After reading last week’s article on the horrific hoax by the YIT Foundation I felt compelled to write this letter in defense of our former Mayor, Town Supervisor and current NYS Assemblyman Brian Maher. I am the owner of Tickled Pink, a small business on Main Street in the Village of Walden that serves cancer patients. I first met Brian when he was our 23-year-old Mayor. He had so much energy and was committed to just helping people. He helped connect me with local and regional organizations to assist and grow my business, and he was always a phone call away to help with anything I needed.

Anyone who is speaking negatively about Brian right now either does not know him or is using this unfortunate incident as an opportunity to attack him politically and push their own agenda. Brian Maher is all about our vets and all about our community regardless of what political party you belong to. I, and so many others throughout the Town of Montgomery, will never forget the leadership he provided during the pandemic. We were all scared, our businesses were shut down and Brian Maher went to work. He did his best to make us feel safe and inspire us. He was on facebook talking to us and updating us and finding creative ways of bringing our community together. In one of our darkest times he shined a light and brought out the best in us.

I will also never forget the Business Relief Program he created as part of the #TOMSTRONG Community Response Team. For my business to receive $2500 in that time, and I know some of the other small businesses, barbers and hairdressers, I don’t know if we would have made it without that assistance. Over $80,000 was given out to more than 40 Town of Montgomery businesses, in case people don’t remember. Who else would have done that? Brian was there for us and we should be there standing with him now. With this latest situation, Brian did what he always does when someone calls him, he tried to help.

With all that Brian has going on this week, I needed help on another matter. I had a question about a NYS tax form I received in the mail. Brian called me back, quickly got me in touch with someone who could explain to me what was going on and as always helped me when I needed assistance. He always puts others first, even when he may be going through a tough time himself. We are all, so many of us, still so proud to call him our representative. Keep being yourself, Brian. We have your back! Thank you for always having ours and for supporting our veterans. We know who you are and what your heart is made of.