This twelve-foot bear is getting a facelift and when it's finished, it might just be the largest, most handsome bear in the area.

The oversized creature is located in the side yard of a residence along Lyndwood Street and Elmore Avenue in Hometown and has been an ongoing project by property owner Jack Selby, who lives with his wife at a nearby Ardmore Avenue residence.Selby has been restoring the Lyndwood Street property inside and out, and didn't want to see a majestic, 100-year-old maple tree on that parcel meet a total demise.Selby's son John, owner and operator of JMS Treeworks, LLC, Hometown, cut down the tree to size and preserved the thick trunk, a feat accomplished in 2010.At that point, Selby contacted woodcarver and landscaper Chris DeMars, Weatherly, for his expertise in carving the massive trunk.The exact number of hours it took to create the sculpture is unclear, but DeMars remembers it being a substantial undertaking."It took about one full day, then another half day, and then maybe another half day," says DeMars. As expected, the bear project hibernated over the winter.But now that warm weather has returned, work on the bear has kicked into high gear.DeMars spent last Wednesday morning coloring the bear's fur by careful manipulation of a torch. When finished, the bear's body will be varnished and a preservative applied to the base.The idea of one-of-a-kind sculpture appeals to Selby, a man with a penchant for art. Selby is currently in his 20th year employed at Air Products and Chemicals, and is a painter by heart. Selby's wife is a professional photographer, now semi-retired, who owned and operated Diana Photo Graphics in Hazleton for 33 years.The intimidating bear, located just steps away from the Hometown intersection, is becoming a local tourist attraction.