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By KRISTA GROMALSKI COCHECTON - Reilly's was a summer ritual for some folks. Banana splits on a hot July evening... milk shakes to cool the August heat... Now, the ice cream parlor and art gallery is but a sweet memory. Owners Bob and Mary Ann White, who have dished out heaping cones and fudge-covered sundaes for the past seven years, decided it's time to find a new way to keep cool. The couple, who bought the former Reilly's General Store in 1988 and spent six years completing renovations, served their final scoops September 7 to a rush of loyal customers already mourning the loss. "It was a place to enjoy a special treat," said Joline Schultheis of Narrowsburg. "You don't find places like this any more." Schultheis, her husband, Alvin, and daughter, Audrey, have enjoyed Reilly's ice cream since the beginning. Once retired, the Whites plan to rest up over the winter and prepare to take a summer motor home trip to Seattle, Washington. Not content to linger too far from their icy occupations, however, they'll cruise up to Alaska from there. "We've done everything we set out to do here," said Mary Ann. "This has been a dream of ours but it's time to retire and relax." In 1992 Mary Ann retired from her job as postal clerk in the Cochecton Post Office to dedicate her time to the ice cream business. Bob, a letter carrier by day, retires this year. The art gallery connected to the ice cream parlor was created as a showcase for Mary Ann's original photography and many of the antique items displayed were salvaged from the old general store, which closed in 1957 and remained vacant until the Whites came along. The couple showed their appreciation to their customers with a final treat of cake, cookies and coffee. "Our customers are all good people," Bob said. "Sure we'll miss them." The historic building, complete with ice cream parlor, is for sale. |
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