Tracy Baxter: Time to put down camera, turn page

I realized I was lost as I drove around Port Jervis, trying to find the building that was home to WDLC. I ended up asking directions at a service station where a friendly guy named Fred Eckert got me turned around and headed in the right direction. Luckily for me the folks running the radio station decided to take a chance on a wet-behind-the-ears kid fresh out of college hoping to land a job in broadcast news.

That was way back in 1972 and my WDLC experience was followed by a stint at WGNY in Newburgh, where attempts continued to be made to learn from mistakes, beat deadlines and be fair in my reporting. Then along came Cable 6 TV and the opportunity to jump into uncharted waters and help launch the start of local cable news.

Twenty-seven years later, I had the good fortune to land here. I’ll always be grateful to the Times Herald-Record for allowing me to continue covering local news, all the while patiently trying to teach this old dog a few new technology tricks. Now it’s time to try my hand at retirement and check off a few things on my bucket list.

There are places out there my wife and I have been hoping to visit. Then there’s the pull of grandkids who live far away and may need to get spoiled a little. It’s also time for a guy who’s been blessed all these years to find a few ways to give something back. And from what I’ve been told, life is a lot more enjoyable when it’s not ruled by an alarm clock.

Some stories – too many to mention – stand out from the more than 40 years covering murder, mayhem and misfortune. There was the chance to report outside the West Point gates as buses of freed American hostages rolled by. And I can still hear the quivering voice of Susan Cohen who, through sobs, called me at home to ask if I would cover the memorial walk for her daughter Theo, one of the victims of the Pan Am 103 bombing.

Truth is, I’ve always been a sucker for stories that motivated and inspired – like when folks rolled up their sleeves to give blood in honor of a neighbor battling cancer or when people worked behind the scenes to advance worthy causes. Their efforts rarely made headlines but did serve as reminders that unsung heroes live among us.

I know it’ll feel a little strange not lugging around a video camera and holding a microphone or trying to make a story come alive in print. But more than 40 years after pulling into the parking lot at WDLC, I also know the time has come to turn the page and put down the camera.

I’ve had a good run. And I was fortunate to have learned from those who continue the daily struggle to make their communities better places. Thank you.

No doubt I’ll be thinking about all of that whenever my travels take me down the road past that little building with the radio tower behind it.

tfbaxter15@gmail.com