Roswell Daily Record
INSIDE NEWS
RYAN OPPOSED DISASTER AID
WASHINGTON (AP) — As Hurricane Isaac bears down on the Gulf Coast, there should be plenty of money — some $1.5 billion — in federal disaster aid coffers, thanks, in part, to a new system that budgets help for victims of hurricanes, tornadoes and floods before they occur. It’s a system that ... - PAGE B3
TOP 5
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
GOP delegates nominate Romney
Vol. 121, No. 207 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney swept to the Republican presidential nomination Tuesday night, praised lovingly by his wife from the stage as the “man America needs” and cheered by a hall packed with convention delegates eager to propel him into the fall campaign against President Barack Obama. The hall erupted in cheers when Romney strolled onto the stage and shared a kiss with his wife of more than 40 years. “This man will not fail. This man will not let us down,” Mrs. Romney said in a prime-time speech that sounded at times like a heart-to-heart talk among women and at times like a testimonial to her husband. “It’s the moms who always have to work hard-
August 29, 2012
WEDNESDAY
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er, to make everything right,” she said, and she vouched firmly for her husband: “You can trust Mitt. He loves America.” The Romneys watched on television at a hotel suite across the street from the convention hall as delegates sealed his hard-won victories in the primaries and caucuses of last winter. New Jersey put him over the top in a ritual roll call of the states. New Jersey’s governor, Chris Christie, had the difficult job of following Mrs. Romney before the cheering crowd. Christie, the convention keynoter, declared, “Leadership matters.” “It’s time to end this era of absentee leadership in the Oval Office and send real leaders to the White
House,” he said. The opening session passed up no opportunity to broaden Romney’s appeal. Speakers included Hispanic candidates for office, former Rep. Artur Davis, a former Democrat and member of the Congressional Black Caucus, businessmen and women and former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, Romney’s most persistent, conservative nemesis in the nominating campaign. To send Romney and ticketmate Paul Ryan into the fall campaign, the convention quickly approved a conservative platform that calls for tax cuts — not government spending — to stimulate the economy at a time of sluggish growth and 8.3 percent unemployment. See GOP, Page A2
AP Photo
Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney hugs his wife Ann Romney on stage at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday.
‘Please scrunch over and make room for me’
WEB
For The Past 24 Hours
• Remembering Sage, ‘everybody’s dog’ • Often uncredited, group helps the needy • Naturalist speaks of living landscapes at ... • City gathers for veterans cemetery ... • Ohanas have Fun in the Sun at Spring ...
NOAH VERNAU RECORD STAFF WRITER
INSIDE SPORTS
Mark Wilson Photo
Dozens of small butterflies scurry around wildflowers growing at Bitter Lake Wildlife Refuge, Tuesday afternoon.
UNM SUSPENDS VEGA
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — New Mexico junior quarterback David Vega has been suspended from the team indefinitely. The suspension was announced Tuesday by Lobos coach Bob Davie, who says Vega was arrested early Sunday by Albuquerque police. Details of the arrest weren’t immediately available. Davie says that until he’s satisfied that he has all the facts, he won’t ... - PAGE B1
TODAY’S OBITUARIES
• John D.Turner • Lawrence Pearson • John R. Sieg • Kenneth W. Clark • Alvino Fresquez • Aubrey L. Dunn Sr. - PAGE A6
HIGH ...91˚ LOW ....60˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
CLASSIFIEDS..........B6 COMICS.................B4 FINANCIAL .............B3 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........A3 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8
INDEX
Roswell economy doing fine
At a time when many communities are struggling in an unstable economy, development in Roswell seems to be trending in a positive direction. Michael Vickers, city planner, sees the local economy in an upswing, with a healthy dose of development projects in the works. Among the city’s most promising projects is the replacement of 1,000 feet of rail spur at Eighth Street and Railroad Avenue, Vickers said. The city received a $100,000 Local Economic Development Act grant from the state to help fund the rail’s construction, which will likely be completed in the next two or three weeks. The rail’s upgrade to a thicker
Local couple to attend Isaac makes landfall in Louisiana Democratic convention JULIA BERGMAN RECORD STAFF WRITER
Roswell residents Maria Sonia Raftery and Timothy Raftery have ear ned the trip of a lifetime. The couple, who have been married 27 years, will travel to Charlotte, N.C., to attend the 2012 Democratic National Convention, which kicks off Sept. 4. It will be their first trip to Charlotte. “It’s been a lifelong dream for both of us,” said Sonia. Bor n in Santa Rosa, Sonia now considers herself a true Roswellite, after living here for 20 years. Tim, who was born into a military family, is originally
from Detroit. He has lived in New Mexico for 40 years.
