Metro

In Brief

THE REGION

Weekend Zoo Event Is All About Birds

A "bird fest" featuring educational activities, displays about conservation, hands-on crafts and musical performances will be held this weekend at the National Zoo.

The event, sponsored by the zoo and Friends of the Zoo, is intended to promote bird conservation and highlight the springtime migration of millions of birds from Latin America to North America, including the Washington area.

The free event, held in conjunction with International Migratory Bird Day, will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow and Sunday. At 7:30 p.m. Monday, ornithologist, illustrator and author David Sibley will give a lecture and hold a book signing.

No More Stopping at Plazas With E-ZPass

There's no need for E-ZPass motorists to hesitate as they proceed through Maryland's toll plazas. The Maryland Transportation Authority has removed traffic lights from most E-ZPass lanes to keep traffic moving.

Transportation officials said they want to avoid the stop-and-go situations when E-ZPass drivers wait for the green light before going through toll plazas. Motorists still must obey posted speed limits in the toll lanes.

MARYLAND

Congressman Plans Annual Job Fair

Rep. Albert R. Wynn (D-Md.) will host a job fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday at the Prince George's Sports & Learning Complex at 8001 Sheriff Road in Landover, his office said.

Last year, the annual event drew more than 6,000 job seekers and 200 employers, including federal and local government agencies, from suburban Maryland. For more information, call 202-226-JOBS.

Woman Gets 15 Months for Tax Evasion

A woman who operated a tax preparation business in Landover in the late 1990s was sentenced yesterday to 15 months in prison for income tax evasion and filing false tax returns for clients.

Karen D. Harrison, 50, of the District was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt after a January conviction on eight counts of preparing false tax returns, said Mary Frances Martin, an Internal Revenue Service spokeswoman in Baltimore.

Harrison also was convicted of personal income tax evasion after she reported earning $38,000 in 1998 instead of $88,000, Martin said.