As we pause this Veterans Day to honor the men and women who have worn the uniform — those who have put themselves in harm’s way and those who paid the ultimate price — we find ourselves reflecting not only on their sacrifice, but on what we, as a community, are doing with the freedoms they fought to protect.

And that brings us, strangely enough, to Veterans Memorial Elementary School in Reno.

While the Washoe County School Board prepares to reassign or “repurpose” the school, one has to wonder: why would a district even consider reassigning a school that honors our veterans — especially this week? There is a meeting to discuss the repurposing on November 12th at least they didn’t schedule the meeting on Veterans Day.

Former Sparks City Councilmember Kristopher Dahir has long positioned the Nevada Veterans Memorial Plaza as one of his signature causes, despite not being a veteran himself. While his advocacy for veterans deserves recognition, recent developments have raised questions about his motivations and commitment.

Throughout 2024, Dahir prominently featured the memorial in his public appearances, a strategy that some observers viewed as politically motivated rather than genuinely service-oriented. Following his unsuccessful reelection bid, Dahir has seemingly pivoted to presenting himself as a marriage counselor, embarking on what appears to be a calculated media campaign, using the Nevada Veterans Memorial Plaza.