PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release
Contact:
R. Carey Gersten, RiLL Communications
The Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse Community
PO Box 309, Brunswick, ME 04011
Telephone: +1 (206) 792-9044 (Washington State)
Email: cgersten@RamIslandLighthouse.com
There is war on Ram Island Ledge
Social Network Community Project ignites interest in Maine Lighthouse
September 9, 2010, Brunswick, ME – There is a war on at Ram Island ledge. The United States Government Services Administration auction of the Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse, Portland Harbor in Cape Elizabeth, has ignited into a bidding war.
The public outreach efforts of the Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse Community ignited unusual attention to the auction. The group is attempting to purchase the turn of the century beacon by individual donations using social media. They hope using blogging, Facebook and Twitter, their efforts will go viral and quickly attract enough interest to far outstrip any other bidders. If the web experiment is successful, thousands will own a piece of maritime history where they can actively engage in the operation of the 83 ft lighthouse.
The intensity of the auction has “has toppled the anticipated sales price by double,” according to Robert Muller, the Executive Director of Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse Community. The highest amount ever paid for a lighthouse was $225,000 in New York Harbor.”
Muller continued, “The last bid by a local surgeon upped the ante’ to $180,000.Three bidders are driving the auctioning, two from Maine and one from Dartmouth, New Hampshire, alias Tugdoctor. This frenzy makes it tough for our organization to compete. Given the unanticipated bid level now reached, the organization hopes to partner with the winning bidder. Maybe we can convince him or her to adopt our transparent public management model.”
The United States Coast Guard is auctioning the lighthouse operating since 1905. It has major historical and navigation importance to the maritime community. It will remain as an aid to navigation. The Coast Guard will control navigational operation. The winning bidder will maintain the property under National Historic Registry Guidelines.
The Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse Community is a preservation and conservation organization, bringing together socially networked communities to purchase, protect and steward treasured lands and sites of historical and cultural significance. Community members adopt an active voice through an interactive online presence and through persistent live internet feeds. Members determine the future of a property and build shared knowledge and experiences about all aspects including ecology, history, culture and local economy. The organization’s website: http://www.ramislandlighthouse.com
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