RAY SWANSON | Keystoner Hickory field will get facelift for spring

The Hickory High School softball field is going to have a new look.
A joint venture by the City of Hermitage School District, the present field is expected to have two new dugouts, permanent fencing around the perimeter of the field, concrete walkways, plus work on the infield area, grading and overall site work.
The project is estimated to cost about $52,000 with funding equally by the city and school district.
The Hickory softball team was launched in 1993. The field was utilized by the softball program and the summer recreational leagues.
Work was scheduled to begin this year and completed in early spring.
The project was a much-needed one and one that will certainly be enjoyed by Hickory athletes for years to come.
Bear on the brim
My wife and I were headed towards the Clarion-DuBois area a couple of weeks ago, out for a weekend drive to take in the sights.
Traveling on Interstate 80, several miles from the Barkeyville exit, traffic slowed to a snail's pace and our thoughts jumped form a car accident to someone hitting a deer.
Well, it was neither. As we approached the scene, we noticed a pick-up truck off the side of the road and a lifeless black bear lying on the berm of the road. A man, apparently the driver of the truck, was standing near the bear.
It was a good-sized bear, to, one that probably did quite a bit of damage to the truck.
That was only the second "wild" bear I've seen in my lifetime. The other was closer to home on Route 62 (Wallace Hill) near Mercer. The bear was walking along at the bottom of the hill and dozens of motorists had stopped to take in the sighting.
Earlier this year, it had bear sightings have been reported in the Hermitage area.
Tough Titans
Most college football teams are fired up for their Homecoming football encounters.
Westminster College, however, has taken the situation a bit farther.
The Titans over the past 52 years have posted a Homecoming record of 48-4 and two of those defeats came during the Titans' short stint as a member of NCAA Division II with the only other losses since 1951 coming by way of Allegheny (12-7) in 1985 and Ferrum (14-7) in 1991.
Westminster has won three straight Homecoming games since leaving Division II. Bethany in 2000, Thiel in 2001 and Bethany this season 23-20.