Wiscasset resident Bill Coombs and Boothbay Harbor resident Tom Wilson were honored by Coastal Economic Development Corporation (CED) at its Annual Meeting on May 29 when they were presented with the President's Award by CED President James Ward. The President's Award is presented annually to those who have made an outstanding contribution to their community and to CED, the Community Action Agency serving mid-coast Maine.

Bill Coombs has been active in the CED Head Start program for the past three years. He started his involvement as a Community Representative from Wiscasset on the Parent Policy Committee (PPC) and as an active parent at the Wiscasset Center. He quickly assumed a leadership role within the Wiscasset parent group and was instrumental in getting other males involved in the center's activities.

Under Coombs' leadership, a team of volunteers rebuilt the playground, improvements were made to the classroom, and a puppet theater was constructed for the children. He was elected chairman of the PPC in his second and third year on the council.

The Maine Head Start Directors Association elected Coombs to serve as the Maine Parent Representative to the New England Head Start Association's Board of Directors. He has been a tireless volunteer in promoting the Head Start program and in his efforts to get more parents, especially males involved with Head Start.

Tom Wilson has represented the Boothbay Head Start Center on the Parent Policy Council (PPC) and was elected vice-chairman in his first year on the council. He has been very active in fund-raising for Boothbay and for significantly increasing the male involvement at his center.

He was responsible for developing a number of projects at Boothbay, some of which included building a new sandbox, helping all of the children build birdhouses, and ensuring that each of the children received gifts during the holidays. Wilson has invigorated parent participation at the Boothbay Center.

Coastal Economic Development Corporation serves residents of Lincoln and Sagadahoc counties and northern Cumberland County with a variety of services. CED's programs, in addition to Head Start services for pre-school children and their families, include: the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program; LIHEAP home heating assistance; Community Services emergency assistance; Family Development case management services; and Affordable Housing programs, including low-income housing, weatherization, zero-interest second mortgages, and low-interest home repair programs.

CED also provides comprehensive employment resource and job training services through its CareerCenter offices in Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox and Waldo counties.