Well, halloo, Mud Season! How many parents have received a call from the schools, "Your child fell in the mud. Bring clothes!"

Ian Crocker, look to your laurels! A pair of Eddy School swimmers are creeping up on you! Niall Janney and his sister Petra have been setting records for the Boothbay YMCA's Dolphins swim team and the U.S. Swim League. Niall, 12 years old and in 6th grade, has just entered the 12-and-under class. Petra, aged 9, in 4th grade, is in the 10 and under class. They are the children of Esme McTighe, and live on the Town Hall Road.

All candidates for Edgecomb's open public offices have filed: Elizabeth McSwain for the Planning Board, Dirk Poole for the School Board, and Joanna Cameron for Selectman. Election Day is May 17, from 1:00 to 7:00 p.m.; the open Town Meeting starts at 10:00 a.m. on May 18.

The Edgecomb Historical Society met March 26, with Sophie Quinn, Madene Nichols, Roslyn Strong, Suzanne Carlson, Gertrude Allen, Bob Brown, and Jo Cameron. We discussed several possible projects, such as a field trip/survey of the many old mill sites in the town, and other rural industries such as the early commercial landings, the brickyards and shipyards, the feldspar and mica mines. Bob Brown gave a summary of his research into his family's history which is, in large part, the history of Salt Marsh Cove. Bob himself is the 7th generation of Browns descended from one of the British king's foresters, sent to the colonies to mark and cut pines for masts for the royal navy. Bob's grandson James is the 9th generation. However, Bob's mother, Dot Brown's, side goes back farther to John Chase from Massachusetts, who settled on Cross Point.

So now, let us welcome some new families to Edgecomb. Mark and Nathalie Gorey on the River Road have been here since last summer. Mark teaches English at Boothbay Harbor High School and Nathalie teaches French at Lincoln Academy. They have two school-age sons.

Dennis and Liz Friedland live down the hill from the Goreys, on Wild Turkey Run. Their daughter is in 1st grade.

On the other side of town, Topher (short for Christopher) Belknap and Krista Woodbridge will be building on Engelbrekt Road later this spring. Topher, son of David Belknap in Damariscotta, has moved back to home turf, "to be near the water again." Krista is a serious student of classical Greece and Rome. Incidently, the Greek concept of the "polis" is exactly what we exercise in these remnants of New England's direct democracy.

This coming Sunday, the Edgecomb Congregationalist Church will welcome back the Rev. Martin Perry of Worcester MA. According to the church newsletter, Mr. Perry served in Edgecomb and Days Ferry when he was a seminary student.

Cheryl Tedford, who is organizing a 4-H chapter in Edgecomb, wants to build a barn on her place on McKay Road for 4-H'ers to keep the club members' project livestock and to hold club meetings. She is considering as a fund-raiser a returnable deposit bottle drive. For more details, call her at 882-4123, or Susie Stephenson at 633-2907.

I missed last week's column by failing to push the "Send" button. So here I sit with fingers poised: Log onto the Internet server. Done. Hit New Message and fill in newspaper addresses. Done. Attach column. Done. And ZAP! To you from 234 River Road, 633-2978, and bonesukl@midcoast.com!