Schenck hires new boys basketball coach after resignation over ...

EAST MILLINOCKET, Maine ? Schenck High School has moved quickly to fill its boys varsity basketball coaching vacancy, naming Ron Weatherbee to the post this week.

Weatherbee, who in March stepped down after eight years as the girls varsity basketball coach at Lee Academy, replaces Steve LeVasseur, who opted last month not to return to the Schenck bench this winter after coaching the Wolverines? boys squad for 18 years.

Weatherbee, a Lincoln resident and director of that town?s recreation department, hadn?t planned on returning to the sidelines this winter until after learning of the Schenck vacancy.

?I got done at Lee last March, I just thought it was time, and then I never thought any more about coaching again until a week ago,? Weatherbee said. ?I talked with a couple of people in East Millinocket and heard there was a good group of kids there, both as gentlemen and athletes, and it seemed like it would be a good challenge for me.?

Weatherbee has coached basketball at various levels for more than 30 years, beginning his varsity coaching career in 1990 with four years coaching the girls squad at Lee Academy before a 10-year stint guiding the boys squad at Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln.

He subsequently coached girls varsity basketball for one year at Old Town and for eight more seasons at Lee, where he led the Pandas to four Eastern Maine championships and three state titles, the Class D crown in 2005 and 2007 and the Class C championship in 2008.

Weatherbee also had a successful run as Lee?s softball coach, leading that program to Eastern Maine championships in 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007 and the Class D state title in 2006.

Weatherbee, who interviewed for the Schenck job last Friday and was approved by the local school board Tuesday evening, was one of ?multiple? candidates to fill the vacancy, according to Schenck athletic administrator John Montgomery.

?Ron brings a lot of experience to the job, which I?m very happy about,? said Montgomery.

LeVasseur?s decision not to return to coaching at his alma mater was related to a policy change that this year established a two-tiered pay structure for coaching stipends in which coaches who teach within the Schenck school system are paid at a higher rate than coaches like LeVasseur who come from outside the school system.

Under that structure, LeVasseur?s coaching stipend would have been reduced from $5,019 for the 2011-12 season to $3,510 for the 2012-13 season ? the latter amount just $183 more than LeVasseur said he was paid for his first season as a varsity basketball coach at Stearns of Millinocket in 1984.

LeVasseur has compiled a 333-152 record in 24 years as a head coach, including a 72-15 record and three state titles during four years as the girls varsity basketball coach at Schenck during the late 1980s and a 242-118 record with two state championships during his time with the Schenck boys.

The Schenck boys squad finished 7-12 last winter after advancing to the Eastern Maine Class D preliminary round.

Source: http://bangordailynews.com/2012/11/09/sports/weatherbee-hired-to-fill-schenck-coaching-post-left-vacant-by-levasseur/

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Why A Hearing Aid May Be Necessary

Music is soothing, energizing, magical, and all those great things that help you to transcend and get away in such a hectic world. You may listen to music in your vehicle, at your home, or in any other environment you can. When the music gets really good, you really feel it within and may be compelled to crank the volume louder! As the volume gets louder, your ears naturally adjust, and you enjoy the sound just as well. However, high levels of sound can actually be damaging. Wear and tear to the ear over the years can cause sound loss that is irreversible! When this happens, the next step would be to find the perfect hearing aid to help improve sound awareness.

Whether you are a party person who constantly attends loud concerts, or just a homebody who cranks up the volume loud on your personal earphones, blasting that music too loudly can surely be damaging. Especially if these things are done very frequently, There are certain risks. That music may sound spectacular, but imagine someday not being able to hear at all! This is what can happen as a result of exposing the ears to dangerous levels of sound. It is the damage to the hair cells within the ear that can cause temporary or permanent sound perception in individuals. Suffering this damage is never an easy thing, but you can always rely on the assistance of a hearing aid.

Without being able to hear, everyday tasks would be difficult. Imagine if your best friend came over to visit you. He or she rings the doorbell, but you are preoccupied and happen to not hear the doorbell. To you, this doorbell may sound like a small distant sound, and you may brush it off as just the television. But because you didn?t hear its loud chime, your friend assumes you are unavailable and leaves! What a different scenario that would be if only you could hear.