The Rafterys, both retired New Mexico public school educators and superintendents, are two of 50 New Mexico delegates who will be attending the convention. They are two of nine delegates from Congressional District 2, which encompasses 16 counties in southern New Mexico. The couple said the process of becoming a delegate was rigorous, and had all the makings of running a campaign. The Rafterys knocked on doors, distributed flyers and contacted the 150 delegate voters in
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Hurricane Isaac spun into the southern Louisiana coast late Tuesday, sending floodwaters surging and unleashing fierce winds as residents hunkered down behind boarded-up windows. New Orleans calmly waited out another storm on the eve of Hurricane Katrina’s seventh anniversary, hoping the city’s strengthened levees will hold. Isaac, a massive storm spanning nearly 200 miles from its center, made landfall at about 6:45 p.m. near the mouth of the Mississippi River. See ISAAC, Page A2
See ROSWELL, Page A3
AP Photo
National Hurricane Center Deputy Director Ed Rappaport briefs a national television audience on the progress of Hurricane Isaac at the NHC in Miami, Tuesday.
Roswell Refuge provides shelter, advocacy, treatment program
This article is one in a series of stories focusing on local agencies that receive support from the United Way of Chaves County, which is currently conducting its annual fundraising campaign. NOAH VERNAU RECORD STAFF WRITER
With multiple programs and services that help both victims and offenders overcome domestic abuse, The Roswell Refuge leads the way in support of safe, healthy households throughout Chaves County. The organization has been serving the area for
See LOCAL, Page A3
more than 30 years, and provides shelter and advocacy for victims of abuse as well as a 52-week offender treatment program. The 10-bedroom shelter provides 24/7 protection for women and children who flee domestic violence, equipping the abused with a fully stocked kitchen, comfortable dining and living areas, clothing, laundry facilities and a play area for children. Victims are able to stay for up to 90 days, expense-free. “A lot of the people we serve are either in imminent fear for their life or their only choice is to stay in the abuse or go home-
less,” Michelle Royer, executive director of The Roswell Refuge, said. “So we’re giving them a third, much healthier environment for their family. “If they don’t have jobs, we help them get jobs. If they’re not getting public assistance, we help them get what they need. We work with a lot of the other agencies in town.” She said that during the time clients choose to stay at the facility, victims set their own goals that are evaluated each week by staff. “Whatever their goals are, we help them get there. It’s a process that must happen, and it has to
happen when they’re ready for it to happen. We can’t make anyone do anything; we can’t make anyone think a certain way. So our job is to explain to them what their options are and help them understand those options. “It’s really a cool thing to see someone who came in totally broken up feel empowered, like they have some control over their life. They leave in a stronger state than they came to us in.” The Roswell Refuge is the certified provider of the mandatory 52-week offender treatment program for those convicted of domestic
violence in Chaves County. The program’s aim is to teach the skills needed for offenders to handle stress and maintain self-control. Royer said that while offenders are often unhappy with being placed in the program at first, many see significant changes about halfway through the program. “After about 20 classes, they’re veterans in the proSee UNITED, Page A3