The Pacific Palisades Rotary Club honored Palisadian-Post Editor Bill Bruns with the Bob Sage Business Person of the Year Award at its June 5 breakfast meeting. In determining the recipient, Rotary members base their selection on the 4-Way Test, which is ‘Of the things we think, say or do: 1. Is it the Truth? 2. Is it Fair to all concerned? 3. Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships? 4. Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?’ Members voted on several nominees, but Bruns was the clear winner, said Rotary President Stockton Gaines. ‘We felt that he exemplifies the spirit and the values the 4-Way embodies. And besides, we like him.’ Bruns, a former editor at Life magazine and TV Guide, and the co-author of a dozen books, has been editor of the Post since May 1993. He and his wife, Pam, moved to the Palisades in 1972 and raised their two children here: Alan is now a middle school teacher and high school baseball coach in Seattle and Allison is a social worker at St. John’s Health Center. As an active member of the child-raising community (while his wife played a key leadership role in local public schools and the campaign for charter status), Bruns already had a stake in the town’s well-being when he became editor of the newspaper. ‘I appreciated what the Palisades meant to people living here–its traditions and the grassroots activism–and I have always worked hard to give editorial support to every segment: the schools, youth sports, local organizations, high-achieving residents, the AARP generation, Golden Couples, and various causes that benefit the community.’ As an editor, Bruns strives to ensure honesty, truth and fairness in his writers’ stories. He carefully reads every article printed in the front news section, plus Letters to the Editor, opinion pieces and the Two Cents column, searching for errors, missing information and any bias that might have slipped into the piece. ‘I really believe that Rotary’s 4-Way Test truly captures our ethos here at the Post,’ said Bruns, who noted that a supportive publisher (Roberta Donohue), staff longevity (15 years for senior editor Libby Motika and 10 years for sports editor Steve Galluzzo) and a dedication to the craft of journalism by all his writers has enabled him to maintain a high level of excellence at the newspaper despite the industry’s economic woes. Palisades Rotary has presented the 4-Way Test award to local business owners and executives since 1996. Recent winners have included Kay ‘n’ Dave’s Cantina (2007), Knolls Pharmacy (2006) and Caf’ Vida (2005).
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