​Who is this guy?  Like just about everyone else that does a double-take the first time they see Chito, I didn’t know what exactly to think.  My first impression, however, was nothing further from the truth.

​Jose Angel “Chito” Martiarena – a Del Rio native often seen pushing a train of children’s wagons with flashy balloons and road cones attached to a lawnmower down Veteran’s Boulevard, continues to inspire me.

Before you read any further, you have to watch this 9-minute video from the Texas Country Reporter.

He inspires us to give our time, effort, talents, and passions to our community, simply because it’s our home.  He inspires us to embody and encourage hard work and sense of duty over laziness and irresponsibility.  “Entitlement” doesn’t exist in Chito’s vocabulary, even though he has that right more than most of us.  Chito exemplifies how priorities should be arranged in life – family, community…and lastly – himself.  He is the epitome of a dedicated, hard worker – not because it results in personal gain, but because it’s just the right thing to do.  It’s not about glory, wealth, or even long-lasting health for Chito – it’s about using the gifts God gave him at their max potential solely for the purpose of making a difference here in Del Rio.  Chito has taught me more about life than any life-skills coach could ever teach me, and yet he hasn’t spoken a distinguishable word to me.

If you’re interested in supporting Chito, he’s not hard to find.  Look for the trail of wagons attached to an old lawnmower with a bunch of balloons and road cones.  Tell him you appreciate him, thank him, pat him on the back, and spend a moment or two talking to him (and he’ll understand you).  Chito gives it all for Del Rio, the least Del Rio can do for him is offer their gratitude (and a bottle of water, perhaps). 
​
-Dan

It’s June in South-Central Texas, and local watermelon farmers in Quemado, a small town between Del Rio and Eagle Pass along Highway 277 and the Rio Grande, are harvesting sweet, savory melons by the ton. 
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It’s always about this time of year that local vendors park their pick-up trucks loaded with melons along the busy roadways of Del Rio.  If you’re like me, you drive past them every day and wonder who they are and how they make a living selling giant fruit on the side of the road. 

​Well, curiosity finally reeled me in when I was thinking of my next article to write about the unique and awesome culture of Del Rio.  I decided to interview a couple of these local vendors to get a better idea of what exactly I’ve been missing on my way home from work every day this week. 

I didn’t really need to send any formal invitation for an interview – I just happened to pull off Highway 90 near the Del Rio Middle School and end up at Dionisio’s watermelon truck.  Dionisio has lived in Del Rio since 1957, originally growing up outside of Acuña.  He sells his watermelons for anywhere between $3 and $5, depending on the size, and has been selling them for about seven years.

​Dionisio fills his truck, equipped with a camper-top, full of melons for $390 from a farm in Quemado.  When I asked him how much money he made from his sales, he replied, “Not much…but it [gives me] something to do”.  Although not a man of many words, Dionisio explained that weekdays are not as good for business as weekends are.  “If they stop [to purchase a melon], they stop.  Otherwise they keep going,” he remarked as we watched rush hour resume on the highway, closing in on 5:00 PM.

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