Miss America Katie Stam sure has the community  talking.

Folks were talking about it early Sunday morning when I bought my paper.

They were talking about it at church.

Signs across town and around Jackson County congratulated Stam and her parents, Keith and Tracy Stam of Seymour.

It’s an exciting thing for Stam, her family and our community.

From what reporters here who have spoken with over the past few years have to say as well as what others in community have to say, Stam seems like a great young woman.

I’ve been impressed that she found time to speak with reporter January Wetzel several times over the past week, including Sunday afternoon as she waited at an airport for a flight to New York City.

I hope she finds the coming year to be a wonderful, enriching experience.

What do you think about it?

Did you watch the pageant Saturday night on television? We did. Our daughters had been told about Stam this week by their grandmother and they started reading our stories in The Tribune. So they went into the program with a little interest.

But that interest really grew as Stam advanced each round and as I posted updates on TribTown.com.

By the time Stam’s name was announced, they were ready to pop and let out a big scream when was named Miss America.

I thought it was cinched once Miss Georgia was named first runnerup. I thought she had been Stam’s toughest competition, not that I really much about it.

Heck, the last time I watched a Miss America show, Bert Parks was still crooning “There She Is” and the contestants still wore one-piece swimsuits.

Thanks for reading my blog, and thanks for logging on to TribTown.com.

We had a fun night Friday in the picnic grove at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Borchers.

Families with young children and grandchildren gathered for what’s called Trunk-or-Treat Night.

Once the rain cleared, we roasted hot dogs and marshmallows over an open fire.

Then the kids assembled to march along the drive, with cars, vans and pickups parked along both sides.

With trunks and hatchbacks open, many of them were tricked out with Halloween decorations and Halloween-themed music (I was disappointed not to hear “The Monster Mash” from where we were parked),.

The kids made their way from trunk to trunk, saying “trunk or treat” or “trick or treat.” Most also said “thanks” as the treats were dropped into their bags, plastic pumpkins and other assorted goody bags.

There were goblins, super heros, including Superman, Spider Man and Batman and Robin, an Eeyore and Tinkerbell, witches, ghouls and lots of kitty cats, as well as witchs and an angel.

Borchers has staged trunk or treat before, but it was our first time to attend. The kids had a great time, and it seemed a lot calmer than the marauding run through the neighborhood that takes place each Halloween night.

There were also the goodies, including those the kids don’t particularly care for. Those go into the Daddy pile.

While looking through those goodies, I noticed the folks at Reese’s keep tinkering with a good thing.

For instance, there was a Reese’s candy with puffed rice in it like a Nestle’s Crunch. I’ve never understand why people think rice and chocolate is a good combination. If I want rice, I’ll buy a box of Uncle Ben’s, thank you very much.

There was also a Reese’s cup with caramel in it. Caramel’s good. A Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup is great. Why weaken the cup with the caramel?

The folks at Reese’s should leave a good thing alone. And their peatnut butter cup is clearly a good thing.

Another thing I don’t understand, at the risk of sounding like Andy Rooney in the closing minutes of “60 Minutes,” is why candymakers insist upon calling those little candy bars “fun sized.” What’s so fun about one bite of a Snickers?

Thanks for reading my blog, and thanks for logging on to TribTown.com.