International Spaceflight Museum

A week after the ISM Board of Directors’ decision to sell Spaceport Bravo, leaving the region behind when the SciLands moved, a generous donor committed to paying the entire monthly tier/rent cost of our second island/region for the indefinite future.  Spaceport Bravo joined the rest of the SciLands four days after their move

To this person, who wishes to remain anonymous for now, we offer the heartfelt thanks of the Board, all the volunteer staffers, and the 3000-4000 monthly visitors to the International Spaceflight Museum!  A rescuer of ISM, encouraging likewise efforts by others someday, and giving hope.

-Paradox Olbers,

ISM President & head of operations

The International Spaceflight Museum [ISM] is leaving Spaceport Bravo behind in the SciLands move, and announced that it is for sale by auction.  “Kirra Ball donated the isle and 2 years rent/tier, but after that wonderful donation ran out in the spring of 2009, visitor and volunteer  staff donations were never   enough to pay for Spaceport Bravo.  It is with the greatest reluctance that the ISM Board of Directors voted this weekend to put the isle up for sale,” is my  comment as ISM Director and President.

The Board’s resolution: 

“Move the Board approve the sale of Bravo as quickly as possible in order to fund Alpha long enough to find a sponsoring organization and/or complete the 501c3 application process.”

Gus Plissken /SL name is handling the transaction, with an ISM BoDirectors  waiver: “Resolved, that Fred Fuchs and/or Firesabre Consulting be authorized to act as agent for the ISM Corporation in marketing and selling the sim, Spaceport Bravo, and should be indemnified against any claims of conflict of interest for the purposes of performing this service for the Board.”

-Paradox Olbers

ISM President

ISM Board of Directors

I reported at the weekly Wednesday 4 pm PDT/SLT meeting that we had a matching donor for the next month – if a person makes a donation, he’ll match it.  But I wasn’t telling the truth; the donor is me, and the staff can’t keep supporting Bravo by ourselves. 

Here’s our true situation:  Most of our donations come from the volunteer staff, a few large contributions (U$10 to U$50) each month and we can’t keep it up since we have to cover at least half of Spaceport Alpha’s rent/tier too.  So I’ll match all public [not staff] contributions up to one month’s rent for Bravo – U$195 – made before Sept 20th.  I apologize for trying to drum up contributions by using this tactic and then redefining the offer.

I’ve changed my original offer that didn’t put a cap on the matching because we’ve just got some outstanding publicity in RL  and possibly a big staffer donation too, which could lead to public contributions that would exceed my ability to match.  The new publicity that gave me renewed hope for a large increase?

*On Thursday, Hamlet Au’s New World Notes, one of the largest five sources of SL news, gave us a great post asking people to help.  [Clarification - my original offer was to cover this month's rent/tier, NOT indefinitely until the 501c3 came through.]  http://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2009/08/save-spaceport-bravo.html 

*Earlier today (Friday), Rik Riel also gave us a supportive post as well at Betterverse.org.  http://www.betterverse.org/2009/08/the-second-life-spaceflight-museum-needs-help.html

Thanks to you both for getting our situation out to many avatars who have never heard of the International Spaceflight Museum before!

-Paradox Olbers, President of ISM and head of operations

In the top picture from left to right, Planners Gamel Goodfellow, Becka Finesmith, Paradox Olbers, Kat Lemieux, Marcus Olbracht,  Arisia Vita, and Opal Lei look at the central area honoring Kirra Ball’s donation of the Spaceport Bravo sim to the ISM.

ISM Planners looking at this Opal Lei prototype

The Bravo! Donors Monument atop the VAB

 http://slurl.com/secondlife/Spaceport%20Bravo/167/193/89  is the permanent home of the Donors’ Monument now, down on the lower roof below and to the right of the American flag.  More iterations will produce the final design.