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WAILUKU >> A judge won’t be stopping a Lahaina Halloween celebration.
The Maui News reports 2nd Circuit Judge Rhonda Loo on Thursday dismissed a temporary restraining order trying to stop the event.
Loo also ruled Native Hawaiian group Na Makua O’Maui and Kula resident Richard Dancil didn’t have legal standing to file a lawsuit.
Their lawsuit claims county officials circumvented the Cultural Resources Commission’s authority. The commission denied event permits for the past four years. This year the county removed elements of the event that would be under the commission’s purview.
Opponents say it’s disrespectful to hold a raucous Halloween party at a culturally sacred site.
County spokesman Rod Antone told the newspaper, "The county is fighting for the right to party" and that the event will benefit the economy.
