Delano, Giglio Named Mr. and Miss Palisades

Wyn Delano and Sabrina Giglio, both students at Palisades Charter High School, earned the titles of Mr. and Miss Palisades last Wednesday night at Pierson Playhouse in the annual contest sponsored by the Palisades Chamber of Commerce. Delano and Giglio, who will each receive a $2,000 Cathie Wishnick Memorial Scholarship, will ride in the town’s Fourth of July parade and will represent the town’s youth at various Chamber-sponsored events in the coming year. ‘This is something that I have wanted since I was five years old,’ said Giglio, 15. ‘I have read the Palisadian-Post every year and thought that I want to be one of those girls,’ referring to the Miss Palisades winners. The teens were judged on character, talent, poise, presentation and communication skills. They each had to present an artistic talents whether it be singing or playing a musical instrument, then answer questions in an onstage interview with co-emcees Sam Lagana and Nicole Howard. Giglio impressed the judges with her flawless performance of ‘Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major’ by Johann Sebastian Bach, while Delano wowed them with his dramatic singing of ‘The Impossible Dream’ from ‘Man of La Mancha.’ Delano, 16 and a junior at PaliHi, is an aspiring actor. He starred in his first musical ‘Oklahoma,’ at six years old and is currently performing in ‘The Secret Garden’ at the Morgan-Wixson Theater in Santa Monica. He decided to enter the contest at the urging of a friend. ‘It’s a wonderful honor to be selected out of this incredibly talented group to be the town’s representative,’ he said. Giglio, a sophomore at PaliHi, has played the cello for four years and hopes to become a professional musician. She has plans to attend a liberal arts school on the East Coast. Courtney Kelly, a Harvard-Westlake sophomore, and Jacob Correia, a Brentwood School sophomore, were named runners-up; each received $200. Kelly showcased her artwork (oil, pastels, watercolor, pencil and clay) in a slideshow presentation, while Correia (also a runner-up in the 2008 Mr. Palisades contest) played ‘Csardas’ by Vittorio Monti on his violin. Other contestants included Jackie Brody, Oaks Christian School sophomore; Samantha Elander, PaliHi sophomore; Sam Green, Crossroads junior; Micah Gordon, Windward School sophomore; and Julian Xavier Whatley, PaliHi senior. While teen contest officials tallied the judges’ scores, reigning Mr. Palisades Chris Alexakis entertained the audience with a slideshow of his activities throughout the year, while outgoing Miss Palisades Elena Loper sang ‘Let It Be’ by the Beatles. Mimi Vitale, who was Miss Palisades in 2000, also sizzled on stage in an elegant silver gown as she performed Celine Dion’s ‘My Heart Will Go On’ and ‘All That Jazz’ from the musical ‘Chicago.’ The judges were Gavin MacLeod, honorary mayor; Mona Golabek, concert pianist; Linda Vitale, vocalist; Marcie Gold, television producer; and Paola de Mari, board member of Italy-America Chamber of Commerce West. The event was organized by Carol Smolinisky (chairperson), Candida Piaggi, Ramis Sadrieh, Lauri McNevin, Thea White (who choreographed the opening number) and Arnie Wishnick. The following restaurants donated food for the reception that concluded the night’s festivities: Taste, Oak Room/Village Pantry, Mayberry’s, Tivoli Caf’, Kay ‘N’ Dave’s Cantinas and Taj Palace.