The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-08-19
Macdonald Park. Ceremony To Be
 Held August 30
Former State Highway Commissioner to Be Honored By Exercises at Capitol and By UnveiIing of Monument on Avon Mt

Atop Avon mountain, but a few scant rods from the location he laid out for the old dirt road over the mountain at the dawn of the cen- tury, former Connecticut Highway Commissioner James H. Macdonald of New Haven on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 30, will see un- yelled in memory of himself the James H. Macdonald monument and memorial medallion, placed there by the commission author ized for that purpose by the 1881 general assembly.
 Date for the ceremonies in honor of Uncle Jim" as he is known wherever in the United States there is anyone familiar with the history of highway building, was an- nounced today by the present high way commissioner, John A. Mac donald. It was originally planned to hold the exercises on June 15, but unforeseen difficulties made the postponement necessary.
 Commissioner Macdonald also announced that the program would be divided into two parts. It will start with exercises in the hall of the house of representatives in the State Capitol, Hartford, at 1 p. m., EST and then will be adjourned to the memorial park on the mountain top where the unveiling ceremonies will begin at 3:30 p. nr, EST. Com plete details of the program are not yet ready.
 Invitations have been sent to all living selectmen who served in Connecticut towns during the per- iod 1S95-1913 while ex-Commis- sioner Macdonald was in office to members of the general assembly, to state officials, to the New Haven Kiwanis club of which Uncle Jim" is a beloved member. and to many others. It is not nec- essary to have an invitation to gain admittance to the ceremonies in the hall of the house or to the park for the unveiling exercises. however In fact, the commission is very anxious to have the gen. eral public attend in as large num- bers as possible.
 The commission in charge of es- tablishing the James H. Macdon- aid memorial park and monument as appointed by the 1881 legisla- ture consists of the following: James W. Whittlessey of Morris. H. Sanford Osborn of Bedding, John F. Lynch of West Haven, the commissioner of motor vehicles and the highway commissioner.
 This commission purchased the land for the park. from Joseph Alsop of Avon year ago last May, choosing the site because of the fact that the building of the old dirt road over the mountain was one of Commissioner Mac donald's first big projects. The site is on the western slope of the mountain about three-fourths of the way to the summit. It affords beautiful view of the Avon valley.
 The park, consisting of about five acres of land, has been equip ped with driveways by the high way department and has been greatly beautified with new grass, native trees, shrubs and vines by the landscape bureau of the de- partment, although the unusually dry season has considerably re- tarded the growth of these plants. A chain link fence has been built on three sides of the park.
 Stone used in building the monu- ment is genuine, extra dark, Quincy granite, supported by concerto footing of cement and rubble ma sorry. The medallion for the mon- ument. about three feet in diame- ter contains bust port'ait of the