KANNAPOLIS — So far, no big celebrity has shown up in Kannapolis alongside David H. Murdock.
And the city has posted a letter to Dale Earnhardt fans on its Web site assuring them that Kannapolis is not abandoning its native son.
The controversial removal of Dale Trail flags last week from Dale Earnhardt Boulevard angered NASCAR fans across the country and spurred rumors that a celebrity was coming to town.
After speculation Friday that Oprah Winfrey might visit Murdock and his N.C. Research Campus, developer Castle & Cooke was inundated with calls from citizens asking how they could get tickets to the event. Some thought Winfrey would appear in Village Park.
Then rumors spread that Martha Stewart was the "pretty important guest" mentioned by city manager Mike Legg in an e-mail to City Council members. Legg wrote to the council that he wasn't "100 percent positive who that is."
But neither media mogul has been to Kannapolis.
"No, she is not here and has not been here," Lynne Scott Safrit, Castle & Cooke president, said Monday about Stewart.
Stewart and Murdock are longtime acquaintances. And Murdock acknowledged in March that he was considering some kind of collaboration with Winfrey. She has been to his California Health and Longevity Institute, which includes a state-of-the-art television studio.
The buzz surrounding the possibility of Winfrey or Stewart coming to Kannapolis "bemused and befuddled" Castle & Cooke officials, marketing director Phyllis Beaver said.
People may not realize that Murdock always has had famous friends, and "they've been coming here for 25 years," Beaver said.
Murdock, the billionaire owner of Dole Food Co. and real estate giant Castle & Cooke, built a 17,000-square-foot home in Landis called Pity Sake Lodge in 1982.
Murdock stays at the lodge once a month for about a week and meets regularly with big names from the science, academic and business worlds as he recruits individuals and companies to the Research Campus.
But preparation for this week's visit and Murdock's current guests, whoever they are, caused a stir among NASCAR fans when the city removed the Dale Trail flags at the request of Castle & Cooke and the Cabarrus County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Despite the negative reaction, Safrit said she wouldn't have handled the flag removal any differently.
"They were torn and dirty, and we didn't think they were respectful of Dale's memory," she wrote in an e-mail to the Post. "There is a beautiful statue and park that pay a wonderful tribute to Dale, and I don't think the flags impact that one way or another.
"The Tourism Bureau has some wonderful ideas as to how to continue to promote the Dale Trail, and I leave that to them as that is their expertise and not mine."
Legg said he spent the majority of the weekend corresponding with Earnhardt fans, assuring them that Kannapolis is not abandoning the Earnhardt legacy.
"Even though we are certainly proud of the changes going on in the City of Kannapolis and our new and exciting future, we are in no way abandoning our history and heritage," Legg and Kannapolis Mayor Bob Misenheimer wrote in a letter to fans posted on the city's Web site.
The City Council earmarked $25,000 to enhance the Dale Earnhardt Plaza, the site of the statue, the letter said.
"There are no plans for removal of the statue and no plans to change road names or numbers," Legg and Misenheimer wrote.
Long before Murdock's arrival this week, the Convention and Visitors Bureau already had plans to "enhance the Dale Earnhardt (Dale Trail) experience in Cabarrus County and Kannapolis," the letter said.
Possibilities include a driving CD taking people to points of interest along the Dale Trail and new informational markers at key spots like Ralph Earnhardt's grave.
"The bottom line is the City of Kannapolis supports and honors the legacy of Dale Earnhardt and will continue to invest in promoting his memory," the letter said.
To view the full letter, go to www.cityofkannapolis.com and click on "Letter to Dale Earnhardt fans."
