The Hopewell News
By Daniel Parker
For more than 60 collective years, their voices have accented Merner Field from the press box. Now, in their honor, the names of these two volunteers will be immortalized for their contributions to Hopewell.
During half time at Friday’s home football game, the new name of the press box was unveiled immortalizing two local icons in Hopewell history. Brought onto Merner Field by a minivan surrounded by School Board members and family. Two pillars of Hopewell, Fred Morene and Billy Mitchell, Hopewell natives, have dedicated their lives to the local community.
Hopewell’s School Board made the decision to give the formerly nameless press box to the both Mitchell and Morene. The board decided to have the award ceremony on the last home game for the Hopewell Blue Devils Football Team this season.
Morene was a former Hopewell News Sports Editor that was the first reporter to forward high school scores to the Richmond Times Dispatch, so that Hopewell would gain state coverage. Morene has been the announcer for football and basketball for 47 years. In 2007, he was
inducted into the Hopewell Hall of Fame for a distinguished service award from the Virginia High School Sports Association.
Billy Mitchell was the Director for Parks and Recreation in Hopewell from 1971 to 1997. Like Morene, Mitchell also announced for the Blue Devils giving more than 20 years of service for Hopewell’s football and basketball teams.
Mitchell was surprised by the ceremony; he thought that he was only going to watch the Blue Devils face off against Prince George.
“Words don’t speak it, I had no idea anything like this was going to happen they said to come down,” Mitchell noted. “And I thought it was just for the ball game and it was a complete shock.”
Mitchell added that he felt tickled to death by the renaming of the press box in his honor, and that he was proud to represent Hopewell.
The former announcer used to play on the football team and basketball team in Hopewell, and volunteered all these years to stay close to his community and to the sports that remained close to his heart since graduation.
Volunteers like these are what make Hopewell special, said Melody Hackney, Superintendent for Hopewell. She called them an embodiment of the closeness of the Hopewell community.
“The spirit of community in this little city is incredible – these people are legacies. Everybody knows them,” said Hackney. “They’re a part of our history. They’re our legacy in Hopewell.”