First person: Clovis High junior spends day in county government

Editor's note: Matthew Del Toro is a junior at Clovis High School. He is the son of Gwyn and Armando Del Toro of Clovis. He aspires to become an aerospace engineer and attend New Mexico State University in Las Cruces or Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla. He was selected by Curry County to be its "manager for a day" on Thursday. He wrote this about his experience:

Though most of my peers were getting ready for school, I was preparing for an altogether new experience. On Thursday, I had the opportunity to be Curry County manager for a day, shadowing County Manager Lance Pyle. Through this experience, I was able to see the "behind the scenes" of our local government and gain valuable work experience.

I began the day with a management meeting, which was a gathering of department heads of the county. Each gave an update on projects and plans for improvements around the county. One announcement that stood out to me was that the county will be providing internships for high school students over the summer. They are looking to hire 100 students to work for local businesses in a field of work that interests them.

The next meeting I was a part of involved a partnership with Curry Soil and Water and SDV Construction. They plan to install a gutter system on the new extension building for rainwater collection. Curry Soil and Water had specific equipment it wanted to be implemented and was collaborating with SDV to complete the project.

Between meetings and appointments, I was allowed to sign paperwork for the county including invoices and reimbursements. I was not expecting to be hands-on, but it was a good experience reviewing paperwork. I was nervous to be functioning in such an official capacity and I did not want to mess up.

My next meeting was with KC Messick to discuss the county fair. I was able to give my opinion on what people might want to see in the way of music and entertainment. I found it validating to be asked my opinion on something that I have previously attended. They hope to utilize more local talent and offer a variety of music and entertainment to attract more people.

Once we finished all of our meetings, we toured a couple of the county's ongoing construction projects. The extension building is under way by the county fairgrounds and is on schedule for completion. As well as the extension of the county courthouse, both projects have been undertaken by SDV Construction.

The tour of the Adult Detention Center was eye-opening. I did not know what to expect going in but I saw and learned lots. The control room was the coolest part since you could see the whole facility from one room and be able to control who comes in and out. A part that I found interesting that some may not know about was the logging and guarding of all detainees' personal property. Since the county would be held liable for any lost or stolen property, meticulous records are vital.

I then had a ride along with Deputy Sheriff Erica Romero where I was able to see police work in action. She performed a traffic stop on a vehicle without a rear license plate. The driver was found to be test-driving the vehicle and had a dealer's tag on the back windshield not visible due to the tinting.

We also visited a known site for stolen vehicles and criminal activity.

After the ride along I went back to the county administration building to debrief with County Manager Pyle. Coming home after a full day of learning and working, I was exhausted but grateful to all who helped me.