The recent controversy between Sharon Cox and Valerie Ervin concerning Ms. Ervin's two jobs is one that has been caught up in accusations and complaints that cloud the real issue.

I have known Sharon Cox for several years and admire her work with the PTAs and on the Board of Education. I also know Valerie Ervin. She is an intelligent woman and I am sure she will be an excellent board member.

But the issue is not Sharon or Valerie. The issue is whether the confidential aide to a County Council member can serve as a confidential aide and as a school board member without a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest.

Take the names and personalities out of the equation and consider it objectively.

First, the confidential aide to a council member is the supervisor of the office. The aide oversees and directs the work of all of the staff members of the office. It would be impossible to do a good job and ignore what is happening with the school system and the Board of Education budget.

Second, a confidential aide has input into every issue that reaches the attention of the council member -- and some that don't reach the council member's attention. In the past, some have said the confidential aide is as important as the council member. It is impossible to avoid school system issues as parents call council offices every day.

Third, confidential aides are intricately involved before the final adoption of the county budget. Obviously, they are keenly aware of their council member's thoughts and desires, and they share those thoughts with the other aides. The budget is then discussed individually with their council members and final decisions are made. It would be impossible to do this without knowledge of the Board of Education budget, which comprises half of the county budget.

I have some knowledge of how the council office works and I cannot imagine an aide who has no input into school issues, as they are such an important and enormous part of the council's work. I would urge anyone to think very long and hard about having these two jobs and, at the very least, seek guidance from the ethics panel. It is very important to avoid any appearance of impropriety. You just can't do both jobs well and you can't avoid accusations of conflict of interest.

Nancy H. Dacek, Darnestown

While the writer is president of the Montgomery County Board of Elections, the opinions stated her are her own and not the board's. Also, she is a former County Council member.

We must retain bio research lead

Gov. Robert Ehrlich is correct that the federal government is the preferable venue to handle stem cell research policy, but he is wrong to have concerns about Maryland enacting legislation supporting this critical research.

With severe restrictions on federal policy in place, strong research states like Maryland must act to advance this research and protect their own self interests.

Johns Hopkins University has been a national leader in stem cell research. However, this leadership is at risk because other states, most notably California, are providing substantial state funds for the research, and will soon be recruiting our state's top scientists.

Now is not the time to let our state lose its leadership in what many believe will be the most important avenue of biological research in the 21st century. Governor Ehrlich has power to ensure that this does not happen.

Lawrence A. Soler, Bethesda

The writer is vice president for government relations, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in Washington, D.

Video game platforms are good next step

It took an educational foundation and not the Montgomery County Public Schools system to bring the first language lab and basic automated-assisted learning for language into the classroom, although the MCPS cooperated ("B-CC language lab speaks volumes," Feb. 16 story).

Students are enthused by the advantages of the computer voice recording and response system even though it requires a teacher to be directly involved in teaching languages -- Spanish, Italian. This is a great start.

The lab cost $70,000. Now it is time to take the next step and allow students to use the same approach without a teacher directly involved by using video game platforms and the Karaoke approach for people of all ages to learn English. Game devices cost less than $200 each. With these inexpensive and portable game devices, the Florida Virtual School motto "Anytime, Any Place, Any Path, Any Pace," can be used for Student Centered Learning rather than the MCPS approach of the Teacher Centered Model.

For the English language, people can get immediate feedback on their pronunciation while incorporating spelling, meaning and grammar into the program. A byproduct is automated scoring so students know immediately how well they are doing. The automated scores then can be transferred easily to the MCPS and to others using existing communication technologies.

With more than 100 languages spoken in the county, this approach to learning English will help immensely to provide a common language for learning and communicating in an understandable way, which can help to meet No Child Left Behind requirements.

G. Stanley Doore, Calverton

Criticism rebuffed

I read with some amusement the Feb. 23 letter, "Taxpayers subsidize center's parking."

