Week In Review: Patchogue In Parking Design Competition, E. Patchogue Man Catches Intruder

Patchogue is one of four communities being focused on for a parking competition which will see four architectural firms compete to develop new concepts in parking design.

The Long Island Index’s Build a Better Burb: ParkingPLUS Design Challenge will also develop concepts for Ronkonkoma, Rockville Centre and Westbury. Ann Golub, director of the Long Island Index, said that over 4,000 acres of surface parking lots in and around Long Island’s downtowns have been identified by the Index. The Index is published by the Rauch Foundation.

Patchogue Village Mayor Paul Pontieri told Patch Wednesday that the Rauch Foundation will select architects and engineers to create new parking concepts for the downtown area. According toNewsday, dub studios, who has offices in New York City and Los Angeles, will be focused on Patchogue. Firms designing concepts for the other three communities will be focused on the area near their Long Island Rail Road stations.

Pontieri clarified to Patch that Patchogue’s participation in the competition will come at no cost to the village, and results should be made available in January.

Former state Assemb. Dean Murray, a Republican from East Patchogue, is interested in making a run for the 3rd Senate District seat being vacated by state Sen. Lee Zeldin, R-Shirley.

Murray told Newsday Monday that he originally planned to run for 3rd Assembly District, a seat he lostlast year to current Assemb. Edward Hennessey, D-East Moriches, after holding it since 2010. However Zeldin’s recentannouncement that the state senator would like to challenge Rep. Tim Bishop, D-Southampton, for the New York 1st Congressional District in 2014, may change Murray’s original plan.

"My focus had been on a return to the Assembly, but this obviously changes things a bit," Murray said to Newsday. "This type of opportunity doesn't come around often, and I think I could be a good fit."

Murray said in the report that he plans on talking to Senate and Republican leaders about his interest in the seat.

There are no front-runners for nomination as of now, Suffolk County Republican chairman John Jay LaValle said in the report. LaValle also said that it is “very premature” to discuss potential candidates, and that he is not currently entertaining conversations about the race at this point to focus on town-level elections in November.

A Medford man faces charges relating to driving the wrong way on the Long Island Expressway in Medford Wednesday night, Suffolk County police said.

According to police, Warren Levine, 62, was driving a 2010 Honda sedan which was observed by police officer Arthur Puzelli traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes of the highway at exit 64 around 10:30 p.m. Police say that vehicles in the eastbound lanes were forced to swerve out of the path of the Honda to avoid crashing.

Levine was stopped by the officer at the entrance ramp of Route 112 in Medford, and was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, reckless endangerment and reckless driving.

An East Patchogue man has figured out how to catch a thief.

The Blueberry Lane homeowner discovered and held an intruder on his property Wednesday, Suffolk County police told Patch.

According to police, the homeowner, who has not been identified, received an alarm notification and upon returning home saw a 20-year-old man coming out of his backyard.

The homeowner grabbed him, and held him for the police to arrest. Police received a call about the incident at 1:28 p.m. that afternoon.

The burglary is currently under investigation by Fifth Squad detectives.