TROY — A lot of people came out on Friday morning to honor WHIO broadcast legend Steve Baker. Steve was WHIO’s Northern Bureau chief for many decades and passed away in December.
Many people knew Steve and trusted him with their stories and loved him.
News Center 7’s Xavier Hershovitz was in Miami County Friday morning, where a permanent reminder of Steve’s impact will stand for future generations.
Noah Allen, a student at Heywood Elementary School, said, “Trees give us oxygen, shade, and beauty. The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second-best time is now.”
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Friday was the annual Arbor Day tradition in Troy. Dozens of students gathered at Duke Park, along with the Troy Beautification Committee.
Organization President Gareth Johnston said, “We usually have three or four names, and then we vote on them. But this was kind of like a give me.”
Each year, they plant a tree in honor of someone in the community, and this year’s honoree was the late Steve Baker.
“He’s been very, very giving to the community, and he’s known as obviously, to the whole Dayton area,” Johnston said.
Steve spent 40 years at WHIO-TV, where he covered the northern communities in a way unlike any other.
Marty Baker, Steve’s wife, said, “Steve loved his community and truly enjoyed donating his time.”
Marty was married to Steve for more than 50 years.
“He would have been very humbled because he never wanted; he always wanted to be on the other side of the camera. He never wanted to be the one being recognized,” Marty said.
At the entrance to Duke Park is a statue in its namesake’s honor, and the tree will be near that statue for years to come.
“You know it’s going to be here for a lot of years. So, kids, grandkids, great grandkids can come by here and see that it was here,” Marty said.
Serving as a physical reminder of the impact Steve had on his beloved community and all the people in it.
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