William Montgomery - Ferrysburg City Council Member

08/29/2025

Wishing Chris all the best as he moves on from NORA — thank you for your leadership and service to our community! Excited to welcome Bailey as Interim Director and to see NORA continue moving forward. 🌟

🌟 NORA Update 🌟

We want to share some exciting career news from our team. Our Recreation Director, Chris VanHekken, will be heading to South Haven Recreation to begin a new chapter in his career. While we will certainly miss him here at NORA, we are so grateful for the 5+ years of dedicated service Chris has given to our community. His leadership and vision have truly driven NORA forward, and we wish him the very best in this next step! 🙌

In the meantime, we are thrilled to announce that Bailey Bertapelle will step into the role of Interim Recreation Director. Bailey has been an integral part of our team, and we’re confident he will continue to build on NORA’s mission of creating meaningful recreation opportunities for all. 💙

Please join us in congratulating Chris on his new adventure and welcoming Bailey in his new role!

07/07/2025

🚨 URGENT: Help Support This Important Event! 🚨

Northwest Ottawa Recreation Authority (NORA)’s Annual Fundraiser is scheduled for Tuesday, July 15, and we still have a lot of tickets to sell!

This event is crucial for funding NORA’s programs that serve youth, families, and the greater Northwest Ottawa County community. Our team has worked so hard to make this a meaningful and fun event—and we need YOUR help to bring it to life.

✅ Please purchase your ticket today
✅ Invite a friend, share this post, spread the word
✅ Support local recreation and community wellness!

👉 Get your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cheers-for-a-cause-fundraiser-for-nora-at-the-unicorn-tavern-tickets-1395034077479?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

Every ticket makes a difference. Let’s rally together—for the kids, for the programs, for our community. 💚💪

Join us at The Unicorn Tavern to raise a glass and funds for NORA - let's make a difference together!

11/01/2024

Exciting progress for Ferrysburg!

This morning, I received a call from Congresswoman Hillary Scholten, and we shared the exciting news that the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has secured a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bridge Investment Program to replace Smith’s Bridge. This funding is a tremendous win for Ferrysburg and our entire tri-city community!

Securing federal funding for a project of this scale is no small feat. Thanks to the hard work and collaboration of our citizens, local leaders, engineers, and community advocates, we’ll soon have a new, safe, and reliable bridge that will serve our region well into the future.

This achievement reflects the dedicated efforts of many, including several Ferrysburg mayors, City Council members, our City Staff, the "Citizens to Save Smith’s Bridge" group, MDOT, and our representatives in Lansing and Washington, D.C. Their commitment has been invaluable in making this project a reality.

Today is a proud day for Ferrysburg, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact this new bridge will bring to our community.

Richard Carlson
Mayor, City of Ferrysburg

04/26/2024

This is a great opportunity to support NORA while enjoying fun night out with your family!

03/05/2024

Ferrysburg Forward: Building a brighter tomorrow, together.

10/23/2023

Less than a week until the Monster Bash 🎃 👻

10/23/2023

Update on the Fall Leaf Pick Up:

10/02/2023

It’s going to be a blast!

Save the Date for the Annual Monster Bash - Friday October 27th!

07/30/2023

Another successful Coast Guard Picnic hosted by the Ferrysburg Recreation Commission. 🇺🇸⚓️ special thanks to the city staff and all the volunteers that made this possible!

07/04/2023

Happy Independence Day from our family to yours! What a beautiful day for a parade and a picnic! 🇺🇸 I continue to be grateful to live in such a wonderful community!

06/02/2022

FYI for Ferrysburg residents: