Page 1 - Parlier Post 1-24-18 E-edition

VOL. 35 NO. 4, PARLIER (FRESNO COUNTY) 93648 1 SECTION, 10 PAGES WEDNESDAY, January 24, 2018
Parlier High students prepare for Ivy League trip
Karina Vargas / The Post
FromleftareIvyLeagueCEOMartinMares; ParlierHighsophomoresNancySerranoandLizbeydiMonroy;JavierMar- tinez, director of migrant education; and Rafael Iniguez, Career Technical Education coordinator for the district.
By Karina Vargas
parlierpost@midvalleypublishing.com
Parlier High School sophomores Nancy Serrano and Lizbeydi Monroy are among 50 students from 35 Central Valley high schools who are participating in the Ivy League Project this year.
This spring break, both students will head to the east coast and visit universities like Harvard MIT, Yale and the University of Pennsylvania.
Through the Ivy League Project, high school students can meet with current and former Ivy League students with similar backgrounds to their own.
"This trip will be great because I've never been outside of California," Monroy said. "It would be great to go to the east coast."
Monroy is still undecided on what university she would like to attend after high school. However, she is certain she wants to be a lawyer.
Serrano's plans are to major in mathematics, or anything related to that. Her dreams are to attend Stanford University.
Both girls are first generation students who have the responsibility of being good role models for their younger siblings.
Serrano currently has a 4.3 grade point average, and Monroy a GPA of 4.1.
Both students are part of the high school’s ILEAD program – an honors program that prepares high achievers for the top universities. They participate in a number of extracurricular activities and are members of the high school's Navy Junior ROTC program.
PUSD Career and Technical Education Coordinator Rafael Iniguez said both students are exhausting their opportunities. "They’re ideal candidates for the Ivy League Projet," he said.
Martin Mares, a former PUSD employee, started the Ivy League Project in 1992 with six Parlier High students.
“Our first venture was in 1992. We went for five days to visit Harvard, Yale, MIT,” Mares said. “It was remarkable because it was the first time our students had traveled across the nation to go visit the most selective universities in America.”
At that time, Mares thought the trip would be a one-time thing. “I never envisioned it would take over my life,” he said.
“In the fifth year we had our first student from Parlier accepted to Harvard MIT," Mares said.
Today the program is in Texas, Arizona and California and students from 35 different high schools
IVY LEAGUE... Continued on Page 9
Time in Destiny food giveaway
File photo
Parlier High School students stand in line at the school attendance office.
Parlier High graduation credits set to increase
Staff report
Sanger's Time in Destiny Christian Center organized a food distribution at the Parlier Senior Center on Jan. 12.
Local volunteers who also help at the Time in Destiny Community Food Bank Distribution brought four pallets of food for Parlier residents.
The church feeds more than 3,000 people a month. They have given away food for 10 years.
Pastor Paul Zavala said volunteers would start bringing food for Parlier residents. He said residents are only asked for a signature to be able to pick up food.
Warming Center
Zavala also said the Parlier warming center will now be open from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. when there is heavy rain.
Starting this week, the center will be providing services to all Parlier residents three times a week — Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings; anger management; community service hours; counseling; mentoring; marriage counseling. All are free of charge.
The Poverello House also has teamed up with Zavala to provide their
FOOD... Continued on Page 9
By Karina Vargas
parlierpost@midvalleypublishing.com
Starting with this year's freshman class, Parlier High School students are expected to earn 250 credits in high school before they can graduate, an increase from the 230-credit requirement.
Parlier High Principal Lorenzo
Jan. 25
council
agenda
Staff report
The Parlier City Council is expected to discuss a mid-year salary increase for City Manager Sam Escobar at its Thursday, Jan. 25 council meeting.
Council members also will consider approving an amendment to a lease agreement with Sanger's Time in Destiny Christian Center for 741 1/2 Tulare St. The amendment would allow Time in Destiny volunteers running the warming center to also provide a daytime community service room.
The meeting will start at 6:30 p.m.
Rodriguez discussed the potential change at the Jan. 9 Parlier Unified School District Board of Trustees meeting. The topic was to be discussed and approved by the board at the Jan. 23 meeting.
Rodriguez said the academic leadership team at the high school
CREDITS... Continued on Page 8
Photo Contributed
A volunteer unloads food boxes from a truck at the Parlier Senior Center.
Parlier boys rebound from tough OT loss
Parlier High School's varsity boys basketball team rebounded from an overtime home loss against first place Caruthers to post their first West Sequoia League win of the season on Jan. 19.
The Panthers (8-11, 1-3) outscored the Riverdale Cowboys 16-12 in
the final quarter to pull out a 52-48 win. That came three days after a 74-46 road loss to WSL co-leader Fowler. On Jan. 12, Parlier rallied in the fourth quarter to force overtime but then were outscored 16-2 in the extra session and lost to Caruthers, 74-62, at PHS gym.
The Panthers hosted Minarets in a WSL game on Jan. 23. They then are home against Fresno Christian on Fri- day, Jan. 26, in a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.
LEFT: Bryan Barbosa, 24, watches his shot sail to the basket against Caruthers on Jan. 12.
Javier Martinez / Photos Contributed
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