— — After a one-year hiatus, the booming voice of the venerable Dick Grapes will echo from the press box that bears his name.

Grapes, who underwent hip replacement surgery last fall which forced him to miss his first North Tonawanda football season for the first time in 51 years, will be on the field prior to kickoff to announce the North Tonawanda Lumberjacks for the 102 T-NT Classic at 6 p.m. tonight at George Vetter Stadium.

Grapes, 86, served as the Lumberjacks public address announcer for 51 years before retiring in 2009.

“(North Tonawanda athletic director) Cynthia Bullis asked me if they would rig me with a wireless mic and do it down on the field,” Grapes said following Tuesday’s T-NT Luncheon at the Sikora Post in NT. “I’m probably going to introduce the starting lineup.”

Bullis said current NT PA announcer Jeff Suitor came up with the idea to get Grapes involved with this season’s T-NT festivities.

“Jeff has great respect for Mr. Grapes,” Bullis said. “We got to talk about it and Jeff came up with the idea, if he was willing, to mic (Grapes) up on the field to have him introduce the players and maybe some color commentary.”

The 1943 North Tonawanda graduate said he accepted the position as PA announcer when legendary coach George Vetter asked him in 1958. For the next half-century, he was behind the mic for every North Tonawanda home game.

“It just went from one year to the next,” Grapes said. “They kept asking me, ‘do you want to do it again?’ ‘Sure, I’d be glad to.’ It was a privilege to do it. ... When they came up with the idea of naming the press box after me, that was the biggest thrill in the world.”

Jeff Suitor has assumed the position since Grapes stepped down following the 2009 season. Though he was forced to miss last season, Grapes has attended most NT football games this season, save for Week 1 at McKinley and Week 4 at Kenmore East.

“They put me in a golf cart and they bring me down on the field and that’s where I watch the game from,” he said of his front row seat at Jacks home games. “It’s not the best spot to watch the game, you’d like to be up above (in the press box). ... I enjoy it. The powers that be at North Tonawanda, Cynthia Bullis, she has been outstanding and she has made certain that I get a good seat for the ball games.”

Though in just her first as NT athletic director Bullis said it’s been a privilege to have the chance to get to know Grapes.

“He’s just a great man. I’ve enjoyed talking to him,’ she said. “Just talking to him is a history lesson. He’s a wealth of knowledge. I’m very fortunate just to have those discussions with him and I’m so glad he’s been able to join us at home games and be a part of it. And I hope that continues for many years to come.”

Grapes said he doesn’t plan on missing out anytime soon.

“I’ll probably continue as long as I can make my way to the sit of a game, until I’m called above, I’ll continue to do it.”

Contact sports editor Brandon Koch at 693-1000, ext. 117.