By David Stephens HOMETOWN NEWS President Mike Brady convened the April meeting of the Boiling Springs Business Association on April 10 with 11 members present. In attendance as well were State House Representatives Ralph Davenport from District 37 and Rep. Bob Walker from District 38. Both representatives were there in response to recent news received by the Business Association that the traffic light synchronization project on Highway 9 through Boiling Springs, scheduled to be completed this spring, had been delayed again. Mike Brady stated that he had been told by the Director of the Spartanburg Area Transportation System (SPATS), Jim D’Amato, that the project was approved, but the funding for it was tied to other projects in Spartanburg County that had not been approved and that the money could not be released. Brady said he had then contacted Reps. Davenport and Walker and asked for their assistance in pushing the light synchronization forward. Rep. Walker told the association that while he was not the representative for Boiling Springs, he said he is the Chairman of the State Public Works Committee under which the Department of Transportation falls. Rep. Walker and Rep. Davenport both said they had been in communication with Spartanburg County Highway Commissioner Hugh Atkins about this delay. According to the representatives, Commissioner Atkins is going to meet with the other state commissioners and get the money for the light project released separately so it can proceed. There was also discussion of getting some funding released to go ahead with some intersection improvements in the Boiling Springs area that need attention now rather than waiting for the future Highway 9 widening project. One particular intersection mentioned was at Highway 292 and 9. Rep. Davenport also informed the association that Governor Mark Sanford had vetoed the joint resolution presented to him that would give the original Boiling Springs site historical designation. No reason for that veto was given. Davenport then said, “There was enough support in the general assembly for it that we could have gone back to the Governor, but instead we achieved the historical site designation via a General Assembly resolution.” Signs and markers should be going up soon. Rep. Davenport also informed members that “it is a tough year for the state and the budget had been “cut to the bone” and that some services may be lost. In other business, President Brady handed out copies of the monthly budget report which includes the funding for the academic scholarships given out by the Business Association each year. Brady then reported that Don Plemons, who had been the association’s first vice president was no longer with the association. Brady solicited recommendations and nominations for a replacement at the next meeting. Examples of the new Boiling Springs Business Association membership card and a business to business referral card were given out. He also discussed the new business directory that was being worked on and stated that volunteers to sell ads for the directory would be needed. Brady then introduced Paul Martin and Dick Biggs, who discussed a new Boiling Springs internet website under construction that could be used to gather and provide information on the feasibility of incorporating Boiling Springs. Boiling Springs Librarian Jean Foster next addressed the association and said that construction work on the library upgrade and remodeling was going very well and that they “could be moved back in by the fall.” Foster also said that patronage at the temporary library in the “KVC Plaza was good and that people seemed to be willing to drive the extra distance during the remodeling.” In his closing remarks President Brady stated that the meeting room at the Upstate Family Resource Center is provided to the association at no cost and asked for members to bring canned and dry food items for donation to the Center’s food pantry in return for their generosity. With no other business on the agenda, the meeting was adjourned. The next meeting is scheduled for May 8, 2008, at 6:00 p.m. in the library room of the Upstate Family Resource Center.