‘Hailey Perryman Day’ to be celebrated in Merrillville
By Karen Caffarini Post-Tribune correspondent July 25, 2012 10:30AM
Updated: August 27, 2012 11:08AM
MERRILLVILLE — Eleven-year-old Hailey Perryman can add having her own permanent day in her hometown of Merrillville to her list of accomplishments.
The Town Council on Tuesday proclaimed Dec. 15, Hailey’s birthday, Hailey Perryman Day on a permanent basis after learning that she raised $6,665 this month in her annual Kool-Aid fundraiser for Riley’s Hospital for Children in Indianapolis.
This brought her total raised in five years to $20,000.
“We’ll make it a permanent day. Raising $20,000 is a pretty good accomplishment,” Town administrator Howard Fink said during Tuesday’s Town Council meeting.
Hailey exceeded her goal of $6,500 this year after receiving $462 in the mail on Tuesday, her mom, Jennifer Perryman, said. Jennifer Perryman said the family will probably go to Riley’s in early August to present the money.
In addition to her five-day Kool-Aid stand held at Merrillville Fire Station No. 2, Hailey also collected money through a Change for a Change wagon walk through her Young America subdivision, silent auction, bake sale and mail-in donations.
In other action, the council gave its blessing to an ordinance that allows up to seven mobile food cart vendors in town and another that calls for an even distribution of multi-family developments. Both were approved on first reading.
The town previously voted to allow longtime hot dog vendor Madalyn Beasley to operate a cart at the Ace Hardware store on Broadway. Councilwoman Carol Miano, D-3rd, said at the time a couple other vendors have expressed interest in operating carts in town, including one at town hall.
The plan commission worked on the even distribution ordinance after Councilwoman Chrissy Barron, D-5th, complained that her ward has an abundance of apartment complexes and other multi-family units compared to other wards.
Council President Shawn Pettit, D-6th, said there are 2,199 apartment units in Barron’s ward.
The ordinance, which still needs to be approved on second reading, would create a buffer zone for every existing multi-family dwelling in town that extends 3,000 feet in each direction. No property can be rezoned for multi-family development if any part of it lies within that buffer zone.
The purpose of the buffer zone, according to the ordinance, is to assist in preventing traffic congestion, insure adequate green spaces are maintained in future developments, preserve and protect the character of existing neighborhoods and prevent areas from becoming too densely populated.
The ordinance only would affect land zoned residential, not agricultural.
