BREAKING: Court Rules In Favor of Lahaina Halloween

Halloween in Lahaina, file photo.

By Wendy Osher

An appeals court today issued a ruling in favor of the County of Maui, clearing the way for the county-sponsored Halloween in Lahaina event to proceed as planned.

On Oct. 24, Kula resident, Richard Dancil filed an appeal, seeking an injunction against the Halloween event.

On Oct. 29, in a terse order, county officials said the court denied Dancil’s motion for a stay of the event.

Dancil said, “a significant statutory violation being alleged is that the county violated HRS 343 by not doing an Environmental Impact Statement; that they circumvented it by granting themselves an exemption improperly, and or unlawfully.”

In the document he alleged a violation of state laws that protect endangered historic sites, and alleged circumvention of review by the Cultural Resource Commission.

The order in favor of the County of Maui was signed by Chief Justice Nakamura and Associate Justices Foley and Ginoza of the Intermediate Court of Appeals, according to county authorities.

“I am glad that the court ruled so promptly in our favor,” said Mayor Alan Arakawa in a statement. “Now we can all look forward to a safe, well-organized, family-friendly Halloween event in Lahaina.”