To address his statements: (1) Does he know how many people use the Metro? Has he stood there and counted? (2) If he is just worrying about subsidizing the free parking for Strathmore, I would suggest he look into some of the really silly things he, as a taxpayer, is subsidizing. He might really get upset. (3) He states as a fact that "the majority of arts patrons for classical music events come from the upper middle and upper classes." That means the rest don't understand and are not entitled to enjoy the classics.

Jamie Miller, Bethesda

Stand corrected

The March 2 editorial, "House slots offering: A hard act to swallow," states that slots passed by a 71-66 vote, one more vote than needed.

Not so, it was exactly the number of votes needed. One vote less and it would have failed. The House of Delegates has 141 members and a majority is needed. Seventy is not a majority of 141 but 71 is.

George E. Sauer, Potomac

The writer is a member of the Republican Central Committee.

Snow shoveling ordinance is unfair to town's elderly

I thank The Gazette for reporting my presentation to the Kensington Town Council advising the emergency repeal of the snow shoveling ordinance ("Keeping sidewalks clear," Feb. 9 story).

To correct the record, I told them that I would refuse to pay a $65 citation because I could prove that I had shoveled the town sidewalk in front of my house within their 24-hour rule, as I have done for the last 28 years. Other neighbors had the same complaint.

The safe and convenient way to walk on snowy and icy walks is by wearing the right boots. The ordinance proposed provides the luxury of walking all winter in designer shoes, tennis shoes and flip-flops.

The council decided to provide the amenity of shoveled town walks to all pedestrians by mandating that about one-third of town property owners shovel the walks for all the other users. Fewer than half of residential property owners have adjacent sidewalks and some streets have none. This is unfair and unsafe.

The fair way to do this would follow the lead of Somerset, which pays a contract company to plow and salt all its town walks. By requiring a minority of residents to shovel and salt, Kensington decided to do this on the cheap.

Speaking as a former health officer for the town, I said that the law was unsafe, because it forces the elderly to shovel heavy snow and ice in arctic conditions. More than 50 percent of heart attacks and cardiac sudden deaths occur without warning. Moreover, the town provides no waiver of responsibility, inviting residents to scramble to find paid shovelers within (now) 48 hours. I surveyed the 30 firms in the Yellow Pages and only six were willing to shovel in Kensington, at fees ranging between $50 and $200 for a 100-foot walk, and with only one company willing to guarantee 48-hour response.

This ordinance forces elderly and infirm owners to risk their lives shoveling. Kensington has not had accidents related to snowy walks, but we all know about neighbors who have died in their homes and yards of cardiac problems, including my next-door neighbor.

The Kensington ordinance mandates fines of $65 to $190 per day up to $1,000 for non-compliance. A blizzard while a family is vacationing in Florida can leave them with a bitter end to a nice trip.

John H. Lossing, M.D., Kensington

Placing slots

It seems only fair in choosing where slot machines will be placed in Maryland -- assuming they are placed anywhere -- that consideration be given to the senators and delegates who vote for them. In other words, they should be placed in the districts of the pro-slots representatives.

In my district, Sen. Leonard H. Teitelbaum (D-Dist. 19) of Silver Spring and Del. Henry B. Heller (D-Dist. 19) of Rockville, both voted in favor of slots. Although I am against them, to be consistent I must accept slot machines in my area and I can think of no better location than Leisure World where both Sen. Teitelbaum and Del. Heller live. In fact, Leisure World could probably support quite a few.

John Fay, Wheato

Keep opinions out of news

I am a fan of The Gazette and its local news coverage. However, I am troubled by the increased opinions I see creeping into news articles.

All newspapers have political positions; that discussion is what our country is founded on and we are free to choose not to read a newspaper. Nonetheless, these opinions should be expressed on the editorial page, not embedded in news articles.

When Del. Peter Franchot (D-Dist. 20) of Takoma Park recently used a questionable term in discussing the slots proposals, that is indeed news and should be covered. However, the article ("This time, the foot is in Franchot's mouth," March 2) was a not-so-well-concealed presentation of the writer's viewpoint.

