Angwin voters once more shouted "NO!" to purchase of the Hospital water system by electing three candidates to the Water company Board who united to oppose the merger.

   Richard Crain was the top vote-getter with 118 votes. Adam Pease came in second with 105 votes. Michael Hogan gleaned 99. All three are leaders in the Save Angwin Committee, which is opposing the purchase of the St. Helena Hospital water system at a cost of $3 million.

   Doug Ermshar came in fourth with 96 votes. He had not committed himself on the issue, but has promised to hear the arguments.

   Crain, a local heavy construction contractor, has lived in Angwin for more than 25 years. Pease, owner of a software research company, has substantial experience as president of four different non-profit organizations through the years. Hogan, a veteran financial expert in the oil industry, is also a long-time resident. Ermshar, controller for Pacific Union College, is also on the boards of the Angwin Community Council and the Howell Mountain Elementary School.

   Terence Ford, spokesman for the Save Angwin Water Committee, commented enthusiastically on the vote. “Our three guys ­ Crain, Hogan, and Pease - campaigned on the basis of their opposition to the Hospital water purchase. There was no other issue in this campaign. These three candidates won the most votes because they promised to oppose the purchase proposal.

   "This is a really dramatic upset. Four of the old Board which supported the purchase are out of office and the new Board membership will undoubtedly bring an opposing viewpoint to the table," he said.

   The Save Angwin Committee declared that the election is the final step in a sequence of actions by which the membership has opposed any merger with the Hospital water system, which serves the Hospital and 200 users in Deer Park.

   First, the Board took an advisory vote months ago and the majority of its own respondents voted against the purchase. Second, our Committee conducted a ballot vote which would take the merger decision out of the hands of the Board and require a full membership vote to make any purchase happen. That vote came out 10 to 1 against the Board. Finally, we have seen three candidates to the Board campaign against the merger and win the most votes from the membership.

   There is absolutely no question now how the people in Angwin feel about the merger proposal.

   Two huge helicopters carrying Vice President Cheney and retinue landed at the Angwin airport on Sunday, creating a flurry of security.

   Cheney flew over from San Francisco to visit with old friends in the Napa Valley.

   With security forces blocking traffic at the intersections, the VP was limousined down to The Culinary Institute for lunch and then to Sterling Winery.

   The helicopters made a lot of noise coming in. The Chinook, a Boeing product, has been a workhorse aircraft for 16 countries. It features two engines of nearly 4,000 hp. each, is almost 100 ft. long, and travels at 175 mph.

   Angwin firefighters called to be on hand in case of an emergency, got a close-up look at the big aircraft.