Luminati Aerospace

Several projects in Riverhead Town – from a downtown food market to unmanned aircraft development at EPCAL – were awarded a combined $1.7 million in grants from New York State's Regional Economic Development Council Awards today.

Luminati Aerospace at the Calverton Enterprise Park, which has $80 million expansion plan underway, has been recommended by the L.I. Regional Economic Development Council for $2.5 million in grant funding. Other local grant prospects include Michael Butler's food market plan at the former West Marine building on East Main Street.

Luminati's ultralight aircraft, capable of perpetual flight — being developed to bring internet connectivity to unserved regions of the world — also has "obvious" military applications for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance purposes. The company, now readying to move into a much larger facility at EPCAL, will seek defense contracts, its founder said.

Police said the pair were arrested by the owner of Luminati Aerospace, which has the exclusive right to use and control the runway under an agreement it entered last year with the Town of Riverhead, which owns the site.

A 1947 Stinson 108 was forced to make an emergency landing on a runway at the former Grumman site in Calverton yesterday.

The shuttered 84 Lumber, which has been closed since 2012, will reopen on West Main Street after it got the green light from the town zoning board of appeals last night.

An open letter to Luminati Aerospace from South Jamesport resident Larry Simms on improvements the town should make to its draft runway use agreement with the aerospace company to better protect the town's interests.

Aeronautical engineer Daniel Preston has plans to return the Long Island aerospace industry to its former place of glory from the Calverton site that was once its epicenter.

A town alcohol policy was adopted yesterday, prohibiting alcohol at all events geared toward youth. The board also approved two controversial farm stand laws.

The new owner is developing high-altitude solar-powered communications drones, according to Town Supervisor Sean Walter.