New National Hero and people’s awards revealed

| 01/01/2012

Warren Conolly, OBE JP_0.jpg(CNS): The Cayman Islands premier has added the late William Warren Conolly to the country’s list of official National Heroes. McKeeva Bush has also released the list of people that have received the new people’s awards created by him in 2010. Announcing the list in a statement on New Year’s Day Bush  said it was time to give due credit and thanks “to stalwarts among” who he said had made significant contributions to the community.  He said that Conolly had contributed hugely tothe development of Cayman and this appointment is well deserved. He named twenty people who will now receive national honours during the National Heores day later this month.

“Let us once again celebrate our human wealth, our precious individuals who have inspired, influenced and enriched the lives of persons around them. They deserve to be recognised and now is the time to do just that,” he said as he revealed the honourees.
 

2012’s award recipients are: Medal of Honor – Commander Awards: Dr. Joseph Benjamin William Jackman, Rudolph McLaughlin and Kent Mitchell Rankin.  Officer Awards: Cap’n Vernal Ebanks, Alex Sylvia Pennington, Warren Wadray Watler and Dolcy Ilone Powery. Member Awards: Raymond Irvin Scott, Florence Yvonne Wood, Elizabeth “Betty” Rosena Wood and Helen Merren.  Medal of Merit Awards – Gold: Charles “Greggie” Gregory, Charles Lambert Seymour, David Jonathon Ebanks, Edward Lancelot Solomon and Ralph Francisco Williams, Silver:  Allen Kennedy Ebanks. Long Service Award: James Dale Ramoon, Errington Albert Webster and Anthony Donovan Williams.

As a developing country the premier said Cayman must recognize and honour those who have contributed to its development.

Conolly was a key player in Cayman’s political landscape in Cayman for four decades and shaped some of the country’s key legislation. He was instrumental in creating the Department of Tourism, as well as the crucial Mosquito Control and Natural Resources Department. Having founded the law firm Ritch & Conolly, he remained a partner until retirement in 1996. He was awarded the OBE in 1975 for his significant contribution to the development of the Cayman Islands. Connolly passed away aged 87 in 2008.

 

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  1. Anonymous says:

    I really don't see anything 'heroic' about making a contribution to your country.  This is only about cronyism and nepotism.  True altruistic people do not seek recognition

    • Ann says:

      I don't think these people got awards because they asked for them. Seems like you're jealous, if you want one so bad do something good and maybe someone will nominate you. Stop trying to make these people's efforts look like they're nothing and get over it. 

  2. Anonymous says:

    Not all the people named in the article are going to be National Heroes, they're getting other awards. The late William Warren Conolly is the new National Hero. Learn to read… People need to stop bashing Cayman and Caymanians anytime we try to recognize any of our people for doing something good. 

  3. Mawga says:

    Mckeeva should definetly be added to this list of politicians (oops national heros). For I think he will always be remembered by the people of the Cayman Islands for his many 'deeds' done for our country for many years to come. (Sarcasm)

  4. Anonymous says:

    What about Desmond Seales. A true journalist to the core.

    • Anonymous says:

      Desmond once received an MBE that subsequent events showed he should have been stripped of.  

  5. Anonymous says:

    What about Ms Annie Hulda Bodden? 

  6. Anonymous says:

    To those complaining about how this one got this and that one should have gotten that, all things come in good time. There are MANY Caymanians who have helped develop these Islands and represented us. Not everyone can be awarded in one year or we wouldn't have an annual National Heroes Day. Let's not be bitter about this, these people have obviously contributed to these islands in someway to be even considered for these awards.

    Congrats to Memory of Justice, you have represented Cayman well and in a positive way. I enjoyed the Homecoming concert last year and can't wait for the next one. I hope it becomes an annual event.

    Congratulations to all the others receiving an award!

    • Pitta Patta says:

      My God, most of the names on the list of award recipients must have got the awards because of their staunch support or long service to Mckeeva Bush. Some of those names are quite shocking & I have racked my brains to remember their service & to understand the justification for their awards. Can Bush explain exactly what it is that some of these supporters of his did to receive their awards. Mckeeva Bush is making a mockery of these awards, it is not funny.

    • Anonymous says:

      One must also keep in mind that we went many years with only two National Heroes and now they are coming in bunches.  My opinion of McKeeva Bush is that this is all political posturing and deep in his heart he cannot care less.

       

  7. Anonymous says:

    Mac you should have included yourself on the national heroes list this year. It's not too late, you can make the surprise announcement on National Heroes day, dont leave it till next year before the elections as by then you may have been removed from office. Pay attention to events in Turks and Caicos Islands.

  8. Anonymous says:

    any expat who achieved PR should be made a 'national hero'…….this place would be nothing without these people…….

