Environment

Side Streets to be Widened

Monday, April 18th, 2011

Friendly Market Center (FMC) has recently been approved for a Special Management Area (SMA) permit to subdivide a lot, a first step in widening Kamoi and Alohi Streets along FMC property.

The grocery store’s property falls under the county zoning area classified as Country Town Business District (B-CT). Those zoning requirements, set in 1993 during former Mayor Linda Lingle’s tenure, mandate that the two streets be two feet wider than their current width.

Alohi and Kamoi Streets are 40 feet wide, while the C-BT side street rules designate 42 feet.

The county is undertaking the road widening project, in partnership with FMC.

“It’s part of the B-CT. We have to comply,” said FMC co-owner Crystal Egusa.

The proposed value of the project is $25,000, if it is undertaken, according to its SMA application.

The permit to subdivide was approved by Molokai Planning Commission last week.

FMC also hopes to receive an SMA permit in the future to build a storage warehouse on the lot between Molokai Drive-Inn and FMC. The necessary subdivision for the road widening is also the first step for the possible building of the warehouse.

The MoPC has required McPherson to research more on B-CT, which will be discussed at the next MoPC meeting.

Last week, Molokai Planning Commission introduced Mikiala Pescaia as new chairperson and John Sprinzel as vice-chair of the commission.

 

Departures from Planning Commission

Joseph Kalipi, served since 2006

Radio persnality, public relations consultant and sales consultant for KMKK radio,Executive Director for Habitat for Humanity

“I hope that my presence and my participation on the Molokai Planning Commission will help to ensure our current and future needs as far as the scope of our work is concerned.At the same time, preserve our cultural value and the important things we love about Molokai – the people, simplicity of life, and that our resources are well-protected and preserved.Not only that, but so they can be cultivated and keep can going.”

Land Crabs and Spiders

Sunday, April 17th, 2011

Community Contributed

By Glenn I. Teves, County Extension Agent

Crabs and spiders are closely related under a family or phylum called arthropods, and some spiders look like crabs. One in particular is the spiny backed spider, also called the crab spider. One of two species found in Hawaii, the more recent nuisance arrived in Hawaii in 1985 and on Molokai around 1989. This spider, with two distinct white spots on its back, is the one that makes webs all around houses, clothes lines, trees, and even your car if you leave it in one place long enough.

Most spiders are solitary, meaning they work and live alone, but the spiny backed spider form community webs and work in teams in areas with high populations. As a team they can cover very large areas with webs over a very short time. The female spiders hang by their short legs in the center of the webs, while the supporting lines or radii are adorned with wooly tufts of white silk believed to act as lures for insects. The male is much smaller than females and may be found hanging from a single web off the female web.

After mating, females lay egg masses on surfaces other than their webs, such as house walls. The eggs are enclosed in a thick, silky fluorescent green web covering, and turn yellow when the eggs hatch. One way of controlling them is to destroy these egg masses, which can contain over 100 eggs. Destroying egg masses is one way of keeping populations down.

Spiny backed spider populations are very cyclic, with high numbers during rainy humid periods, but will drop off in other times of the year. This insect is not known to be an indoor pest, but people have complained of being bitten or irritated by the web, especially in sensitive areas such as the neck. The bite has caused localized swelling in some individuals. Please seek medical attention if you’re allergic to bites.

Insecticide screening tests conducted by the UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources have determined that Johnson’s No Roach, Strike Roach Ender, Black Flag Ant and Roach, and Raid House and Garden aerosols killed 90 percent of the females within 24 hours. These chemicals are not cleared for use of plants and trees. As with any pesticide, please read the label before using them, and follow instructions. Again, crushing the egg masses is another way of keeping populations down.