nonprofit arenas; and a history of community volunteerism. Formerly a victim of the recent economic meltdown, she is thrilled to be working again, and lives with her daughter and their small but mighty (and often schizophrenic) dog in Albany. .

Dan Lieberman has lived in Albany with his wife since 1999. They both work part-time, and alternate days staying home to raise their kids. They have two children; the elder goes to Cornell Elementary. Dan has been a renewable energy advocate for more than a dozen years, primarily in policy and marketing. He serves on the City of Albany's Sustainability Committee. His family lives in a solar-powered home. .

See our blogging section here. Want to join in the fun? Write me at emilier@patch.com.