Boston Scenes

Mass. Governor Deval Patrick (second from left) joins (left to right) John Drew, new President & CEO of Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD), Mrs. Donna Coard, Mackie Coard (son) and Juliette Mayers, Chairman of ABCD Board at the annual Community Action Awards Dinner, honoring those in the Boston area who have made outstanding contributions to the goals of the ABCD. This year the highlight of the evening was a tribute to Robert M. Coard upon his retirement. (Don West photo, www.donwestfoto.com)

Boston College (BC) women’s basketball players visited the Russell Elementary School in Dorchester. Pictured (left to right) Carolyn Swords, Ayla Brown, Stephanie Murphy and Brittanny Johnson. The players talked about how they prepared to go to college as part of a program organized by the Step UP Initiative, which partners Boston area universities with Boston Public Schools. BC’s Lynch School of Education coordinates Step UP projects at the Winthrop and Russell elementary schools. (Photo courtesy Boston College)

The Brookline Arts Center will inaugurate its 35th annual Crafts Showcase, Dec. 2. The event will feature nationally acclaimed craft artists Steven Ford, David Forlano, Erica Demarco, Randall Darwall (whose work is pictured) and Brian Murphy. Each will present expanded collections of their work, including new and one of a kind pieces. (Photo courtesy of the Brookline Arts Center)

(Left to right) Ronald Hampton, Executive Director of the National Black Police Association, Dr. Jimmy Bell, Director of the Center for the Study of Juvenile Delinquency Prevention at Jackson State University and Tina Cherry, Founder, Louis D. Brown Peace Institute, participate in the Community Responsibility Summit held at the Jeremiah E. Burke High School last week. (Tony Irving photo)

The Merritting Attention Basketball Club, the nationally recognized after-school sports program founded by Larry Merritt, won the 2009 AAU Boys Basketball Division II National Championship this summer. Pictured here is the 11-and-under basketball team: Packy Witkowski, Ceasar Adim, Jamal Allen, Glenn Smith, Jalyn Hinton, Donell Berryman, Brandon Twitty, Ju’Quan Mills, Mitchell Kirsch, Trevor Parker, Khalil Walker-Eldridge, Cassius Cohen and Daquan Lee.  Coaches included Elliot Fontaine and Javaughn Currin. (Photo courtesy of the Merritting Attention Basketball Club)