Lorna Felts
Lynne Scott Safrit : Wednesday, July 30, 2008 9:49 PM
Lynne worked in Cannon Mills, right beside of some of the people posting these comments. She is extremely dedicated to Mr. Murdock, as she should be, and as much, is dedicated to our home city (hers included). Lynne has, to my knowledge, NEVER had anything but the best intentions for our home. Please don't beat up people who have worked their a**es off to make a better life for themselves, their families, and the people in their communities. If every citizen of Kannapolis dedicated as much of themselves to our betterment as Lynne has, we wouldn't have any discussions like these taking place on message boards. Everyone would be too busy working. I am not condoning, or complaining, about the Dale Trail decision, as it wasn't mine to make. I am simply saying that Kannapolis has much more important things on it's plate, and Lynne is ONE person who is totally focused on taking care of those things. Leave her alone. Love Dale Earnhardt. I do, as do MOST people who live in or love Kannapolis. Kannapolis has a chance at a future that even our BELOVED and NATIVE son could not have given us. Give Mr. Murdock a chance. He is giving us one. The Cannons are gone from our fair city, but we do have very dedicated people, who are working in our best interest, to make us a world POWERHOUSE, once again. Stop inundating these people with things that keep them from working on the important issues. WE elected them into office. Almost ALL of them worked at, or have very strong ties to OUR mill. Our sons and daughters sometimes make bad decisions, or at the least, ones that don't please us, but we KEEP ON LOVING THEM. Our city council works for almost nothing. Our Mayor loves Kannapolis more than most of you could imagine. Castle & Cooke doesn't HAVE TO BE HERE. I am a stockbroker, and am always amazed that the clients who complain the most about capital gains, are the ones who have the most to report. YOU DON'T REPORT CAPITAL GAINS UNLESS YOU'VE MADE MONEY! On that note, none of us could complain about PROGRESS in KANNAPOLIS, UNLESS WE WERE EXPERIENCING IT. Come on, fellow Kannapolis residents, I've lived here for as long as the rest of you, can you honestly tell me that you don't see it????? If you can't....I feel so badly for you. And for all of you out there who are posting comments and don't know about our city...You can STILL come see the Dale Earnhardt Statue....it's as prominent and beautiful as it ever was....but there is some pretty incredible stuff around him now. Check us out. You might just be impressed....even without the banners. I know I am.
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Mr. Murdock : Tuesday, July 29, 2008 11:18 PM
Unfortunately the people of Kannapolis and the surrounding areas have not even begun to see the real Murdock yet...this guy and his busy bee's like Ms Safrit certainly are not working for the interests of the area by far. You can bet your last penny on that.
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THA
Maybe he can get that tacky statue removed too?!? : Tuesday, July 29, 2008 9:40 PM
The man is dead, let him rest. The flags and statue just make the rest of us look like rednecks and give NC a bad name. Take it all down and lets get back to whats important, which has nothing to do with Nascar.
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Landis is only 13,200 sq feet? : Tuesday, July 29, 2008 8:02 PM
That was kind of harsh (but funny). I did some searching and found the property ID 244 011 on the rowan county GIS website. It is owned by Atlantic American Properties and the value is $10.5m. But I don't think it is Landis. We have a great deal of difficulty balancing our budget (almost had to cut out softball leagues) and could really use the extra taxes. But the property card says Atwell twnship, enochville VFD. This might be one case where forced annexation would be a good thing. But since murdock has more money than all the towns in the area combined my bet is that no one would dare attempt to annex him.
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who cares : Tuesday, July 29, 2008 6:37 PM
dale was nothing more than a race car driver, and wasnt a very nice person, i say take it all down!!
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Who is the real issue? : Tuesday, July 29, 2008 6:06 PM
Is this about Dale or about Murdock? Who caused the Kannapolis officials to jump? It seems that too many people are finding fault with a dead man over this when they were lied to by the live billionaire - again.
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Kannapolis Resident : Tuesday, July 29, 2008 5:17 PM
You guys keep missing the most important point- why should an executive of a privately owned corporation have the right to issue orders to the city government- and have them obeyed? Some of us need to look up and see what is the real problem....
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GET A LIFE : Tuesday, July 29, 2008 5:04 PM
I BET IF THERE WERE FLAGS OF JESUS UP AND THEY TOOK THEM DOWN, WOULDNT NOBODY COMPLAIN ABOUT IT. BUT SINCE ITS DALE EARNHARDT ITS A BIG DEAL, HE WASNT GOD. GET OVER IT. I THINK THERES MORE IN LIFE RIGHT NOW TO WORRY BOUT THAT A COUPLE OF FLAGS BEING TOOK DOWN. THINK WE HAVE A WAR GOING ON AND OUR SOLIDERS DYING OVER THERE, NOT INCLUDING THE RISING COST OF FUEL AND FOOD. PEOPLE GET A LIFE.
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Joel
: Tuesday, July 29, 2008 5:00 PM
I hate to nitpick, but he owns a "17,000-square-foot home in Landis" while Landis itself is only 13,200 square feet?
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GINGER FAGAN
DALE TRAIL? : Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:43 PM
DALE EARNHARDT THOUGHT MORE OF MONEY AND FAME THEN HIS OWN LIFE AND HE DIDN'T EVEN CLAIM KANNAPOLIS AS HIS HOME, HIS WORDS WERE, HE WAS FROM MOORESVILLE, AND FURTHERMORE THE STORY OF HIS LIFE PROVES HE WAS A JERK. I WISH THEY WOULD TAKE THE STUPID STATUE DOWN TOO. MR. CANNON BUILT THE MILLS FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE IN, THE HOUSES FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE IN AND THE HOSPITAL FOR PEOPLE TO BE TREATED IN. HE IS THE MAN THAT NEEDED TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR WHAT HE DID NOT DALE SELF CENTERED EARNHARDT.
