New owner Gary Jabara: Why he believes the Yountville Sun matters
For Gary Jabara, purchasing the Yountville Sun was never part of a long-term business plan. In fact, he says the idea didn’t occur to him until the newspaper disappeared.
“Sometimes we don’t really realize what we want until it’s not available anymore,” Jabara said.
That realization ultimately led the longtime Yountville supporter and owner of The Estate Yountville to become the newspaper’s new owner, with a commitment to preserve its editorial voice while investing in its future.
A decades-long connection to Yountville
Although Jabara now owns some of Yountville’s most recognizable properties, his relationship with the town began long before he became a business owner here.
“I’ve been coming to this town for many, many years, probably 40 years or more,” he said. “I remember coming here before I was married.”
Over the decades, he developed friendships with many members of Napa Valley’s wine and food community and watched Yountville evolve while retaining what he believes makes it unique.
When the opportunity arose to purchase RH Yountville, he embraced the chance to own “a piece of Yountville.” Later, when The Estate Yountville unexpectedly became available, he was surprised by the scale of the property.
“My investment team dropped it on my desk and said, ‘There’s this place called The Estate Yountville. Are you interested?’ I had no idea what it was. I didn’t realize it was essentially half the town.”
Today, he describes himself not simply as an owner, but as a steward. “I feel blessed to be the steward of that place for as long as I’m on the planet. Yountville is such a beautiful town.”
Why save the Sun?
Jabara says he was a regular reader of the Yountville Sun long before becoming its owner.
He credits the newspaper with providing thoughtful local reporting, particularly during the community debate over the Yountville Commons project.
“I always appreciated the editorial grounding,” he said. “To me, the Sun was kind of a voice of reason.” When publication ceased earlier this year, he realized what the community had lost. “I thought, ‘Wait a second.’ It’s important. Not just with the Commons issue, but with everything else.”
That prompted him to act. “I really didn’t have any intention of owning it until it didn’t exist anymore,” he said. “I felt like it’s somebody’s responsibility to keep it going. Why not?”
Journalism as civic memory
Jabara believes one of local journalism’s most important roles is preserving the public record.
“The Sun provides permanence,” he said. “People’s decisions become permanent. People’s intentions become indelible. What they say becomes memorable.”
He believes a community newspaper creates accountability by documenting what public officials say and do over time.
“It provides a looking glass into people’s actions and words,” he said. “I think it encourages leaders to think carefully about the decisions they make.”
Those beliefs mirror comments Jabara shared earlier, when he described local journalism as an essential part of civic life.
“I do believe local journalism serves an important role in fostering civic engagement and encouraging thoughtful discussion around good governance, transparency, accountability and the long-term stewardship of our town,” he said. “A well-informed community is a stronger community.”
Editorial independence remains
While Jabara now owns the publication, he says readers should expect very little change in the newspaper’s editorial philosophy.
“The Sun has always stood out to me because of its pragmatic, community-focused editorial voice,” he said. “My intention is to change very little of what has made it successful and beloved.”
He describes the publication as a trusted source of local news, storytelling and community connection, adding that maintaining editorial independence is an important part of that mission.
Rather than changing its news coverage, Jabara envisions adding community-oriented features that celebrate the people who make Yountville unique.
Among the ideas he has discussed are a Veterans Spotlight, a Chef’s Corner featuring recipes and stories from local chefs, and maybe some resident and visitor features, celebrating all that makes Yountville, Yountville.
Supporting veterans and community voices
Jabara is especially committed to creating space for veterans to share their stories. “There’s got to be some way to connect them,” he said. “I think it’s a necessity. There’s a responsibility to it.”
Appreciation for town staff
While Jabara has been outspoken about the Yountville Commons project and decisions made by portions of the Yountville Town Council, he was careful to distinguish those concerns from his views of town employees.
He said he is grateful for the Town of Yountville staff members who he cites as professional and collaborative.
“Town staff is great,” he said. “Yountville is a very special town. It’s a particular town when it comes to development, and that’s a good thing.”
Jabara said he hopes staff members understand that his criticism has been directed toward policy decisions rather than the employees responsible for implementing them.
The future of the Yountville Sun
Jabara says his vision for the Yountville Sun is intentionally simple.
“The Yountville Sun has found a committed local owner who believes in community journalism, values the publication’s existing voice and is investing in its future so that it can continue serving Yountville for many years to come.”
For readers, he hopes the newspaper continues to do what first attracted him as a subscriber: provide reliable local news, thoughtful storytelling and a permanent record of the people and decisions shaping one of Napa Valley’s most distinctive communities.