The article was a rambling style where opinions are mixed with fact, and without attribution. The Gazette's writers should report the news and let readers reach their own conclusions.

Mark Glaudemans, Olney

Church plan questioned

As a long time resident and business owner in Laytonsville, I read with considerable interest the March 2 article, "Land deal will benefit two churches."

On Jan. 4, I attended a Laytonsville town meeting where the Rev. Steve Pettit, senior pastor of Derwood Bible Church, outlined his vision for the use of this property. While in the article the pastor mentioned the construction of the church, softball and baseball fields, etc., I saw no reference to the planned "rehabilitation houses," which he described during this town meeting.

Rev. Pettit made it rather clear that these houses, a.k.a. half way houses, are an integral part of the plan.

Good intentions notwithstanding, it is difficult to comprehend how the introduction of former prison inmates will add to the bucolic character of our community.

Thomas Frye, Laytonsville

Slots: Good for Vegas, not for Maryland

As our legislature debates and tries to reconcile two slots bills, it seems that some key points to consider are being ignored.

Outside of the known problems with opening slots parlors around the state -- such as increased gambling addictions and a customer base that will be largely the economically deprived -- it should be noted that the revenue stream feeding the machines will be mostly local money.

This means that every local dollar spent at a slot machine could have been spent on something else in our local economy such as the basic living expenses of clothes and food. The sales taxes on retail purchases that would have been received from these purchases is lost as well as the overall economic benefit for the area local businesses.

The business model for casino gambling in Las Vegas is much better suited for Maryland as the revenue is generated is mostly from tourists and conventioneers. Money from other states flows into Nevada from outside the state fueling the revenue stream and the supporting businesses like hotels, restaurants and retail stores. Casino hotels also have a large employment base thus generating jobs.

A better solution for Maryland would be to allow full casino gambling contained and controlled at the new Gaylord National Hotel and Conference Center in Prince George's County. While some local residents would still gamble money they cannot afford, the majority of the revenue would be from outside the state from convention attendees and tourists to the nation's capital. The casino would also have a much greater need for employees that also contributes to the tax base and the local economy.

Kevin Demeritt, Germantown

Destroying bridge solves nothing

I attended the public workshop held to discuss three options for the Humpback Bridge between Gaithersburg and Washington Grove ("Three options studied for replacing Humpback Bridge," Feb. 2 story).

I cannot help noticing that the option of least impact and cost -- rehabilitation -- was not presented to the public. The officials I talked to at the workshop were adamant that one of the three options presented needed to be "the choice." Given that the surrounding roads are all two-lane local roads serving residential communities, I do not understand why the county is so determined that a four-lane "bridge to nowhere" needs to be built.

I doubt that any resident of Oakmont/Deer Park/Washington Grove wishes to have drivers from all over the county flooding past our doorstep. Yet the county wishes us to believe that only the unnecessary destruction of historic structures like the Humpback Bridge, the grain silos and the much-loved Hershey's restaurant will solve the situation. Both dwellings and small businesses will be obliterated by the three options proposed by the county.

I do not understand why they seem so unwilling to entertain other, less expensive options.

Georgette Cole, Washington Grove

Widening would increase traffic

My family and I oppose the widening of Longdraft Road from two to four lanes because it would increase traffic from Longdraft to Great Seneca Highway via Sioux Lane, which cuts through our neighborhood, Fernshire Farms and Longdraft Estates.

Linda Stein, Gaithersburg

The writer and her family are members of the Longdraft Road Coalition, which opposes the road's widening.

I am against the widening of Longdraft Road. I use Longdraft to enter and exit my neighborhood and, at this time, the road is manageable. But with the proposed four lanes I have to wonder how we would be able to get in or out of our neighborhood.

Taking a neighborhood road that has been used primarily by residents and widening it is not going to help "Go Montgomery."

