Albany Democrat-Herald from Albany, Oregon • 3

AlbanyMid-valley ALBANY (OR.) DEMOCRAT-HERALD, THURSDAY, FEB. 20, 1997 A3 Albany fugitive featured on TV We have several leads we're working on Sgt. Doug Reed BY MARILYN MONTGOMERY Albany Democrat-Herald A man wanted by Albany police in the kidnapping of his estranged wife and their child last fall will be featured Friday in a short segment of the NBC television series "Unsolved Mysteries." Program staff learned about the search for Billy Raymond Sisson, 34, through viewer mail, according to Stacey Davis of The Lippin Group, a division of CosgroveMeurer Productions, the show's producers. Sisson will be described in a "Special Bulletin" segment of the 8 p.m. Feb.

21 broadcast on TCI cable channels 3 and 8. Sisson is accused of abducting his estranged wife and their 2-year-old son at gunpoint last Nov. 6, assaulting her and holding them both for several hours before letting them go. During the ordeal, Sisson allegedly threatened fepeatedly to kill his wife. A Linn County judge issued warrants for Sisson a few days after the abduction was reported.

Sisson is wanted on two counts of first-degree kidnapping and one count each of first-degree burglary, second-degree assault, being a felon in possession of a firearm, violating parole and violation of a restraining order. Bail has been set at $500,000. Albany police asked for the pub- lie's help in finding Sisson after the abduction last. fall. He is described as white, ft-foot-3, 195 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.

He has worked as a logger and is known as an experienced hunter and out-doorsman. He is considered armed and dangerous. The Sissons were together for three years, but had separated last April. She has since left the state and is in hiding, said Albany Police Detective John Fowler, who has led the investigation. The local investigation remains active, Fowler said Wednesday.

"We have several leads we're working on," he said. The television show is paying for Fowler to fly to Burbank for the broadcast Friday night, so he can be available to answer any phone calls that might be generated. Albany police plan to have someone available at the police station for calls the same night, Detective Sgt. Doug Reed said. Fowler said he is using a day of his vacation time to make the trip to California.

A' 'S Iran TiMinirii CAROLYN SPANItRDwnocrat-Hwald School maintenance workers, from left, John Crumley, Eva Cunliffe and Bert French tear down the baseball bleachers. Lebanon bleachers hold many memories cause the boards are rotting. The school district's maintenance crew is tearing it down this week. "Looking back we should have used treated wood, but they did last us a good 20 to 25 City orders demolition of the baseball stands that fans say gave their teams a distinct home-field advantage. FFA students survive crash, win competition BY CAROLYN SPANIER Albany Democrat-Herald years, troco said.

was a baseball coach and social studies teacher at Lebanon for 20 years. He also coached freshman football and was the linebacker coach for varsity football at Lebanon for a season or two. The field was named after Croco near the time of hie IQftft rptirpmpnf Tn thic said the old bleachers had a stadium atmosphere. Croco coached Stolsig when he played baseball at Lebanon in 1975-77. "They were elevated so that you could see better," Stolsig said.

"And the sound from the fans bounced off on to the field. "Some people in the community thinks it defined our field. It was different from the others." The enclosed design also protected fans from the sun and southwest winds. Stolsig said now the old bleachers wiU become fond memories. "I can see visions of the old-timers sitting in the bleachers, each in their own special spot, including my grandmother," Stolsig said.

For the short term, Stolsig said Athletic Director Ted Dowell will coordinate fund-raisers to purchase portable aluminum bleachers. For the long term, private donations will be sought to build another set of bleachers that will bring back the stadium atmosphere, Stolsig said. Croco said it was good to talk about the old bleachers and the people who were involved with it 20 years ago. "It gets the old sap going," Croco said. LEBANON The Lebanon High School bleachers built more than 20 years ago hold a lot of memories for the coaches, players and spectators.

Former baseball coach Bill Croco was among the many individuals who nailed the wooden structure together. "There were several of us who put them up," said Croco, now 65. "There were a lot more mills running then. "Willamette Industries and Champion came up with the boards, Santiam Post 51 helped out, as well as a lot of individuals. Dick Weisbrodt, the former athletic director, got the plans together and Morse Bros, did the paving." The city of Lebanon recently condemned the bleachers and the snack barpress box be day, he says he still mar- jj'" vels at the honor.

Croco Jim Wolfe, 66, and a former Lebanon fire marshal, helped his good friend Croco build the bleachers. Croco coached two of Wolfe's sons, Don and Ron. "I'm surprised to see that they lasted that long," Wolfe said of the bleachers. "Hopefully they'll come up with something even better." Jeff Stolsig, the current baseball coach, picked up the Harrisburg team and took them on to Scio after finishing her route. The bus driver's supervisor picked up Rizor and took him to Scio after he talked to police.

