Letter to Editor : Bringing the Veterans Home and Yountville closer together
Dear Editor,
I am a resident of the Yountville Veterans Home. I have lived here for about 18 months. There are three main reasons why vets move to the home; health, finances and age.
Although the home is a suburb of the town of Yountville and we are citizens of the town, when we first move in we are overwhelmed with learning the home’s rules and regulations and the town of Yountville is the last thing on our minds. But as we settle in, our curiosity about the town slowly grows. A desire to explore the restaurants and shops compels us to visit.
The town is about a 30-minute walk from the home and even closer with a scooter or campus bus ride. Getting to know the restaurants is important so we have a place to have “a night on the town” and a place to dine when our relatives and friends come to visit. Those of us who are regular patrons, gradually get to know some of the town’s residents but we always feel like we are not really residents of the town.
Gary Jabara’s monthly dinners at his The Estate Yountville resort, where he invites both the town and veteran home residents, is changing all that by creating a wonderful way to get to know people and to feel a part of the community. With the upscale reputation of places like The French Laundry, the town of Yountville has a ritzy reputation, but the more ordinary residents one gets to know, the more Yountville becomes a hometown.
It looks like Yountville has found a gem in Gary Jabara. His resurrecting the Yountville Sun shows an unparalleled commitment to the town. Being able to read about the issues and drama happening in the town council is really important, as is following the town’s other activities. The Veterans Home is the largest employer in town, so the Commons housing project is important to us. The editorial and reporting staff of the Sun is doing a great job.
So, in closing, I really want to thank Gary for making us veterans feel like a real part of the town and bringing Yountville closer together. I’m looking forward to Gary’s next get-together.
P.S. As a member of the home’s Allied Council, which is our version of a city council, drama also is no stranger to us.
Mike Haran
USAF Veteran
Yountville
Sponsored
Author
