Earnhardt's hometown removes his honor flags

www.thatsracin.com ^ | 7/24/08 | David Poole

[personalaccts]

Earnhardt's hometown removes his honor flags From Charlotte Observer, wire reports Friday, Jul. 25, 2008 KANNAPOLIS - The late Dale Earnhardt's hometown is taking down banners honoring the NASCAR great, at the request of a billionaire developer who is bringing a client to town Saturday.

The Salisbury Post also reported on Friday that the developer's company doesn't want the "Dale Trail" banners going up again.

According to e-mails obtained by the Salisbury newspaper, California billionaire David Murdock is coming to Kannapolis on Saturday with an important guest and wants to put the "best face on the city."

Murdock's company, Castle & Cooke, owns the North Carolina Research Center, a science research park being developed in Kannapolis at the site of the old Cannon Mills.

City Manager Mike Legg wrote in a July 18 memo to the city council that the "Dale Trail" banners would be permanetly removed. Earnhardt was killed in 2001, on the last lap of the Daytona 500.

The Salisbury Post says that in the past week, e-mails have been exchanged among Kannapolis city officials, Castle and Cooke, and the Cabarrus Convention and Visitors Bureau about removing the banners - and whether the NASCAR theme fits with efforts by some business and civic leaders to bill Kannapolis as the "Home to Science."

There are no indications as to the identity of Saturday's guest, but the Salisbury newspaper said there is speculation that it might be Oprah Winfrey. Murdock announced earlier this year that he is working on a joint project with Winfrey, an entertainment billionaire.

In the July 18 memo, Legg told council members and others that the banners would be taken down. He wrote that the Cabarrus Convention and Visitors Bureau agrees with the plan but wants to put up other flags or markers in the future.

"There may be a conflict as to what happens later," Legg wrote, according to the Salisbury newspaper. "There are many (including everybody at Castle & Cooke) that do not want to see anything 'Dale-related' going back up."

Not everyone appears so readily willing to remove the motorsports theme in Kannapolis, though.

The Salisbury Post said DeSales Wagster, president of the Cabarrus County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said Thursday that she thinks motorsports and high-tech research can co-exist.

"We are extremely proud of motorsports and what it has brought, as we transition into one of the largest bio-tech areas," she said. "They are very compatible. there is truly room for both."

[personalaccts]

I thought it was funny. I live 20 minutes from Kannapolis. I drive the “Dale Trail”.

[Rebelbase]

The Kannapolis City Council bender over to accomodate a cultural “offense” is no different than the Brits putting booties on their police dogs so as not to offend muslims.

[doodad]

I guess I need to gas up the Camaro, brush out the mullet and head on up I-85.

[Rebelbase]

Oh great. First was the Northeast liberals socializing the urban centers of NC, now the Left Coast liberals are moving in to the smaller towns. We’re doomed.

[martin_fierro]

[SouthTexas]

Ok, I’ll stop before I get kicked off the thread. ;)

[afnamvet]

Nah, keep goin’ ; )

[McGruff]

You be that fellar who want to remove them Dale Earnhardt flags?

[SouthTexas]

Other than immediate family, the only funerals I have taken off for were Ronald Ragan’s and Dale Earnhardt’s.

[McGruff]

My condolences. Not something to joke about.

[tubebender]

I see diversity is a one way street when Oprah is involved. Nascar has bent over backwards so far their heads have disappeared as they try to be”inclusive” to include blacks and appease the Jesse Jackass crowd...

[B4Ranch]

>Maybe he or she thinks that NASCAR fans are bitter and clinging.<

In their eyes we are Bitter Armed Religious Folks. (BARF) Putting the Bible before queers and hanging on to our rifles as if we intend to protect our families with them.

[SouthTexas]

Not meant as a joke, just a statement of fact. ;)

[SouthTexas]

Diversity is always a one way street.

[McGruff]

This appears to be an update.

Officials in Kannapolis rush to defend removal of 'worn and dirty' flags

Not long after my previous blog about the “Dale Trail” banners being yanked down in Kannapolis got posted, I got an e-mail from John Cox, the president and chief executive officer of the Cabarrus Regional Partnership.

Cox sent along a copy of an e-mail sent by Kannapolis city manager Mike Legg in which Legg says banners honoring the late Dale Earnhardt aren’t coming down because David Murdock wants to show his North Carolina Research Center to some “important” visitor this weekend and doesn’t think NASCAR-themed banners are a good match for the new science research park project.

Legg called a story about the banners in The Salisbury Post and other reports about the matter “inaccurate or incomplete.” Cox sent a copy of an e-mail Legg sent to a Kannapolis citizen trying to clear things up.

[more at link]

[SouthTexas]

Thanks, that’s a little better, but as the man said, awful convenient.

[Gondring]

I visited and thought it pretty macabre. We idolize the dangdest people.

You really must read St. Dale, by Sharyn McCrumb...

[fkabuckeyesrule]

For whatever reason I was watching some footage from the 2001 Daytona 500 on Youtube last night. I was out and I didn’t get to see that race. It’s hard to believe that was 7 years ago.

[cherry]

this is preposterous......I am no Earnhardt fan but if his fans want to honor him they should be able to .....

[barker]

Just stole your graphic.