By JOEL PHELPS | The Arkadelphian
We’ve had plenty of reminiscent palaver with a dear friend and former colleague, the both of us nostalgic children of the ‘90s who remember fondly the Arkadelphia of our youth and long for a resurgence — or at least a taste — of the entertainment offerings of yesteryear. Our families recently drove the 45 minutes to Hot Springs just to go bowling — something we’d been meaning to do since our friendship began a decade ago. The trip spawned our current Reader Poll. Our own fondest memories of Arkadelphia include spending Saturday nights bowling or in the arcades there; testing our (albeit poor) swing at the batting cages; dining at Pizza Hut before or after catching a flick on the silver screen; taking in the scene at the skating rink; racing go-carts or playing mini-golf. Alas, we belong to one generation of many before our time, generations that can remember even better times. But how will our children remember Arkadelphia?
Don’t tell us we can’t take a picture, dammit. And don’t try to stand between our camera and the subject. You got cropped!
Stakes recently placed at the future site of Barkadelphia Dog Park indicate its layout is being planned out. Maybe work will begin soon. But don’t forget what Keith Crews said.
As just another ant on this hill we call home, we play no crucial part in attracting or securing entertainment venues to Arkadelphia. Our role as spectators is to report when a developer has an itch to add quality of life to our community. There was an effort years ago to recruit a franchise-owned cinema to the one behind Pizza Hut. There was also a push, several years ago, for a municipal theater in the old Royal Theatre downtown, a business that would have been owned and operated by the city, much like our beloved Aquatic Park is. The idea behind that particular move wasn’t to earn a profit, but rather to provide quality of life, to give residents something to do. Neither effort was successful, and times are different now. Perhaps a cinema couldn’t survive in Arkadelphia — who knows?
1.1 million views so far this year!
Speaking of survival in Arkadelphia, some of our Facebook commenters went as far to say they want a destination restaurant or more dining places. Applebee’s and Chili’s restaurants are everywhere; we’ve got some great locally owned eateries that are known for miles around. In no particular order other than maybe how long they’ve been in business, we’ve got Fish Net, Hamburger Barn, Fat Boys, Slim & Shorty’s, JavaPrimo and 67 Grill — just to name a few! A chain restaurant adds no charm to a town, only a threat to local restaurateurs.
We wonder how Henderson State University will play up its fall enrollment numbers.
For what it’s worth, the latest results of our ongoing poll (it ends Friday) show that a movie theater is the most sought-after entertainment venue for Arkadelphia. More retail options and a bowling alley are vying for a close second, and community events/festivals are clocking in at last place. Economic development officials — the same ones who market Clark County for more primary jobs — are swift to say that retail follows rooftops, and the primary jobs should be given top priority so the rest falls into place. We have remained optimistic that Hostess Brands’ investment in Clark County would add some of those much-needed jobs, but what we’ve noticed so far is a void in some existing professional roles and decent jobs as the current workforce flocks to Hostess. All we can do is hope the right leadership is in place, and wait for brighter days ahead.
Our friends and content partners in Magnolia are reporting some hopeful news for South Arkansas, particularly Columbia and Lafayette counties. Companies are investing billions there to begin lithium production. Read those articles and more at magnoliareporter.com.
Bottles and cans, just clap your hands, just clap your hands
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Joel Phelps is founder and editor of arkadelphian.com. Opinions expressed in Bits & Pieces are his own but should be accepted as fact. Contact him at editor@arkadelphian.com.