This is remarkable. If you have no particular interest, please pass it on to the bakers in your life.    Just click on the name of the CANDY and bam the recipe appears!
2 Minute Microwave Fudge	5 Minute Fudge	7 Layer Bars
Aaron's Buttery Cashew Brittle	Almond Bark	Amanda's Peppermint Creams
Ann's Cream Nut Candy	Bavarian Inn Peanut Bars	Beth's Delicious Fudge
Brownie Fudge Dessert	Buckeyes	Buckeyes
Butter Toffee	Candied Yams	Candy Bar Brownies
Candy Cane Brittle	Candy Cane Fudge	Caramel Krispie Treats
Caramels	Carmel Corn	Carol's Christmas Treats
Chocolate Almond Bars	Chocolate Balls	Chocolate Billionaires
Chocolate Chow Mein Candy	Chocolate Covered Cherries	Chocolate Covered Nuts
Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls	Chocolate Covered Pretzels	Chocolate Covered Pretzels
Chocolate Covered Pretzels	Chocolate Nut Caramels	Chocolate Popcorn
Chocolate Silk Bon Bons	Chocolate Truffels	Christmas Candied Walnuts
Christmas Crackle Candy	Christmas Mice	Chunky Mallow Candy
Cinnamon Hard Candy	Cinnamon Popcorn	Cranberry Nut Fudge
Cream Cheese Candy	Creamy Chocolate Truffles	Creamy Microwave Pralines (Texas Stye)
Crispy peanutbutter balls	Dark Chocolate Fudge	Deborahe's Holiday Chocolates
Disappearing Marshmallow Brownies	Dish of Dirt	Divinty
Dorothy's Peanut Butter/Butterscotch Noodle Cookie	Dreamcicle Fudge	Easy Candy
Easy Divinity	Easy Divinity Easy Divinity Candy	Easy Fudge
Easy Granola Candy	Easy Microwave Carmel	Easy Microwave Fudge
Easy Pecan Logs	English Toffee	English Toffee
English Toffee Bars	Fabulous Fudge	Fake Brittle
Fantasy Fudge	Festive Chocolate Truffles	Five Minute Fudge
Fool-Proof Fudge	Frosted Pecans	Fudge
Brownies	Fudge for One
Fudge Puddles	Georgia Nuggets	Grandma Donna's Nummies
Grandma F's Delicious Fudge	Grandmother' s Holiday Fudge	Hard Candy
Hard Tack Candy	Hazelnut Fantasy Fudge	Ho-Ho Hash
Holly Confection	Honey Comb	J & D's Peanut Butter Balls
Jeanne's Tiger Butter	Jen's Chocolate Meringues	J's Cream Fudge
Kim's Famous Cashew Brittle	Magic Marshmallow Fudge	Mama's Fudge
Maple Rum Balls	Margie's Best Candy	Martha Washington Candy
Martha Washington Mounds	Marzipan	Melting Moments
Melting Moments	Memaw's Reese's	Meme's Best Ever Peanut Butter Fudge
Meringues	Micky's Mints	Microwave Peanutbutter fudge
Microwave Pralines	Milk Fudge	Milky Way Bars
Million Dollar Fudge	Mimi's Famous Fudge	Mocha Truffles
Mom's Mints	Mr. Monroe's Famous Fudge	Mrs. Eisenhower's Fudge
Never Fail Fudge	Never Fail Fudge	No Bake Rum Balls
No Cook Peanut Butter Fudge	No Fail Fudge	Novia Scotia Treats
Nut Mallow Goodies	Nutty North Pole Fudge	Orange Balls
Orange Glazed Pecans	Out Of This World Fudge	Oven Carmel Corn
Peanut Brittle	Peanut Brittle	Peanut Brittle
Peanut Brittle (Microwave)	Peanut Butter Balls	Peanut Butter Balls
Peanut Butter Balls	Peanut Butter Bars-An Elve's Favorite Treat	Peanut Butter Candy
Peanut Butter Candy	Peanut Butter Cups	Peanut Butter Cups
Peanut Butter Fruit Squares	Peanut Butter Fudge	Peanut Butter Fudge
Peanut Butter Fudge	Peanut Butter Snowballs	Peanut Clusters (mircrowavable)
Peanut Krispies	Peanut Patties

On Monday, the Social Security Administration announced the national rollout of the agency’s Compassionate Allowances initiative, a way to expedite the processing of disability claims for applicants whose medical conditions are so severe that their conditions obviously meet Social Security’s standards. This will allow a claim to be processed in days rather than years!