"I'm extremely pleased with the Albany school district," Rizor said. A Harrisburg bus came to Scio to take the team home. The Harrisburg team won the beginning parliamentary procedure contest, and senior Stephanie Gentry won the advanced public speaking contest, Rizor said. Another team member started to compete in the public speaking contest, but was too shaken by the accident to finish. Rizor said one of the team planned to go to the doctor today to have a sore shoulder checked.

"I'm really proud of them, considering what they'd been through," he said. Eight girls on the Harrisburg High School FFA team won a district competition Wednesday afternoon shortly after escaping injury in a traffic accident. The team was on its way to Scio on Highway 99E outside of Jefferson about 12:45 p.m. when a Nissan sedan, heading north on Scravel Hill Road, pulled out in front of them, Linn County Sheriff's Cpl. Bruce Riley said today.

Ag teacher Bill Rizor, driving the van, tried to avoid the car, but clipped the right rear portion of the car, Riley said. The collision caused heavy damage to the Nissan and disabled the van, pushing the front bumper into a wheel. The Nissan driver, Ben Pruett, 18, of Albany, was cited for failure to yield right of way. An Albany school bus was in the area at the time, so the driver Woman to have 24th surgery Harrisburg vote would 3ut city in fire district '(mm VINYL BROWNSVILLE A Browns- ville woman injured in a Texas car accident in 1980 will undergo her 24th surgery next month in San Francisco. Sandy Price, 36, said she needs another surgery to correct her "flat back syndrome." Doctors at the University of California Hospital plan to rebreak her back in several places to restore her spine's natural curve.

Price said she has insurance to cover her operation and hospital stay. A trust account has been set up to cover her husband Mike's transportation, meals and lodging during her surgery. People can contribute to the account at any branch of Washington Mutual. Price said the accident occurred when she was stopped at a red light in Houston, Texas. A drunken driver chased by police crashed into the car parked behind her.

P.O. Box 805 CCB 119146 XAddHionsX Albany, OR Hemodeima Fencing Decks X. Design Consultation SIDING Building Remodeling Terry Williams Home Energy Products 967-6246259-1080 Family Owned and Operated BB 99679 Maintenance Repairs Flood Damage Repairs Interior 4 Exterior CD Painting INCOME TAX SERVICE SHORT FORMS Federal 4 State Min fee $25 ITEMIZED DEDUCTIONS $60 stable funding for the 110-square-mile district, Christensen said. Fire protection for the city of Harrisburg currently is paid by a portion of the city's general fund, while rural district residents are taxed directly. The city has budgeted about $60,000 for fire protection this year.

"It would allow us to make long-range plans," Christensen said. "The city funding is so unstable, you never know what portion of the pie you're going to get. "With the new district, if there are funds left over it goes into equipment replacement." Under the present split arrangement, he said, "We have trucks that are six years old to 40 years old with no funds for planned replacement." The move would put control of the district under the five member fire board. Three positions are iip for election on the same ballot with the annexation, so representation would remain in the hands of the rural part of the new district until the next positions open in 1999, Christensen said. Board members have promised to add city residents to the budget committee, however, if the annexation is approved.

The annexation plan calls for hiring a full-time, paid chief. The chief would be available at the fire station to answer questions from the public, do fire education and record-keeping, and coordinate training, Christensen said. The district's operating budget for this year is about $160,000. Volunteers handle about 300 calls a year, most for medical help. JCOUPON a II I ultimate Oar Uoeh Four Fees include ELECTRONIC FILING 9-6 Eves.

weekends by appt. 809 Nebergall Loop. Albany 928-9265 Donna Bank, LTC 928-9265 Seasons Most additional forms al $1200 $15 00 I I CAR WASH wui iiugii Reg. $8.95 Any I Car Wash BY MARILYN MONTGOMERY Albany Democrat Herald HARRISBURG The Harris, burg Rural Fire Protection District is seeking voter approval to annex the city of Harrrisburg, creating a district with a single governing board and a paid fire chief. It's one of the issues in the mail election that ends March 11.

Ballots are to arrive Monday at voters' addresses. Harrisburg residents have considered the annexation for about 15 years, volunteer Chief Hubert Christensen said, but talk became more serious in the last few years as duties and expectations have changed. Increased workload, aging equipment and the need for better, more advanced and more frequent training for volunteers caused fire district and city officials to propose the change. The change is patterned after the Lebanon fire district annexation about 10 years ago. If approved, it would take effect July 1.

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