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Vol. 25 No. 14
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Two years since acid attack, still no justice By ANA BoRRUTo aborruto@liherald.com
Courtesy Elmont Union Free School District
love conquers all Clara H. Carlson School recently celebrated P.S. I Love You Day. Story, more photos, Page 3.
Two years ago this month, Nafiah Ikram’s life changed forever when acid was viciously thrown in her face outside of her Elmont home. Though she still faces physical and mental challenges, Ikram continues to tell her story in hopes that authorities will one day catch her attacker — and to help prevent an assault like this from happening to others. “It’s very hard to live with, but I’m trying to make the best out of every single day,” Ikram said. “A lot of my freedoms have been taken away from me.”
The assault on Ikram took place on March 17, 2021, at around 8:15 p.m. in her Arlington Avenue driveway, when she and her mom returned home after shopping. Once her mother was inside the house, an unidentified man approached Ikram from behind and threw acid in her face, officials said. The attacker was described as 6 feet 2 and wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and gloves. He drove away in a 2013 to 2015 red Nissan Altima with fog lights, according to the Nassau County Police Department. Just days after the two-year anniversary of the attack, Ikram Continued on page 14
Belmont Park community advisory board process halted By ANA BoRRUTo aborruto@liherald.com
The New York Racing Association’s proposed modernization plan for the Belmont Park racetrack looked as if it had the potential to being approved as the April 1 state budget deadline approached. Gov. Kathy Hochul recently unveiled her $227 billion budget proposal for fiscal year 2024, in which she pledged support for the racetrack’s multi-year, $455 million renovation project. According to NYRA President David O’Rourke, Hochul’s support demonstrated her understanding of the important role
horse racing plays in New York’s economy. Uncertainty remained, however, over the creation of a local advisory board and the installation of its members. “There has been obviously a substantial delay,” said Patrick McKenna, a spokesman for NYRA. “We hope to have all of these appointments made as quickly as possible.” In 2019, Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages and former State Sen. Anna Kaplan led the passage of a bill in the State Legislature creating an advisory board for the park in order to give voice to the communities directly impacted by NYRA’s operations, including Elmont,
Floral Park, South Floral Park and neighboring Queens. The legislation was signed by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Solages said after the bill passed that the responsibility for appointing 15 advisory board members fell to elected officials of communities in Nassau County, Queens, the Town of Hempstead and NYRA. The county executive would choose five designees, four of whom must be Elmont residents. The Hempstead town supervisor would choose two more Elmont residents, NYRA would appoint three members, the Village of Floral Park would appoint two, one would be appointed by the
village of South Floral Park, and two more would be chosen by Queens Community Board 13. At the time, then County Executive Laura Curran made her choices, Solages said. But after Bruce Blakeman replaced Curran and the coronavirus pandemic began, the appointment process was halted, and none of Curran’s choices were made offi-
cial. Solages said that although that was disappointing, there is still an opportunity to make the advisory committee a reality. A n d M c Ke n n a s a i d t h a t although the legislation does not require a local committee, NYRA strongly supported the creation of one. Continued on page 6