I was shocked to hear that it could take so long to process a benefits claim and saddened by the thought that Americans with these life threatening diseases may have died long before ever receiving their benefits. This is certainly a step in the right direction and I hope that the Social Security Administration continues to streamline their entire system.

You can read more about the Compassionate Allowances initiative here: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/compassionateallowances/

From The Office of Representative Jimmie Don Aycock

Greetings Friends, Constituents and Supporters:

The reason I am writing you today is to stress the importance of exercising your right to vote and making your voice heard in these political times. It is in this way that we should feel lucky to be Americans. As a free nation, we have a right to choose our officials, and these choices will affect the future of our state and nation.

Today marks the first day of early voting in Texas. The next few weeks and days will prove to be exciting not only on the national political landscape but also for the State of Texas. America does not always have a solid voter turnout. Roughly half of our country voted in the 2004 Presidential election. Many people feel detached from our system of government, I am here to tell you that your vote can make a difference. In many countries all over the world there are people who wish that they had this right, and as many of us know all too well, there are some of our very own fighting for others to have that very right, which we often take for granted.

Despite this fact, many of these citizens still line up for miles in order to try and make their voices heard. We should all vote, not only for ourselves but for all of the men and women who have died to give and maintain this right for us.

Despite our differences on policies, we are all connected through our right to vote. I implore you to take the opportunity to vote and I hope you feel as lucky as I do to live in a country that allows us to be responsible for our future.

There are a few sources that can provide you with information regarding your polling location as well as any questions you might have.

All Bell County voters can find out their election information by going to the website: http://www.bellcountytx.com/election/. Bell County voters can also contact the County Clerk at (254)933-5160.

Lampasas County voters seeking information can contact their Elections Administrator by phone at (512)556-8271.

All Burnet County voters can contact their Election Administrator by phone at (512)715-5288, or by going to the website www.burnetcountytexas.org/default.aspx?name=elect.pollplace.

Again, I hope that you will take the time to educate yourself on the best candidate for you and exercise your right to vote. Thank you for your time and interest. If I may be of any assistance, please contact me or my staff at either our Capitol or District offices. The Lampasas Office phone number is (512) 556-8954. The Killeen Office phone number is (254) 690-1752. Our Capitol office is located in the extension: E2.804 Mailing address: P. O. Box 2910, Austin, TX 78768. Phone (512) 463-0684. You can also email me at District54.Aycock@house.state.tx.us.  

May God bless you and the great state of Texas,
Jimmie Don Aycock
State Representative

We are within weeks of the November 4 election. You have the opportunity to cast your ballot early, and avoid the long lines expected on Election Day. I've listed Bell County, Coryell County and Lampasas County locations and available times for early voting.

Bell County
Belton - Bell County Courthouse Annex, 550 East 2nd Ave
Harker Heights - Parks & Recreation Center, 307 Millers Crossing
Killeen - Bell County Annex, 301 Priest Drive
Killeen - Killeen Community Center, 2201 E. Vet. Memorial Blvd
Temple - Bell County Annex, 205 East Central Ave
Salado - Salado Civic Center, 601 North Main Street

October 20, 2008 thru October 24, 2008 (Monday thru Friday) - 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
October 25, 2008 (Saturday) - 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
October 26, 2008 (Sunday) - 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
October 27, 2008 thru October 31, 2008 (Monday thru Friday) - 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Coryell County
Coryell County Courthouse, 620 E. Main St.. Gatesville, TX
Coryell County Courthouse Annex, 201 S. 2nd St, Copperas Cove, TX

October 20, 2008 - 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
October 21, 2008 - 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
October 22 - 29, 2008 - 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
October 30, 2008 - 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
October 31, 2008 - 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Lampasas County
Elections Administrator Office, 412 South Live Oak, Lampasas, TX
October 20-31, 2008 - Mon-Fri. 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

As some of you may remember, in November of 2007, the residents of Temple, Texas passed a comprehensive bond package to improve existing parks and build new parks. When all of the construction is wrapped up, the parks of Temple will be an even greater benefit to those in the surrounding areas.

