Undoubtedly, some of the few hundred attendees at Attleboro High School's Tozier-Cassidy Field were moved to tears. Lou Gazzola, a fellow teacher and coach with honoree Steve Newman, was moved to song. Gazzola's first choice on his personal karaoke carousel, Tina Turner, put it best. "You're simply the best," crooned Gazzola. "Better than all the rest. Better than...you know how it goes." Indeed Attleboro residents are fully aware. After 51 years of teaching - 37 at Attleboro High and 13 at Bishop Feehan High - and another two-plus decades as coach of the Bombardier cross country, winter and spring track and field programs, Newman had the new track officially dedicated to him in an outdoor ceremony Friday evening. The new "Steve Newman Track" at Tozier-Cassidy Field is a culmination of decades of service to the city. "Steve Newman is an icon in the annals of Attleboro High School," said ceremony host and Principal Bill Runey. "He is a teacher's teacher, a coach's coach and a true steward of our community here in Attleboro." Runey was but one of a slew of speakers quick to call Newman, 74, a friend and mentor. State representatives Elizabeth Poirier, R-North Attleboro, and Paul Heroux, D-Attleboro, were on hand to praise Newman for his work in academics and athletics, joining the commendation of School Committee Chair David Murphy, Athletic Director Mark Houle, David Bourque and his son, Adam Newman. One of his former athletes, Mayor Kevin Dumas, proclaimed a resolution of appreciation for Newman's "lifelong commitment to children, education and coaching." "This is unbelieveable," said Newman, sharing a few brief stories before deflecting the glory. "We really should be dedicating this track to the athletes whom I've had the honor of coaching over the years. They represent everything that is good at Attleboro High School." The school also established the Steve Newman Educational Assistance Fund, which aims to both assist graduating students attending college and fund initiatives at AHS to provide a better educational experience. Newman was known for some idiosyncrasies along the way, banning facial hair on his runners and strictly adhering to bus departure times - once prompting a faction of would-be prom partiers to sleep overnight in the school's parking lot in order to make the next morning's bus to the Division 1 Relays. His team won that meet, one of a host of titles during his highly-successful coaching reign from 1967-1989. In his early coaching days, athletes ran on banked wooden planks, a far cry from the pristine $3.3 million facility that now bears his name above the press box windows. In the shadow of those giant block letters sat testimonial after testimonial of the Attleboro High School Hall of Famer's steady guidance over the years. Peter Lacasse has taken the proverbial baton, now in his 20th year of coaching. As a student, he remembered the difficulty of balancing his workload on the track and field team and in the school's culinary arts department, which catered the post-ceremony reception. While Newman demanded a full effort, he understood the importance of pursuing a passion, and was lenient with those multi-tasking Bombardiers. "He's an advocate for kids," Lacasse said. Things got bad for Scott Dubuc, a fellow 1979 graduate, whose family life started to fall apart during his senior year. He started skipping classes, his dreams of being a teacher were slipping away and his parents wouldn't even take him to visit the college of his choice. So, Dubuc opted not to apply for college at all, hitting the low point in what he called a "downward spiral." That's when Newman stepped in, pulling him into his classroom. He asked how many classes Dubuc had attended that year. "Eight," Dubuc responded, to which Newman quipped, "That many?" advertisement Newman reached out to Dubuc's teachers, working out a way for him to make up the work. Previously ineligible for sports, he caught up in time to compete for the spring track and field team. He was named a captain. Furthermore, Newman pulled strings at Westfield State, gaining acceptance for Dubuc despite never having applied. "Without that man, I probably wouldn't be here today," he said. "Not a day goes by, swear to God, that I don't thank the man above for having him impact that part of my life." Gazzola best explained the radiance that comes with knowing Newman. "Men are not given testimonials for being the best husband, the best father or the best son, but if they were, you would be the one who deserved it," he said. "You honored me several times when you told me I was your best friend. I can't think of a higher compliment than being known as Steve Newman's best friend."
Inducted: 1988