By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Jesus Lopez Jr. is seeking election to the District I seat on the Del Rio City Council.
Lopez was born and raised in Del Rio and has lived here all his life, except during extended periods of work.
His parents owned and operated several popular Del Rio restaurants, Ricky’s Charcoal Grill, as well as a restaurant inside the Roswell Hotel and a restaurant that preceded Benny’s Café on South Main Street.
“They also had a shoe store and pottery store,” he said.
Lopez remembers his parents as hard-working, generous people, always ready to lend a hand to the less fortunate.
Lopez graduated from Del Rio High School in 1979.
After high school, Lopez worked in construction in Big Lake, then married Hilda Castillo. The couple is still together, and has now been married 43 years.
After his brief stint in the construction business, Lopez went to work in the oilfields and has never looked back.
He started as a derrick hand, but soon moved to supervisory positions, overseeing drilling crews and wells, working for different companies. He worked on offshore oil rigs for 17 years later in his career.
Lopez is currently employed as a line supervisor for Halyard, Owens & Minor, a manufacturing company that produces N95 facemasks locally.
Lopez previously ran unsuccessfully for a county constable position.
Lopez said he decided to run for the city council for the same reason he ran for the constable seat: to find out “who makes the decisions.”
“I want to know who’s bringing these ideas. How did they come up with the concept of what is better for the city, when sometimes things get worse, not better?” Lopez said.
He said downtown renovation is an area he is particularly interested in. He said he believes the city’s “beautification” of downtown has had a detrimental affect on the area.
Lopez also thinks the council needs to listen more to its constituents.
“People have good ideas about things. You have to be open-minded, and you have to talk to people and listen to what they have to say,” he said.
“I would like to know your ideas for the area where you live. What do you see? What have you heard? What would you like to be done? Put all that into consideration, with everybody that you talk to, and bring that to the council,” Lopez said.
“I’m a hard worker, and I like to accomplish things. I’m here for my community,” he added.
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Contact the author at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com
