Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter
( L - R ) Blair, Clarke, Bucknor, Jones, Munn
World-renowned cricket umpire Steve Bucknor and Bishop Herro Blair are among six citizens who will be bestowed with the Order of Jamaica - the fourth highest award - on National Heroes Day.
Bucknor, who will receive the award for outstanding contribution in sports, and Blair, in recognition of religious and public service, are among 101 Jamaicans who will be conferred with National Honours in October.
Bucknor, a former FIFA referee and National Premier League coach and administrator, stands second on the list of appearances by umpires in the Cricket World Cup matches. He made his debut appearance at the 1991/92 World Cup and has officiated in 35 matches, 10 fewer than England's David Shepherd.
Other awardees
Other recipients of the Order of Jamaica are: William 'Bill' Clarke, for sterling contribution to banking and public service; Professor Edwin Jones, for excellence in academia and public service; Keble Munn, a former Cabinet minister, for contribution to agriculture; and Dorothy Pine-McLarty, for outstanding public service.
"I accept it on behalf of those who have helped me in one way or another to serve the nation," Blair told The Gleaner.
Blair, who shoulders responsibilities as Political Ombudsman and head of the Peace Management Initiative, said the award would not prevent him from continuing to give yeoman service to Jamaica.
"The nation has seen it fit to honour me, and I accept it graciously," Blair, a long-time televangelist, added. He had previously received the Order of Distinction, Commander class.
Among the 35 recipients for the Order of Distinction inthe rank of Commander are Lambert Brown, for service to the trade union movement; Robert Bryan, for coordination of the Jamaica leg of Cricket World Cup; Christopher Gonzalez, for service in the field of art; and Captain Barrington Irving Jr., the Jamaican-born American who recently broke records flying solo around the world.
"I am honoured on behalf of the workers in the trade union movement to be awarded," said Lambert Brown, president of the University and Allied Workers' Union. "I dedicate this award to the workers I represent and the youths in the inner-city community where I sprung from."
In the category of Order of Distinction (Officer class), Edith Allwood-Anderson, president of the Nurses' Association of Jamaica, will be honoured for contribution to the nursing profession, and Dr. Wendel Abel, for innovation in the fields of community mental health and social services. They are are among 35 persons who will get this award.
More women being awarded
"I feel joyful, elated and pleased and thank the authorities," Allwood-Anderson, a fiery lobbyist for the nurses' union, told The Gleaner. "I feel that the country has seen something in me and they are encouraging me to continue," she added. Allwood-Anderson said she was dedicating it to the women of Jamaica.
Six persons will receive the Badge of Honour for Gallantry, including Daniel Dawkins, who used effluent from a cesspool truck to extinguish a fire at a service station in St. Andrew.
Sonia Black and Winsome James are among the 11 persons who will receive the Badge of Honour for Meritorious Service for contributions in education and community service, respectively.
Seven individuals will also be presented with the Badge of Honour for Long and Faithful Service.
