Kay’s Ice Cream and Hilltop Ice Cream are names that evoke memories to longtime Warwick residents. Both establishments were the businesses of Ed and Kay McDonough. Kay’s opened in 1976 and ran until 1990. Hilltop started in 1983 and ran until 2000 when Ed and Kay decided it was time to retire. But now Kay’s is back – only this time it’s on the road and their daughter, Kim Leandre, and her family are at the wheel. The owner of Professional Counseling Associates with offices in East Greenwich, Kim is a Rhode Island licensed and national certified counselor specializing in the mental and behavioral health of individuals, couples and families. But she can’t get away from ice cream. Before she turned five, she helped her parents by handing out napkins to customers and then later took over the business before devoting her efforts to counseling. With an ice cream truck, Kim has found the smiles ice cream can evoke, a pleasant relief to her line of work. Moreover, she sees an opportunity for her children, Corey and Kayla, to learn a business and gain the skills to strike out on their own. The van not only frequents neighborhoods, but Kim said a big part of the business is catering to parties and events. On Thursday, in recognition of the new venture, the Central Rhode Island Chamber and Mayor Scott Avedisian conducted a ribbon cutting at the DelGiudice Park in Highland Beach. And, of course, they all got a scoop on the story. (Text and photos by John Howell)