JUNCTION, St Elizabeth — It was long in coming, but local authorities and the community came together on August 27 to honour one of this south central farming town’s most well known servants, former parish councillor Donald Horne, on his 95th birthday.

The high point of the celebration was the re-naming of the Junction market in honour of Horne, who served the Junction Division as councillor for 25 years and was a key advocate for the eventual construction of the facility 15 years ago.

As Horne sat composed and poker-faced, several speakers, including Government ministers and local politicians, hailed his contribution to community, country and the People’s National Party (PNP).

Most touching of all, perhaps, was a tribute from current councillor for the Junction Division, Cetany Holness of the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).

“My real mentor as a councillor is Donald Horne,” Holness said to loud cheers from the mainly PNP audience.

A citation read by one of Horne’s 12 children, Dellone Horne, revealed that Donald Horne was born in Buff Bay Portland in 1918.

An unapologetic follower of National Hero Norman Manley, Horne arrived in St Elizabeth in 1959 as a political organiser for Manley and the PNP.

Working in partnership with a young PJ Patterson — later to become leader of the PNP and prime minister of Jamaica — Horne devoted most of his energies in the southern half of St Elizabeth.

Described by Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke as “a man of great intellect, whose organisational skills were immeasurable and results-oriented”, Horne provided solid support for SE St Elizabeth members of Parliament (MPs) Vivian Blake and Derrick Rochester until his retirement from politics in 2003.

Such was the loyalty of Horne to Norman Manley and the PNP, that he named two of his sons — Norman Washington Horne, who chaired the August 27 function, and Manley Horne — in honour of the national hero.

Elected to the parish council as the representative for Junction in 1974, Horne was also a trade unionist for Alpart workers during the construction and early years of that alumina refinery, as well as a local leader of the adult literacy JAMAL programme.

For Clarke, who spent several years as his colleague in the St Elizabeth parish council, Horne “with his signature felt hat” was the “epitome of what a politician should be”.

“He was the quintessential politician. He (Horne) was not the rambunctious type, not the bellicose type, not the pushy type; he was cool, calm and calculating,” Clarke said.

Clarke voiced the view that Horne’s characteristics had “rubbed off” on and influenced the youthful Patterson. The latter, Clarke recalled to much laughter from the audience, once told his Cabinet colleagues “you don’t have to talk every time because nobody can misquote silence”.

Rochester, a former MP for South East St Elizabeth, who was credited with first initiating the idea of the market being renamed in honour of Horne, said the older man had greatly influenced his career.

“He was, to a great extent, involved with my political involvement and advancement,” said Rochester.

“He stood by me through all my years of being councillor first and member of Parliament thereafter. Donald Horne taught me politics,” the former five-term parliamentarian said.

Rochester urged the further development of a second floor of the market building to house municipal facilities, including a long-mooted revenue collection centre.

In saying thanks, Horne told his audience, “when I came here, Junction was a race course and today it is a city.” He urged the residents of Junction to “follow the footsteps of Derrick Rochester and myself and make this place a good place”.

Mayor of Black River Everton Fisher backed up by current MP Richard Parchment, local government minister Noel Arscott and Rochester, argued that the best way to honour Horne would be to ensure that the market is fully utilised. Vendors now occupying the streets of Junction should take their place in the market building, they said.

Fisher said a zero-tolerance approach to street vending would soon be in place not only for Junction, but other leading urban centres in the parish in Santa Cruz and the parish’s political capital Black River.

“Come the end of November, no vending will be allowed on the streets,” said Fisher. “We (parish council) will be making every effort to return law and order to the streets of our towns in St Elizabeth.”

When the Jamaica Observer revisited the Junction market last Thursday during business hours, the few vendors in the market building expressed strong support for Fisher’s commitment.

“It’s time for all the sellers to come off the streets and come into the market,” one vendor said.