On Cape Cod, evacuees share tales of horror: But 7 sex offenders ID'd among Katrina refugees<br />By Joe Burns/ Upper Cape Codder<br />Saturday, September 10, 2005<br /><br />BOURNE - As they settled into their new home at Camp Edwards less than 24 hours after many were rescued from New Orleans, 209 evacuees wept tears of joy and despair. <br /> <br /> But seven of those evacuees, whose criminal pasts in Louisiana would qualify them as registered sex offenders in Massachusetts, received a ruder welcome. <br /> <br /> The seven males, none of whom was identified by name, were segregated from the families and children who arrived at Camp Edwards. <br /> <br /> Public Saftey spokeswoman Katie Ford said local police and state police are aware of who the individuals are and are working to classify them this week. An eighth man, John Kitchens, 46, of New Orleans was arrested on a warrant. No details on any of their criminal pasts were provided. <br /> <br /> The other evacuees told of the rotten fish'' smell, the pestilent mosquitoes and the dead left floating in the streets - and gave thanks for their new home on the Cape. <br /> <br /> I don't want to go back,'' said Antasha Love, one of the guests'' at Camp Edwards in Bourne, who include 25 children and 22 pets. <br /> <br /> Meanwhile, refugees from the storm praised the people of Massachusetts, with a few specifically thanking Gov. Mitt Romney yesterday as they told of facing down death. <br /> <br /> Retired Marine Elvert Shaw, 52, wasn't thinking yesterday about when he'd get back to the Big Easy. We're enjoying ourselves here. The governor's good,'' he said of Romney, who has helped oversee the temporary housing operation. <br /> <br /> All of those who arrived here on two airliners were never told their destination when they boarded the planes. But with their once-carefree city a toxic mess, these refugees had no choice but to flee. The water came upstairs . . . I was scared,'' said 6-year-old Keyontay Dimes, who bravely faced the press. <br /> <br /> Meanwhile, some of the newcomers from New Orleans made outraged accusations of racism, memories of being torn from their homes fresh in their minds. <br /> <br /> They pumped water out of million-dollar neighborhoods and pumped it into African-American neighborhoods,'' said Garren Essex of New Orleans. They flooded history - New Orleans black history.'' <br /> <br /> Yesterday, it all seemed like a bad dream. <br /> <br /> Gracie Beauvais, 71, eased into a lawn chair with the help of military officials and described how she stood in the murky waters three hours waiting for her daughter after the storm had passed. <br /> <br /> I thank God that I'm alive. That's the best thing. Once you're alive from a storm like that,'' she said, pausing, I survived every storm that ever came.''