  9. Anonymous says:

    Mr. Warren and Miss Islay are both outstanding Caymanians and deserve recognition from all of us. I endorse Mr Warren as one of our national heroes.  He was a very honourable man.

    Mr Warren was the Chief Justice's father in law.  Is this nomination by the Premier political?

    • Anonymous says:

      Your sentiments on this seem a bit confused.  Let me clarify them for you in reverse order: no, yes he is, yes he was, yes he is, yes they do, yes they are.

    • Anonymous says:

      Who cares what or whom you “endorse” if you choose to be anonymous? You might as well endorse a donkey.

  10. next year says:

    Next years list will contain the names of individuals who have contributed in 2012 such as

    Kim Jong-il

    General Than Shwe

    Hu Jintao

    King Abdullah

    Islam Karimov

  11. Anonymous says:

    They say better late than never but, as a relative, i'm frustrated that he wasnt named a national hero before his death. No doubt in my mind that he would have greatly appreciated that title in his last years. RIP gramps, congrats on your new title 🙂 

  12. Anonymous says:

    Congrats to all the award recipients!  Well deserved! 

  13. Anonymous says:

    This is so sad. Whilst in no way do I wish to make light of Mr. Warren's achievements, it is obvious that McKeeva is using this award to lure Burns into his corner.

    While neither of the two previous recipients rise to the level of what I would consider a "National Hero", by our own low standards the people who represented us at the Federation of the West Indies meeting in Jamaica, and their subsequent decisions, should be at the forefront of any honours as this was one of the few "defining" moments in our history.

    Unfortunately, Dr. Roy McTaggart will never be recognized for his contributions as long as the parochial pin head from Old Bush hold sway. Sadly this is simply because our own Supreme Leader considers a couple of grandsons to be his enemies.

     

     

  14. Anonymous says:

    When will Sir John Cumber be recognized as a real National Hero???!!! His policies in the mid-1960's are what started the development of these islands, facilitated through capable, trusted and dedicated civil servants like Desmond Watler, Harry McCoy & Vassel Johnson, among others. While politicians of the day like Warren Conolly were also of the highest calibre, they were following the challenging initiatives presented by Sir John.

    I would say that for a population of 60,000 (un-released census figures notwithstanding), naming almost a dozen national heroes (most within the past year) trivializes the honour, so much so that it is now questionable.  Although our history is different from most other countries – no abolitionists, no independence heroes, no war heroes, etc. – it seems like being a politician is the only requisite for becoming named as national hero.  Once that trend is established it will be difficult to depart from it. Imagine Elio Solomon National Hero!! 

  15. Disgusted says:

    YES I say to receive National Heros Award, the person MUST be BORN Caymanian and not some opportunistic person who has come here to enjoy a life that they could find no where else.

  16. Anonymous says:

    Another waste of money!! 3000 unemployed Caymanians and who knows how many hundreds more have left to seek employment elsewhere. A disgrace since the days our fore fathers had to leave Cayman when there was not enough work to give there family a better life. I hope no Immigration or Dept. of Employment relations have been nominated.

    and there is plenty of work. They must be rolling in there graves with all these crimes and foreigners being preference to there own.

  17. Wiggy says:

    Congrats to the late Mr.Conolly on this.

    I think we need to honour the late Mrs. Altona Ebanks-Bodden-Rankin one of these days.

    That lady was a true hero.

  18. Alan Nivia says:

    It might be easier to name the Caymanians who are not heroes.  Heroes Day is a joke.

    • anonymous says:

      Alan, you need to understand what you are talking about before you are classified completely ignorant.  If you were simply trying to be funny, you failed.

      There are now only 8 National Heroes. All who shaped this country significantly.

      Read some history to find out about them in your spare time instead of posting silly comments. For your easy reference, our National Heroes are-

       

      James (Jim) Manoah Bodden, former Bodden Town Legislator

      Sybil Ione McLaughlin, MBE, former Speaker of the Legislative Assembly

      T. William Farrington, CBE former West Bay Legislator;

      Desmond V. Watler, CBE, Cayman’s first chief secretary;

      Ormond L. Panton; OBE, former George Town Legislator 

      Mary Evelyn Wood, Cayman’s first female Legislator;

      Sybil Joyce Hylton, MBE, a social development pioneer, 

      and now William Warren Conolly, OBE, former East End Legislator

       

      Let us respect our past leaders and those persons who gave it all to allow us to enjoy these Islands as they are today. 

    • Anonymous says:

      What else can you expect from a national of a country where a protesting student was swinging from the Cenotaph in Parliament Square?

    • Anonymous says:

      Even the Catboat got one!

  19. Anonymous says:

    Does one have to be a born Caymanian to receive a national honor? I can think of many others who should be recipients.

  20. Anonymous says:

    At the rate Mac going he better hope the people of these islands don't cross him OFF that list when his time comes!! He better straighten up!