<sh>Magazine Owner Indicted
<bt>An Alexandria grand jury has indicted Karen Macrae on charges of money laundering.
Macrae came to prominence in Alexandria last year by launching the magazine Alexandria Today. She sold subscriptions and advertising and held a premier that featured singer Roberta Flack. She presented a check to the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria at last year's telethon for $10,000.
But the magazine was never published and Flack was never paid for her performance here, according to Flack's attorneys.
"Over the last four years, Ms. Macrae has engaged in felonious financial transactions amounting to between $250,000 and $300,000," said Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Elliott Casey. "We are currently engaged in plea negotiations with her attorneys."
If convicted, Macrae faces up to 40 years in prison and a maximum fine of $500,000.
<sh>Holmes Run Park Exposure
<bt>Alexandria police are looking for a man who exposed himself to a woman in Holmes Run Park last week.
According to police reports:
The 38-year-old female city resident was sitting on a park bench along the bike path last Thursday, Sept. 2, when she saw a naked man come out of the woods. She ran from the park to her nearby home and called police. The incident occurred at approximately 11 a.m. in the 4700 block of Duke Street.
In July, a woman was sexually assaulted along the same bike path. "According to the woman who reported this latest incident, the man appeared to be homeless," said Cpt. John Crawford, a spokesperson for the Alexandria Police Department. "He was disheveled and very distinctive looking."
The man is described as a white male, between 5-feet-8 and 5-10 with shoulder-length grayish hair. He weighed approximately 180 pounds.
"We are very concerned because we have no idea what this man might have intended to do to this woman," Crawford said. "Also, we were unable to locate him despite the fact that police saturated the park area very shortly after the incident occurred.
"We have added extra patrols in the park, not only on the bike path but walking in the woods as well. So far, we haven't found any evidence that there are people living in the woods. It is very important that we apprehend this man and find out what he was doing there," Crawford said.
Anyone with information about this incident should contact Alexandria police at 703-838-4444.
<sh>Gangs: How Serious a Problem?
<bt>Agenda:Alexandria will host the program, "Gangs: How Serious a Problem?” with Deputy Chief of Police Earl Cook, Captain Cleveland Spruill and Investigator Neal Sharma on Monday, Sept. 27.
Bill Clayton, the vice chair of Agenda:Alexandria, will be the program chair. A reception is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. with dinner ($25) at 6:45 p.m. There is no charge for people who attend the program only, which is scheduled to begin at 7:15 p.m. at Temple Beth El, 3830 Seminary Road.
Reservations are required. Contact Sherry Brown, 703-549-4696 or agendaalexandria@aol.com.
<sh>Motorcoach Traffic
<bt>The ACVA Motorcoach Task Force invites local residents and business owners to share their views on motorcoach traffic in Alexandria at its monthly meeting Thursday, Sept. 16. The open discussion period will begin at 6:30 p.m., in City Hall, room 2000.
The Task Force was created by the Alexandria Convention & Visitors Association to examine Alexandria's motorcoach trade and propose better solutions for managing this segment of the City's tourism industry. The Task force members will prepare a final report to be presented to Alexandria City Council by the end of December.
The Motorcoach Task Force meets on the third Thursday of each month through December, 2004, in City Hall, room 2000.
For more information, contact Nadine Boland at 703-838-4200, ext. 204.
<sh>Voter Registration
<bt>The Virginia voter registration deadline is Oct. 4 at 5 p.m.
Alexandria voters may register in person or by mail.
Applications are available at City of Alexandria Public Libraries and U.S. Post Offices. Mail registrations must be post marked Oct. 4. In-person registration locations are listed below:
*Voter Registration Office, 132 North Royal, Suite 100 across from City Hall, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday (the office will also be open Saturday, October 2.)
* DMV at 2681 Mill Road, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 12 noon, Saturday.
Registration applications may also be downloaded at http://www.alexandriavoter.org
<sh>Absentee Voting
<bt>Absentee voting begins on Sept. 20. Ballots are available by mail until Oct. 28 and in person until Oct. 30. In-person absentee ballots will be cast at the Voter Registration Office. Mail ballots must be returned by Election Day, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m.
Absentee applications can be downloaded at alexandriavoter.org. In addition to normal business hours the Voter Registration Office will be open on Saturdays, October 23 and 30 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To register and vote one must be a citizen, a resident of Virginia, and 18 years of age by Election Day.
Alexandrians will vote on U.S. President, U.S. House Representatives District 8, and two constitutional amendments. Election Day polling hours are from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Call the Voter Registration Office at 703-838-4050.
<sh>Search for Talented Teens
<bt>The First Night Alexandria Teen Task Force will hold auditions for its second annual Teen Entertainment Venue & Competition. The Teen Talent Venue is part of the New Year's Eve city-wide celebration of First Night Alexandria.
Auditions for youth 13 and older will be held on Monday, Oct. 4, Tuesday, Oct. 12 and Thursday, Oct. 14. Exact times and locations will be announced later this month on the First Night Alexandria web site, http://www.FirstNightAlexandria.org.
The Teen Task Force, made up of youth from Alexandria and Fairfax schools and other guests, will judge those wishing to audition in any performing art including music (instrumental and vocal), comedy, dance and original compositions (poetry, etc.).
Application forms, available on the Web site, must be turned in on the day of audition. Teens must phone 703.838-4200, ext. 210 to request an audition space.
Following the initial auditions, semi-finals will be held during the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria Telethon. The final competition winners will be chosen during First Night at the Teen Venue.
<sh>Red Cross Restaurant Night
<bt>Monroe's, 1603 Commonwealth Ave., will host an Alexandria Red Cross Restaurant Night on Monday, Sept. 27 from 5 p.m. to closing. Monroe's will donate 25 percent of food and beverage sales from the evening to the American Red Cross chapter.
For reservations, call Monroe's at 703-548-5792. For information about the Alexandria chapter of the American Red Cross, visit www.alexandriaredcross.org.