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Grunt
Because He Can : Tuesday, July 29, 2008 3:15 PM
I'm no fan of Earnhardt. Tie a string on a junebug and he'll go around in a circle like Earnhardt. So why did Murdock make the statement as an excuse to remove the signs, Answer: Because He Can!
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Judy
Lynn Safrit : Tuesday, July 29, 2008 2:14 PM
I am sick to death of Lynn Safrit...who the heck does she think she is? Does she even remember what this town is all about? Where everyone here came from??? Textiles and Racing and some of us are still proud of our heritage!
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A Former Resident
This is bigger than just Dale's Flags : Tuesday, July 29, 2008 1:19 PM
I read this blog today and read the one on Friday from the Post's story then. I think people are frustrated by more than just Dale's flags being taken down. In the past 30 years, Kannapolis has been through lots of changes - the Cannon family selling the mill and town, Murdock buying it, the union stepping in, Fieldcrest becoming Fieldcrest-Cannon, Pillowtex coming in, Kannapolis becoming incorporated and finally Murdock back again for the second time. That's seven major changes in those years and it's been a roller coaster ride for the residents (especially those in mill houses). Some of those residents purchased their mill houses when they had the chance in the 80's but some still rented and have to wonder every month if they will be evicted to make way for more expansion of the Research Campus. Lots of other residents who ended up buying their own homes in different parts of town years ago suddenly found themselves living inside the city limits of Kannapolis and paying city taxes which they probably had not planned to do in their retirement. So it has been stressful for those people who have lived in Kannapolis since the Cannon family sold out. The oldest generation in Kannapolis now are themselves second-generation Towel Citians...or Kannapolitans..or whatever Kannapolis residents are being called now that the textiles are gone. That's lots of changes and change brings uncertainty and stress and fear and anxiety and the tendency to remember better times back in the hey-day of the town. The town will have another hey-day but all of us who are affected by it now will not live to see it. So I think people are frustrated by the changes going on aroung them now and all it took was a lightning rod like the removal of the Dale flags so ignite it.
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Robin McKeithan
Amazing !!! : Tuesday, July 29, 2008 1:13 PM
I am amazed at the inability of a person to find within themselves the importance of who they are to this world. It is depressing seeing how people get Aww struck when a celebrity's name is mentioned and how you would run over the person in front of you to get a brief look at that celebrity. Seriously people!!!! We are all important. Put that energy to work to help others within your own community. Take the money you would have spent on that ticket/parking/and gas to see a celebrity and donate it to a food bank/homeless shelter or an organization that can help save a life! If the celebrity would donate 100% of all ticket sales to the community in which they are visiting; then great, sure buy a ticket... if not remember your own community and the needs of others less fortunate.
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: Tuesday, July 29, 2008 1:08 PM
And look what Cannon Mills did for Kannopolis. They took the money and ran. No pension for most workers, very little for a few. Of course, those in the Big Office got nice pensions. Dale took the money and ran too. As soon as he could he left Kannapolis in his dust. So exactly why would we want to be remembered for either?
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GET OVER IT : Tuesday, July 29, 2008 12:00 PM
KANNAPOLIS WILL ALWAYS BE KNOWN FOR CANNON MILLS AND DALE. MURDOCK MAY AS WELL GET OVER IT.I CAN'T BELEIVE OUR SO CALLED LEADERS CAVED IN LIKE THEY DID.
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It's Lynne, not Lynn
PLEASE GET HER NAME RIGHT !! : Tuesday, July 29, 2008 11:54 AM
It's Lynne...not Lynn...and, just so you know, most people who have a job end up doing what their boss tells them to do. If they don't want to do something their boss tells them to do, they prepare to find another job. If you collect the pay check from the boss you have to do what you are told to do by the boss. If your scruples or morals or ethics or conscience or love of your hometown get in the way, you have a decision to make about staying in that job or finding something else to do. If you decide to stay in that job, you have to put yourself in a mental zone that allows you to do what your boss wants you to do without letting it bother you. You either live by your head and your heart or you live by your checkbook. It's a matter of choice.