Some forms of sound loss simply come from the aging process. But there are still causes of auditory loss that can undoubtedly be prevented or avoided. One way is by keeping music at lower levels. This does not mean you have to keep your radio or MP3 player at inaudible levels, but do not raise the volume too high. Another way to avoid this exposure is to wear earplugs when necessary. Earplugs can help drown out a reasonable amount of sound volume. If you work at a noisy place like a construction site or concert venue, it may be best to use earplugs to protect your ears!

For those who are unfortunate and happen to suffer loss of sound in their ears, there is a solution. Purchasing a hearing aid is the best thing to do. These devices can amplify sound so that an individual?s sound perception can still be improved despite sound loss. This way, nobody really has to suffer the effects of ear damage for the rest of their lives. Until then, protect your ears! These things don?t have to happen to you at all!

There is a clear choice of inland empire, ca hearing aid specialists ready to suit locals? needs. Anyone in the area facing hearing issues should contact the professionals at http://www.miracle-ear-inlandempire.com for more information.

Source: http://toddsblogs.com/healthandfitness/2012/11/10/why-a-hearing-aid-may-be-necessary/

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Lakers fire coach Mike Brown after 1-4 start

FILE - In this Nov. 7, 2012 file photo Los Angeles Lakers head coach Mike Brown holds his head before the start of the first quarter during an NBA basketball game in Salt Lake City. A report from USA Today says the Lakers have fired Brown after a 1-4 start to his second season in charge of the team. The newspaper report Friday, Nov. 9, 2012 cited Brown's agent, Warren Legarie, as the source of the information. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

FILE - In this Nov. 7, 2012 file photo Los Angeles Lakers head coach Mike Brown holds his head before the start of the first quarter during an NBA basketball game in Salt Lake City. A report from USA Today says the Lakers have fired Brown after a 1-4 start to his second season in charge of the team. The newspaper report Friday, Nov. 9, 2012 cited Brown's agent, Warren Legarie, as the source of the information. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

FILE - This March 29, 2012 file photo shows Los Angeles Lakers head coach Mike Brown gesturing during the second half of their NBA basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Los Angeles. A report from USA Today says the Lakers have fired Brown after a 1-4 start to his second season in charge of the team. The newspaper report Friday, Nov. 9, 2012 cited Brown's agent, Warren Legarie, as the source of the information. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike Brown shouts to his team in the fourth quarter of NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012, in Salt Lake City. The Jazz defeated the Lakers 95-86. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

FILE - This July 11, 2012 file photo shows Los Angeles Lakers head coach Mike Brown, left, and owner Jim Buss laughing during a news conference at the basketball team's headquarters in El Segundo, Calif. A report from USA Today says the Lakers have fired Brown after a 1-4 start to his second season in charge of the team. The newspaper report Friday, Nov. 9, 2012 cited Brown's agent, Warren Legarie, as the source of the information. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, file)

FILE - This March 21, 2012 file photo shows Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike Brown arguing a call during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks, in Dallas. A report from USA Today says the Lakers have fired Brown after a 1-4 start to his second season in charge of the team. The newspaper report Friday, Nov. 9, 2012 cited Brown's agent, Warren Legarie, as the source of the information. (AP Photo/Brandon Wade,File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? The Los Angeles Lakers fired coach Mike Brown on Friday after a 1-4 start to his second season in charge.

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak announced the surprising move several hours before they hosted Golden State. Assistant coach Bernie Bickerstaff will coach the Lakers against the Warriors while the club's top brass searches for Brown's replacement after just 18 months in charge.

"The bottom line is that the team is not winning at the pace we expected this team to win, and we didn't see improvement," Kupchak said at the Lakers' training complex in El Segundo.

Los Angeles began the season with championship expectations after trading for center Dwight Howard and point guard Steve Nash, adding two superstars alongside Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. But the Lakers went 0-8 during the preseason last month for the first time in franchise history before stumbling into the regular season with an 0-3 start, losing to Dallas, Portland and the Clippers.

After finally beating Detroit last Sunday for their first win, the Lakers looked listless again in a loss at Utah on Wednesday, dropping to last place in the Western Conference. Los Angeles' defense has been largely poor, and the players still haven't figured out the new offense installed by Brown during training camp.

