By JOEL PHELPS | The Arkadelphian

Arkansas Business this week reported two sighs of relief for loyal Henderson State alumni. The university is “back on the road” to financial health, and the school will retain its name. In the article, neither HSU Chancellor Chuck Ambrose nor ASU System President Chuck Welch really delved into the concrete details of their vision for a “reimagined” Henderson. Perhaps in due time university officials will educate the community on what the school will be in five years. As for the name, it would have been no skin off our back if it had become Arkansas State University-Arkadelphia when it joined the ASU System. We doubt we’re alone in saying sentiment went out the window along with the academic programs that were cut.

This week last year we informed our readers that Arkadelphia officials were proposing a rate hike for water customers. CLICK HERE to read that story.

We support public parks, and are anxious to see how two local envisioned parks pan out. It may be a bold belief that private fundraising will be enough to erect a public park, particularly one in Arkadelphia honoring Martin Luther King Jr., but we hope the efforts pay off sooner than later so citizens can convene, picnic, recreate or just reflect. The City of Arkadelphia recently acquired 3.5 acres from Henderson State University. If all goes as planned the site, located steps away from the Feaster trailhead on 15th Street, will become the Barkadelphia Community Dog Park. This was a project spearheaded by a past class of Leadership Clark County. The value of public city parks may be best felt by visiting the ones in our nation’s capital.

Love reading arkadelphian.com? Thank and support the advertisers you see on our website. Were it not for them and our donors, you’d be scrolling Facebook right now.

We’ll be in attendance Thursday to welcome Tara Rollins as the new executive vice president of the Arkadelphia Area Chamber of Commerce. The welcome reception will be held at the Chamber/Alliance office, 201 N. 26th St., from 4-5 p.m.

We recently launched a daily puzzles page. Be sure and check those out, just to unwind after a long day (or to start your day). The puzzles can be found in the Community tab of our drop-down menu.

Got a few irons in the fire.

Joel Phelps is editor of arkadelphian.com. Any opinions expressed in Bits & Pieces are his own. Contact him by emailing editor@arkadelphian.com. Only a nudist is capable of finishing the laundry.