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Shelly Del Valle
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Although in this day and age technology continues
to advance on a daily basis, it seems the "bare necessities" are still
important. This is quite understood, for example, by people who expect a
bathroom, restaurant, grocery store and ice cream parlor in almost every town or
city they visit. You may think that ice cream is not really a "necessity" but
ask anyone young or "young at heart" and they will prove you different. It is
with that in mind that we introduce the businesswoman who made ice cream a
readily available treat on this island - Mrs. Linda "Shelly" Del Valle.
On August 23rd, 1964 Adela and Seferino Paz Sr.
(deceased) became the proud parents of the youngest of their seven children -
Linda. "Shelly" as she is called by her family and friends, enjoyed a happy
childhood in the serene village of San Pedro. Like the rest of the youngsters of
those days, Shelly was a regular "mermaid," spending most of her time swimming
in the clear crystal waters of the Caribbean Sea. She attended San Pedro Roman
Catholic School and San Pedro High School, graduating in 1981. Having completed
her secondary education, Shelly was given the opportunity to further her studies
and moved to Belize City to attend St. John's College/Junior College. It was in
the city that she met, fell in love and married Manuel Del Valle on June
25th, 1983. Over the years
their union produced three children: Manuel Jr. (18), Michael (12) and Monique
(11). Having already lived one year in Belize City,
Shelly convinced her husband to relocate to San Pedro to start their new life
together. After she returned home, Shelly's father, who owned a grocery store,
offered her his soft-serve ice cream machine to start her own business. Having
the ambition to venture into this enterprise Shelly, with the support of her
husband, opened the first real ice cream parlor in San Pedro where visitors
could relax inside with a refreshing treat. She was also entrusted with her
mother's secret ice cream recipe and eventually went on to experiment with her
own concoctions until she came up with the now famous "Manelly's" ice cream
recipe. The name "Manelly" is a combination of the names Manuel and Shelly. The
community embraced the efforts of the Del Valles, which prompted them to
purchase more ice cream machines and eventually a batch machine from which they
now manufacture 16 flavors of ice cream. Having a good eye for business and
determining what else would interest children, Shelly then added video games to
entice youngsters to their establishment. Operating such
a successful business means a lot of emphasis must be put on managing it and
Manelly's is no exception. Shelly says that, because of this, she takes
advantage of any spare time and spends it with her family. Sundays, she
explained, is when family day is observed. Shelly is also known for being a
community-oriented person. Personally and through her business she is very
supportive of town functions and fundraisers, especially the San Pedro Lions
Club. A hidden talent that Shelly has recently exposed is that of being a fine
dancer. For the past two years Shelly formed part of the vivacious members of
the Salsa Caliente carnaval group, dancing as one of the "Recycled Teenagers."
She says she enjoyed this experience very much and is happy to do it
again. Mrs. Shelly Del Valle, through her frozen
sensations, has been able to satisfy anyone who has a sweet tooth. Her many
delicious selections keep residents and visitors alike shouting "We all scream
for Manelly's Ice Cream" in "Our Community."
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