Cheryl A. Mattes, Gaithersbur

Kaufmann supports board's original plan to name new park

The purpose of this letter is to thank the Montgomery Village Board of Directors for the great honor of naming a village park after me, and to clarify my recommendations made during the Feb. 24 board meeting ("Park name-change compromise offered," Feb. 17).

At the board meeting, a motion was unexpectedly made and immediately seconded that the new Montgomery Village Local Park (1) be named Prather Park and (2) that existing North Creek Lake Park be renamed Milton M. Kaufmann Park, "to honor village volunteers reflecting countless hours of work to protect the environment." This is a reversal of the board's previous decision that the new park carry my name.

I asked to be recognized to clarify North Creek Lake Park boundaries to ensure that the approximately 50 forested acres of the park's natural area, downstream of the North Creek Lake dam, are included in the motion and that the motion be amended, naming the natural area Milton M. Kaufmann Nature Preserve, in the event the board voted in favor of the amended motion.

The lake and its shores are not suitable areas to be included in the nature preserve, and accordingly North Creek Lake Park should not be renamed.

My intervention was not intended to lessen my support of the board's original decision on naming the new park, which is under construction. Also, my expressed concern about the deforestation of the park has been assuaged by an agreement on additional reforestation.

Milton M. Kaufmann, Montgomery Village

The writer has earned international acclaim for championing environmental causes.

Ride On's mission is public service, not profitability

Ride On's statements that proposed changes are due to limited resources and low profitability are indicative of Ride On's clear misunderstanding of the reason for their own existence ("Ride On routes in jeopardy," March 2 story).

News flash to Ride On: Your mission is to provide cheap and convenient alternatives to individual commuters, to get them out of their individual vehicles and help de-congest our roads. You are not supposed to profit. You are supposed to provide a working public service.

Low ridership is more indicative of the high price of ridership together with low convenience factors. The 77 route is a perfect example of a route with excellent ridership (including myself) when the service was free, even though it crawled down congested Interstate 270. Those problems are fixed by improving routes and rates, not replacing them with slower, inconvenient transfer routes.

If Ride On doesn't know how to provide these services, Ride On needs to be gutted and replaced. If money is the issue, you get the money from the government, to whom we already pay taxes for this purpose.

Our only alternative is more single-occupant vehicles on our already gridlocked roads. That won't be a public service to anyone.

Steve Jordan, Germantown

Say goodbye to small town Poolesville

There are members on the Poolesville Town Commission who are determined to turn our small town into a city.

There has been too little opposition from residents to a population goal of 7,500, which is included in the recently adopted master plan ("Town growth capped at 7,500," March 2 story). That's about a 50 percent increase in current population.

In the past, there were two surveys of Poolesville residents who overwhelmingly preferred the ultimate population to be 6,500 or less. I often remind the commissioners of the results of those surveys and that they should accede to the desires of the resident majority, but my remarks are ignored. You see, they know of the apathy of the town residents.

I suppose when large tracts of open space in town are filled with houses and a thousand or more vehicles are added to our streets there will be many regretful and displeased residents but it will be too late. The traffic signals on our main street will be another sign of a "small town no more."

Rudy Gole, Poolesville

Go back to drawing board on sex ed curriculum

Charles Gershenson tries to use the history of sex education in the county to convince us that the new curriculum being implemented is best for our children ("When moral values, sex education collide," Feb. 16 commentary).

His bias on this subject is understandable, given his history of initiating sex education in our schools. His efforts to ensure that pregnant teenagers are not denied an education are commendable. His argument in favor of this new curriculum, however, does not convince me.

The current curriculum talks about abstinence four times, whereas the new curriculum mentions it just twice and goes on to show a movie devoted to teaching the proper use of a condom. If we are so concerned about our students' health, why are we emphasizing the condom, a form of birth control/disease prevention that fails 15 percent of the time, over abstinence, the only method that is 100 percent effective?

