Press of Atlantic City from Atlantic City, New Jersey • 25

RIDAY DECEMBER 16 2005 REGION THE PRESS ATLANTIC CITY NJ PAGE C7 Attorney Nelson Johnson approved for judgeship By PETE McALEER Statehouse Bureau (609) 292 4935 TRENTON Hammonton Attorney Nelson Johnson earned con firmation to the state Superior Court on Thursday from the state Senate Judiciary Committee Johnson an attorney for The Press of Atlantic City for 20 years expects to start his judgeship around the third week of January At a hearing Thursday morning Johnson told the committee he understood the high standards set by New court system know what I have to do and I have the fire in my belly to do Johnson said anxious to get State Sen Bill Gormley Atlantic introduced nomination He recalled that he first met Johnson in 1975 when they served together on the Atlantic County Board of Chosen reeholders "Nelson has distinguished himself in a variety of Gormley said done a wonderful job as a lawyer As a writer he chronicled the history of corruption of the Republican state senators who pre ceded Gormley commended work on behalf of The Press and said no attorney in the state had done a better job forcing state county and local agencies to com ply with the Open Public Records Act NELSON JOHNSON I WORK: Partner in the 9 Hammonton law firm Johnson Bertman EDUCATION: JD from Villanova Law School in 1974 admitted to the bar that year A St University 1970 majored in political science LEGAL COUNSEL: The Press of Atlantic City since 1985 also represented Hovnanian and Renault Winery Ole Hansen Sons and planning boards in Hamilton Township Atlantic City and Mullica Township COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES: Member of the board of directors and legal counsel to Greater Atlantic City HotelMotel Association AMILY: Married to Johanna Johnson for 32 years three children PERSONAL: Author of Empire: The Birth High Times and Corruption of Atlantic Currently working on a history of the African American community in Atlantic City Staff photos by Dominick Rebeck Jr William McCafferty says he has about 1000 items including 85 engines in his train layout and on the shelves a Millville passion for trains turns basement into model city A control platform holds the transformers that operate the trains PI A AS By JOYCE VANAMAN Staff Writer (856) 825 2303 MILLVILLE ormer City Engineer William McCafferty admits that at age 70 a bit more difficult to crawl around his huge train set up to make sure everything is working properly but he's got grandchildren eager to help While still working part time 'as an1 engineer and land surveyor McCafferty has designed his own town complete with a Christmas setting a fall area a residential complex (without a density problem) and an industrial area all i accessible by train and without any drainage problems to consider McCafferty said that soon after his grandson Will was born 17 years ago he began designing the layout for some trains At the time he was living on Third Street When the family moved to Carlton Avenue eight years ago McCafferty had to dismantle die set up The 30 by 26 foot basement room holds the 16 by 19 foot train display with die rest of the room filled with his collectibles most valuable are these three cars engine and tender made in 1950 by said McCafferty who esti mates that they are worth about $3000 The engine is a 773 Hudson and is hard to find today McCafferty said got about 85 engines in the layout and on the shelves but the objects in the layout from tiny trees to street lamps plus die trains number more than a 1000 Cole and Gage Kirstein his daughter 6 and 10 year old respectively quickly point out their favorite an Army train that is transporting a heli copter and tank Lionel Trains celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1950 with a yellow train drat McCafferty said he had profession ally restored 12 years ago 1 bought my said McCafferty who acknowledged that his collection now is so big he's running out of space McCafferty shows off a Lionel 773 Hudson which is hard to find today 4k 3 3k A 7 A 1 "We used to go to train shows including the big train show in York Pa to buy trains Now I get some through His wife 'Arlene the retired secretary of City Clerk Lewis Thompson and now a part time receptionist at City Hall just added a decorative Santa with reindeer flying above the Christmas vil lage One of the special attractions is the Lionel Christmas car train with one car produced every year since 1986 The McCaffertys have two children and five grandchildren who enjoy the trains and showing them to visitors Older Millville residents are remind ed of the old railroad yard between High and Second streets just north of Broad Street when they look at a section of the layout hardest part of setting this up was drawing the plan on paper to make sure the trains could get from one track to another said McCafferty whose expertise in carpentry and electrical work was a big asset One of eight children McCafferty recalls that the first trains his family had when he was in fifth grade was a small layout No matter how many new technology toys there are on the market this Christmas for many people there's nothing like a train set to capture the interest and imagination of children of all ages To mail Joyce Vanaman at The Press: JVanamanpressofaccom Clam boat worker dies after falling into the ocean By DEREK HARPER Staff Writer (609) 272 7203 ATLANTIC CITY A 35 year old man died when he fell off a clam boat Wednesday morning Coast Guard officials said The ESS Pride an Atlantic City based 165 foot clam boat was about 37 miles off Manasquan pulling up clam dredge equipment when the man went over the side Petty Officer John Edwards said He said the boat radioed the Coast Guard at 9:27 am about a man overboard Edwards said The victim had only his foul weather gear on In December ocean temper atures average in the lower 40s At about 9:35 another per son on the boat put on a dry suit and jumped into the water to save the man in the water The victim was pulled from the water unconscious and the crew began CPR A Coast Guard helicopter lift ed off from Air Station Atlantic City at 9:45 and arrived at the boat a half hour later The overboard man was in the helicopter by 10:37 and they immediately flew to the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center City Campus in Atlantic City They arrived at 11:04 The Atlantic County Medical Examiner pronounced him dead at 12:01 pm The name has not yet been released because the next of kin had not been noti fied "AU I know is he is not a local Edwards said POLICE IRE AND COURTS PLEASANTVILLE Three arrested on drug charges Three people were arrested on drug charges early Thursday morning Police searched an apartment at 47 Main St after receiving numerous complaints from area businesses and neighbors and after watching the building Lt Jose Ruiz said When police searched the apartment at about 3 am on a warrant they found more than an ounce of crack cocaine and various types of drug paraphernalia Ruiz said The three occupants of the apartment were arrested: Christopher Jones 27 James Holden 44 and Cynthia Wilson 37 All three live in the apartment Ruiz said They were charged with possession possession with intent to dis tribute and possession within 500 feet of public hous ing Wilson is being held in the Atlantic County Justice acility on $35000 bail Jones and Holden are being held on $75000 bail Detective James Williams led the investigation ATLANTIC CITY Camden man shot in back police say A Camden man was shot on South Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard early Thursday morning according to police The man whose name police have not yet confirmed ran into a bookstore at 4:16 am saying he had been robbed and shot on the beach block of South Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard It was not clear what was taken from the victim who only said that his attackers fled in a white vehicle No other description was available The man was shot in the back but his injuries did not appear life threatening Lt Michael Tullio said Anyone with information is asked to call the Detective Bureau at 347 5766 NEW JERSEY Two charged with unemployment theft State Division of Criminal Justice Director Vaughn McKoy announced that the Major inancial Crimes Bureau has charged two southern New Jersey residents with illegal ly collecting more than $24200 in Unemployment Insurance benefits According to McKoy the division obtained separate state grand jury indictments charging two people with theft by deception and unsworn falsification to authorities for allegedly bilking the unemployment benefits program One indictment charged Marcia Siligato 41 of Longport with two counts each of theft by deception and unsworn falsification to authorities According to the division Siligato filed for unemploy ment insurance benefits in September 2001 and in October 2002 Siligato worked for Action Janitorial Inc in Atlantic City authorities said It is charged that by not reporting her earnings to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development or DLWD Siligato bilked the Ul benefits program out of more than $14800 Deputy Attorney Mark Kurzawa presented Siligato's case to the state grand jury in Atlantic County Theft by deception is a third degree crime with a maximum penalty of as many as five years in state prison and a fine of as much as $15000 Unsworn falsi fication is a fourth degree crime which carries as many as 18 months in state prison and a fine of as much as $10000 On Nov 17 a state grand jury indicted Brian Rambough 48 of Egg Harbor Township on charges of two counts of theft by deception and one count of unsworn falsification Rambough filed two separate UI benefits claims one in November 1999 and one in November 2000 An investiga tion by the state Division of Criminal Justice revealed die defendant failed to notify the DLWD that he earned wages as a security guard for the Atlantic City Board of Education and Pinkerton Security He allegedly stole more than $11700 in benefits Compiled by staff writers Lynda Cohen and Madelaine Vitale Settled (Continued from Page Cl) Liability Joint Insurance und said it spent about $136552 defending the town before it agreed to settle for $50000 last month Attorneys for Thomas Camden County and Hammonton did not return telephone calls seeking com ment Wednesday and Thursday Hammonton Police Chief rank Ingemi said Thomas is no longer employed as a dispatcher and declined to comment further To mail Meggan Clark at The Press: MegganClarkpressofaccom Please Recycle This Newspaper.