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Don't "dis" Lynn! : Tuesday, July 29, 2008 11:21 AM
No more flags means no more upkeep and no more replacements. And please don't "dis" Lynn. She takes orders from Murdock, and only passes them down to Mike Legg. So "Disgusted" needs to learn the difference between a "Queen" and a mere consort.
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HE IS JUST A DRIVER,,
YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING?? : Tuesday, July 29, 2008 11:18 AM
YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING!!!!THERE ARE LOTS OF OTHER THINGS MORE IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE, HERE IS AN IDEA SEND SOME FOOD TO A FOOD BANK ...
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Dale Trail : Tuesday, July 29, 2008 11:01 AM
It is on of the most selfish things that can be done against the people of Kannapolis. Who does he think he is?
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Vicky Ann
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA ! : Tuesday, July 29, 2008 10:59 AM
I love the way the Salisbury Post article opened the door for Safrit, who then walked in and put her footprint in the middle of this snafu she created: "Despite the negative reaction, Safrit said she wouldn't have handled the flag removal any differently."....yeah, right...bet Gen. Custer said the same thing as he dodged arrows during the Battle of Little Big Horn.
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A QUESTION : Tuesday, July 29, 2008 10:33 AM
If they wanted to remember Dale so respectfully (at least from the spin Castle & Cooke is putting on this) why didn't they just get NEW flags and REPLACE the torn and dirty ones with new ones instead of just taking them down ?
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Disgusted
Queen Lynne's Bad Decision : Tuesday, July 29, 2008 10:24 AM
This sounds like back pedaling to me. If city or county tax dollars were used to take the flags down, Castle & Cooke should reimburse the city or county coffers. Who gave Lynne Scott Safrit the right to decide how and when to spend my city and county taxes ? I don't remember electing her Queen of Kannapolis. Ugh !
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: Tuesday, July 29, 2008 9:41 AM
No reason to be upset about the Dale Trail flags. The only reason the flags and statue exist is to lure shoppers to Ktown. Dale was the name and selling was the game. It was all a marketing gimmick. As a savvy marketer himself, Dale would have appreciated the gimmick. But when it ran its course, Dale would have been ready to change too. Other than being born in Ktown, Dale had no real ties to Ktown since he hit the big time. He didn't live there, didn't work there and only wandered through occasionally to keep his "local boy makes good" legend alive also part of his own marketing efforts. Remember, he built DEI in Mooresville, NOT Ktown. Junior doesn't even pretend to care about Ktown.
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KTOWN#3
history : Tuesday, July 29, 2008 8:42 AM
The Cannons and Dale Earnhardt did put Kannapolis on the map i traveled all over this country for years and almost everyone said the same thing when i said i was from Kannapolis NC. some knew Cannon towels others would say oh the home of Dale Earnhardt 7 time Champion.These blue blood snobs do not understand being a Towel citizen
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to: Who Cares? : Tuesday, July 29, 2008 7:50 AM
AMENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN : ) You said it perfectly!
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Who Cares? : Tuesday, July 29, 2008 7:35 AM
Who cares about Earnhardt anymore. The man is dead and long gone. LET IT GO PEOPLE. He may have been a person from Kannapolis but once he got famous and rich Kannapolis was history to him. It is pretty sad when a town can only claim a hero that could do a good job driving in circles. What about your local police, fire fighters, ems or military personnel. Will YOU make as much of a big deal about them when they die as YOU did Earnhardt. No because they are not the kind of "hero" you can watch from your LAY-Z-BOY and get drunk. Get over yourselves, get over the Earnhardt mania and get on with your lives. For God's sake find something worth worrying over and complaining about. There are a lot of better topics.
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Letters to fans : Tuesday, July 29, 2008 7:32 AM
There is nothing so much fun as seeing what the city and others are going to do and say to dress up a pig and make it look like something entirely different once they mess up so badly the whole world knows. They are doing the spin so well on this tale, that despite the things said in the emails told by the Post, now it is sounding like they were not catering to the wishes of one man, but were really just trying to honor Dale even more because the flags were dirty. They can rob the citizens blind.They can ignore the fact that in the hardest times most of the people here have ever known they are sending their taxes through the roof in order to give money to Murdock,and people deeply resent their actions.Now they are trying to change what they did and said, in order to calm people down, so that they can continue as always without drawing attention to themselves.Right in the heart of racing country, the birth place of the hero of some who can not relate to very many other people and feel a connection to him, they basically spit on the flag in favor of a rich man people hate because it is their money being spent to help make him more rich.Not good.
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Fourth of July festivities draw thousands to Faith for parade, fireworks and fun