In order to teach our students that abstinence is the most effective form of birth control and disease prevention, it needs to be a consistently reinforced message throughout the curriculum.

I disagree with Mr. Gershenson that the school board should be commended for its "wisdom and courage" in implementing this program. It should be admonished for not doing its homework and should be told to go back and do better.

Catherine Beliveau, Poolesvill

Libraries deserve better treatment than given

There is much to argue about in politics today. Budgets are a hot topic with various groups lobbying for a share of county funds. These groups point to the constituencies that they serve and contrast them with other, presumably less needy constituencies.

Let me suggest that there is one institution whose constituency is the people of Montgomery County.

County libraries reach out to their communities with children's reading programs, adult book clubs, special events, community days and a host of other services in addition to their books. They are an incalculable resource that the Internet and bookstores with coffee bars cannot replace.

Regrettably, we treat this resource as though it did not need much assistance. Some library buildings need repair and renovation. Some libraries have seen cuts in manpower levels, leading to hours of operation being cut. New equipment is slow to be acquired. Friends of the Library chapters work to raise funds to assist their libraries with things that don't make it into the county budget.

Libraries deserve better from us.

Few institutions in the United States are as democratic as its public libraries. Libraries ask only that you have a library card (no charge) and that you take reasonable care of the books you borrow. Libraries do not consider age, economic status, race, sex or any of the other cultural and social classifications. When funds go to libraries, the results can be enjoyed by all of the county's residents without restriction.

We have elected representatives. Let's let them know that we regard our public libraries as a priceless asset to our communities. Let's ask for those libraries to be treated as such in the budget process.

Evelyn McDonald, Potomac

Praise for Silverman criticized

Webb Smedley's recent letter ("Criticism unfair to Silverman," Feb. 23 letter) failed to mention some of County Councilman Steve Silverman's more objectionable positions on education, transportation and public health.

Although Mr. Smedley trumpets Mr. Silverman's record on education, the councilman has spent most of his political career defending overdevelopment rather than sensible development in the county. At every turn, he has fought to help the big developers build more, leading to communities and schools that have outgrown their capacities.

As for transportation, it is true that Silverman supported the Inner Purple Line. But he has yet to explain how he expects to pay for it, especially since he wants to spend $3 billion on the Intercounty Connector.

Perhaps Mr. Silverman's "leadership skills" were most obvious when he supported a bill this year that would put a fee on ambulance services. Under this bill, people would have to pay to have their lives saved.

I would like to know where our tax dollars are going if the county can't afford basic necessities like emergency services, transportation and education.

Candace Brendler, Rockville

What happened to ending gridlock?

Councilman Michael L. Subin (D-At large) was elected to the County Council on the "End Gridlock" platform, espousing the idea that the Intercounty Connector would reduce gridlock on the county's interstates.

The state has found that the $3 billion ICC would make congestion on the Beltway worse.

It's amazing to see a flip-flop such as the one we saw the other day, when Mr. Subin announced that the ICC has nothing to do with relieving traffic congestion ("Council gives ICC support in 6-3 vote," March 2 story).

Cam and Penny Boyce, Rockville

History lesson

If Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan and Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley think they have what it takes to be governor, they had better check the results of the 2002 gubernatorial election.

Democrats are tired of big spending, high taxes, over-developing, crowded neighborhoods.

There was a reason why the Democrats lost the Governor's Mansion in 2002. Perhaps they should ask a certain retired grocery clerk why he received 20 percent of the vote while only spending $600. There was a message there then and that message is still there today.

Four more years of Bob Ehrlich will be a great thing for this state.

The only benefit of having Duncan and O'Malley running for governor is that they will lose and be out of politics and our pockets.

Bob Fustero, Silver Spring

The writer, a retired grocery store clerk, was a gubernatorial candidate in the 2002 Democratic primary.

Misleading anti-abortion ads

I recently saw an ad on the bus that got my attention. It said: "Nine months. The amount of time the Supreme Court says it's legal to have an abortion. Abortion. Have we gone too far?"