Combined with their aging core of talent and a massive payroll, Kupchak and owners Jim and Jerry Buss decided they couldn't wait another game to start winning. Brown was dismissed in a morning meeting.

"We're not looking five or 10 years down the road," Kupchak said. "This team was built to contend this year. There's no guarantee that this team can win a championship, but we feel that it can be deeply in the hunt. We're also aware that our players ... are getting older, so our feeling is that we can contend at this level for another couple of years."

Brown was hired in May 2011 to replace 11-time NBA champion Phil Jackson, signing a four-year deal worth roughly $18 million in May 2011. Kupchak said the eight-figure payout they'll have to make on Brown's contract wasn't a factor in their decision.

"It's a pretty direct message to all of us," Gasol said while leaving the Lakers' shootaround Friday morning in El Segundo. "There's no messing around. It's time for all of us to step it up."

In a brief news conference, Kupchak did nothing to squelch speculation that Jackson could return for a third tenure with the Lakers. The 67-year-old Jackson walked away from the club in 2011 with few apparent hard feelings, and his health has markedly improved during his time away from the NBA.

Kupchak said he hasn't reached out to any candidates for the job, but thinks it's likely the Lakers will hire an experienced coach who isn't currently working. Kupchak said he hasn't talked to Jackson, but Jim Buss' sister, Lakers executive Jeanie Buss, is Jackson's longtime girlfriend.

"When there's a coach like Phil Jackson, one of the all-time greats, and he's not coaching, I think you would be negligent not to know that he's out there," Kupchak said.

While Lakers fans had reacted with their usual panic whenever the 16-time NBA champions lose a few games in a row, Kupchak and Buss publicly appeared to stand firmly behind Brown, the longtime Cleveland Cavaliers coach. Brown had pleaded for patience with his integration of several new players into his lineup while everybody learned the new offense.

"I have great respect for the Buss family and the Lakers' storied tradition, and I thank them for the opportunity they afforded me," Brown said in a statement issued by the Lakers. "I have a deep appreciation for the coaches and players that I worked with this past year, and I wish the organization nothing but success as they move forward."

Brown's players all were fully behind him in public, with Bryant vocally suggesting critics of the Lakers' new offense should give them time to get it working. Bryant missed a significant portion of training camp while dealing with minor injuries, and Nash has a small fracture in his leg that has kept him out of the lineup since the Lakers' second game. Nash could be sidelined into December.

Yet the Lakers had given no indication they might pull one of the earliest coaching changes in NBA history until Kupchak gathered the players Friday morning to inform them of the decision.

"He told us the decision was made," Gasol said. "We didn't have a good start, and this is a team that was built to win. That's what we're all here to do."

Along with the usual urgency accompanying any Lakers season, Howard is under contract for just one more season before the six-time All-Star center can become a free agent. The Lakers' core players around Howard are all over 30, and the 38-year-old Nash barely made his debut before getting sidelined.

Los Angeles went 41-25 and reached the second round of the playoffs last season in Brown's debut, losing to Oklahoma City. Brown received criticism even for that largely successful season, with Magic Johnson predicting Brown would be fired if the Lakers lost to Denver in the first round.

Brown implemented a new offensive scheme this fall that didn't appear to suit his players' talents, yet the Lakers also played spotty defense, Brown's specialty. The Princeton-based offense received ridicule, but Bryant and his teammates largely defended the motion scheme, saying they needed time to implement it.

"I don't think we lost faith at any moment," Gasol said. "I think we all believed in what we were trying to do. We also understood it was going to take a little bit of time to do things the way they should have been done. As far as our game, it wasn't happening as fast as we all wanted it to."

Brown is a prot?g? of San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich. He led Cleveland to the 2007 NBA finals and went 272-138 with the Cavaliers, becoming the most successful coach in franchise history while compiling the league's best regular-season record in each of his last two seasons.

The 68-year-old Bickerstaff joined Brown's coaching staff in September. He was a head coach in Charlotte, Seattle, Denver and Washington, going 415-517.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-11-09-Lakers-Brown/id-b6c3708e5b7648aba871d543a82761b5

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