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‘A Lasting Reminder’: City Unveils Sign Dedicating Riverwalk Bike Path To Tony Dolce

By Sara Holthouse 5 min read

 When people in the city go past or stop to take advantage of the Chadakoin Riverwalk's bike path, they will now be greeted by a new sign dedicating the bike path to former councilman Tony Dolce.

The dedication to Dolce, who passed away in July, and official unveiling of the sign was held by the city on Thursday afternoon, with his family, friends, and those who knew him among the audience for the day.

"Tony meant a great deal to Jamestown," Mayor Kim Ecklund said during the dedication ceremony. "He dedicated decades to serving our city and spent a career educating Jamestown students and passed along his passion for running to generations of student athletes, some represented here today."

Ecklund said it is especially meaningful for Dolce's name to forever be associated with a place that reflects his love of running and the outdoors, where Jamestown residents can continue to walk, run, jog, bike and stay active for years to come. Dolce dedicated over 30 years of his life serving on the City Council, including as council president.

"His decades of service are a remarkable testament to his dedication and commitment to the city and its residents," Ecklund said. "Having served alongside Tony for more than 20 years I had the opportunity to see first hand the time, thought and experience that he brought to that role. We spent many years working together through challenges, discussing important decisions and striving to make the best choices for the city of Jamestown and its entire residency."

Ecklund added that Dolce's life was deeply connected to the people, organizations and institutions of the city, spending 35 years with Jamestown Public Schools as well. She said his involvement on city council enabled him to share a unique experience with students to be able to connect what they learned to the city that they lived in. Ecklund highlighted Dolce's work in the schools, including as an assistant coach for the boys' and girls' cross country team.

"Tony had that opportunity to make a lasting impression on generations of students and that influence remains an important part of his legacy that we should never forget," Ecklund said. "For me, this dedication is especially meaningful because Tony was more than a colleague on city council. For over 20 years we established a close friendship that I will always value with him and his family."

Ecklund said their friendship over the years grew into more of a sibling relationship, adding that she will always be grateful for those years and to be the one to be able to dedicate the Riverwalk bike path to him, especially as Dolce was constantly able to be seen running on the path or coming to reflect on his life and the history of Jamestown, including the impact he made in helping develop the path itself.

"I hope this path will serve as a lasting reminder of Tony and the difference one individual can make in our city," Ecklund said.

Dolce's children, Christian and Amelia, spoke on what this dedication and the stories they have heard about their father over the last few months has meant. While Dolce meant a lot to the city, they said the city meant a lot to him as well.

"He believed in Jamestown, its people, and the importance of doing his part to make the place he loved even better," Christian Dolce said. "Whether he was a teacher, a coach, a councilman, or simply a neighbor, that belief never changed. To him, those weren't just different roles or responsibilities, they were different ways of contributing to the place he cared so deeply about."

As his children, they noted that they got to see a side of Dolce as a dad that most did not get to see, outlining everything they learned from him, including about leadership and what is involved in a meaningful life. Additionally, they said dedicating the Riverwalk bike path in honor of Dolce is especially fitting, due to his love of running and being outside.

"To us, this pathway represents something greater," Amelia Witkowski said. "A pathway connects people. It brings us together and gives us a place to move forward, sometimes alongside one another, and sometimes on our own. I think that's a fitting symbol for a man who spent so much of his life trying to bring people together and move this community forward."

Christian Dolce said people do not get to choose how much time they have in the world, but they get to choose what they do with that time, and his dad chose to spend his time on the people and place he loved. Witkowski said their hope is that the path does not only help to remember Dolce's name, but to remember what small acts of kindness and commitment can mean to a community.

"We hope it reminds us that the best way to honor the people we've lost is not simply to remember what they did but to carry forward what they believed in," Witkowski said.

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