What struck me the most was just how dishonest the ad was. You'd think that any pregnant woman could get an abortion at any point in her pregnancy, no questions asked. In fact, Roe v. Wade found that after the fetus is viable, the state may regulate and even prohibit abortion during that period, except when it is necessary to preserve the woman's life or health.

So I wondered who it was that was spreading disinformation on the bus. The organization sponsoring the ad was one I had never heard of. I went to its Web site, which was displayed on the ad, and found nothing about who these people are. After a further search of the site, I found that this campaign was being sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Why does the U.S. Conference of Bishops feel it must present misleading arguments against abortion? Also, why does the bus system allow false advertising?

Paul Gordon, Silver Spring

Vote for slots should determine placement

It seems only fair in choosing where slot machines will be placed in Maryland -- assuming they are placed anywhere -- that consideration be given to the senators and delegates who vote for them. In other words, they should be placed in the districts of the pro-slots representatives.

In my district, Sen. Leonard H. Teitelbaum (D-Dist. 19) of Silver Spring and Del. Henry B. Heller (D-Dist. 19) of Rockville, both voted in favor of slots. Although I am against them, to be consistent I must accept slot machines in my area and I can think of no better location than Leisure World where both Sen. Teitelbaum and Del. Heller live.

In fact, Leisure World could probably support quite a few.

John Fay, Wheaton

City attorney review is long overdue

A review of Takoma Park's 18-year association with its corporation counsel reveals a relationship characterized by inefficiency and lack of accountability.

The city hired the law offices of Susan Silber in December 1986 to provide contracted legal services to the city. Since then, the city repeatedly amended the original agreement on a sole source basis without allowing other potentially qualified attorneys to bid.

Although the agreements with Susan Silber, et al, have called for periodic evaluations of the firm's performance, the city has conducted only one such evaluation, which was undertaken by former Mayor Ed Sharp in 1991. The city refuses to disclose the results of that single evaluation.

The absence of periodic competitive bidding for the city's legal services and the failure to perform evaluations of the corporation counsel's performance creates a situation in which the city has no sense of the quality or value of the legal work performed for the city. Further, examination of the city's recent payments to Silber & Perlman, P.A., calls into question the efficiency of using an outside contractor exclusively to satisfy the city's legal needs. Payments to Silber & Perlman for calendar years 2003 and 2004 total an astounding $478,981, an amount that significantly exceeds the funds budgeted by the city for legal expenses for that period.

The city is grappling with its worst fiscal crisis in its history. In such an environment it behooves the city to get the most that it can for its money. Employing an outside part-time contractor at exorbitant expense, whose expertise and work performance have not been affirmed, is neither practical nor reasonable.

Jack Carson, Takoma Park

Where's the cover-up when it's needed?

Like many who live in Wheaton, I am anxiously awaiting the opening of Macy's and dozens of new stores at Westfield Shoppingtown Wheaton ("Merger greets new Wheaton Macy's," March 2). I am anxious because neither the county nor the developers have made sufficient preparations for the influx of shoppers.

The Veirs Mill, University Boulevard, Georgia Avenue triangle is about to become more than a center for shopping, it is about to become a center of traffic congestion. As soon as the renovated mall opens, roads and traffic lights will prove inadequate for the increase in traffic. One cost-effective measure that the county and developers have ignored is encouraging shoppers to use Metro.

There is a new parking garage at Westfield, but the have been no improvements to Metro access. What is needed, and has been needed for some time, is a well-defined and covered walkway from the Metro to the entrance of the mall so that shoppers are protected from the weather and are able to cross Veirs Mill Road easily with their purchases. The current walkway to the Metro parking garage was never designed to serve the mall. It is a deadend.

Please tell me why the county and Westfield have not acted to work with Metro to improve the Metro-Westfield mall access. And if plans are in the works, why haven't they been implemented? For once, we need a cover-up, from Metro to the mall.

Dan Thompson, Wheaton