Officials prepare to name new member of committee BY KATHY BARATTA Staff Writer MANALAPAN - Republican Municipal Chairman Stephen McEnery said the local Republican organization has submitted the names of three candidates for the Township Committee to consider appointing to complete an unexpired term. The three candidates are Susan Cohen, of Bonnie Drive, Susan Heckler, of Notting Hill Court, and Kalman "Butch" Budai, also of Notting Hill Court. The naming of a new committee member is scheduled to be included on tonight's (May 9) committee meeting agenda. The person selected by the committee will serve the remaining eight months of a term previously held by Republican Committeeman Joseph Locricchio. Citing health reasons, Locricchio resigned from the committee on May 1. Cohen is a member of the Planning Board. She is running in the 2007 election with Township Committeeman Andrew Lucas on the Republican ticket for a pair of three-year terms on the committee. Lucas is serving as Manalapan's mayor in 2007. Heckler is a former member of the Planning Board. She serves on the Shade Tree Committee and the municipal agricultural advancement committee. Budai is a member of the Recreation Advisory Board and is the president of the Manalapan Republican Club. Earlier this year, Locricchio announced his intention to run for a seat in the state Senate. He said he would not seek re-election to the Township Committee this year. In April, Locricchio said that due to health concerns he was abandoning his bid for the state Senate and would leave the Manalapan governing body prior to the end of his term. Because Locricchio is a Republican, the Manalapan Republican Party had 15 days from May 1 to submit three candidates for the remaining four committee members to consider for appointment to complete Locricchio's term, which ends Dec. 31. Locricchio initially ran for a three-year term on the committee in November 2003 and lost by 88 votes to Democrat Drew Shapiro. In 2004, Locricchio and Lucas were elected to the committee and took their seats in January 2005. Shapiro, who did not seek re-election in 2006, is running with Herbert Barrack on the Democratic ticket for the committee seats in the November election.