I thought you might like to know how those projects are progressing, so here is a park by park update for those parks included in the bond package:

2007 Parks Bond Updates

Lions Junction Family Water Park - 5000 South 5th Street.
Project is designed by Kimley Horn and Associates. We opened bids on this project on 9-4-08 and bids came in so we can afford to not only do the base bid but we can also afford all of the alternates. The City Council awarded this project on 9-18-08 to Chaney – Cox Construction. We are now awaiting all of the contract documents to be signed and returned. Once this is accomplished we will hold a pre-construction meeting, issue the "notice to proceed", schedule a ground breaking ceremony and get underway. We plan to have this facility open by the end of May 2009 in time for the summer swimming season.

Sammons Park Indoor Pool - 2220 West Avenue D
Kimley-Horn and Associates (same designer as the Family Water Park) - final design on this facility is underway – 90% complete plans are due to us for review by October 1. Once these plans have been reviewed and returned to the Designer for revision they will be place out for bids. Current schedule has this facility opening at about the same time as the outdoor facility.

Ferguson Park - 1203 East Adams Avenue
Comprehensive Engineering Solutions – This project consists of additional playground equipment, a new picnic pavilion, a drop off lane for the picnic pavilion, a new parking lot and ADA accessible walkways. We have opened the bids on this project and will award at the City Council Meeting on 10-2-08. The low bid came in under budget so we could afford two add alternates relating to upgrading the piers for the pavilion and ADA accessibility.

Lions Park - 4000 Lions Park Drive
Comprehensive Engineering Solutions – This project consists of a new 300' X 400' lighted multi-use practice field and a 45 car parking to not only serve this field but also the softball complex for overflow parking during tournaments. Bids have been opened and we will award this project at the City Council Meeting on 10-16-08. We have already purchased the lighting system for this facility and the installation of the system.

Miller Park Trail and Life Stations - 1919 North 1st
JHL Contractors – This project involves converting the crushed granite in this park to concrete to reduce the maintenance of this trail, and the installation of 10 exercise stations along the trail. The contractor is well underway on this project with the entire trail north of the creek completed. This project is scheduled to be completed by early November.

Miller Park Splash Pad/Playground - 1919 North 1st
Webuildfun, Inc. – Entered into a design build contract for a new splash pad (similar to Ferguson Park) and a replacement playground for Miller Park. The playground components have been ordered for this project and the final plans for the splash pad are complete. The plan has the location of the splash pad in the area just west of pavilion "B" and the restrooms. This is a 180 day project with the scheduled completion date of January 2, 2009.

Summit Expansion - 620 Fryers Creek Circle
PBS&J Architects - Opened bids on 8-5-08 – local contractor (Chaney-Cox) was the low bidder out of 8. The "notice to proceed" has been issued for this project and the contractor is on site beginning the dirt work for the slab for the expansion. The Temple Civic Theatre has allowed us to use a portion of their parking lot as a temporary staging area for the contractor for the duration of construction. This project is scheduled to be completed by the end of June 2009.

West Temple Splash Pad - 121 South Montpark Road
Kraftsman Company – Entered into a design/build contract for this splash pad. We are in the final design phase of this project. This contractor is located in the Houston and has been affected by Hurricane Ike which has slowed down the progress on this project a bit; however our completion time for this project is still early spring 2009.

Sammons Park Golf Course - 2727 West Adams Avenue
The golf course architect has been hired and has developed a plan for the renovation of the entire course. Currently a plan has been completed for a new layout of the course which changes all holes except one and increases the length of the course and has the turn back to the clubhouse. There is no definite time frame set for this project