A current poll on this website asks readers when they traditionally begin putting up Christmas decorations. So far, the consensus prefers after Thanksgiving. We haven’t decorated outside since the late Henry Wilson tried to cause an uproar over our display in 2014. Henry wanted to make a racial issue out of a dummy we crafted from our own clothes and stapled onto the apex of the house where we lived at the time. A string of lights led from the dummy to a nearby ladder, which we propped at an angle to give the appearance that our dummy was clinging for dear life. Our intent was to mimic a comical scene from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. We got a kick out of listening, from inside, as people would stop in front of the house, rush out of their vehicle, yell up at the dummy and ask if they should call 911. Henry, rest his soul, didn’t see it that way — he was convinced it was a racist gesture. In typical Henry Wilson fashion, he contacted the newspaper to report this offensive display — to his dismay, Yours Truly was his first contact, and his complaint fell on deaf ears. Over the next few days he dispatched police officers, firefighters, and even the city manager to our home to inspect the display in hopes someone would take his side. He even went so far as to call the newspaper’s publisher and human resources hoping to snuff out our comical display. He demanded we take down our display, but we didn’t back down. Hey, take that poll now.
Like an edible, we play the long game.
We’re expecting news (maybe in early 2025) from Henderson State University about the return of an intramural field. The former field, adjacent to 10th Street north of M.H. Russell Drive, was developed some 10 years ago to make way for the Reddie Villas student housing complex. We’ve got an idea where the new field will be, but will wait on official word from the university. This should be a great move that will bolster campus life. More on this later.
Friday marks the final day of business for an Arkadelphia bakery. Samantha’s Bakery & Cafe announced on its Facebook page earlier this month that it would close on Nov. 22. The 7th Street bakery operated for six years.
After months of seeing them as the brunt of many a joke in our Facebook feed, we spotted a Tesla Cybertruck for the first time this past weekend. It pulled into the Arkadelphia McDonald’s drive-through as customers outside craned their necks and stared, like us, in disbelief. The vehicle carried Texas license plates. Interesting that a Cybertruck driver had a hankering for McDonald’s — seems they’d prefer something fancier, but it would make sense to eat cheap with such a hefty car payment. The price of a new 2025 Cybertruck starts at $82,235, and additional options could stack the total up to $102,000. A McChicken costs $1 plus taxes.
Some of you folks don’t know how to act on social media.
We had the pleasure this week of being a guest speaker in a Zoom meeting with the communications team at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. Their articles appear regularly on this website and cover a variety of agriculture-related topics. In fact, one of their articles about an invasive tick species ranks among the most-read posts in 2024. CLICK HERE to read that story.
Two four-year universities. Interstate 30. DeGray Lake. What’re we missing?
The Arkansas Beverage Control board last month gave its nod to a permit allowing on-premises beer sales at Camden Lanes. A check of their Facebook page reveals that the bowling alley in neighboring Ouachita County is inching closer daily to re-opening under new owners. Good for Camden! Our friends at magnoliareporter.com occasionally report updates on a planned bowling alley in Magnolia. We count two bowling alleys in Hot Springs, and another in Hot Springs Village. Years ago we paid a visit to the Arkadelphia Senior Activity Center — formerly a bowling alley — and watched as patrons played a Nintendo Wii game of … bowling. Cue Alanis.
Joel Phelps is editor of arkadelphian.com. Opinions expressed in Bits & Pieces are his own. Contact him at editor@arkadelphian.com.
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